The Land Rover Discovery 4 is Annoyingly Good.... at Everything.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
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Today on the channel, I drive the country cousin of the Porsche Cayenne - Land Rover's Discovery 4. Built on a new platform the Discovery 3 and 4 were intended to bring a more affordable alternative to the Range Rover to the market. Now they're some of the cheapest Land Rovers out there - are they worth buying?
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I love mine. I've owned it nearly from new. Does everything brilliantly and has been 100% reliable over the 7 years i've owned it.... apart from getting stolen. Currently awaiting its return.
Which engine do you have on yours?
Have you got it back eventually?
As a die hard Land Cruiser fan and owner I'll happily agree that the Disco 4 is a real high point for Land Rover. They really nailed the design, capability and practicality side of the vehicle. As an aside we had a top spec Disco 5 for a while which was an absolute disaster of a (very costly) vehicle. I can totally see why so many owners have hung on to the 4.
We traded our beloved Land Cruiser Amazon for a Disco 3 and regretted it from the second we drove off the forecourt. Traded up to a Disco 4 which was altogether better, great car, kept it 8 years but couldn't face the idea of a Disco 5 which seemed worse in almost every way. Still miss the Amazon! What a wonderful machine that was.
Miss my disco 4 daily... sat on my drive most of the time as I cycle more couldn't justify the cost but, luv it everytime I got in. Went all over euro never missed a beat. Had it 6 yrs.
Drove a disco 4 before buying the disco 5 and the difference is crazy might just be me but the 5 is better offroad and on and is more comfortable hasn't been any costly repairs after owning for 5 years
In most markets (most parts of Africa as an example), there's almost no market for any Land Rover product, only pretty wealthy people who like the LR badge will get a Range Rover. Those who don't seem to care about the badge much or can't afford to spend all their money maintaining their daily car would get a Land Cruiser, Prado or a Lexus GX, whichever is available in their market or whichever they can afford. Either of those are more reliable, as luxurious (or even more luxurious), and parts are more easily accessible. Which is why they say, if you want to go into the bush, get a Land Rover, but if you want to get out, get a Land Cruiser.
@@damilolaakanni They only get pre owned landcruisers from Japan because it's cheaper and most reliable than any other SUV in that similar price range, if they could afford a new land rover they would buy it
I have zero need for a disco, but I've wanted one for years. Absolutely no idea why!
I had one of these for a couple of years - a TDV6 HSE luxury and it was a wonderful car! We were using it to pull a big caravan, and (apart from MPG!) it was perfect! It was comfortable, apart from being a bit upright for really long journeys, and was great as a load carrier (the amount we got in the back from an IKEA trip still amazes me!) We got rid of it when we were downsizing the caravan and no longer needed a car of this size. We were also having some problems with the turbo oil feed which the specialist had 'fixed' once, but was stilloccurring - that and the cost of fuel resigned it to the list of past cars owned (although, if I could afford one again I would happily get one!)
Bought my Disco 4 in 2017, still have it and I'm totally in love with it. Understated looks, excellent capability, brilliant second row seats with a huge luggage space. Just one issue during my time of ownership was both Air Mass units. Can't complain at all. Keeping it for many more years to come.
it is an airbag suspension veichle am I correct ?
@@clarkeee876 Yes you're correct.
I've driven a Discovery 3 for the past ten years it now has 170,000 miles on it and although it's cost me plenty in maintenance and spares (air compressor, gearbox refurb, prop shaft, turbo) it has never let me down or stranded me at the roadside. Driving it gives me a feeling of unstopability, as if I could drive it up a mountain if I wanted to, as indeed Mr Clarkson did with one on Top Gear.
I agree. It gives me plenty of notice when something needs maintaining. Mine has under 100k in miles. I've replaced most of the common failure points, including clutch, and haven't done a thing to it in 2 years. If you have any mechanical understanding and some tools, you can do almost everything yourself. Edit: Apart from turbo and crossover pipe because of idiotic packaging, and don't get me started pulling off the oil separator...
I love how Land Rover owners rationalize reliability. “Apart from changing water pump, door window motors, numerous electrical problems, multiple air suspension failure, muh Landie never let me down”
@@electrikoptik You got me on door lock motors! That's the most annoying fault
@@themekfrommars Youve got manual d3 or d4?
@@electrikoptik you should listen to Toyota owners pretending that faults, wear and tear & regular service do not exist😂
Great video Jay!
Got a final run top spec one of these. It is the Swiss Army knife of cars: luxury (proper) 4x4, (proper) 7 seater, occasional transit van. Will tow 3.5 tons!
It feels like driving in your favourite (heated) armchair - you just don’t feel chewing through serious miles in this.
The SDV6 and 8 speed ZF work nicely together with lots of pull low down in the rev range. LR tweaked the gearbox mapping to make it more responsive for the ad-blue version.
The flappy paddles aren’t something you’ll use much but are useful holding gears either while going downhill or when towing.
Make no mistake though - 2.5 tons is expensive to maintain: chews through pads, discs and tyres. It’s complicated with transfer case, air suspension, two turbos - so when they go wrong or wear out it will sting!
Will average high 20s mpg if you drive like a nun, 30s at sensible motorway speeds. If I wasn’t worried about ULEZ I’d get the 2014 XXV anniversary trim as that has almost all options (HSE Luxury and more).
Get one with a full service history and be aware of expensive service milestones around the 112k/7 year mark with the cambelts needing replacement.
There is also the issue of the crank going… which is a bit of a lottery. Regular oil changes may spare you a replacement engine…
I have a Discovery 3 SE 2.7 TDV6 on the Goodyear Duratracs and it’s sublime. 7 full sized seats, as comfortable on the motorway as my living room and a truly fantastic tow vehicle. We do live in rural west Durham. I can’t imagine it’s much fun in a city but I adore mine.
Bought a 2015 D4 HSE Luxury new and kept it for 5 years. Great car and never had an issue, just annual service but did pay for extended warranty just in case. Now have a D5 and not sure how you would move away from these unless you had a bad experience. Very capable and comfortable. More LR stuff please
Always impressed by your videos, you should be on prime-time TV my lad. Love the Disco 4, once I get a bigger garage I'm going to get myself one.
For some reason I am also drawn to this vehicle, love watching TH-cam content of this Vehicle and I own the baby of them all the evoque ( wife is tiny so wouldn't want to drive anything bigger but does like the veler )I personally think its a handsome motor inside and out that is also capable on and off
I love his videos too!
I agree, the videos are brilliant
My dad bought an early Disco 4 SDV6, with cloth seats and virtually no options, BUT with the optional locking rear diff.
The thing was unbeatable offroad and very capable on road.
My brother took it out of his hands and used it primarily for hunting trips... to Slovenia. He left on Friday afternoon, went hunting on Saturday and returned fresh as a fish on Sunday.
Very, very good car, that thing. Really!
Wow. That's a way to go to shoot things. Must have racked up much miles.
Sir, it was *not* unbeatable off road.
@@Grimdotdotdot for its size and features, it was and is 😅
I thought they are very good to hunting mechanics around 🤣
@gazw01, how dare you compare a 2004 Isuzu trooper to a disco 4 with at least 7 years of R &D in all areas. The diso 4 is not for the average citizen, it's for people that can afford the luxury and maintenance costs, so if you're going moan about maintenance and running costs, then the disco 4 nor any JLR product is definitely not for you.
The one you were driving is Euro V compatible, with a DPF. The very last of the Discovery 4s, like the last 9 to 12 months had a Euro VI engine which took DEF (Ad-Blu) and it's ULEZ compliant. I assure you the seats in those cars are extremely comfortable for long trips. I took mine to Mayrhofen in Austria twice, and on both occasions I did the return trip to the UK Midlands in about 15 hours (with fuel and food stops) on a single day, and was fresh as a daisy when I got back. You breezed over the load capability. With the two rear rows of seats down, there is a flat floor over six feet long in the back, and the tailgate is wide and tall, so loading and unloading are a breeze. Try getting stuff that size into a new Defender! The third row seats were designed from the beginning to be big enough for 95% percentile adults. I'm 6' 2" and about the same around, and I can fit in there, but there's next to no boot space left with the third row up.
I can confirm that all of this is true, Im 6'3" and can fit comfortably in all the seats, even the way back. I'm currently in college and one of my friends has an LR4 which I probably driver more than she does and it is probably the best all around car i've driven. I'm in the US so it has the 5.0 V8 in it which has proved to be semi reliable. The car is regularly driven from southern California to the state of Colorado which is about 1200 miles one way and its made it without problems many many times. We took a ski trip in a it once with 5 people, food, clothes, and skies for a week with a keg and other things in the back, probably a literal half ton of weight between passengers and gear, the engine took no notice of it, this car has so much torque I was able to drive at a comfortable 80 going up a mountain highway without turning more than 2000 rpm, this car is the ultimate road trip car due to its space and ungodly comfort. Jay did a great review but he downplayed the luxury just a bit, this car is the most comfortable thing i've been in, more than every bimmer or merc i've ridden in and even the range rover sport.
Simon & Max - thank you for your comments as they're priceless to me. I'm 6ft 3 and always have the question of whether I can sit behind my driving position. Have you guys tried that yet? If so, can you cope behind your own driving position in the second row? Cheers, Guys :-)
@@LukePC I've been sitting on the 2nd row in my own Discovery 4, being 6ft 2in myself, and can fit there perfectly fine, even if the driver's seat is all the way back. I can even fit on the 3rd row seats pretty comfortably if needed.
That's amazing insight! Thank you for the reply. Really appreciate it :)
Thanks for the video. I don't understand why LR products have a poor reputation for reliability. I'm on my 4th Range Rover (L405 - TDV6), having started with an L322 V8 in 2004. All, did over 100,000 miles and one did 184,000, without missing a beat. None let me down, but the important thing is to maintain them. They are expensive cars and need regular maintenance. I've just driven almost non-stop from the Swiss Alps and the journey was effortless and very quiet (double glazed glass) and I get 600 miles from a 68 litre fuel tank!
I tow a 3 tonne boat and also use mine for shooting and have General Grabber AT3 tyres - which I highly recommend to Derek when he replaces the Goodyear Wranglers on his Disco 4.
I was a parts manager for a LR dealer. Other than Smith switches flying apart I don't remember customers having anything bad to say about them.
Other than changing oil, what constitutes “regular maintenance?”
@2JZ with a big single ?!?
The poor reliability is based on statistics which doesn't mean that every owner experiences the problem but evidently ownership of a modern LR is a very risky proposition, even more so for those who intend to use the vehicle off road in remote locations
You are a statistical outlier!
The Disco 4 and the L322 Range Rover were definitely Land Rover’s best; perfect blend of luxury and ruggedness - and not full of screens like the new ones.
I really dislike screens in any car. Sadly it's become the norm.
Big fan of the Disco 4 - I have a 2015 SE Tech model developing 255 BHP - 600 Newton meters of Torque and weights 2.7 tonnes when fully fuelled and lubed - Stop start Tech and Ad-blue reduces emissions. I have owned mine for 7 years / 80,000 miles and had just one issue - the transfer box developed an oil leak which my local garage cured for 60 quid. I have been all over the Highlands and islands seeking forestry tracks and cattle paths over mountain passes - on Islay we rented a house that had no road to it and we needed the Disco just to get there. I have transported 7 full size adults (my family are not Hobbits) in comfort for reasonable distances (no room for much luggage in 7 seat mode though) - also transported a nieces wardrobe to new home and picked up ballast from builders merchants, taken rubble and full height freezer to tip. You get the idea - it will do most things from white van/mini bus to when cleaned and polished a classy comfy and fairly luxury car. But the reason I am smitten is the off road capability - nothing stupid but it will go further than any SUV - because it is not an SUV but a 4 X 4.
A Disco is not an SUV. It’s a 4x4, a touring vehicle, limo and family hold-all. 10 years and 180,000 trouble free miles. Awesome machine.
I’ve got a Discovery 4 and agree, it’s annoyingly good. The looks are better than the Discovery 5, as is the turning circle (which is amazing and makes it incredibly easy to drive in town) and the load bay is easier to use for large items because it’s basically a square entry. The new Defender doesn’t have rear seats that fold flat into the floor and doesn’t have a rear tailgate that opens vertically. That doesn’t sound like a big deal but when camping we sit on the rear shelf with the door opened above us - it shelters from rain and/or sun! And we fold the seats down, lay out a camping mattress on the completely flat floor and sleep in the back. Awesome. We rarely use the full 7 seats but when the extended family visit we do - and when not in use, the seats disappear completely into the floor. So basically Land Rover made a car that is now impossible for me to replace. I’ve got my fingers crossed that they get the Discovery 6 right in a couple of years - in the meantime I’ll keep on trucking with the ridiculously competent and handsome Disco 4.
Yep, that was a delightful surprise to me as well. Touring the north coast of Scotland in my recently-purchased D4 last year I couldn't find so much as an overpriced B&B room, let alone a hotel availability for the night. So I parked up in a remote layby folded the seats and found it gave a completly flat area capable of taking a double mattress! £100 saved and a comfortable night's sleep.
@@davids9549 Yes it’s surprisingly comfortable in the back there! Especially where I am in Australia - no worries about bugs, spiders and snakes trying to climb into the sleeping bag with you… 😄
I get the feeling that JayEmm hates new and popular cars, but starts to like them once they get old or unpopular.
Don’t we all ?
@@AndyK.1 No?
It's all auto journos. They all slander 4wds but secretly love them for the same reasons the rest of us do. Harris is the same.
And truth be told the older the Disco 3 and 4 get the more popular they become
Same think happens to me
My 2010 2.7 at 275kms has been fabulous despite chewing through two compressors plus rear hatch lock and the infamous parking brake issue. The key is 5000km oil changes these days 5w-40 here in Australia and doing as much maintenance as you can yourself minimising the workshop mortgage pricing model. These vehicles are definitely in their own league in a very good way.
Have you been changing the oil this often all the 275k? Looking at this model at the moment.
I bought a Disco 4 at the back end of last year as I needed the towing capability and a bit of the off road capability. I have been totally surprised about just how good it has been in almost every situation. It was never a car on my list but it firmly is now. I agree, its a shame the V8 petrol was not offered but I have a W204 C63 AMG in the garage which makes up for it when I feel the need for a bit of noise. The disco is way better around live stock though lol
We had a v8 petrol disco 4 ( in the middle east), great engine - but horrendous fuel economy haha. I think the 3L is the best engine for the car.
My fiat panda 4x4 perform just better without the discovery experience 🤣
How can I have ur garage lol??
But seriously, that's like a dream garage tbh
I had a disco 4 for a bit. Sold at 212k miles and only the electric handbrake and a bit or light wiring broke. Great car on and off road and towed wonderfully
I had a 2011 LR4 HSE land in my lap with an electrical issue. Luckily, I live near the West Coast's BEST Land Rover shop - British 4 x 4. They solved the problem in less than 2 minutes. Wow. I wanted to hate this ugly, bouzhy suv. I was a 4runner guy for the last 18 years...And, this LR4 is the best fuckin thing I have ever owned. It does it all, in comfort and the best interior (where I spend most of my time whilst driving) I have ever owned. My previous 2017 4runner had less features and less tech and greater bodyroll/shitty ride than the LR4. The V8 pumping our 380hp does not dissappoint and the computer contorlled air suspension means I can go 85mph down the twisty interstate, yet still go over bumpy dirt roads in comfort and control. The title is apt. : The LR4 does it all. And, the view from the front seat is unparalleled for visibility. Truly fantastic. And, never thought I would need a heated steering wheel or windshield with embedded wire...but it makes every other car in the mountains look stupid. Crap. I am now a Land Rover guy. Great review JM. Hit me up if you ever get to California.
Had a run in one down to Knockhill racing circuit a good few years ago to spectate an event, I was blown away with how comfortable it was
the trouble with all land rover and range rover products is that they are so unreliable and the prices for repairs are through the roof, just buy an toyota land cruiser or mercedes g wagon
I am in a Cayenne Turbo now and I’m in that as I sold my beloved D4. I absolutely love the Disco. Does everything brilliantly………including being stolen. My advice to all who get one is move the OBD port immediately. It saved me from making a claim when 3 balaclava clad men arrived on the drive to take mine. They failed - as I moved the port - left in place they will be “gone in 60 seconds” as Nicholas Cage would say.
Not a day I don’t miss it. Great vehicle. I didn’t want the balaclavas back so it was sold the next day. 😢
Love the channel, when I get time to watch. Drove both the Cayenne Turbo and Discovery 4 and ended up going with the Disco, for the practicality of the additional seats. Nearly bought a V10 Touareg (sister car to the Porsche), but I couldn’t quite convince myself to push the button!
For me as a Defender fan, I love this shape! It's also a really capable overlander and camper! And jokes aside, its is also very reliable in the 3.0 litre form if maintained. But then so Is any vehicle.
Nice review!
I wouldn't say "any vehicle" is reliable if maintained. There are some genuinely poorly designed or made cars that won't last no mater how much regular maintenance you do.
A lot of newer BMW diesel engines are just badly designed and suffer catastrophic engine failure do to these design flaws despite frequent oil changes, etc.
@@edim108 Yep! That's also a fair comment.
One other benefit is that the load space when rear seats are folded down is completely flat! Also a standard blue pallet will slide in with no problem. The Defender (new and old) and the Discovery 5 cannot do this. Had a fork lift just drop a pallet of slabs in once. Very handy. Also had a NATO pintle made to fit (easily) so I can tow NATO trailers. Impossible with the D5. I know I looked into it :(
Got a 2012 Disco 4 HSE here in the UK. Had it since 2015. The car is AMAZING for family life and I have been unable to pick an alternative for replacement that combines the vast space, perfect boot shape, comfort, sensible power and relative economy. I’ve taken it off road a few times and it is a beast too! Driven it from Surrey to Catalunya 2x with the family: superb!
Now, had to do turbos (cracked and a common issue) and air suspension system a while back. A swift £5000+ job at an independent specialist. Just last week, electronic parking brake module failed: £1200 job at dealership.
Still, no rust and a couple of mechanics that have looked into the car over the last few years have offered to buy it whenever I decide to sell so it can’t be a bad thing, right?
Thanks J, good to see this out in the wilds! 🙏🙏
I’ve got an LR3 I absolutely love. It’s older, has its things to contend with but it’s a pleasure to drive. I’ll eventually get an LR4 but I’m happy with what I’ve got so far.
Nothing drive's as good and can do everything that a discovery 4 can do for the price. I love them a friend of ours has had 6
When I was a kid I'd dream of growing up into the kind of person that drives a Discovery 4
My family friend has one of these (known as the LR4 here in the US), and for them, it’s been a very good family hauler for them.
I totally agree with your comments and share your enthusiasm! I bought my Discovery IV SDV6 HSE almost new in September 2012 at 4,000 and 2 monts only. I leave in Paris. Since then I have driven it for family use (with 4 children and 2 dogs) on long distance and to the Alps and for hunting parties. This car is exceptionally comfortable, roomy, very able off road (although too heavy in mud without proper tyres). It is actually a real Swiss knife ! It is expensive to maintain (especially when you reach 160,000 km (100,000 miles) with a huge bill but then you are OK for another 160,000 km. I do not like the Discovery V (and it doesn’t sell!) at a crazy price tag (Almost 100,000 € + a tax of 50,000 € in France 🙈). Anyway we won’t be allowed driving anymore a diesel in Paris next year (decision of our maire, the worse green ayatollah ever). So I shall have to sell it or to keep it in Dordogne for Holliday periods only. I have a question which is the precise reference of the Goodyear tyres you mention in your video. I don’t want to fit noisy BF Goodrich but would appreciate a more capable off road tyre which remains usable on road and motorways. So please let me which Goodyear tyres they are. And thank you for your excellent videos in general. Bertrand
I have had several of these. I still have a 3 v8 which I love. I knew you would come round James !!
The Disco 4/LR4 is brilliant and is surely a future classic! High point for Land Rover.
Does it keep breaking down like they say?
@@lionheart.5983 Not at all. It's been great, just a few minor things. Has over 230,000kms.
as a LR disco 4 owner, and disco 4 lover, i plan to keep mine till i'm a 100 years old!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
Got a Discovery 3, does everything I want it too, I had a three seater sofa in there a few days ago, it's comfortable, nice to drive, I'd like a Discovery 4, they are out of my price range, but I'm happy with my Discovery 3
Yes, the 3 is a more authentic workhorse - less bling and much less complicated (eg 1 turbo not 2) so less potential for unreliability. That's largely a lottery, tho it's helped by good enthusiast maintenance (yourself or specialist, not expensive LR fitters blindly following the book). D2 most unreliable car I had. D3 most reliable (now 18 yrs). Niece's 2017 D4 snapped its crank as this too-compact, highly tuned/stressed V6 motor occasionally does in both TDV6 or SDV6 form
I have a 2010 Range Rover Sport here in Perth, Australia which has the same chassis as the Disco. You are right, mine has the 5.0 normally aspirated petrol V8 and it makes the car very quiet, comfortable and special to drive and with 370hp, performance is pretty decent. I was lucky to find a V8, most have the same engine as the D4 you are driving. I was even luckier to find one which was a one owner car with only 35k miles on it. Its my daily driver, most of my driving is suburban so of course, I ignore the 17mpg fuel economy, its worth it to enjoy the car.
Yes,you only live once.
Have one in the family. It's surprisingly reliable. There are electrical gremlins like right rear door not locking with the rest (but unlocking just fine) and key randomly dropping off, needing to restart the car to get it to recognize it again, but drivetrain-wise it's been bulletproof.
It's incredulous how you English either won't tell the truth, or don't have experience with cars made anywhere else, or blatantly lie. You talk about it's issues, yet state "it's surprisingly reliable" in the same breathe. No, you admit yourself that it's NOT RELIABLE.
th-cam.com/video/asXBzRhkBOk/w-d-xo.html
watch a channel called " LR Time " he also had an issue with the door not locking all the time and fixed it
great family car!
You've been lucky..most are absolute heaps of something smelly.
Never heard a sentence with “bulletproof” and “landrover” in before
Didnt think it wad possible
Youve been very lucky
Haha, I always held a lot of hate for your average motorway cruising 4x4 driver. Then I wound up with a Disco for a hire car, and I have to confess, my head was turned. A very very very pleasant place to spend your time indeed
I've had several Discovery 4's and 5's (2016 onwards) all from new, brilliant cars and amazing for touring. MPG was in the 30's on all of them. Family favourites from all the cars we've ever had.
I adore this situations when the owner buys exactly the best car for his needs. Perfect hit. I'd love to have one of these in the countryside. As you said, the problem are the crossovers
I've had nothing but Discos for the last twenty five years or so. Two D1s, a D2, and now a 54 plate D3. Its superb. As my very longstanding LR Independent service manager told me " Pete, this is lightyears ahead of your D2". Much as I loved the old girl, she was knackered and needed to go. I've hardly looked back. These are great. Just keep freshening the oil and hope the crankshaft doesn't break like so many have.
I'm very surprised more folk haven't mentioned the crankshaft!
My favourite channel relaxes me so much!
As a owner of a disco 4 2016 ULEZ friendly, glad you liked it.
😊
My daughter has one of these, she’s a rural practice chartered surveyor, so carry’s measuring poles,chains,theodolite etc and two child seats in the middle row and I can report that there’s enough room in the 3rd row for me 6’1” and the seats are surprisingly comfortable. It is an excellent tool which she loves.
I've owned a serious amount og cars. 911's, Range Rover's (sport and non sport), RS6, R8 etc. Owned two Disco 4, and still one of my all time favorite cars. Absolutely love that car. Fyi: SDV6 delivers 256hp from model year 2012. The facelift you are driving got 256hp, not 245hp (pre face)
The mother of a close friend bought a brand new Discovery 3 back in the late 2000s. She kept it for a year before trading it in for a Hyundai. It spent most of its 1st year at the dealers getting fixed. Only person I know who's ever owned a new Land Rover and it lived up perfectly to the reliability reputation.
I love them but would own one if the mechanicals were given to the Japanese and let them loose on the electrics and you might get the perfect all round car 😁
I've had my D4 for 13 years and will never sell it. It's superb.
My only encounter with a Land Rover Discovery was a Discovery 5. But I think my impressions were similar to yours. Something that offensively big has no right to be as enjoyable as it is. I'm not sure if I would buy one, but I can see why people do.
Incidentally, I see the new Land Rover Defender as more of a replacement for the Discovery 4, than for the old Defender range.
Have one of these. 2014 3.0 petrol v6 HSE. Every time I look at replacing it, I could never find a vehicle that is able to do all the things this car can do.
The unreliabity issues were with the Discovery 2. The original Discovery 1 was nothing more than a Defender with a more comfortable body. It was and still is a workhorse.
Well apart from the cranks snapping in the TDV6 !! At least with a Disco 2 you can fix most thing yourself, the Disco 4 is a lot harder to DIY.
The discovery 1 was not related to the defender, it has the range rover classic chassis
The D1, Classic and the Defender, all share most of the mechanical parts - engine, Chassi, Transmissions, suspensions, etc.
@@BenFisher532017
You must have high standards, the d4 probably has one of the best looking interiors of any 4wd of the past 30 years. Only being beaten by the l322 range rover.
Good video as always.
Don't own one but think they are such a good looking all round car inside and outside, for some reason I watch so many channels on this Vehicle you would think I actually own one lol
Great video. I love the disco 4. For me it’s peak LR
Is a well kept, low mileage (61000), 2015, Disco 4, HSE Lux an appreciating asset and a future classic?
I got my Discovery 4 Landmark last August - registered in September 2016, so one of the very last. It only had 34k on the clock and still looked brand new. I had it professionally Lanoguarded this week as I plan on keeping it for a long time and I went to PowerfulUK and have swapped any filament lights to LED (ie: number plate lights, rear fog and reversing, puddle lights and internal lights - will swap the front fog lights as soon as Powerful UK get them back in stock. Absolutely wonderful vehicle that I just want to heep driving. 👍
Funny story...as it happens there are a few V8 Disco 4s here now - you could probably import one from Japan in RHD through a certain highly regarded Japanese Import Specialist in Devon, just off the A38 near Newton Abbot... 👀
This guy knows. Japanese imports are low mileage too.
Love the discovery 4’s especially the later models as they look so much smarter and 255bhp
I absolutely love this car! It looks fabulous and rides fabulous. I’m sad to see it got. My dad passed his lr4 2015 down to me and I’ve been driving it. There’s only 48k miles on it but it’s just getting too expensive for the yearly maintenance so my dad suggested that we trade ir in for something else😢😢. We have the new car picked out but I just LOVE the look of the lr4, something about the boxy front just looks so good to me!
I have a wealthy acquaintance who has PCP'd his way through various S4's M5's and other lovely machines. He currently has an Emira on order to buy. He is a proper petrolhead. But ask him which car he misses most and he will say it was his Disco. He loved it.
Used a disco 3 as a work tow vehicle for a few months. Arguably the best tow vehicle you can buy, it was amazing… even when the compressor failed and it was sat on its arse it still towed a full size car trailer with a car on it whilst lugging an BMW engine & gearbox in the boot all the way across the country. Not sure I could live with the bills as a daily car though, would pick a land cruiser myself.
Another great review, I loved my D4 (and had a genuine use for it) and having replaced it with a Volvo XC70, good though that it is, I still miss my Discovery.
I did it the exact opposite way (replaced a MY2012 XC70 D5 AWD with a MY2016 Discovery 4 SDV6 HSE) and never have been happier!
@@nuuttihyttinen you did it the right way. I’m currently looking for an old Range Rover to get my Land Rover fix.
Best car I have ever owned, 7 years and 180000miles.
Still regret selling it…
I'll get one.
It’s a fantastic all rounder, comfortable and pretty refined, excellent off road (particularly with the optional locking rear diff and AT tyres), and reasonably economical for its power and weight. Plus it’s super practical and light and airy inside. Serious issues are well known but in my experience over 125k miles, relatively few.
Given the virtually identical chassis, I'd say the LR3\LR4 decision comes down interior style preference. I prefer the chunky big knob, big shift lever rugged charm of the LR3 over the much more refined look of the LR4 interior. Stateside we didn't get the diesel so it's a choice between the 4.4L V8 in the LR3 or the more powerful 5.0L V8 in the LR4. Anecdotally the 4.4 does get the reliability nod over the 5.0 but I've never seen any hard number on failure rates. The Ford Explorer 4.0 V6 powered LR3s are out there but are much less common.
Never thought i'd hear 'Land Rover' and 'Less-ostentatious' in the same description! ;)
Nice video mate!
Canadian here. SCV6 HSE LR4 bought new in 2016, used for camping, offroading, lugging miscellany around, etc.; never let us down, excellent in the cold and poor weather, perfect for our climate (BC, so roughly the same as the UK's); there are lots of Brits here and LR parts are plentiful, if expensive. Fantastic car
Have had 3 of these, the one we have currently has had a few minor reliability hiccups but wouldn’t have anything else.
Me too. One D3 and 2D4's All used off-road. I'm dreading the day in 3 years where i can't get a replacement. Where to from here? If only the Defender had the split tale-gate.
Fabulous, fabulous cars. Right up until the point it goes wrong, and it will. That said, the risk of impending bankruptcy at every turn of the key is part of the charm. I’d definitely have another 😂
I used to drive these brand new in the UK for export, and the diesel was without a doubt the best engine for that specific model. The V8 just didn't have the immediate torque needed for it's significant bulk for effortless traffic navigation.
The Discovery 4 was the most reliable JLR vehicle, and had the least problems (in the docks) save for the Freelanders. I fell in love with them, and haven't stopped despite the obvious drawbacks of such a ludicrous, heavy, thirsty, (comparatively) unreliable beast.
This would easily be in my dream 3 car garage, the way it rides and handles really bucked the trend of cars to get stiffer chassis, suspension, firmer seats, more "sport".
The discovery 3 is okay, but I wouldn't rate it as worthwhile compared to the 4.
It's surprising to me how many motor journalists misunderstand the value of paddle-shifters. I know, thanks to Mr Clarkson, it's fashionable to deride them but they can save you thousands £ if used correctly. Careful regular downshifting when slowing the vehicle takes significant load off of the braking system by utilising engine-braking, meaning brake discs and pads last much longer. With a vehicle of this enormous weight and mass they are even more important. When the shifters are on the steering wheel it's much easier to use them regularly rather than reaching for the gear stick.
THAT was an awesome opening shot, for sure the whole video has the usual insight and entertainment, however keeping the vehicle in shot/focused whilst panning through two axis is spot-on. Many thanks.
You need to try the Disco 3 with the Jaguar 4.4 V8
i owned a Discovery 3, listened to all the online guff about it bursting into flames everyday so sold it, 3 years later, regret it to this day
There's nothing like driving one. They're great. you just need to become a mechanic to own one.
The Lion V6 2.7 & 3.0 diesels were designed and developed by Ford diesel engineers at Dagenham and Dunton for Jaguar, Land Rover and PSA. The same team also did the Lion V8 3.6 and 4.4 diesels for JLR.
Well reminded mate
I have a Disco 4, best vehicle I have ever had.
My fiancée's Dad has a Disco 3 V6. Weird stuff goes wrong and is horrendously expensive to fix (e.g. the bonnet stopped opening), but it'll get you where you're going and back. I sort of love it, for what it is...
Love your videos/reviews, especially this one (and the Lotus Emira) Your comments/opinions are really completely direct, honest and bullshit free. Wondering if you'd like to test drive and review my 2002 Volvo V70, I think it's "da bomb" (LOL) Keep up the good work
Best car we have owned, had it for over 5 years until it was stolen :( II'm now in a new RRS and the Disco was just as good comparred to this.
Thank you James. Great review. I sort of want one as a winter car now.
I run a 15 plate discovery 4, just missed the nuisance adblue fortunately, keep it serviced regularly with the correct oil changes and it’s no worse for reliability than most others, I would avoid the bargain basement ones and look at the 25 plus grand bracket, low owners low mileage and full service history.
LR Disco 1 is the most comfortable car to drive any distance necessary…❤ This looks great..
Comprehensive review James 👏🏻. Some people look out for the rare early manual variant with steel springs. Those tyres are the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac, which are still quite an off-road biased tyre. The best compromise tyre which is still reasonably good off-road is probably the General Grabber AT3, which also has the 3PMSF so is rated as a full winter tyre, which standard Land Rover all-season tyres do not.
This is why I love the comments sections of channels like these, always an opportunity to learn. Nice one Andrew
@@markwood7045 no problem Mark!
I see plenty of these on Pirelli all season tyres and still able to go off road and handle it maybe not as good as the off road tyres but won't sound as noisy and wear better.
@@josephgittos3787 I’ve seen a few get stuck on the Pirellis in mud, but yes the Pirelli Scorpion Verde is fine for 95% of Discovery/Range Rover users who either don’t go off-road or just go across grass fields. For venturing into mild mud for the remaining 5% of users, the Grabber AT3 works much better, without the noise and handling compromises of a chunkier tyre.
I have had the same dilemma and have been through several sets of tires since I go very off-road (basically where there are no roads) a couple of times a year. The last time was in October we were 100+ miles from any paved road. BUT we drove 400 miles to get there, which means having a good compromise tire, here are my top ones:
1. Falken Wildpeak AT Trail
2. Nokian APT
3. Nokian AT
4. General Destination AT
All these AFAIK are 3PMSF rated, and the Wildpeak is an incredible tire. Smooth & quiet on road and very, very capable off road - the Nokians are almost as good, but with kevlar sidewalls, the AT version is very quiet on road and handles OK, but worse gas mileage than the Falken - also it has kevlar all around, which is nice when you air down. The Destination AT is pretty good and a lot cheaper than the other 3, but degrades faster than the other 3 - that is my experience with all General tires, have them on other cars.
Falken pioneered this category with the Wildpeak AT Trail, it's the benchmark and everyone is trying to copy it. If you offroad occasionally and there are few sharp rocks where you are, get that one - I did 10k miles on mine before I sold the vehicle. If you have to deal with sharp rocks, get the Nokians, done 2000 miles on the ATs (400 off road) and they are great. The Nokians are also lighter.
I've had Pirellis Scorpion AT+ and the Verde, they were terrible. The Grabber was an all around nothing tire (e.g. did nothing even OK), I would get the Nokian ATs instead. If you rarely go off-road - get one of the "all weather" tires like the CrossClimate, GR4, WeatherActive, etc.
My family has had every version of the discovery until the disco 4. The best by far was the 4. When we sold it had done 300,000km and the only things that went wrong was one of the headlight bulbs failed, a coolent hose split developing a minor leak, and the air compressor failed but was still completely drivable it would just produce an error message after lowering or raising the suspension. In my opinion it's peak Land Rover, despite the kinda cheap interior. It's such a shame the disco 5 became a boring child hauler. Also the discovery 1 was absolutely a disaster.
Had the first iteration of this particular model shown in the video (known as the LR4 here in the U.S.) which was an '06 LR3. Silver with black leather seats. It had all the options except navigation, and it was a V6. Sometimes, I do miss that truck even after selling it seven years ago... Hard to believe now. I purchased it in 2008 with only 24K miles on it after it was returned from a lease, and I held on to it for eight years until it reached 185K miles... Yeah, I know, that's a lot of driving. I only sold it because the mileage was way up there, and my concern was the big-money repairs that would likely kick-in such as the air suspension for example which was $5K - $6K at least at the time. Although the LR3 had no major issues during my time with it, it certainly had a few inherent quirks such as changing the headlight bulb on one side was a PITA because there's no room to place your hand in there because of a plastic box in front of the headlamp with only an 1½" space in-between to twist the cap off and snapping the bulb inside.
The ride quality though was smooth and quiet. I also have an '06 Nissan Pathfinder (same year) since brand new; and although it's very quick (and much lighter than the LR3), it's certainly not as refined as the LR3. The 4×4 is actually very good on the Nissan, but the LR3 was slightly better. Not sure if I should've kept the LR3 instead and sold the Nissan, but at the time the Nissan had over 100K miles less than the LR3, and now it has 165K on it... and I had to dump some more money into it in the last 10K miles than I'd like to more than I ever did with the LR3... so who knows if it was a mistake or not. Any way, maybe the next guy ended up putting another 50K miles or more on the LR3 without a problem other than doing the routine maintenance [oil changes, tire replacements, brakes, etc.].
It takes 1 min to remove headlight. No tools needed. Bulb changing easy then
Yes, 2 sliders to push and headlight unit comes out making bulb access sooo easy! It's in the owner's manual....
I wouldn’t be seen dead in one! It’s crazy how different and better the L322 is in comparison.
Tick tock runs the clock until the SDV6 crankshaft snaps......
I had an'11 RR Sport which is just a slightly started up one of these. Lovely car, can't agree more on the engine and gearbox, a delight to drive. Nothing went wrong at all time I had it, just fuel cost at almost £2 a litre was just too much.
Am I the only one who thinks the new Disco looks awful in comparison to the LR3 and the Disco Sport is even worse.
I've had a 2005 Disco 3 HSE for over ten years. It was only my main vehicle for two or three of those, and for a while it needed quite a lot of expensive work - new torque converter, air suspension pump, and a couple of other big ticket items. But for the last five years at least it's been as good as gold, doing about 5-8,000 miles a year and now on about 150,000 or so in total. It's a lovely drive, has seven seats when I need them, tows well - what's not to like?
I use my 2016 Disco 4 HSE for my farm and its unstopable. I give it a hard time with the thick mud and uneven roads. It already has 180,000 km and still runs as when i first got it at 60,000 km. I also own a 2021 Tacoma and 2020 VW Amarok v6 and they are both nice but man, I would never change them for my Disco!
the driving position of proper suvs is glorious, love them
Been driving Disco 3 and now 4 for 14 years. Was able to get a 2017 SDV6 and chose that over the Disco 5 (which is more a Range Rover Cargo).
One the amazing things of the D3 and 4 are the seats which give you so many options. It can turn into a flat load space. And I mean a REAL flat load space.
Look at the New Defender 130 its load space floor with all the rear seats ""flat"". Useless!!!!
I will probably NEVER going to find a car so utilitarian as my Discovery 4.
Nice video by the way!
Reliability aside the best car they ever designed in my book - really good off road and more than that the boot. It’s all about shape and a near square box is what you need - while most have limited headroom or small door apertures - grrrr The five may have more toys but that intense functionality seems to have been sacrificed while the Defender just seems to have less usable space to be more style focused. And the 4 is just better than the 3 in every way I felt.
Had my 2011 Disco 4 HSE SD6 for about 18 months. Picked it up on 132k miles, and so far it has had a coolant issue (sensor in the coolant bottle - new coolant bottle for £23, 5l of coolant and 60 minutes of work and sorted) and the air compressor for the suspension go (£588 to replace). I have also had a big service which replaced a number of hoses, a few rubber bits etc, which came in at about £750. My thought when getting the car was that it's going to get a bit wrecked with dog and family, and I need a decent 7 seater and something I can potentially drag my little tractor our with. It felt a bit of a waste paying £35k for a 2018 Disco 5 or XC90, and the potential unreliability would more than be made up by the fact that I paid so much less for this. And it is comfy. So very, very comfy. It's like driving an armchair around. Engine is very good, feels brisk when you really put your foot down. I also think they are thoroughly handsome chappies.
A couple of tips though. If you buy one, get one with a history of regular maintenance. This is IMPERATIVE or you'll end up with some big bills. Also ensure there is a reliable LR specialist nearby. They are invaluable (down here in East Sussex we use Groombridge).
Overall, I bloody love this car - it genuinely is a delightful thing to sit in and drive. Would recommend to anyone, as long as you go into it with your eyes open.
Had one, enjoyed using it, owning it but moved on because the government wanted paying far too much for road tax and fuel duty. Used it on the road, in fields, farm tracks, towing up to 3.5 tonnes and it never let me down. Things wore out but never broke. Would love one now but I keep looking at the government charges and now run a discovery sport.
You have such a wholesome comments section 😊
I drive one for a little while as a loaner from a family member and I liked it a lot more than I thought I ever would. The one I was given was the V8 and while it was definitely thirsty, it was solid and utility was insane. Only real complaints was that it was difficult for other people to drive it as the steering was super heavy and the wind noise from the hump was bit much at times.
Paddles help off-road
Get Pirelli Scorpion AT2 - quiet, awesome performance off-road and on-road, as well as the snow.