DISCO4.COM - View topic - D3 daily driver?

Hal

Member Since: 10 Sep 2018
Location: bedford
Posts: 1

D3 daily driver?

Hi all, just dropping in from defender2.net

I'm thinking about buying a D3 as a daily driver, would probably buy something with 80 to 100k miles on it (not selling my 110, that gets left to the kids when I go!)

I'd appreciate your thoughts. Would this by suitable as a daily driver doing 20K annually for say 4 to 5 years?

Reading this forum it looks like suspension arms, discs etc are "consumables" so need changing every so often - that's no problem, looks like a driveway job to me.

But a good d3 is probably 10 years old now so I'd have to factor in gearbox flush, cambelt change etc.

My question really is this ; are they reliable enough to do the miles I want for the number of years I want? Or is it a step too far?

Any practical experience anyone has would be good to hear

Thanks

25th Sep 2018 2:57 pm

Erea

Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Munster
Posts: 1509

2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 Commercial Manual Zambezi Silver

Hi and welcome, over the past 7+ years I’ve put up approx 250K KM of the 300K KM on my 2006 D3 Commercial. 7 days a week I do a minimum of 50KM each day. Only a flat battery has stopped me. Yes it need a fair amount of maintenance but if you keep on top of it it’s the best 4X4 by far

25th Sep 2018 3:49 pm

Moo
D3 Decade

Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 13899

2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 S Manual Zambezi Silver

My old bus is a daily drive and has been for 13.5 years and 226,000 miles. I never ever think she won't get me there and back.

Looked after they are good, if not, then they are a money pit. Prevention is always better than cure.

New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)

Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)

Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)

No longer the Old Buses original owner

231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control

25th Sep 2018 3:52 pm

professorpool

Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213

2007 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto Java Black

I’d be inclined to stretch to a D4 if you could, just from a comfort and MPG point of view.

Nothing wrong with D3’s as a daily driver. Driven more than one as just that. The car itself does not know how old it is so why not?

Prevention is the key to D3 ownership. D3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven

Jeeps, Lexus, X-trails... Too many to name..

25th Sep 2018 5:24 pm

PROFSR G

Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 4647

2009 Discovery 3 TDV6 Commercial XS Auto Stornoway Grey

Agreed as per Moo and Erea, very tough machine and has always done everything I asked of it eminently.
I do 50 to 100 kms a day minimum and she has never failed to arrive home on her own fuel
As has been said already, preventative maintenance and you should enjoy many years service. Have a look out in the for sale section as there's always well maintained members machines up for grabs. yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ

25th Sep 2018 5:29 pm

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72785

professorpool wrote:
I’d be inclined to stretch to a D4 if you could, just from a comfort and MPG point of view.

Hate to burst the bubble on D4 mpg but it’s pretty much identical to the D3. Certainly on my D3 MY06 S Auto and my D4 MY11 3.0 HSE. For like cf like driving they were pretty much the same, if anything the D3 was better. Actual mpg logged on RoadTrip, not tripcomp nonsense numbers. Until on the D3 those little bearing shells rotated, cut off the oil flow and destroyed the engine. If you’ve got a D3 and see that mpg increase, be afraid, be very afraid. Or sell it quickly.

professorpool wrote:
Prevention is the key to D3 ownership.

PROFSR G wrote:
As has been said already, preventative maintenance and you should enjoy many years service.

I’m still waiting to find out what preventative maintenance will prevent bearing shell rotation on the 2.7 or crank snapping on the 3.0 lump. Pays yer money, takes yer chance and lots of prayers to the LR gods.

25th Sep 2018 5:30 pm

kajtzu

Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6570

2005 Discovery 3 4.4 V8 HSE Auto Cairns Blue

Re: D3 daily driver?

Hal wrote:
I'm thinking about buying a D3 as a daily driver, would probably buy something with 80 to 100k miles on it (not selling my 110, that gets left to the kids when I go!)
I'd appreciate your thoughts. Would this by suitable as a daily driver doing 20K annually for say 4 to 5 years? Reading this forum it looks like suspension arms, discs etc are "consumables" so need changing every so often - that's no problem, looks like a driveway job to me.
But a good d3 is probably 10 years old now so I'd have to factor in gearbox flush, cambelt change etc.
My question really is this ; are they reliable enough to do the miles I want for the number of years I want? Or is it a step too far?
Any practical experience anyone has would be good to hear
Thanks

I’ve had my D3 as a daily driver for a bit over a year. I’ve driven approximately 23k km during that time. It doesn’t have other drivers and it’s our second vehicle. Mine is a petrol but I’m hoping it’ll last at least to 300k km (so 4-5 years of identical driving). The Indy I take it to said he is aware of one other petrol here which has almost 500k km on it and driving fine.

I change oil at 10k km, same with filters. With my driving discs and pads will change sometime in the winter next year. Stuff I’ve fixed include suspension related like bushes and arms but nothing major.

Internally the vehicle is in really good shape. Externally the wind screen doesn’t heat across the whole area but I have not changed screens as the screen is otherwise fine. There are a few scratches to the paint but same thing, won’t bother fixing unless I get an insane inheritance from Nigeria or something.

Drives like a dream. I track all costs with Road Trip for iOS.

Go for it.

25th Sep 2018 6:22 pm

Pete K

Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10362

2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 HSE Auto Rimini Red

you would be better of with a late disco 2

25th Sep 2018 8:00 pm

DSL
Keeper of the wheelie bin

Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72785

I still miss my D2. And my VM powered RRClassic. And my D1 200 TDs, all 3 of them.

25th Sep 2018 8:14 pm

PROFSR G

Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 4647

DSL wrote:

PROFSR G wrote:
As has been said already, preventative maintenance and you should enjoy many years service.

I’m still waiting to find out what preventative maintenance will prevent bearing shell rotation on the 2.7 or crank snapping on the 3.0 lump. Pays yer money, takes yer chance and lots of prayers to the LR gods.

Preventative maintenance is one thing DSL, miracles quite another

Still, I'll stick to preventative maintenance in preference to reactive maintenance.

yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ

25th Sep 2018 9:38 pm

Waylander11

Member Since: 21 Apr 2016
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 519

2012 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 Commercial Auto Ipanema Sand

176000 miles on my D3 driven everyday approximately 60 miles by Swmbo , has been looked after meticulously as it was my work vehicle for 3 years where I put just over 90000 miles on it , only let me down once and that was my fault I gave it a flat battery D3 in Buckingham blue now SWMBO's Mine D4 commercial
Xenon's fitted Timed climate
EGR Blanked Remapped
Remap Reversing Camera
gear box reset
updated Bluetooth
4x4 info
all done by Bodsy
Fridge fitted
Reversing camera fitted

25th Sep 2018 9:48 pm

professorpool

Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213

Pete K wrote:
you would be better of with a late disco 2

The only one I’ve not had and would never have

:shudder: D3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven

Jeeps, Lexus, X-trails... Too many to name..

25th Sep 2018 11:19 pm

Moo
D3 Decade

Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 13899

The other thing to think about with he D3 is how long will you be able to drive it for? Many councils are looking at restricting older diesels or charging for access to town centres etc. I suspect my old bus will be banned from Bath in the next two years, maybe sooner. New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)

Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)

Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)

No longer the Old Buses original owner

231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control

26th Sep 2018 7:38 am

bimblephish

Member Since: 21 Jul 2016
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 272

2006 Discovery 3 4.4 V8 HSE Auto Java Black

That coupled with the crank issue on the diesels is all the more reason to go for an LPG concerted V8

1st Oct 2018 6:37 am

Ken

Member Since: 20 Feb 2006
Location: Here
Posts: 10865

Id get a G Wagon

1st Oct 2018 6:48 am