Disco 3 or FJ Cruiser

[JonX2C]

Hi All.

So I live in South Africa now.

had a Golf GTI for the first few months, and feel its time to get a 4x4 so i can get out of Johannesburg and into the bush.

So have been toying with the idea to get either a Disco 3 or and FJ Cruiser.

Looking for a decent off roader, I will also be using it to commute every day which isnt far, however i do 1500km a month to meetings in Johannesburg.

Not to fussed about fuel consumption and I know there all about the same.

Fuel is only 80pence a litle out here which does help. Sorry to those back home.

So any thoughts?

[richb77]

Not sure how the FJ is off road as i have never seen one off the tarmac and i wonder how much of it is a styling exercise.

So for off road performance it would have to be the Disco. However i love the look of the FJ.

[PugwasHDJ80]

richb77 said:

Not sure how the FJ is off road as i have never seen one off the tarmac and i wonder how much of it is a styling exercise.

So for off road performance it would have to be the Disco. However i love the look of the FJ.

an FJ is robably better than a disco offroad, and certainly more relliable.

for me, in a Disco v Fj decision it would be a question of luxury v reliability- which do you value more?

[JonX2C]

See thats my only concern, luxury vs reliability.

As I do like my luxury, and going from my z4m to a gti and now to one of these.

However being in SA reliability on the road is very important as you can get into sticky situations and you dont want to break down in some of the areas that I have to go to on a regular basis.

[PugwasHDJ80]

For me the FJ then- better reliability, easier to Mod (Arb bull bars, side steps, diff locks; although they do have standard lockers on one model, OME suspension setup, and will happily take 35" tyres), and plenty comfy enough inside- drove one in the states and could quite happily have driven around all day long.

The one thing i wouldn't worry about would be it breaking down on rough roads, the disco- not so much!

Also don't like how the disco performs in sand and loose ground, its fine in mud and snow, but in sand it just doesn't work. Twice i've been across large portions of the sahara, and the disco will happily get stuck on a beach. This is not driver specific either.

[JonX2C]

PugwasHDJ80 said:

For me the FJ then- better reliability, easier to Mod (Arb bull bars, side steps, diff locks; although they do have standard lockers on one model, OME suspension setup, and will happily take 35" tyres), and plenty comfy enough inside- drove one in the states and could quite happily have driven around all day long.

The one thing i wouldn't worry about would be it breaking down on rough roads, the disco- not so much!

Also don't like how the disco performs in sand and loose ground, its fine in mud and snow, but in sand it just doesn't work. Twice i've been across large portions of the sahara, and the disco will happily get stuck on a beach. This is not driver specific either.

Thats very intresting as in SA we do get a lot of sand in some places, especially when you go into mine dump areas etc.

Ok im leaning more to the FJ now.

They are cheaper than the disco and you can get a 2011 for the same price as an HSE Disco 3 on a 2008 / 9 plate.


Any more experiences with them

Only think i felt when i test drove one was that its breaks are very soft and it doesnt feel like your going to stop the car, but that maybe because i havnt driven a 4x4 and compared to my gti where the breaks are amazing.