Land Rover Discovery 3 Reviews

Graham Smith road tests and reviews the used 2005-2009 Land Rover Discovery 3.

Unlike the magazine's 4WD Of The Year award, which only looks at vehicles that are new or significantly revised in that year, these annual accolades look at all the 4WDs on the market. In fact long-time champions dominate these awards but sometimes even long-time champs are forced to step aside. Best Value for Money

Unfortunately, there's always been a question of longevity and build quality, which Land Rover seems to be slowly overcoming. We sampled the third-generation top-spec turbodiesel V6 HSE Discovery.The cabin is ergonomically better than previous offerings but the driver's-side window developed a mind of its own during our time with the car. The central part of the console works a little better, with the sound system and dual-zone climate control easy to use. The Disco gets the electric park brake system, as well as the clever, effective and easy-to-use Terrain Response system.A quick turn of the knob, compliance with the advice on the LCD screen and the Disco is set up for most off-road expeditions.There's decent cabin space and the third row of seats can accommodate most people.The features list boasts leather trim, rear parking sensors, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, auto bi-xenon headlights, climate control (including rear airconditioning) and eight airbags, with each seat row getting curtain airbags. But topping the list of attributes for the 2.7-tonne British bush-basher is the 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel, which delivers 140kW of power and 445Nm of torque. It's a smoothy, with some passengers finding it hard to believe there is a diesel unit up front.The Disco spent several weeks with the CARSguide team and used fuel at a rate of 11 litres/100km.The height-adjustable self-levelling air suspension (a $3450 option, including Terrain Response, on the bulk of the range, but standard on the HSE) cleverly counteracts body roll, pitch and bumps.The Disco completed many of its normal duties - family beach trip, commuting and a bit of off-road work - but the final test was a trip to the Limestone Coast with lodgings in tow. A Jayco Expanda caravan was the dwelling of choice.Tipping the scales at 1400kg, the Jayco was never going to tax the 3500kg braked towing capacity.After an 800km round trip, the Land Rover had barely noticed the well-behaved van on the back - apart from some restricted rear vision and an increase in fuel use to about 15 litres/100km.Given the ease with which it pulled up hills - dropping to fifth or fourth but rarely third - and the frugal fuel habits, there's little doubt the turbodiesel V6 is the pick of the litter within the Disco range. SMALL TORQUELAND ROVER DISCOVERY HSE Turbo Diesel V6Price: $83,990.Engine: 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel.Power: 140kW @ 4000rpm.Torque: 440Nm @ 1900rpm.Transmission: Six-speed manual and automatic, all-wheel drive.Suspension Double wishbones and computer-controlled air springs front and rear, height adjustable.Zero-100km/h/top speed: 12.8 seconds/180km/h.Fuel consumption/capacity: 10.4 litres/100km (claimed), on tow test 15 litres/100km, tank 82 litres.Dimensions: Length 4835mm, width 2009mm, height 1832-1940mm, wheelbase 2885mm,track fr/rr 1605/1612mm.Weight: 2353kg-2432kg.Brakes: Four-wheel ventilated disc, with stability and anti-rollover systems.Wheels: 18in alloys.

Preparing for a weekend away at the snow for five people, including three females who don't know the meaning of packing lightly, was never going to be easy. Along with four snowboards, it was clear we were going to need a roomy and comfortable vehicle. Plus, with fussy passengers, not just any car would do.The big, black, boxy and powerful Land Rover Discovery 3 came to the rescue. And by big, I mean big.Big windows, a big steering wheel, big body, big wheels and most importantly, a big engine.The Discovery towers over other cars on the road.At first it feels huge, and is a little daunting in peak-hour traffic. But once settling into the cosy interior and the car's good handling ability, it becomes a little less scary and is exciting to drive.The car tested was the $89,990 range-topping V8 HSE, which has a Jaguar-derived engine.With plenty of luxury features and space, it was more than adequate for our big adventure, delivering 220kW at 5500rpm and 427Nm at 4000rpm.On long stretches of highway, the Disco flies, despite its weight and baggage, and cruise control is needed to remind you to stick to the speed limit.The torquey V8 engine, which seems to always want to go faster, has good pull up hills as it digs deep for that extra burst of power, even with the excess weight.Around bends it becomes a little harder to control, especially with heavy winds and windows open, while travelling at the faster speeds. For its size, the Discovery has a comfortable turning circle and moves pretty easily around tight turns and grips the road nicely, absorbing the bumps.But with a big square back, it's hard to manoeuvre in tight car parks, which meant trusty passengers were often enlisted to assist and, alone, it's especially difficult. The parking sensors were handy but became a little irritating as they beeped constantly with plenty of distance still to move.Its inaccuracy also showed when cars travelling in the opposite direction set off the beeping.Inside the Discovery, there was plenty of room for all the gear and the lack of rear vision due to the luggage piled high in the back was adequately compensated for by the large external rear-vision mirrors.The Discovery 3 comes with a third row of seats, consisting of two fold-ups in the back. The versatility of the seating arrangement is great for transporting gear like snowboards, with the ability to fold down individual seats in the second and third rows.And those rear fold-up seats are more comfortable than expected. One passenger in particular took a liking to the large amount of leg room and facilities such as cup holders and a place to connect her much-loved iPod, all at her disposal.The Discovery is not short on storage space, with a double glovebox in the front. Both the driver and front passenger also get an armrest.Extra airconditioning controls are found in the middle row to control the climate for backseat passengers and when we finally found the switch to activate them, it gave this driver much ease from some whingeing companions. A cool feature on the Disco is the air suspension, which raises the car or lowers it as you wish, making exiting the car and low-level car parks much easier to tackle.It also has a Terrain Response system providing different settings for different conditions, such as snow, mud, sand, deep ruts and grass.The engine, transmission, suspension and traction settings all adjust for better driving.The Discovery was rather expensive to run, costing more than $100 to fill up, but that can be expected in such a large car. We recorded an average fuel consumption figure of 15.2l/100km, mainly on the highway.The test car had extras including satellite navigation, sunroof, rear airconditioning and parking sensors which would add about $15,000.Fast factsLand Rover Discovery 3Price: $89,990 (as tested $104,590)Engine: 4.4-litre V8, 220kW@5500rpm, 427Nm@4000rpmTransmission: 6-speed automatic transmission with tiptronicFuel: 86-litre tank 15.0L/100km combined claimed, 15.2L/100km as testedVerdict: Very bulky to drive, but offers a lot of space and great performance. AlternativesBMW X5 4.4iPrice: $111,500Engine: 4.4-litre V8, 235kW@6100rpm, 440Nm@3700rpmTransmission: 6-speed automatic transmission with SteptronicFuel: 93-litre tank, 13.1L/100kmVerdict: With a nice interior and smooth acceleration, the X5 offers a luxury cruise on and off the bitumen, but at a more expensive price.Mercedes ML500Price: $116,900Engine: 5.0-litre V8, 225kW@5600rpm, 460Nm@2700-4750rpmTransmission: 7G-Tronic 7-speed transmissionFuel: 95-litre tank, 13.4L/100kmVerdict: Similar performance figures to the Discovery and better fuel economy, but this also comes with a hefty price tag.

You can enjoy driving it almost anywhere, from the smoothest freeways to the toughest off-road tracks, even if most Discovery owners will never give it a sterner challenge than the after-school pick-up.If you can live with the Judge Dredd styling work, it is good value and can be delivered with a relatively efficient turbo-diesel V6 engine.So why are we saying "could be" and not "should be" or "is" about the Discovery's ranking? We are not really sure ourselves, because the Disco 3 ticks most of the boxes.But our test car came with a fault. We have had problems in the past with Land Rover vehicles, and we cannot believe a Discovery would match a Mitsubishi or a Nissan or – yes – a Toyota four-wheel-drive over the long run.There are some things we cannot measure during a week-long test (even though we covered more than 1000km during our time with the Discovery), so we hold back from a gushing endorsement of the vehicle.Land Rover designed the latest Discovery to be a premium four-wheel-drive, and it has done a good job. It helps that it is the first all-new vehicle to emerge from Land Rover since Ford bought the company from BMW. This injected enough cash and commitment to do the job properly.You can see it in everything from the six-speed automatic gearbox, to more space in the cabin and a V6 turbo-diesel engine that was also developed for use by Jaguar.Matthew Taylor, the Land Rover chief who once served as marketing boss at Ford Australia in Broadmeadows, has described the Discovery as "a vehicle of great conviction that points the way forward for the company".It is the anchor for the company's operations in Australia, with 191 Discovery sales in August and 1349 since the start of the year, according to Vfacts.But it is significant that Discovery sales are actually down against 2004, 1387 to 1349, which points to supply problems or slow acceptance of the newcomer.Or, perhaps, it reflects questions from potential owners, who are still buying Japanese or the BMW X5.The Discovery drops into a sales segment called "Medium SUV" in Australia, where the runaway class leader is the Ford Territory with 14,975, followed by the Toyota Prado with 10,520 sales to the end of August.The BMW X5, which competes on class even if it is not in the same class, has 1997.The Discovery has a lot to like from the big, chunky body to a choice of five or seven seats, three engines – V6, V6 turbo-diesel and V8 – a top-class four-wheel-drive and suspension package, and prices that run from $56,650 to $91,650 for the V8 HSE model.We jumped into the Discovery after a week with a Grand Cherokee from Jeep, which gave us an instant benchmark. And a win for the Discovery.It was much quieter and more refined on the road, had the advantage of the turbo-diesel V6, and was unstoppable in the bush.We love the ride, which ironed out any surface and still gave good grip through bitumen corners without the usual tippy feeling that comes with other Land Rover products. It shows considerable commitment to customers who won't be regulars off the road, without compromising the essential grip for tough going.Our test machine was a basic 2.7 TD V6 S automatic, which meant it was nowhere near as impressive as the Jeep in the cabin.It had all the equipment you expect for $65,000, but the quality was down and that is a problem when you compare it with the Japanese vehicles in its class.It is down to the stuff like the seat fabrics, and the look and feel of the plastics and switches, as well as an overall dashboard design that looks like something from Fisher Price. It is different, but we didn't like it.There is plenty of space in the cabin. The seats are good, but not great. We were surprised by the quietness of a vehicle that is pushing a lot of wind at highway speeds.The performance was good, with the combination of turbo-diesel torque – 440Nm is more than Land Rover's V8 – and the six-speed automatic transmission. It also returned 10.8 litres/100km at the pumps, went for more than 700km without a refill and had more than enough hit for easy overtaking, despite a body mass in the 2.5-tonne class.The gearbox was particularly welcome, with a touch-change manual and a well-chosen set of ratios with a smooth shift.One problem was an electrical fault that denied access to the low-range gears. It didn't matter on the go, because it still conquered our benchmark hill climb with no trouble. Land Rover blamed a pre-production control unit.And we also had a couple of experiences when the car's hill descent system, which is a great way to tackle downhill runs without using your feet on the pedals, kicked in on flat ground at more than 80km/h.The biggest problem for the Discovery is its competition. The medium four-wheel-drive class has more than a dozen rivals and there are plenty of people who will compare it with all-paw contenders with Audi, BMW, Honda, Jeep and Mercedes badges.What they will find is a vehicle that is absolutely brilliant as an off-roader, and impressive for runabout work, and a reasonable price and with reasonable equipment.But we still have some doubts.

And space is what you notice when stepping into the Land Rover Discovery 3. It's much roomier than the previous model.Drive it on and off road, and it's hard to argue with the judges who have named it as winner of a stack of 4WD awards.My frequent passenger is not fully into the pleasures of four-wheel driving and her usual comments are "Do we have to go up there?" or "Careful, I don't want us to get bogged."This time, however, when circumstances forced me to stop and take off with front wheels in soft sand and back wheels in wet sand even I had fingers mentally crossed.There was an uncanny silence from the passenger seat.Unfussed, the Disco simply drove away.I remarked on the escape and Frequent Passenger bestowed a great compliment on the Discovery 3: "I don't think this would get bogged anywhere; I wasn't a bit worried."We'd also driven it over some bumps and ridges. Bracing for the jarring through the cabin proved unnecessary.The Disco 3 glides over such offroad challenges.On test was the Discovery SE with the four-litre V6 petrol engine ($65,650).It comes standard with air suspension which is cross-connected.Air displaced by the upward movement of an air spring is transferred to the spring on the opposite side forcing it down, to help level the vehicle.A V6 turbocharged diesel engine gets the rave reviews and the Disco can also be ordered with a V8 petrol motor.The V6 petrol as tested drank premium unleaded at 15.9 litres/100km during a week of driving, which included suburban and 4WD use.The twin seats of the third row can be used by most adults and fold neatly away for a flat floor, there are plenty of bottle holders and stowage compartments, dual-zone climate control, excellent traction control and stability control systems and rear parking sensors.LAND Rover's air suspension is adjusted by a centre console control. It lowers the vehicle for passengers to get in and out or to negotiate low-roofed car parks. Or it can raise the body up to 240mm for off-road work.A ROTARY knob allows the driver to set the Discovery for five conditions: normal road use, grass/snow/gravel, rutted muddy tracks, sand and finally rock-crawling. It delivers the most suitable mapping of the engine management system, gear changes, ride height, dynamic stability control, traction control, hill descent control and differential locks. High and low range also can be selected from a centre console control and the electric "handbrake" is a fingertip lever, too.The four-litre V6 petrol engine generates 160kW of power at 4500rpm plus 360Nm torque at 3000rpm. It can tow up to 3500kg and wade through 700mm of water.

It's good, very good, especially the V6 diesel, the subject of our review. Some people aren't too keen on the chunky, slab-sided urban assault vehicle look (my sisterin- law, one-time Disco owner among them), but then some people will always have a different opinion ? otherwise we'd all be driving the same car. Truly functional design does not date, Land Rover reckons.2.7-litre TDV6 replaces the old TD5 straight five-cylinder diesel. Develops 140kW of power at 4000rpm and 445Nm of torque at a low 1900rpm, more torque in fact than the hero 4.4-litre V8 at 427Nm and arriving lower down the rev range too. Apart from the extra performance, most surprising about the new engine is how smooth and quiet it is. The back room boys have done a brilliant job of insulating passengers from the traditionally harsh diesel rattle.You can chose between a sixspeed manual or automatic. Our test vehicle was the six-speed sequential auto which means you can change gears like a manual anyway. We noted some initial lag off the line before the engine responded. Manual accelerates from 0-100km/h in 11.7 seconds (11.2 for the manual). It feels faster than this though, however, with a top speed of 180km/h. Full-time four-wheel drive, traction control and dynamic stability control deliver maximum traction in all conditions.Claimed fuel economy from the 82-litre tank is not stated. But we got about 12.4L/100km out of ours which gives the diesel a range of about 660km. Still a tinsy winsy bit of body roll evident in corners around town, but nothing we couldn't forgive, given its off-road credentials.Our test vehicle was fitted with air suspension which gives it 240mm of impressive ground clearance when jacked up. With low range, hill descent control and a variety of settings for different terrains, it makes short work of even arduous rock descents. In fact, it's so confident there's a danger that drivers could become a little too cocky.Safety is aided by six airbags (blows out to eight if you chose the seven-seat option). Seats five with an optional seven seats, but the extra two are kiddie-sized. This time they fold snugly into the floor, instead of taking up valuable luggage space ? and separately if desired. Seven seats and air suspension are standard on all but the base S models which get coil springs.Maximum tow rating is 3500kg.Interestingly, this is the diesel that is reportedly destined for Ford's best selling Territory. From there, we may even see it flow down to other models, maybe even the Falcon eventually. Now that's something to think about!Verdict: We want one. It's big, smooth and powerful and it won't cost an arm and a leg to run. Smooth around town and a force to be reckoned with when the going gets tough. Prices for the diesel start from $64,650.

What better way to test out Land Rover's all-new Discovery 3? On the road the Disco 3 is comfortable, smooth and well behaved. Despite being big and bulky, it still corners well without feeling like it will tip over.But have these on-road advances compromised its off-road ability? It still looks tough and feels tough but dos it have the serious off-road ability of its predecessor?The test drive setting was an old 4X4 park. There was plenty of mud, a bit of water and a trail for climbing rocks. The vehicle's beach manners were tested on nearby sand dunes.The Disco's four-wheel-drive mode is controlled by the Terrain Response system designed to make driving as simple as possible. A large dial on the centre console allows the driver to choose one of five settings. There are two on-road settings; a general driving and a slippery roads program (called grass/gravel/snow) and three off-road modes; mud and ruts, sand, and rock crawl.On the beach, the Disco cruised with ease in normal drive mode after the tyres had been deflated.On the muddy and rutted track there was only a small section that caught the sophisticated system out, where a hill on a corner caused the car to slide to the bottom despite being in the mud-and-rut setting.On steep hills and, at times, over big rocks, the rock-crawl setting walked the Disco along the trail, although it was a relief to know that all the vulnerable systems, such as cables and pipes, are either in the chassis rails or alongside them to avoid snagging or breaking as even in "extreme" height setting the occasional scrape was heard.On the freeway it was necessary to be vigilant to maintain the legal speed limit in the diesel as it just kept on wanting to go.The new Discovery comes in three engine types: a 4.0-litre petrol V6 with 160kW and 360Nm, a 4.4-litre petrol V8 with 220kW and 425Nm, and a 2.7-litre turbo-diesel V6 with 140kW and 440Nm. The three model choices include the base model S, the mid-spec SE and the top-spec HSE.All models feature anti-skid brakes, hill descent, traction control, electronic centre differentials, dynamic stability control and terrain response system to make it more competitive against other luxury offroaders. Both the SE and the HSE come with the air suspension as standard. There is an extreme height setting to tackle big rocks, or at the other end of the scale, a low height mode to fit in the garage and 1.9m car parks.The HSE (tested) has an eight-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo with an in-dash six CD changer, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, front fog lamps, automatic headlights, headlight power wash, rain sensor, electro-chromic interior mirror, puddle and footwell lamps, leather upholstery, driver's armrest, leather gear knob, driver seat memory and rear park assist.The model tested also had front park assist ($850), premium satellite navigation ($7300) and a sunroof plus Alpine roof ($3650) and safety comes first – there are airbags galore.The Discovery is available in a seven-seat configuration with a third row of seats, although load space and rear vision is compromised with the third row in place. The third row offers decent-sized foot space so adults don't have to sit with their knees in the air. There's heaps of storage and drink bottle holders throughout, and a chilled box in the centre console. Without the third row of seats the luggage space becomes so large it is necessary to climb on to the rear tailgate to reach the back of the boot.The Disco is a big car and parking in tight shopping centre car parks requires practice.The diesel was the favourite but with three engine choices there's something for everyone. The Discovery 3 is one of the few luxury 4WDs that has good on-road manners and the ability to tackle the roughest terrain.

Metres of water ran across and down the dirt, the track's dips filled with truckloads of brown slosh. The storm across the mountain tops arrived with a suddenness and ferocity that quietened radio chatter between the seven four-wheel drives.Drivers are busy and adrenalin levels are up; there is little better to quicken the blood than a downhill slip and slide in two-and-a-half tonnes of metal with a hard rain falling and nasty, hard-to-see drops off the track's edges.The day started fine: some touring, a little rock crawling and hill climbing to glorious scenes across Victoria's High Country.Now the thunder of the gods rolled in and the pleasantness was gone. But everyone and every vehicle made it to the bottom on to a hard-packed gravel road, and, like all good bush folk, headed for the nearest pub for beers and a dry camp.It was a small adventure best appreciated in one of Land Rover's all-singing, all-dancing Discovery machines for these latest wagons take away a deal of sweat and tears in rough country.At $73,650 for a V6 diesel SE wagon, there is much to admire and a deal to appreciate on good roads and wet tracks.Coming down this steep and sloppy track the machine takes over, the driver only needs to steer, maybe add some throttle: into low range, suspension raised and dial up the Mud and Ruts mode on Land Rover's All Terrain system. It works. Engine and transmission responses are tailored for the slip and slide, hill descent control braking the machine with surprising gentleness.Centre and rear differentials lock and unlock as required (watch all the traction action and the angles of the dangles on the dashboard display screen) and windscreen wipers switch on automatically when the rain first hits the screen. This is one autodidactic machine.There may remain questions as to how this sophisticated British vehicle's smart stuff will cope with the rigours of long days in the scrub, there may remain questions about reliability.But it is to be considered that this is the first Land Rover designed and produced under Ford's stewardship, there is much at stake (in particular the giant North American market) and the bosses reckon Ford has helped straighten out Land Rover's production line.This all-new Discovery is claimed to be easier, simpler to build than the previous model so build quality should be better.All this palaver is best left to the pub; for now all that's needed is to understand the cleverness of these machines in wombat-infested forests.The V8 Discovery, this one too in SE trim and arriving with a $81,650 price tag (about the asking price for a V8 Sahara LandCruiser) is also along for this mountain top trundle.It pumps out more power but less torque than the diesel. The beauty of the V8 is on the open tracks, exhaust tones bouncing off snow-bent gums and hillside tracks carved across the mountains. As a touring machine on a steady cruise it is also relatively economical.And some may appreciate the V8's extra willingness to get off the line.The diesel is quick enough, especially worked through the sequential-style, six-speed automatic, but the petrol engine does have the edge from the lights.Yet it is not just these Discoverys' smart drivetrains and electronics for tackling go-anywhere tracks with confidence that bolster the wagons' appeal. It is not just the excellent ride in the rough and the nimbleness of the chassis – here the Discovery's 11.45m turning circle and 3.3 turns lock-to-lock are much appreciated.The British wagon also looks right in most eyes.This bluff style says this is a serious four-wheel drive for serious business. There are few curves, few kowtows to the soft turns of passenger car style.It is a practical look for a practical seven-seater (entry models have five seats). There is just the one engine air intake grille on the right flank and an asymmetrical tailgate which allows for a standing platform on one side of the dropped tailgate and easier access to the cargo area on the other.Body overhangs are minimal and the headlights are round with less glass to be damaged. The underbody is clean and strong and with the air-suspended Discoverys there is up to 240mm of ground clearance.Inside, the Discovery has a good driving position, helped by a tilt and telescopic steering column, good visibility and ergonomics. The instruments are clear and legible but the centre dash console and the dials, knobs and buttons for air-conditioning and stuff is a bit cluttered.And with the cabins of the two SEs being tested finished in greys and blacks they can be a tad sombre. Some may want to consider a lighter interior trim.The interior, with each row of seats a little higher than those in front, offers decent accommodation for six average adults (leaving the middle of the middle row free) over a distance or seven (with shorter ones in the back) over shorter hauls. The rear seat offers decent accommodation for most. There also are 101 cubby holes and storage spots. In short, this is a cabin that's easily accessed with room to store bits and pieces.This is a wagon that shrinks around the driver, a product of cabin design and the Discovery's on and off-road dynamics.Down the highway or through the hills, the V8 and diesel Land Rover remain comfortable and secureThe wagons' bulk sometimes comes to the fore on tight and twisting stuff yet, in the main, these are highly competent machines for many reasons and all seasons.