Disco 4 buying advice
Disco 4 buying advice
Author
Discussion

plasticpig

Original Poster:

12,932 posts

249 months

Sunday 2nd April 2017
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I have pretty much decided that my next car is going to be a Disco 4. I have a budget of around £20k. I have a couple of questions.

I have googled to try and find the difference between a TDV6 and SDV6 engines but am still confused as to the exact differences?
Is it worth going for a slightly newer but higher mileage 2012 model car to get the 8 speed auto box?
Quite a few seem to have cloth seats. How hard wearing are they?
Do you think prices will fall now the 5 is out?






hilly10

7,527 posts

252 months

Sunday 2nd April 2017
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Defo go for the 8 speed box if you can run to it. the last of the 4s are not without problems but they are the pick of the bunch. Go to the Disco3.co.uk forum you will get all your answers on there. Always best to find one that's been main dealer serviced, seven years old they need belt changes that's a grand at a MD.

The Disco is a big complex brute of a car which is expensive to run maintain etc but it's a car that will put a great big smile on your face every time you get in and drive it. It does everything brilliantly that no other car does.

Edited by hilly10 on Sunday 2nd April 17:19

Crumpet

5,063 posts

204 months

Sunday 2nd April 2017
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The 8 speed is lovely and is probably 'better' but I'm not sure you'd miss it if you'd only driven a six speed. The 8 speed has the rotary selector which looks a bit more modern than the 6 speed stick. Performance is not noticeably different despite there being about 10bhp extra on the 8 speed. The six speed pulls away from junctions better and that's a common complaint about the 8 speed.

The cloth seats on the bottom of the range GS / S / SE or whatever it was called at the particular time wear well (mine looked great at 90,000 miles) but are basic. If you're happy with cloth and nothing but electric windows and climate control then the bottom of the range car is fine. I've had both the GS entry level and an HSE Luxury and would really struggle to go backwards now.

Things I'd miss if I didn't have an HSE or HSE lux:

Memory seats (only on HSE)
Cruise control (easy retrofit)
Front parking sensors
Armrests
Heated wheel
The 825w stereo!
The smell of Windsor leather, non HSE leather is a bit plasticky
Rear seat entertainment for the children is nice

Also, if you get a bad one the bills they can throw are horrendous. My D3 had £10k of warranty repairs in two years and none of that was particularly major stuff. At the age you're looking at you've got the belts to worry about, bushes and suspension arms, parking brake wearing out plus all the other stuff that Discoveries throw at you.

Personally I wouldn't touch a Disco without a main dealer Land Rover warranty, but that's just me! I'd find a few extra grand and make sure it comes with the two year warranty from Land Rover - think they have to be younger than five years but I'd rather have a basic one with a warranty than an HSE without!

Awesome cars though!

plasticpig

Original Poster:

12,932 posts

249 months

Monday 3rd April 2017
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I have looked at approved used but they tend to start around £25k. I have two decent independent specialists close to me so that helps in terms of repair costs.

piecost76

294 posts

198 months

Monday 3rd April 2017
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Not 100% sure if the D4 is any different but the D3 eats suspension arms & bushes and it's £1100 to replace them all properly.

Yes that's a D3 & am not sure if a D4 is the same but it's worth noting. They both weigh 2.7 tonnes so are bound to be heavy on suspension & brakes.

hilly10

7,527 posts

252 months

Monday 3rd April 2017
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piecost76 said:
Not 100% sure if the D4 is any different but the D3 eats suspension arms & bushes and it's £1100 to replace them all properly.

Yes that's a D3 & am not sure if a D4 is the same but it's worth noting. They both weigh 2.7 tonnes so are bound to be heavy on suspension & brakes.
Yes the D4 does that also, dont forget its still the big heavy car as the D3

plasticpig

Original Poster:

12,932 posts

249 months

Monday 3rd April 2017
quotequote all
Not the only JLR car to munch through suspension bushes. My current daily driver is a Jaguar XJ Super V8 (X530) which has the same habit. Roughly the same cost's to replace as well so doesn't put me off.




Crumpet

5,063 posts

204 months

Monday 3rd April 2017
quotequote all
plasticpig said:
I have looked at approved used but they tend to start around £25k. I have two decent independent specialists close to me so that helps in terms of repair costs.
Yes they do seem to start around the 25k mark, although I looked at a GS for 22k and there's this 13 plate in York:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

With regard to specialists I've actually found main dealers to be cheaper on a couple of occasions. They're not always as cheap as they should be!

B.J.W

5,866 posts

239 months

Tuesday 4th April 2017
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hilly10 said:
Defo go for the 8 speed box if you can run to it. the last of the 4s are not without problems but they are the pick of the bunch. Go to the Disco3.co.uk forum you will get all your answers on there. Always best to find one that's been main dealer serviced, seven years old they need belt changes that's a grand at a MD.

The Disco is a big complex brute of a car which is expensive to run maintain etc but it's a car that will put a great big smile on your face every time you get in and drive it. It does everything brilliantly that no other car does.

Edited by hilly10 on Sunday 2nd April 17:19
Agree ref the above, except for the fact that the last of the 4's are the pick of the bunch. The 16/66 plate cars are not as well screwed together as the earlier cars and I have seen plenty with engine failures. The Landmarks are nice, but I would opt for an HSE or HSE Luxury.

Ref prices. They are holding firm and the used market is strong for 4's at the moment - we can't sell enough of them and finding them at auction is proving hard. We took a lovely Bournville Brown 59 plate HSE with Almond interior and 106,000 miles in as a swapper against a First Edition '5' a few weeks ago. We paid £14,000 for the car before sending it to the block. Contrast that with leggy 3's on 55 plates that wont even make half that. The 4's will drop, but £20,000 is starting point for a well specified car without intergalactic miles. We sold an 11 plate with 20,000 miles (a lovely HSE in silver with ebony interior) for a shade under £30,000.

hilly10

7,527 posts

252 months

Tuesday 4th April 2017
quotequote all
B.J.W said:
Agree ref the above, except for the fact that the last of the 4's are the pick of the bunch. The 16/66 plate cars are not as well screwed together as the earlier cars and I have seen plenty with engine failures. The Landmarks are nice, but I would opt for an HSE or HSE Luxury.

Ref prices. They are holding firm and the used market is strong for 4's at the moment - we can't sell enough of them and finding them at auction is proving hard. We took a lovely Bournville Brown 59 plate HSE with Almond interior and 106,000 miles in as a swapper against a First Edition '5' a few weeks ago. We paid £14,000 for the car before sending it to the block. Contrast that with leggy 3's on 55 plates that wont even make half that. The 4's will drop, but £20,000 is starting point for a well specified car without intergalactic miles. We sold an 11 plate with 20,000 miles (a lovely HSE in silver with ebony interior) for a shade under £30,000.
What would you give me for mine March 15 Loire Blue 15500 miles HSE

B.J.W

5,866 posts

239 months

Tuesday 4th April 2017
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hilly10 said:
B.J.W said:
Agree ref the above, except for the fact that the last of the 4's are the pick of the bunch. The 16/66 plate cars are not as well screwed together as the earlier cars and I have seen plenty with engine failures. The Landmarks are nice, but I would opt for an HSE or HSE Luxury.

Ref prices. They are holding firm and the used market is strong for 4's at the moment - we can't sell enough of them and finding them at auction is proving hard. We took a lovely Bournville Brown 59 plate HSE with Almond interior and 106,000 miles in as a swapper against a First Edition '5' a few weeks ago. We paid £14,000 for the car before sending it to the block. Contrast that with leggy 3's on 55 plates that wont even make half that. The 4's will drop, but £20,000 is starting point for a well specified car without intergalactic miles. We sold an 11 plate with 20,000 miles (a lovely HSE in silver with ebony interior) for a shade under £30,000.
What would you give me for mine March 15 Loire Blue 15500 miles HSE
Happy to provide a benchmark, but I would always have a look at selling privately. You'll have the balance of JLR warranty and possibly a service plan so there is less risk for the next owner. Loire Blue looks stunning on the 4 as well and it's a rare colour. Given we have just come out of march, a well presented 4 is just about the only car we consider buying as a cold purchase (that and low mileage Freelander 2's under 5 years old)

mikeh501

799 posts

205 months

Wednesday 5th April 2017
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Interesting, im selling my 15 D4 SE Tech in a couple of weeks, so interested in values. Is there really any hope of selling it private? How many people are going to turn up with 30k+ in cash, and not need a PCP/Finance etc?

hilly10

7,527 posts

252 months

Wednesday 5th April 2017
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mikeh501 said:
Interesting, im selling my 15 D4 SE Tech in a couple of weeks, so interested in values. Is there really any hope of selling it private? How many people are going to turn up with 30k+ in cash, and not need a PCP/Finance etc?
On the Disco3forum they sell very well privately that includes D4s at 40k if its got service history and all jobs done it will sell on there.

Grandad Gaz

5,261 posts

270 months

Wednesday 5th April 2017
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What's people's thoughts on the diesel scare of late? Do you think it will affect prices?

Most discos are diesels. In fact, the new disco sport does not come as a petrol version.
I think LR will have to get a move on and produce a hybrid petrol pretty quick!

hilly10

7,527 posts

252 months

Wednesday 5th April 2017
quotequote all
Grandad Gaz said:
What's people's thoughts on the diesel scare of late? Do you think it will affect prices?

Most discos are diesels. In fact, the new disco sport does not come as a petrol version.
I think LR will have to get a move on and produce a hybrid petrol pretty quick!
If pressed i am sure the petrol lump out of the Evoque would fit