Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE

[anomaly]

So after a year and a half of being distinctly underwhelmed by my Aston Martin V8 Vantage it was time for a change. I have always liked the shape of the Discovery 4 and now circumstances dictate a practical car again it seemed as good a time as any. I would perhaps have taken the plunge sooner but held out to see what the Discovery 5 was like. I needn't have waited, IMO the 4 looks far superior.

I considered brand new but actually prefer the less bling styling of the pre-facelift version and this would also reduce depreciation. There was a minor facelift in 2012 which introduced an eight speed gearbox and a more powerful engine. I also wanted an HSE for the spec and I think they look great in silver so the hunt was on!

I picked this one up on Christmas Eve after a bit of a search. It's a one owner 2012 HSE with 65,000 miles and full LR service history. In addition to the already loaded HSE spec it also has an inbuilt fridge, heated steering wheel, auxiliary heater, privacy glass and tow bar. First impressions are great. The car is immaculate and has clearly been looked after. The driving experience is obviously completely different to the Aston but very relaxing with a surprising turn of speed (in a straight line!). My only plans are to remove the ugly side steps and try to keep it in great condition as I think it'll be a keeper.

I only have dealer photos so far:

[anomaly]

Thanks for the comments. I didn't realise that the factory tow bar was so dodgy, good to know thanks. I really love this car so far: it seems really well designed and such a nice thing to be driving around in. I have just set the heater to come on before my commute in the morning so looking forward to it being toasty when I get in!

[anomaly]

Time to update this thread after eight months. This car is completely different to most of my previous daily drivers but I love it without reservations. As a tool to use on a daily basis I cannot think of anything better. It's comfortable, quiet, extremely practical, very easy and relaxing to drive and (so far) completely reliable. I actually look forward to driving it to work each morning which is really saying something!

Purchases so far include four tyres (Pirelli Scorpian ATRs) and a full service at the local dealer. Fortunately the dealer gave it a clean bill of health.

We have used it lots travelling around the UK and last weekend took it to Northumberland on the Kielder Forest 4x4 Safari. Great fun and highly recommended, pictures below. Next up is a holiday in September to the Greek Islands via the Alps and Italy. Wish me luck!

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Cheers all. Yes, I agree that silver looks great on these, especially with privacy glass in my opinion. Disco 4 only came with the TDV6 or SDV6 in the UK. A petrol V8 was available in some markets, unfortunately not the UK. The TDV8 was never available. To be honest the SDV6 is not lacking: it goes great with the 8 speed auto. I agree that the driving style is completely different to a normal car: just sit back, relax and make progress. It's actually a great mile-eater and covers ground really well.

Yes, the Greek Islands... The idea is to head down to Chamonix, the Amalfi Coast, ferry from Brindisi to Greece, Athens, some islands and head back via Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary but we'll see what happens!

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Just returned from a three week road trip in the car to Greece and have been delighted with it. It was a pleasure to drive, comfortable, relaxing and has a cracking sound system! Oh, and totally reliable also. Overall we covered 4600 miles in three weeks and returned 30mpg according to the car which I'm very impressed with. Tended to set the cruise at 136kph on the motorways which was very comfortable. It did feel a bit out of it's depth in the outside lane of the autobahn though compared to previous cars I've had. Interestingly I think I only spotted two other Disco 4s on the whole trip, guess they're not so popular outside the UK.

The route and some pictures follow:



In Chamonix:


Half way up mount Vesuvius:


At the beach in Mykonos:


Romanian traffic:

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Straff99 said:

What was the problem with the Vantage?

There was nothing particularly wrong with it, it just wasn't as amazing as I expected. Previously I had a BMW 1M which I absolutely loved however I'd always wanted a Vantage and was in a position finally to afford a brand new one. I was expecting great things as it was by far the most expensive car I'd bought. It was certainly beautiful and sounded great but was not a patch on the BMW to drive. It was slower, handled poorly in my opinion (standard suspension), felt decidedly hand built (not in a good way) and was a bit of a pain to drive daily: obstructive clutch and gearbox, difficult to get in and out of in parking spaces, hopeless technology and ergonomics, boot filled with water when opened in the rain etc etc. Overall, a disappointment for what it cost me.

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LDN said:

Great pics; I think you've helped me take the plunge!

Thanks. Enjoy your new one, they're great all rounders. I can't think of anything that would do so many things so well.

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LDN said:

It's all happened rather quick; I pick her up tomorrow!

Great pics and an epic road trip you had. Mine will be going over to Morzine and surrounding areas for a few months. Winter tyres and an eBay set of alloys on the horizon now!

A D4 sounds perfect for such a trip. What year/spec have you gone for?

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A update on the D4. It's now on 95,000 miles and not a single fault so far. So much for Land Rover's unreliability reputation! I've recently had it remapped. After some research I went with Alive Tuning and it is now putting out 305bhp compared to the original 255. Not only is it quicker, it's also a lot smoother with less throttle lag when pulling away. No negative effect on economy either so I'm really please.

I still love the car and can't think what I'd replace it with as an all-rounder for the same money. It just does everything I need it to, so well.

Here it is on the north coast of Scotland:

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ECG1000 said:

I have a D4 commercial so naturally have a soft spot. Awesome cars, especially at this time of year. Have to admit, yours does look great in silver!

How do you rate the Scorpion ATRs? I've got the OEM fitment Scorpion Zeros which are great for most normal pursuits. However, they do struggle when it gets slimy - going up a slick muddy bank for example. Can be a problem during the shooting season!
Tempted to go for ATRs but I'm wondering if they would be a step down in cornering grip on the road? I know Discos aren't really meant for it, but I do enjoy hustling along at a fair lick on a twisty, bumpy road.

A remap is also something I've been looking at. Was going to go with a piggy type from DTUK but am open to other options. Do you mind elaborating a bit more on the Alive map?


Here's mine dealing with the early stages of the Beast From The East last year:

Yours looks great, the facelift D4s have really grown on me: they look more modern.

I really like the ATRs though I have little to compare them to, I replaced the worn Hankooks that were on it shortly after I got it. The ATRs are not an aggressive AT tyre: the tread looks quite road biased. I haven't done much off road but they seemed pretty competent. On road they do grip well and cornering in the D4 is more limited by roll than tyre grip!

Regarding the remap, my main motivation was in overcoming the throttle lag that all D4s apparently suffer when pulling away from a standstill. You see a gap in traffic and put your foot down. Nothing happens for what seems like an eternity then it lurches forward. Although this hasn't been totally eliminated it is a LOT better. The acceleration now is properly rapid too! Big difference and smoother generally. It will easily accelerate hard now at motorway speeds. I don't tow but I imagine that if you did the extra power would be useful. It is expensive but depending how you drive I think it is worth it.

[anomaly]

Update on the Disco and the first big expense. Part of this was expected as the year 7 service includes the timing belt. Part of it wasn't: new front lower suspension arms (there was a clunking), corroded brake lines, new passenger door lock mechanism and tyres. Total cost £4k at the dealer. I probably could have had it done elsewhere cheaper but I was happy with the service and it was convenient. I also don't know of any local specialists. It is going great now though, especially since the remap.

In happier news it has just taken us to France where it is performing brilliantly:

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sc0tt said:

Great car, I just looked at the cost of them, then I saw the 4k bill.

That is what, 30% of the value.

It's hopefully worth [a little] more than that! The cost of the work is worth it in my opinion as the car means more to me than it's book value.

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Alfahorn said:

This is the important point.

You've had the car more than 3 years would have saved quite a chunk when the car was new and it's given you great service and you're happy with the car.

It'd cost more than 4k to swap the D4 for something else so it's cheap really.

Nice car and nice read. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for this, it summarises my feelings for the car exactly. I could have a D5 on PCP which is arguably a better car but I like this one and it's relatively cheap to run...

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Storer said:

Main dealer servicing is eye wateringly expensive.

For a start you have to pay manufacturer parts prices.

I have just purchased the upper rear wishbones for my D3. I have bought OEM parts from my local specialist for half what they would cost me at Land Rover. I am going to fit them myself.

I am lucky that I have the facilities, equipment and time to do most of my own servicing and repairs. I think it brings my maintenance costs down to between 20 to 25% of a dealer.

Plus I have the satisfaction too.

I don't disagree. Unfortunately however I don't have the skills, time or equipment to do it myself!

[anomaly]

A fun day out last weekend in the D4 at Tixover in Rutland with Protrax. Good tuition on how to actually drive the car off road and learn about its capabilities. I came away seriously impressed with the car and what it can do, particularly inching down steep loose slopes using HDC. The air suspension "super extended" mode when the car detects that it has grounded is pretty impressive too!

A water crossing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ-TsuYqlZw&fe...

Super extended mode:

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vdn said:

A D4 on the roller test just smashed every other car ever featured. It’s a bit of fun and not that serious but the Discovery does impress. “Best 4x4 by far”.

Excuse my ignorance but what is the roller test?

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agent006 said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lBe2ao3j1Q

A test of how well it deals with loss of traction on various wheels.

Interesting video. This confirms my experience at the weekend of the terrain response taking a few seconds to seemingly analyse tricky terrain before finding a way to move forward, very impressive.

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KPB1973 said:

Really good thread.

I bought a D4 last week and i'm completely smitten. Mine is a 2012 HSE in grey. Brilliant stereo, super comfy, surprisingly swift in the mid-range.

We just loaded it up to the gunwales, stuck a roofbox on it and went camping in Devon for a week. It averaged 37mpg on the way back @ just under the NSL and with the aircon on. Staggering, if a little optimistic if i've done my own sums right.

Gripes? A little lethargic when you pull away and it often jumps from 2nd to 1st if you want decent acceleration. It's just clicked over 103k miles and i'm considering whether a gearbox oil change might help matters?

Couldn't agree more with all of that except maybe the economy! I struggle to get more than 30 mpg. They are apparently known for the hesitation when pulling away, the remap helped though hasn't completely eliminated this.

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I have just ordered this to upgrade the factory media to Apple CarPlay:

https://www.naviplus.com.au/online-store/Land-Rove...

The factory nav is starting to look quite dated so I'm looking forward being able to use Google maps etc. This upgrade seems to be the best available while keeping the factory display for 4x4i, fuel burning heater, reversing camera etc.

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I have installed the naviplus CarPlay upgrade. It was quite involved necessitating removal of quite a bit of console and dashboard. The result though is brilliant. Full Apple CarPlay (or the android equivalent if you like). This includes Google maps, Spotify etc. It uses the existing screen so the graphics are not brilliant but perfectly acceptable and quite clear for satellite view in maps. It retains most of the functionality of the existing Land Rover system including 4x4i, timed climate control etc but does lose the original Nav (no loss there!). I would certainly recommend it if you want a more modern system in your Discovery.