DG
Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
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I spent 21 years in manual motors of various descriptions....the D3 was my first auto and I couldn't be persuaded to go back now....I find that on or off road it is a peach and perfectly mated to the tdv6...I love it  21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
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 2nd Oct 2006 6:06 pm |
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robertofollia
Member Since: 16 Aug 2006
Location: Sometimes over here, and sometimes over there
Posts: 142
  
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I hated autos. In fact, I travelled to Hamburg to get my Disco2 v8 manual because it wasn't available as a manual anywhere else when I bought it.
i've driven the RRSport auto and the Disco3 manual. And... I feel the auto accelerates more. Maybe the Disco 3 was only 4.000ish miles old and the engine hadn't freed enough, but as the auto box shifts at 2,700 rpm you always drive at peak torque so the car feels more responsive. When I used the RRS' command shift, it made no sense to rev the engine more than 3,200 rpm as it lost the punch, same thing for the manual.
I prefer a manual for ease of maintenance and less electricketry, but... in a disco3, I would go for the auto, it gives me a better feeling (first time in my life an auto wins hands up). But that's my 2 cents..
Besides, today the dealer called me again, great discount in a 60-mile old HSE absolute fully loaded,and the cairns HSE is about to arrive. More sleepless nights to come... Regards, Robert
Only a closed filling station can prevent me from reaching my destination
1992 Santana 88"SWB petrol
1995 RRClassic 300Tdi
1999 D2 V8 manual coiler
2004 D2 Td5... SOLD!
2006 D3 V8 SE
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| 2nd Oct 2006 6:25 pm |
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jacob
Member Since: 12 Jan 2006
Location: athens
Posts: 145
 
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AUTO it is.. and never go back !! 
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| 3rd Oct 2006 9:53 am |
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DCR
Member Since: 07 Oct 2005
Location: Yorks
Posts: 11
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just bought a 2004 manual D3 for my wife ( I have a RRS auto) and must say the manual seems very sluggish in 1st and 2 nd gears up to 2000 rpm then it takes off - certainly the RRS auto seems a better drive to the point where I am wondering if there is something wrong with the Disco? Has anybody else with a manual noticed this?
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| 3rd Oct 2006 6:19 pm |
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LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23368
  
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The manual D3 I had as a week long "loaner" was working fine. It just felt as if it was a different vehicle to the auto., which on the road was so much smoother.
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| 3rd Oct 2006 6:39 pm |
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DiscoStu
Member Since: 09 Apr 2006
Location: London
Posts: 11412
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DCR wrote: Has anybody else with a manual noticed this?
Yep - that's why I'm considering a Turbochip upgrade (and why I'll get an auto next time). Fine from 2000 rpm upwards, but getting it to pull away smoothly is virtually impossible. Also want to get the software update done to see if it improves things.... Disco 5 HSE Lux
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peyiqaJrmMU
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| 3rd Oct 2006 6:44 pm |
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fat bloke
Member Since: 07 Aug 2006
Location: OXFORD
Posts: 1243
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tested both before buying both excellent,but the wife wanted a manual and at the moment find the drive very good with good mpg...
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| 3rd Oct 2006 10:35 pm |
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swiss tony
Member Since: 02 Oct 2006
Location: in a sheepskin coat
Posts: 51
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Pelyma wrote:So what happens if you are carrying bikes with a light board plugged in, will this leave you in first gear longer? I would have thought the extra load on the engine was enough to hold it in first gear for longer, without a special mode.
hmmm good point. next time i see my land rover rep on the freelander 2 course at the end of the month ill bring this up i think. not that anyone i know has ordered the light board when ordering the bike carry (although they are breaking the law of course)
i have sold a couple of manual hse's. but its a very small market in comparision to the auto. because the auto is free on the hse you do get the "something for free" situation and a lot of manual drivers do switch. people ordering the lesser specs do not seem to be too fussed.
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| 4th Oct 2006 8:29 am |
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Pelyma
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Patching, Sussex
Posts: 15496
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caffyns.co.uk wrote:
hmmm good point. next time i see my land rover rep on the freelander 2 course at the end of the month ill bring this up i think. not that anyone i know has ordered the light board when ordering the bike carry (although they are breaking the law of course)
This is probably because everyone buys a product that fits the most popular towbar I suspect, so you don't have a very large sample!
At the risk of sounding rude it looks like another great case of LR misinformation. We have seen a lot of that since launch, what they didn't seemed to be made up and has I'm sure contributed to some early issues not being resolved. DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
DS3 TDV6 HSE- Silver with Alpaca (new one) Gone
D4 HSE Lux - Montalcino Red Gone
Porsche Cayenne V8 Diesel S
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| 4th Oct 2006 9:25 am |
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Andy
Member Since: 30 Jan 2006
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 12
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Ive got a manual because i did not like auto. More control of the vehicle with manual and better mpg
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| 6th Oct 2006 7:41 pm |
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DCR
Member Since: 07 Oct 2005
Location: Yorks
Posts: 11
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Well my wife took the car in to the dealer this week for some warranty work - mentioned the sluggish repsonse and they have reported back to her it needs a new 'valve'. Part on order and to be fitted next week. ANybody else had this or know what it could be ( wife not very technical)
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| 8th Oct 2006 5:31 pm |
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Winger
Site Moderator
Member Since: 15 Feb 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 3428
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DCR wrote:mentioned the sluggish repsonse and they have reported back to her it needs a new 'valve'. Part on order and to be fitted next week. ANybody else had this or know what it could be ( wife not very technical)
Which needs a valve? The wife or the car?
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| 8th Oct 2006 5:57 pm |
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v8hse
Member Since: 02 Apr 2006
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 45
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I Previously Had A D3 V8 HSE & Loved It
GO FOR THE AUTO 2005 Range Rover Sport Supercharged - 4.2 V8 Auto - Zambeti Silver
2006 VW Touareg Altitude - 3.6 V6 Auto - Diamond Black
2005 BMW M3 Coupe - 3.2 Manual - Carbon Black
2005 Volvo V50 SE Sport T5 - 2.5 Auto - Ruby Red
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| 8th Oct 2006 8:56 pm |
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tempestv8
Member Since: 11 Oct 2006
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 57
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Autos are much better with a turbo diesel engine because the torque converter helps to mask the turbo lag by allowing the engine to spool up quicker - in a manual, you'd have to ride the clutch more to achieve the same take off at lights or roundabout.
Autos and turbo diesels are a match made in heaven.
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| 11th Oct 2006 2:32 pm |
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sgtbilko
Member Since: 06 Sep 2006
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 10
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Drove both. Both good. Opted for the Auto as I hate sitting in a manual in traffic. Still prefer manuals on the twisty stuff, but after driving an auto for four years wouldn't go back to a manual for anything other than a two seater weekend toy.
I think the D3 is one of those cars where manual doesn't seem to be a must have for resale.
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| 11th Oct 2006 4:46 pm |
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