Comments on: 2008 Land Rover Discovery 3 TDV6 SE review

By: Ozzie Bob

Ozzie Bob — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:35:32 +0000

I’m thinking about getting a 4×4 for travelling around Oz when I retire soon. I have been a long time BMW owner and am looking seriously at an X5 (diesel). I’ve studied all the blogs about D3s, LCs and have already discarded Pajeros and Patrols. Most of the time I would be on bitumen but would go along dirt roads at some times obviously. I can’t find any reports about the reliability of X5s which do some dirt work. My service guy says the X5 would be ideal – he might just want to keep me as a customer. A D3 would seem to be very appropriate but I probably don’t need the serious off-road credentials it provides. Any advice would be appreciated.

By: graham

graham — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 05:12:15 +0000

Sorry should mention that this is a 2005 model

By: graham

graham — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:00:15 +0000

i am looking at a TDHSE V8 57000 KLM @ $48000.00

Any previous owners have comments on the fuel consumption on the v8
have heard its better than the v6.
your comments are most welcome.

By: kev

kev — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:32:17 +0000

Benji – for someone who no doubt drives a little mazda 3 or something like it, you’re awefully quick to shoot trap off about people who just want to discuss the pros and cons of buying/owning a discovery 3…
moron.

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:59:56 +0000

Hi Cameron, the airbags fitted are usually good for at least 100,000 Miles before they go pop (road use, less if you go off-road a lot) I have a classic RR with 286,000 miles (not km’s!!) on the clock and I have only replaced 1 airbag, the other 3 are all factory fitted. You can get replacements for around 270 Sterling (not sure what that is in AUS$) per corner. If you do replace them then go for Arnott springs – they give an extra 2″ lift in extended mode: You can order off the web and get them delivered. I payed 325 Sterling all in to have my rear offside replaced last year

BTW – my range rover is completely factory fitted apart from 1 airbag and new discs all round (no surprise after over quearte of a million miles). The engine and transmission have never failed on me, the only suspension fault I have had is one popped airbag. I definately got the good one! though I am aware that there are many Friday Afternoon Specials in Land Rover country. My advice: Service regularly! Change the oil every 6000 miles regardless of service instructions – oil and filter changes are cheap and add years of driving to your car

By: Mel Green

Mel Green — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:10:26 +0000

Hi Cameron, model LR Discovery 3 2006 TDV6. Yes look all faults have been fixed under warrantee, except of course early wear on tyres and brakes etc. And perhaps a Friday arvo car but after speaking to the RACV and the Victorian Department of Justice, (Consumer Affairs) they gave me a clear impression that I was not lonely regarding faults with the Discovery 3. What really rubs is that on the back of the “Best 4 Wheel Drive of the Year” I forked out $85,000 for a long term vehicle investment going into retirement. With warrantee up in a week or so I am frankly very worried given the history of the vehicle that I have a major problem on my hands. I have been talking to LR since September about my concerns to no avail, apparently they regard the fault history as normal!!

By: cameron

cameron — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:27:37 +0000

Not what you’d call a great experience Mel, just wondering what model, year etc that you purchased and were all these faults covered under warranty?. have heard a few similar stories but have heard more on the positive side. It is possible i guess to get a lemon (maybe last one assembled on a friday arvo?)but have a few mates in the car sales game that have sold most of the brands including the jap 4wd’s and european 4wd’s and they have mentioned (and not salesman speak) that they have not seen many of the late model cars in for any major/reacurring faults. Interesting

By: Mel Green

Mel Green — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:15:10 +0000

Hmmm good to hear that a few Land Rover Discovery 3 TD owners are happy with their vehicles. I purchased the Discovery 3 for my retirement and to undertake a major round Australia trip and have to say when I took delivery I thought this is the best car I had ever owned, three years and 50,000 kilometres down the track my experience includes, instrument pack faulty and replaced, air suspension faults, two new front differentials, tie rod replacement, RH front lower ball joint arm and ball joint replaced, second lower ball joint replaced, three wheel alignments, front window not working, loose wiring, indicators not working, loose wires, water leaking from sunroof, (twice), radio not switching off, radio complete fail, an intermittent fault with another window not working and countless stop light globe replacements. The vehicle has never been off road, always garaged. In the case of my previous (and much less expensive) vehicles, a Nissan Pathfinder, a Mitsubishi Pajero and a Toyota Land Cruiser, I never had the need to replace tyres under 80,000 km, (I have now been informed that one tyre is scrubbed out and requires replacement and 3 nearly worn out). In addition, I usually get 70,000 kms on a set of brakes, 31,000 kms and required replacement. I have always purchased new vehicles, and I have never suffered the litany of maintenance difficulties and inconvenience with any other vehicle, save this Discovery 3. I note from some recent advertising that the Discovery 3 TDV6 has won fourth year in succession both the “Best Large Diesel Wagon” and “Best Overall” category. I certainly purchased my vehicle on the basis of the Discovery 3 being awarded the “Best 4 wheel drive of the year award” and am bitterly disappointed. I have lost total confidence in the Discovery 3 and certainly would not contemplate any form of remote travel in the vehicle. Complaining gets you nowhere on the local scene and ended up going direct to the CEO of Tata Motors, who referred back to the UK who referred back to Australia with no effort by Land Rover to negotiate at any point about what has clearly been a poorly built vehicle. I guess next step is to advertise my experience on the back of the TDV6 and go to court.

By: cameron

cameron — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:49:27 +0000

Interesting reading every bodies comments, seriously considering buying a 2005 disco HSE TDI 6 but just wondering if any owners of this vintage disco has had any problems with the air suspension as i have heard it is approx $1000 per corner to replace. this car has 64000km on the clock which is not a lot for a diesel but has the electronic / air shock components of the car held up?. As far as i’m concerned the look of the car is very stylish and non of the jap 4wd’s even come close in this dept. I drove this car today and was blown away by the ride, smoothness, turning circle!!! and quietness. I’m leaning towards a new buy due to the 3 years free warranty at the moment + for $1600 you can extend another three years which is transferable to the next buyer giving a total of 6 years. on a 5 year lease this is extra reassuring for another 15 grand over the price of this car, maybe i have answered my own question?? anybody experienced any expansive problems in this vintage car?. Cam

By: Nick Wilson

Nick Wilson — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:33:42 +0000

Thankyou Ainsley, I totally agree. I think its time the head-strong landcruiser owners get over their flimsy and irrelevant preconceptions of Land Rover reliability. We have a 2005 Discovery HSE; a beautiful car that has never misbehaved! It is also far more pretty than any of its competitors.

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:20:26 +0000

For anyone’s interest, I currently own a 2000 TD5 and a 2003 V8 Petrol SE. I lease my cars and when the lease was up on the TD5 we couldn’t get rid of it because it had been so reliable and economical, and decided to keep it for my wife. The TD5 has traveled 250,000 km’s and I am now up to 233,000 in the V8. Again, I kept the V8 when the lease expired because it has been such a good reliable car, which surprised me due to the fact it was the petrol engine. (I did not think it would last as long as the diesel) Apart from the obvious fuel consumption (14.5 L/100km)the car has been the most comfortable and reliable vehicle I have owned. Would love to get into the D3 but with the financial meltdown and the price now a little too far from my budget, I think I will wait for a reasonable 2nd hand diesel. Running costs have been minimal, in line with quotes mentioned above, major services are slightly more expensive, but still less than my father in-laws costs of his Landcruiser servicng in Geelong.

By: Ainsley of darwin

Ainsley of darwin — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 08:30:00 +0000

Dear All, I was not going to bother posting a comment, but then thought I might be able to help any other people like me who were looking to this sort of site to assist in making the decision on what sort of new car to buy. I live in Darwin in the Northern Territory, and have been frustrated in the last few years in not owning a 4WD to allow me access to some of the beautiful but rugged and difficult to get to places all around the Top End, including one of my favourite parts of the world, the Kimberley. So, when necessity forced me to buy a new car, I did a lot of research in magazines, speaking to owners of various vehicles and using sites like this one to help. I ended up buying a 2008 LR Discovery 3 TDv6 SE, and then took it to ARB (for overseas folks they are a supplier of after-market accesories) and added things like snorkel, LR fuel tank, twin wheel carrier aft and a great bull-bar with a top of the range winch (which was bought specifically because I am a novice and the rep assured me even I couldn’t burn this winch out).
Why did I do this, despite some of the negative comments around? As some wise folk above pointed out it really comes down to a personal choice, but first and foremost I was very comfortable that I was buying one of the best 4WD available on the market (note I said ONE of the best), that I was confident would take me to and from some of the most difficult sites possible and in a level of safety and comfort that I am constantly in awe of (I have owned the car for four months now).
I also considered the Prado, as it was of a comperable size (I did not want a huge vehicle like the Land Cruiser or similar vehicles), but came down in the end to the LR fundamentally for two reasons – my test drive (of a friends vehicle similarly equipped to the one I wanted to get) and the fact that I liked the look of the vehicle (is it just me but do the Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan vehicles all look pretty similar?).
I have done a few trips off road, to learn the capabilities of the vehicle (before I try my big trip to the Mitchel Falls in July), the most recent trip towing my off-road trailer which I deliberately loaded up to almost a tonne to see how it went. I have found the car a delight to drive both on and off road. My wife, who has not driven off road, but does most of the driving here in Darwin has likewise found the car a delight to drive and she finds it easy to manoeuver in car parks. A very important point for us.
While I have been bogged twice now (mainly due to my inexperience in 4WD techniques) I note that the clay was very slippery the first time and the creek was likewise slippery and the bank very steep. Both times however I managed to get myself out using the extra equipment, and from my perspective I rate both times a success, as I knew how to get out and the car let me do this. My only criticism is that in this sort of clay we get in the flood plains around Darwin, the tyres the car came with don’t have enough bite, and I will be looking to purchase a set of more robust tyres better able to cope with mud before I do my big trip into the wilds – that said, the tyres are brilliantly quiet on the bitumen). However, I am expecting this to be a bit expensive. Cost wise, the SE came in at AUS$75,000 on the road, and because I am in the Defence Force I get all my services for free in the first three years – a great deal. I optioned the car up with ARB and that cost me another $10,000 – all up a relativley expensive car I know – certainly the most expensive car I’ve ever owned, but I am content with all of that because of the robust and wonderful car I now own. While I am sure someone will be able to point out I could have done similar for much less, the point is I don’t feel like I have bought a too expensive car.
On the hotly debated issue of reliability (and yes, I saw the picture of the burnt out LR near Exmouth, and yes it was a bit disturbing for the fact that it did seem to be hushed up) I have also formed the opinion from lots of research that the late model LR Disco 3’s are as reliable as any other similar vehicle on the market, so I figure I’ll take my chances on getting there and back due to the reliability fo the car, me being aware of how limited my experience is, so therefore not taking stupid risks and therefore not really ever testing out the fail point for the vehicles components. And, boy, do I enjoy driving the car, both on and off road. We have 130km/h speed limits up here in the NT, and the car sits beautifully at that speed, even loaded up, thanks to the air-suspension and the automatic righting. With the trailer on, I sat at 120km/h on the parts of the road that allowed that, and that too felt solid and responsive. Of road, I regulalrly have to go to high clearance, and despite the limit of 40km/h to stay at that clearance, I really have only been annoyed by that once, on a stretch that regulalrly alternated between real good dirt road and terrible ruts. Most times I think that 40km/h is pretty quick for the tracks I’ve been on. And the other thing I love about the car, particularly for me – a novice, is it is idiot proof – if I try and select something I shouldn’t, it tells me, and then tells me what I should be doing – brilliant! Again, it is all about inspiring me to get out and use the car, as I will have to work real hard to wreck it.
Anyway, long message I know, but I hope other folk out there in the market for a new car find this useful in helping make a decision. Many thanks to the folk above for helping me out(even the folk with negative comments, as those concerns are revealing in how they are dealth with by others).

By: crawford

crawford — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:05:47 +0000

i forgot to say that i currently also own a 2006 Landcruiser pickup, which is brilliant, so i am not anti-toyota and believe it is very good vehicles (certain models). The Prado Diesel in my opinion is a failure due to the fact that the thing could barely keep 120 kph on the open road even without towing. And can not challenge the Disco 3 offroad. The petrol version is surely much better, but cannot comment. thanks

Crawford

By: crawford

crawford — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:45:41 +0000

hi, i am from South Africa and own a Disco 3 TDV6 HSE, my second one, the first being a 2006 V8 SE. I’ve owned before this a 2004 Pajero DID (Brilliant), 2005 VW Touareg (CRAP), 2007 BMW X5 3.0D (Brilliant), a 2005 ML270CDI (CRAP)and a 2005 Prado Diesel (crap). For my needs, towing a 21ft boat and doing the odd 4×4 trials i decided on the Landrover after testing it for about 2 weeks (the V8). i drove it for a year and was truly impressed with everything except the fuel consumption and bought the diesel. i have not had any problems and will not trade this vehicle for any thing else. truly brilliant vehicle.

C A Joubert
South Africa

By: Own3r

Own3r — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:22:04 +0000

HI all.. i own a landcruiser and they are lovely cars. i believe that the relilibality ussue was with the older series 3 landcrusiers. but how ever i owned a series 3 diesel and i had no problems. they are beautiful cars i just would not buy a v8 pertol one…

i have several cars and the landcruiser is the best.

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:40:40 +0000

I’ve just had ny D3 serviced (12K) and it cost $338 AUD. Oil and labour basically. No faults to fix. One thing I’m a bit miffed about is the tow bar. When I got it I read the manual and it talks about a one piece ball and tongue that slots into the factory hitch. When I went to fit it this week (to go and collect my new tractor) I found that what it is is the receptor (?) for a Hayman Reese type bar which I then had to go out and buy ($150). Had a look at the handbook again and there is one sentence that mentions that Australian vehicles are different – no detail. It;s probably something to do with our nanny ADRs.

Anyone know about this?

By: Taipan

Taipan — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:57:16 +0000

What a great debate! I have just sold my Prado with over 50,000 k’s, mainly cape york trips. Crossed every large river in the cape and had water over the bonnet several times without a snorkel. Driven to Lockhart River several times during March – April. Never had a spanner on the vehicle. Loved it.

I am now very keen on the D3 due to the air suspension, extra space and comfort. Those who travel the cape know how bad the corrugations can be. I am not worried about reliability, but more concerned with a vehicle’s ability.

So far, from all I have read here, I am not convinced the D3 is a poor choice. I have no bias and have owned a pajero, LC100 and Prado.

I am looking forward to LR ownership. Slightly higher entry point than a Prado or Pajero but hopefully more rewarding. D3 SE TD seems to have great resale.

I am only worried about servicing costs at this point.

By: Stu of Newcastle

Stu of Newcastle — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:47:25 +0000

I just want to say that we have had a V6 Disco 3 for over 12 months and it has been excellent.
I’ve been reading about the realiabilty issues but reading about them only.
Realiability and build quality can only be described as very strong in my opionion.

By: John Pitcher

John Pitcher — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:50:16 +0000

I own a 2006 D3 HSE TdV6, which I bought having set my heart originally on a Lexus LX470. However after test driving the Lexus which handled like the proverbial barge I then tried a Landcruiser LC100 Sahara, which was even worse. I also drove a Prado 4.0 Grande which appeared to be much better until the traction control kicked in at absurdly low cornering speeds and got me wondering what they were covering up. The D3 is such a delight to drive I was smitten immediately. I agonised for months over the reliability issue but in the end decided it that I would let the warranty take care of anything that went wrong. I have had some issues, virtually all software related, all fixed on the spot by restarting the engine, and then by downloading a patch at the next service visit. Not ideal but any Merc or BMW owner will understand that this is par for the course for modern hi-tech cars. I will add that my dealer did themselves no favours with their nonchalant attitude when I did have problems. However because the basic design is so right, the odd glitch does little to dampen the overwhelmingly positive driving experience.

A recent visit to Fraser island highlighted the difference between the Disco and the Prado which our friend was driving. We were in front driving at what was for us a very comfortable speed on the bumpy inland tracks. On getting to Lake McKenzie our friend said he couldn’t believe the speed we were taking the bumps. He was watching how much the Disco moved to guage the severity of the potholes and hence judge the right speed, but despite minimal body movement from the Disco he was hitting the bumps way too fast for the Prado to cope and was banging his head on the roof. We used 40% less fuel and everyone was far more comfortable despite being 7-up on occasions due to the better seating design and fantastic air suspension.

The 200 series Land Cruiser is still a compromise vehicle, with it’s huge step-up and low roof its a reverse Tardis. Toyota are trading on their name rather than progressing 4WD design, and charging a huge premium for it. But their customers will continue to buy their products unquestioningly because they’re herd followers who don’t ask much from their driving experience so are easily pleased.

By: tgl

tgl — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:05:44 +0000

had my tdv6 serviced last week 24k.

$350 dollars

this included
$25 for loan car
$90 dollars for oil
$140 labour

balance was oil filters, oil plugs, disposal of oil fee, injector treatment, washer satchel etc.