Disco 3 or 4 or something else

[Chambo110]

Advice please..

currently own a 110csw but slowing falling out of love. Been superb for a good 7years now and used mainly for camping trips. But after the NC500 I’m considering a swap to a disco 3 or 4 or maybe even something like an Audi q7, x5 Touareg ?? Undecided .. apologies for mentioning the others

so for camping, who would go for what.???

I love the defender for how cheap and easy most fixes are but anything newer scares me a little to be honest. No where near as many enthusiasts as LR owners, but even newer discos scare me with all the electricary stuff and general prices for repairs.

on my200tdi I can climb in the engine bay with some spanner’s and fix things.

Loving the disco 4 for looks and space.. just need others to talk me into it.. or out of as the case may be 

 

cheers all

[Bowie69]

What are you trying to fix about the 110 by changing it for something else?

[Chambo110]

Cheers for reply

 

As my bones get more achey I guess I’m looking for more comfort ultimately. Looking to spend less time under the truck and more time inside it. 
Rain and winds ideally kept to the outside. Less noise.

still want to load it up for camping but would like to make it a more pleasurable drive to, from and around.

 

forgot to add this isn’t a daily driver. More a toy / weekend thing.

 

 

[Stellaghost]

1 hour ago, Chambo110 said:

 

I love the defender for how cheap and easy most fixes are but anything newer scares me a little to be honest, even newer discos scare me with all the electricary stuff 

This to me is your biggest issue, the reality is the newer offerings are less DIY and more expensive to sort, also the others you mentioned also have eye wateringly expensive needs. On a personal level I would look to upgrade your existing comfort levels in the 110 ( sure Ed Poore put range rover seats in his 110 ) and find a balance between reasonable maintenance cost and increased comfort that is assuming you still want to tinker a wee bit with your 110

I think I would explore a few avenues to keep the 110 rather than sell it and then deeply regret it later on when other vehicles don't come up to expectations

Hope that makes sense regards Stephen

[Chambo110]

Appreciate the reply Stephen thanks.

I have met with Ed a couple years ago now. It was his info that helped me to install Range Rover sport seats. ( a mission in itself and still not properly wired in)

the seats are super comfy but as I get older and more rounded it’s the small things like elbow space etc that annoy me.

 

I do still love the 110 but due to a new role at work I find I have less time now days to “tinker”

if I am completely honest though I think I agree, I’m better off keeping the 110.

just needed others to tell me 😁

so it’s 2-0 for the defender at the minute 

[Stellaghost]

4 minutes ago, Chambo110 said:

Due to a new role at work I find I have less time now

I get where your going with that. I accepted a new role at work and went from 8hr days to 12-15hr days through the week and 4-6hrs on a weekend and on call, had no tinkering time at all. The works closed a few years later and I relocated to Scotland and back to a good work life balance and a valuable lesson learnt. If I had stayed in that position non of my projects would have happened, I took a step back and got my life back, have never regretted it regards Stephen

[Arjan]

Although I have driven quite a few miles in D3 & D4 I will not buy one.

I have a OneTen that does most things but in the end it is a "basic" vehicle.

A D2 has arrived here and will need serious work before it goes on the road but doable.

Does most things the OneTen does but in greater comfort and still sort of DIY friendly.

Obviously, there are a lot of D3 & D$ people that will claim otherwise but for me they're a generation too far.

[Escape]

Are you sleeping inside your 110 or just using it to lug camping gear? If sleeping inside, I think you'll find the Q7, X5 etc disappointingly small on the inside! The Disco 3/4 is huge, and they're nice to churn away the miles, but then it does become more about getting there rather than the drive itself (which is always an adventure by itself in a Defender). You won't spend as much time working on a Disco, but you're likely to spend considerably more money, both in parts and professional help (diagnostics for one).

I'd vote Defender. 😉

[elbekko]

If you want the simplicity of a Defender with a bit more room and comfort, go for a Classic or a D1. Finding one that's not 90% rust for a decent price is going to be the main issue. If you're ok with a bit more complexity, a D2 or P38 can be an option, although they won't be tinker-free either.

Not sure about camping with a modern car yet. I have a brand new GLE now, was planning on putting my roof tent on it, but needs testing before I do so. The alarm likes to go off even though you didn't lock it and shenanigans like that. A little more caring about what lane you go down to camp in. On the other hand, it's nice to travel with a vehicle with a warranty. Sort of refreshing to not have to carry around a toolbox...

[Exmoor Beast]

I've gone from 20 years of a 110 to a D3 and I love it to be honest. Its quick, economical and reliable so far. Cavernous boot, and air suspension make the practicalities of daily chores easy. Hitching trailers with air-suspension saves lots of effort.

I went for the best serviced D3 I could find. In my case an ex-Armed Response Police Car. It's on 174,000miles so far with service history showing a service every 4-6000miles from new, it runs like new still.

Theres tons of room inside to sleep, for solo (or two for a short trip) camping it is a perfect car.

Will

 

[Nonimouse]

On 1/18/2023 at 3:03 PM, Exmoor Beast said:

I've gone from 20 years of a 110 to a D3 and I love it to be honest. Its quick, economical and reliable so far. Cavernous boot, and air suspension make the practicalities of daily chores easy. Hitching trailers with air-suspension saves lots of effort.

I went for the best serviced D3 I could find. In my case an ex-Armed Response Police Car. It's on 174,000miles so far with service history showing a service every 4-6000miles from new, it runs like new still.

Theres tons of room inside to sleep, for solo (or two for a short trip) camping it is a perfect car.

Will

 

And your friends are runing a book on how long it lasts until the next breakdown

[Snagger]

As always, these things depend entirely on what you want from the vehicle.

No other vehicle will ever deliver the sense of adventure and fun that a Series or Defender can.  Someone will correct me with some odd examples, but they won’t have the practicality.  But you get my point.  With a Defender, the drive is part of the trip, not a chore to be accomplished as cheaply and quickly as possible.

On the flip side, yes, they are less comfortable.  As others said, you can do some work to improve things, but it’s limited.  Changing the seats, mounting them a little aft and inboard and fitting a Discovery hand brake lever are the big things.

If you want to focus just on the destination, then any type of Discovery, and probably a later type, is what you need.  If you want to enjoy the journey too, fix up the Defender with some decent seats (used seats from another model are likely worn and less comfortable than expected), refurbished heater, maybe the addition of a parking heater and aircon, some sound proofing and get the drafts fixed.

[Chambo110]

All

 

On 1/16/2023 at 8:09 AM, Arjan said:

Although I have driven quite a few miles in D3 & D4 I will not buy one.

I have a OneTen that does most things but in the end it is a "basic" vehicle.

A D2 has arrived here and will need serious work before it goes on the road but doable.

Does most things the OneTen does but in greater comfort and still sort of DIY friendly.

Obviously, there are a lot of D3 & D$ people that will claim otherwise but for me they're a generation too far.

I did think about a D2 but I think I just want newer 

110 Is deffo basic but I have upgraded some bits, c/locking is a must

 

 

[Chambo110]

On 1/16/2023 at 9:22 AM, Escape said:

Are you sleeping inside your 110 or just using it to lug camping gear? If sleeping inside, I think you'll find the Q7, X5 etc disappointingly small on the inside! The Disco 3/4 is huge, and they're nice to churn away the miles, but then it does become more about getting there rather than the drive itself (which is always an adventure by itself in a Defender). You won't spend as much time working on a Disco, but you're likely to spend considerably more money, both in parts and professional help (diagnostics for one).

I'd vote Defender. 😉

young one sleeps inside. Not looked yet but q7 must be large inside ? Bloody thing is huuuge.

totally agree about the defender though, not knowing if you will make it there is half the adventure.

done nc500 couple years ago and apart from a burst rad that I fixed roadside it was faultless.

could I do that on a d4 or x5 ? 😖

[Escape]

10 hours ago, Chambo110 said:

young one sleeps inside. Not looked yet but q7 must be large inside ? Bloody thing is huuuge.

A Q7 sure is huge on the outside, not helped by the plump design. Some years ago I was loading up next to a Q7, first gen I think, and I was surprised there wasn't more room inside. All a bit more curved, lower roof, more plastic taking up space and to be fair I have the back seats completely removed in my Range Rover which also helps. But compared to a P38, a D3/4 is noticeably bigger on the inside, so a different league to the Q7.

[Chambo110]

1 hour ago, Escape said:

A Q7 sure is huge on the outside, not helped by the plump design. Some years ago I was loading up next to a Q7, first gen I think, and I was surprised there wasn't more room in the inside. All a bit more curved, lower roof, more plastic taking up space and to be fair I have the back seats completely removed in my Range Rover which also helps. But compared to a P38, a D3/4 is noticeably bigger on the inside, so a different league to the Q7.

Fair point.. I might have to go check a few out. D3 D4 and Q7

cheers for reply

[Escape]

Never hurts to compare, even if it's only to confirm your initial thoughts. 😉