Member Since: 13 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeen
Posts: 88
The D4 has arrived!
Hi folks,
Well i'm now onto my 3rd Disco. The D3 was an awesome car that I loved throughout every minute of ownership but foolishly I agreed to an extended test drive of a D4 and I was hooked!
So, one week after handing back the key for the loaner D4 I am now back in my own D4!
Collected her on Monday in Newcastle (bought from an LR dealer 'daarn saarf' who took my D3 in p/x) and have loved the journey home despite the terrible snow and then awful rain. Again one of my favourite attributes of the Disco was displayed because I was above the majority of the rain mist coming from the cars ahead and as such had a much better view of the road; a significant thing as there was an accident just ahead of me as I was crossing the border!
Anyway, she's a 9 month old HSE. Stornoway with Almond/arabica interior. All usual HSE spec + cooler box, heated steering wheel & hybrid tv.
I've already shifted my rubber mat set into her and have a set of the optional 20" titan finish wheels enroute. Sidesteps are ordered too as will be the mudguards once I can reach Slimer. The car is also booked into Motorwerks in Aberdeen for Scotty to tint the windows to the same spec as he did for the D3.
Here's what she looked like when I collected her:
I'll post updates as things change and some more pics once I've had a chance to clean her!
Finally, having come from a D3 I thought i'd post up what I see as the main differences between the D3 and D4:
Engine;
Well, what can I say. The difference is staggering. My D3 had a BAS remap so it felt great and had some urgency about it but at idle is was a little 'tractory' and was certainly noisier than the D4's 3ltr lump which drives so like a petrol it's uncanny!
I have also noticed a marked improvement in fuel ecomony between the two cars. My D3 used to average about 24/25mpg in town and 30 on the open road at cruising speed of 77mph. However, as much of my journey down to Newcastle was at 35mph due to snow I averaged 35mpg for its last journey with me!
The D4 seems to be 27 in town and 32 on longer runs and that was with me driving enthusiastically at times.
Handling;
I don't know what they've improved on it but the D4 seems far more pointy when pressing on. There feels like there's less body roll too. Overall it's a better drive.
Interior;
Wow. What a difference!! I went for almond as it felt much less opressive than the black of my D3. It's also significantly quieter (although the same was fair to say about the D3 over my Audi before) and I haven't heard a single rattle or creak which had been coming to the surface in my year old D3.
The seats are the biggest difference for me. I have back issues from my rugby days and found the seat base on the D3 seats marginally too short to properly support the length of my thigh. The D4 fixes that with a seat base about 1.5" longer and a more supportive set of bolsters on the back section. I wasn't at all fatigued after the Aberdeen//Newcastle//Aberdeen journey.
The rear seats are also significantly improved as I have had a few (ungrateful! ) passengers who have complained that the rear seats in the D3 were somewhat underpadded and they got a numb bum after an hour or so. The D4 sorts this completely. They are far more comfortable.
However, all is not quite perfect. My car is pre-owned with 15k on it so I assume it would have all the neccessary software updates. I experienced a 'surging' when on cruise at 72mph. It felt like the car was between gears and was speeding up inorder to grab the next gear but only doing so for a second and then a feeling of decelleration to match the cruise speed. Increasing or decreasing the speed with cruise still on didn't make a difference to the sensation but when I cancelled the cruise completely and started it again the issue was gone and it hasn't ocurred again. I'll keep an eye on it but I see some users on here have mentioned this issue before but on significantly higher mileage cars. At the end of the day my car is still warrantied for a couple more years so no issue there but i'd like to know what caused this.
Well that was a longer post than I expected but I guess there's a lot to talk about with this D4!
I'll update on changes once they happen.
Cheers
James
Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated 59 D4 3.0 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - New addition!
59 D3 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - Sold
99 D2 V8 GS - Champagne Metallic - Sold
03 Audi S4 4.2 V8 - Dolphin Grey - Sold
99 Subaru Impreza Trackcar - White....450bhp - Wouldn't sell
77 Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera Targa Sport - Metallic Gold - Garage Queen
Last edited by James B on 31st Dec 2010 11:03 am. Edited 1 time in total
29th Dec 2010 10:25 am
MacLeod 313
Member Since: 18 Apr 2008
Location: away
Posts: 10723
Very nice James, looks like All your christmas's came at once.
Like that alot
29th Dec 2010 10:41 am
James B
Member Since: 13 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeen
Posts: 88
haha! Yes, it was a nice Chrimbo pressie to myself! Nobody else wanted to give me it anyway.... 59 D4 3.0 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - New addition!
59 D3 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - Sold
99 D2 V8 GS - Champagne Metallic - Sold
03 Audi S4 4.2 V8 - Dolphin Grey - Sold
99 Subaru Impreza Trackcar - White....450bhp - Wouldn't sell
77 Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera Targa Sport - Metallic Gold - Garage Queen
29th Dec 2010 11:40 am
Dave
Member Since: 08 Mar 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 2462
Nah not jealous at all
Well, as D3 mats are the same as D4 there is hope for me yet, thats a few less quid to muster. Quite a market though at the moment, for example a used D4 XS with some extra bits at my local dealer costs more than a new D3 HSE did in 2009!! Another dealer had a 59reg D4 HSE up for £49k, granted it had only done 5000miles.
Maybe March will be a better time to look
Congratulations James
Again: Nah not jealous at all Captain Nick Medhurst would ask:
"What is the first rule when overlanding?"
I would Reply:
"Duratrac"
29th Dec 2010 11:51 am
seddie
Member Since: 23 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 414
Great looking vehicle, I'm sure I'll come across it at some point, hope you've got the stickers swapped.
29th Dec 2010 8:40 pm
bazzam111
Member Since: 01 Dec 2005
Location: NE Scotland
Posts: 83
These Stornoway D4's seem to becoming a very popular car in Aberdeen.
Good summary on the D3 v D4 and I agree with all the points=permagrin
Now you have the small matter of finding someone who will look after it for you to keep it in 'tip top' condition
When you find one, let me know Bazza M111
D4 11 MY HSE Stornoway
Defender 90 CSW (the one that gets very dirty....)
Lotus Elise (the one that is kept very clean....)
30th Dec 2010 10:25 am
James B
Member Since: 13 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeen
Posts: 88
Thanks for the comments folks!
Dave,
Noted. No jealousy at all. That wasn't you stroking its bonnet in the middle of the night?
seddie,
I must admit i haven't be an avid 'stickerer' but I think I may invest in a D4 sticker in order to support this cracking forum!
bazzam,
Cheers, they do seem to be more popular than others! I looked at a Nara Bronze too as I fancied a change but the one I saw had a black interior which wasn't good for me this time.
What do you mean by finding someone to look after it? I used T&C and can't actually fault them for customer service. I used the chaps in Kemnay for my D2 as its was a beater but it's a fair hike from my house to them so I think T&C will be my service folk. Maybe they'll also pass on the news next door that i'm a customer with them too so i don't get such crappy service when dealing with my other car!!
Anyway, as i'm working today I decided to do the decent thing and give my car its first wash!
Here are the results;
Hopefully the sidesteps will arrive tomorrow and the wheels too so I can get them fitted. Then its a case of waiting for the tints and mudflaps.
Cheers
James
Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated 59 D4 3.0 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - New addition!
59 D3 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - Sold
99 D2 V8 GS - Champagne Metallic - Sold
03 Audi S4 4.2 V8 - Dolphin Grey - Sold
99 Subaru Impreza Trackcar - White....450bhp - Wouldn't sell
77 Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera Targa Sport - Metallic Gold - Garage Queen
30th Dec 2010 12:57 pm
LiftedDisco
Member Since: 10 Jun 2010
Location: Towcester
Posts: 997
Looks fantastic!!
One small word of caution... there is another thread on here somewhere about mats in D3 and D4... apparently there is a slight change to the moulding pattern beneath the throttle pedal and someone applied a hefty dose of throttle to pass a car, only to find that the pedal had got 'trapped' in the rubber mat, creating an over-application of the brown tinted adrenaline...
Might be worth checking your D3 mats against some genuine D4 mats...D4 Commercial - 65 Plate, 2016MY
D5 Commercial - Handed back when I left that job…
D4 Commercial (2014MY) - gone
D4 Commercial SDV6 - Baltic Blue (also gone)
D1 300TDi... 2" lift, HD bumpers (both), detachable tow hitch, 9,500lb winch, 235/85/16 muds and plenty of other toys (gone to make way for the next toy...)
Smiles per Mile - Tornado Motorsports caged Evo 3... 100" Defender look-alike, with Range Rover running gear - all fully IVA'd and registered!
30th Dec 2010 11:31 pm
James B
Member Since: 13 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeen
Posts: 88
LiftedDisco,
Thanks on the compliment and also for the warning.
I'll check that out right now! I did give it some welly enroute home from Newcastle and wasn't aware of any issue but will check for sure!!
Cheers
James59 D4 3.0 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - New addition!
59 D3 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - Sold
99 D2 V8 GS - Champagne Metallic - Sold
03 Audi S4 4.2 V8 - Dolphin Grey - Sold
99 Subaru Impreza Trackcar - White....450bhp - Wouldn't sell
77 Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera Targa Sport - Metallic Gold - Garage Queen
30th Dec 2010 11:40 pm
MacLeod 313
Member Since: 18 Apr 2008
Location: away
Posts: 10723
Yes, I like that alot
30th Dec 2010 11:43 pm
James B
Member Since: 13 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeen
Posts: 88
Cheers Mac.
Well the wheels and sidesteps are here so I hope to get the wheels on tomorrow morning and will take a view on what time is left in the day for the sidesteps. 59 D4 3.0 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - New addition!
59 D3 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - Sold
99 D2 V8 GS - Champagne Metallic - Sold
03 Audi S4 4.2 V8 - Dolphin Grey - Sold
99 Subaru Impreza Trackcar - White....450bhp - Wouldn't sell
77 Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera Targa Sport - Metallic Gold - Garage Queen
Selling your old wheels then ?2008 ,hse, it does what it says .
31st Dec 2010 1:02 am
James B
Member Since: 13 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeen
Posts: 88
Well disaster struck overnight...
Forgetting that the AB15 postcode is akin to Beiruit I decided to park my car on the street for a few hours while I moved other cars about.
This was the result;
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Absolutely gutted. Even moreso now that AutoWindscreens tell me that there isn't a rear window in Scotland and it'll be the 13th before they can fit even if there was.
So, car is now laid up on drive with the cctv cams pointing right at it!! Sadly the front of the house is out of range of the cctv so i can't see who or what did it but i'll wager it was some kids thinking it would "be a laugh". Little scrotes!!
The pic actually shows the glass after I had entered the car to see that nothing was missing. Nobody had been in the car at all. Before I entered the car there was a neat little hole about 4" above the wiper arm and 2" from the slanted lower section of the window.
Thats Auto Windscreens just been on. They'll be here within the hour to effect a temporary repair to secure the car from the elements. Still no word on any sooner a final repair time.
Guess there will be no wheel or sill fitting today.
Better cancel the window tinting too. :evil:
Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated 59 D4 3.0 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - New addition!
59 D3 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - Sold
99 D2 V8 GS - Champagne Metallic - Sold
03 Audi S4 4.2 V8 - Dolphin Grey - Sold
99 Subaru Impreza Trackcar - White....450bhp - Wouldn't sell
77 Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera Targa Sport - Metallic Gold - Garage Queen
31st Dec 2010 10:53 am
James B
Member Since: 13 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeen
Posts: 88
Choppa60,
Well that was my intention until i learned that 18's don't fit so I was thinking of hanging onto them as some winter/offroad wheels but they do seem a little too good for that!
Therefore i may still sell them.
James59 D4 3.0 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - New addition!
59 D3 TDV6 HSE - Stornoway Grey - Sold
99 D2 V8 GS - Champagne Metallic - Sold
03 Audi S4 4.2 V8 - Dolphin Grey - Sold
99 Subaru Impreza Trackcar - White....450bhp - Wouldn't sell
77 Porsche 911 3.0 Carrera Targa Sport - Metallic Gold - Garage Queen
now thats absolutely terrible, little scrotes,during the snow i had adults and kids bombarding my d3 with snowballs ,that may have been it with a stone inside, not a good start, for you2008 ,hse, it does what it says .
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
) passengers who have complained that the rear seats in the D3 were somewhat underpadded and they got a numb bum after an hour or so. The D4 sorts this completely. They are far more comfortable.
- Wouldn't sell
I decided to park my car on the street for a few hours while I moved other cars about.
now thats absolutely terrible, 
