 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > New Defender or Discovery 5? |
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| jsinclair Member Since: 11 Aug 2020 Location: Brisbane Posts: 38  
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We are in a 19 RRS and are looking at ordering a 110 to replace it.
I wanted a D5 to begin with but the CFO would not come around to the looks. If we had have gotten a D5 I highly doubt we'd be looking at Defenders. I'm still very fond of the Disco. Last edited by jsinclair on 27th Aug 2020 8:23am. Edited 1 time in total |
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27th Aug 2020 3:01am |
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| JackW Member Since: 10 Jan 2017 Location: Roswell, Georgia Posts: 110  
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 Click image to enlarge I have a 2017 Discovery 5 TDV6 and my new P300 Defender 110 is scheduled to be delivered in mid-September. I am a little concerned that I'm taking a definite step down - especially in torque and overall comfort. I've got 37,000 miles on the Discovery and its been an outstanding car. Its quiet, comfortable, economical and probably the best long road trip car I've ever owned. Its better than any of my old BMW's or Mercedes for long trips. I've had 19 different Land Rovers since my first one in 1972. I love my old Series IIA's and my Defender 90 300 Tdi but for a 2500 mile round trip to visit my wife's family in upstate New York I'd much rather drive something with the comfort and safety that any of my old Range Rover Classics, My Discovery 3 or my Discovery 5 offered. But the Defender just speaks to me (I love the interior) and it eliminates some of the things that annoy me about the D5. I'm not a fan of the lift gate in the rear - I actually preferred the Discovery 3 lift gate/tail gate combo - but I like the side opening door of the Defender. It won't be as good for carrying home long sticks from the local building supply store but I have a utility trailer for those duties. I have never liked the rotary gear selection knob in the D5 - several times I've selected reverse instead of park. The lever in the new Defender is much better. The D5 is a wide pig - nice on the road but a bit too much for some of the trails here in the north Georgia mountains. The Defender is a couple of inches narrower. I've never been a big fan of the piano black finish in the D5 interior - its shows dirt and fingerprints way too well. The rear end is shall we say unfortunate looking - I don't mind the rest of the car but its still ugly from the back. The third row seats in the Discovery 5 are actually excellent - I've only used them a few times (I had to order them to get the locking rear differential) but they actually hold full size people comfortably - not so much in the new Defender. I've gotten over 30 mpg (US) on the diesel on the highway - over 600 miles on a tank of fuel. I'm afraid its kind of spoiled me and the new Defender will actually be a step back - but it actually suits my needs better. I now run Cooper ATX3XLT tires - they cost me about 2-3 mpg over the original tires but work much better on gravel roads. I'll certainly miss the torque of the TDV6 engine. I'm getting the P300 because I don't want the MHEV system and LRNA is not planning on bringing any diesel Defenders in for the foreseeable future. I've driven a P300 and was pleasantly surprised with the low growl and power from the motor but it was just a short jaunt up the highway and back so it wasn't a thorough test. I think it may actually be a sweet spot in the line because of the lower differential gearing that is offered on the four cylinder cars and gasoline prices are significantly less than diesel over here. So in about six months I hope I don't come to the conclusion that I've made a mistake. The chance of that happening is very low but its still there so I understand your dilemma. My new Defender will be full storm trooper - Fuji White with the extended fender flares, roof rack, hood decal, raised air intake and all of the off road goodies plus a few I plan to add. I tow a small caravan (Eriba Puck) so I'm sure it will be a really nice car that actually looks more like a proper Land Rover. Click image to enlarge |
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27th Aug 2020 3:13am |
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| J77 Member Since: 04 Nov 2019 Location: Fife Posts: 3247 
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Defender for me, I’ve had a D5 and wouldn’t take another, not even with the massive discounts on offer. I’m a Discovery man at heart but although the D5 was nice, a comfortable cruiser and extremely capable in the rough it just doesn’t feel like a Land Rover, it’s a sponge cake with no flavour. Could argue the new Defender doesn’t feel like a Defender but it does feel like how a modern Land Rover should be IMO of course.
I’m more looking forward to taking delivery of my Defender than I ever was with the D5. |
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27th Aug 2020 3:49am |
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| Chicken Drumstick Member Since: 17 Aug 2020 Location: Near MK Posts: 542 
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@J77 As the Disco5 is built on essentially the same platform as the new Defender with many of the same components. Are you not concerned that apart from some minor visual differences, that they will overall feel very much the same to drive? With very equal on road manners and abilities?
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27th Aug 2020 9:43am |
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| Chicken Drumstick Member Since: 17 Aug 2020 Location: Near MK Posts: 542
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A friend has done essentially this. 4.4 TDV8 down to a First Edition D240 Defender. I suspect they will regret it after a while. As again the Defender and RRS are built on largely the same platform. But the RRS had a much better and more powerful engine and more plush interior. Happy to be proven wrong, but my hunch is the new Defender will make way for something else within the next 18 months. |
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27th Aug 2020 9:46am |
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| J77 Member Since: 04 Nov 2019 Location: Fife Posts: 3247
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Yeah there’s similarities but the Defenders driving position and overall feel wins it for me. The same question could be asked for FFRR and RRS v D5 or most car manufacturers these days.
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27th Aug 2020 10:01am |
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| L90Andy Member Since: 29 May 2014 Location: Stratford-Upon-Avon Posts: 716 
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I'm on my second D5 as a daily driver, both SDV6 HSE Lux's. Both faultless and are brilliant for my family of four plus labrador.
I actively chose the V6 over the I4 as its such a glorious powertrain and it feels like these sort of engines won't be around much longer and its my last chance to burn more dinosaurs. As such I love the D5 and V6 powertrain. I've driven the new Defender a lot over the last few years as part of its development and when I get the chance to have one I will purely for the change. The I4 engine isn't as refined as the D5's V6 but its perfectly good enough and is more in-keeping with the more utilitarian interior, which by the way is a masterpiece of useability. My only hesitation is the 110's boot is a fair chunk smaller than the D5's due to the shorter rear overhang. We max out the D5 space wise so it'll be harder to get everything in the 110, but it has a style and novelty value the D5 can't match. Instagram: l90andy 2006 Land Rover 90 TD5 CSW Silver Edition My 1984 Ninety: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic56071.html - SOLD! My 2015 Defender: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39625.html - SOLD! |
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27th Aug 2020 10:24am |
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| gilesn Member Since: 12 Jun 2013 Location: Glos Posts: 44 |
Driving a D5 TDV6 right now & have been for the last 3 years.
Been very pleased over all - OK had some issues with oil dilution - but all covered by LR under a 5 year service plan. Thinking about changing. New 'Defender' might well be an option. Have had several older Defenders & Series vehicles so know only too well where the model came from !!! Main thoughts right now (with a potential change) 600 nm torque down to 430 nm - that's a lot with a similar vehicle weight? 258 bhp down to 240 bhp - thinking I can live with that? Main boot space reduction - dogs may well be too cramped (to big Rottie's) 5 seat not 7 - great, have never used the 6th or 7th - under floor storage will be more useful Want to see an hear what people think of the P400 - think that will have the power - but at what fuel/MPG cost? The D300 sounds good but probably wont surface till MY 2022? - Will be interesting to see how this engine does in the RR & RRS platforms - might give some indication of its suitability for the Defender? Will keep my eyes open on the P400 as I think there are a couple of people on here getting them & I understand some dealers might be getting demo cars on the '70 plate? |
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27th Aug 2020 12:25pm |
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| Chicken Drumstick Member Since: 17 Aug 2020 Location: Near MK Posts: 542
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So basically JLR seem to have developed the perfect model to cannibalise sales from their other models!!!
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27th Aug 2020 2:18pm |
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| marks-td5 Member Since: 09 Jul 2016 Location: South Lanarkshire Posts: 33 
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Hi,
I love Discoverys. Having had a 2009 Discovery 3 2.7 TDV6 XS and a 2014 Discovery 3.0 SDV6 HSE (We won’t mention the 2017 Discovery Sport HSE) I was keen for practical reasons to replace our second Tesla Model 3 with a 2020 Discovery 5 HSE. I’ve driven them multiple times on Land Rover Experience days in Dunkeld and like how they drive off and on road. They don’t however have that same command seating position road feel and frankly feel a little bit too upmarket compared to my Discovery 4, which managed to blend a high degree of comfort, lovely leather and carpet quality with a rugged and uncommon practicality. The thing that sealed it for me though is that the Discovery 5’s screen system isn’t nearly as good as the next generation pivipro system in Defender and combining that with the fact that Defender is built on an enhanced version of the aluminium monocoque chassis, D7X!, offers the same kind of seating position as Discovery 3/4 and much better rear leg room than Discovery 5, then adding to the fact that the equipment level on the SE version of Defender is much more generous than the equipment on an HSE spec Discovery - the big discounts on Discovery didn’t look so clever. So far in my ownership of Defender 2020, I definitely rate it as one of the better of the Land Rover releases of recent times and is certainly not a disappointment to me. (Attached is my back catalogue of Land Rover products that I have *owned* Enough for me to vote with my wallet. Here is my Defender..
Here is the Discovery 4 I used to own :
My Discovery 3 :
And for good measure, before I’m accused of not knowing anything about the more classic Landrovers, here is my former Defender 110 SW TD5 that I completely rebuilt in a galvanised chassis, bulkhead, B pillars etc..
And my 4.0 V8 Thor engined P38 HSE... ----
2020 Land Rover Defender 110 P300 SE 7 seat (current) 1984 Land Rover Series III 88” Hard Top (current) Previously: 2001 Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 Station Wagon (gone) 2001 Range Rover HSE 4.0 V8 P38 (gone) 2014 Land Rover Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 (gone) 2009 Land Rover Discovery 3 2.7 TDV6 (gone) 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport SD4 240 HSE (gone) |
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27th Aug 2020 2:56pm |
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| LRSpain004 Member Since: 30 Jun 2020 Location: Elche Posts: 68 
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It staggers me that this is not brought up more often. D5 sales have always been very poor and now they will be decimated further. |
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27th Aug 2020 4:58pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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It does seem to be a platform conjured out of nowhere and not at all in sync with all JLR'S public pronouncements on platform sharing. |
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27th Aug 2020 5:36pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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They excel at it. But to be fair, it's not a new thing, perhaps it sounds better if you call it brand loyalty. I swapped a 3.6 TDV8 RRS for a 2.2 Puma. You mentioned the RRS being plush, I only found it superficially so, if you looked, not too hard, you could see where money had been saved/costs cut. |
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27th Aug 2020 5:44pm |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018
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I'm guessing that's all relative. When the V6 replaced the V8 in the RRS, all the independent comments were about the added harshness.
Can't blame you if staff discount takes care of depreciation and it's financially neutral motoring?
And isn't that the problem, as soon enough a newer model will come along and the new Defender is put up on the shelf next to the D5. |
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27th Aug 2020 6:00pm |
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