Matt5
Member Since: 27 Jul 2018
Location: Leicester
Posts: 4
|
| New D4 buyer looking for advice |
|
Hi guys.
Me and the other half (mainly me!) are looking at replacing our eurobox with a Discovery 4. I've previously had an 05 plate D3 SE which I liked, but it was a bit of a workhorse and ended up rather long in the tooth, it got traded in with 160k miles on the clock.
We've got a budget of about 35k plus maybe a trade in value on our second car of around 2-3k if a deal can be done, so 38k tops.
Age wise I'd like a 16, 15 is okay, maybe even 14 if it's a pearl with next to no miles on it. I'd want the latest lower tax bracket model (are these 14> with start stop?), has to be facelift.
Spec wise, I think HSE sits nice with me. I'd like all the toys, but don't really care for ones that I don't need. So HSE Lux and Landmark seem a little silly as we have no kids, and the rear entertainment would never get used. So is HSE the right spec?
Purchasing wise, it is ofcourse a lot of money, and I've heard some awful stories of broken crankshafts and knackered inlet manifolds on the 3.0, so I'd really quite like to buy approved used for the 2yrs LR warranty that they come with, unless anyone could advise otherwise?
Other than that, does anyone have any other advice on what to look for, what to avoid, and any other buying tips? Are these vehicles easy shifters on the forecourts? What chance do I stand of getting myself a deal at the negotiating table? 
|
 27th Jul 2018 11:31 pm |
|
|
galwaygreen
Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: plymouth
Posts: 6525
 
|
8 speed with the knob is good.and you really need a warranty.
|
| 27th Jul 2018 11:36 pm |
|
|
kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6568
  
|
Hi and welcome.
Take a moment to search the forums for inspection checklists and those kinds of things. Even if the vehicle is “approved” doesn’t mean it’ll be perfect. The best chance of fixing or avoiding something is to test it thoroughly before buying.
Things that tend to break and cost relatively much are:
- turbo
- gearbox
- suspension
- parking brake
Things you should be able to spot before buying:
- clunking when braking (probably front lower carrier arms)
- the same driving over uneven ground (anti rollbar bushes but could be something else too)
Perhaps a SE Tech would also be ok, they’re almost the same as a HSE sometimes.
If the vehicle has a sunroof it is possible that the drains eventually get stuck and then you’ll have a wet interior. Easy to fix.
As a kind reminder, don’t spend all your money on the vehicle. Eventually you’ll have fix something in it too. A code reader like IID is perhaps not essential but might be very useful particularly if you’re a bit DIY.
Depending on mileage you might want to budget change of fluids - both differentials, transfer box and gearbox. Preventive maintenance is sometimes key. Can’t help you with U.K. negotiation strategy or whether they’re sitting on the forecourt long or not. I imagine it’s possible to find out somehow since you’ll see from some registry when the car has changed ownership to the dealer. At least here it’s an easy way to determine how long the car has stood unsold.
Having a LR is certainly an adventure in its own right. 
|
| 27th Jul 2018 11:42 pm |
|
|
Andy Foster
Member Since: 27 Dec 2009
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 6551
|
I’ve just gone from a D3 to a D4. Went the approved route for the warranty. It took us about 2 months to find the right one as there wasn’t a lot out there. You will probably spend 2-3k more at a LR dealer over an indie but you do get the warranty. We got a MY15 SE Tech with 37k on the clock for £31.5k. If you see one and it’s miles away contact the dealer and they will do a video walk round for you. That way at least you get a feel for the car.
Good luck with the search and enjoy it when you get it. The a D4 eight speed is in a different league to the D3 as well
Andy D4 MY15 SE TECH
D3 gone but never forgotten.
|
| 28th Jul 2018 6:51 am |
|
|
|
|
Matt5
Member Since: 27 Jul 2018
Location: Leicester
Posts: 4
|
Thanks guys, appreciate the advice. Spec wise, what would be the difference between SE Tech and HSE? I hadn’t really thought too much about the SE Tech, but on first glance the spec of what I’ve found seems to be the same as HSE?! Are these SE Techs that have been specced up from factory?
I’m definitely going approved used, it just means that for 2 years I can throw it back at the dealer if it spits it’s dummy out!
|
| 29th Jul 2018 12:07 pm |
|
|
Oswiperus
D3 Decade
Member Since: 02 Apr 2010
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
Posts: 1590
|
SE tech doesn't have electric seats or armrests unless specced although they are still heated (front seats only)
Has Signature LED's and zenon headlights but not adaptive.
On the plus side...no sunroof to leak! Stu
2016 D4 Landmark current
2022 Defender D300 SE Gone 
D4 2014 XS Commercial - Gone
D4 2016 hse lux montalcino red - Gone
D3 2005 se java black - current
D3 2005 base manual - gone
D2 1999 TD5 E white - current
|
| 29th Jul 2018 2:57 pm |
|
|
