Member Since: 10 Dec 2015
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 275
Time to reflect
On Saturday, at the ripe old time of 4am, I set off to Massino Visconti, via a night in Beaune. My wife and daughter were flying so I had two days of driving to myself. This meant listening to audiobooks (something my wife hates) and Wagner's The Ring Cycle which, having heard only part I am completely hooked.
Sitting for hours on both the French and Italian motorways gave me time to reflect on the Discovery, where it could be improved and indeed what would be the perfect car to travel across Europe in. My criteria was simple: it has to be big enough to transport several cases of burgundy and barolo, comfortable and economical. So with Flashman and the Dragon in the background as I approached the mouth watering Burgundy area,l I decided the following*
(*Please note:my actual opinion really doesn't matter.)
The general capacity of the D4 is superb and it is certainly a comfortable motorway cruiser. But:
26.6mpg is awful, when you consider that today an average mpg of 32mpg is considered to be appalling.
It is noisy at high speeds so during the more quite moments of Das Rheingold you wonder if the CD had stopped.
I'd love to have an extendable squab on the seat.
Air con seems to move from freezing to goodness it's hot in here.
On the autoroute, superstrada the size of the car is fine but on single lane, two way villages frankly driving a discovery is frightening especially with the type of drivers I encountered.
So what would be the perfect car to do this drive in? An estate perhaps? The Audi A6 bi-turbo? Very quick but uncomfortable after a few hours. RRS? Possibly but boot space limited. An X5 or Q7? Just no. Full Fat RR? Very possibly. Defender 110? Love it but not for such a journey (I do appreciate that some owners take their Defenders much further). A Bentley or perhaps a Rolls? Sadly not a footballer or Alan Sugar. The current D4 that I did this journey in? Maybe.
The next day as I reached the Mont Blanc tunnel and then raced to Milan non-stop to collect the family I came up with the folllowing conclusion:
It has to be the Range Rover.
Why?
Because it's more economical than the D4, it's more comfortable, quicker acceleration, quieter on the motorway, better tech (including adaptive cruise control).
If the new Discovery ticks the above, it could be very tempting.
I'd love to know what would be your perfect car to drive across Europe in.
26th Sep 2016 7:36 pm
maxbasscat
Member Since: 03 Jan 2016
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 1263
D3 2.7 Zermatt silver (not another one)
D3 4.4 V8 Zambezi silver
D3 4.4 V8 Adriatic Blue
D3 2.7 (gone) Tonga Green
D3 4.4 V8 LHD Tonga Green
FFRR TDV8
Defender 300
26th Sep 2016 8:07 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72786
You ask re Defender, and complain about a Discovery?
26th Sep 2016 8:16 pm
dgardel
Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: Greater Venice
Posts: 2025
Member Since: 25 Aug 2013
Location: Teesdale
Posts: 1418
I can't relate to most of your points at all.
Simply - if you need the space a Disco is the only option.
If space (and money) is less of an issue then by all means go for a RRS. I compared the two in depth before opting for a Disco and really it was no contest! If you're spending this sort of money on a new car fuel consumption is or should be entirely secondary On the other points I found the Disco as good or better than an RRS.
PS what's this about Wagner's ring ? I don't know they guy but I'm sure there must be better things to do than listen to the noise from his ring
26th Sep 2016 8:27 pm
Landroverfan1
Member Since: 10 Dec 2015
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 275
I adore the Defender to had to consider (with hours to pass on the journey) if it would be the perfect car for this criteria. And it wasn't.
26th Sep 2016 8:28 pm
Deanos_Beano
Member Since: 21 Feb 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 563
Full fat rr is the ultimate for me but if I had one I would have to change my way of life and all my friends and family wouldnt like me because I couldn't help them out moving thier in the back as I woukd be too worried , Disco 4 is the only car I know that you can do what you have done and the very next day there is a pregnant sheep bouncing around in the back as you cart it over the field or a ton of logs or a cast iron bath or 3m of gutter (4 inch to spare on the dash lol )
For me if your not getting it filthy or carting crap now and again a FFRR is far better a car , as for the D5 I just dont see it or DS with a pregnant sheep or a ton of logs in the back but I do see them on the autobahn with jules verns journey to the center of the earth comjng through the speakers .
26th Sep 2016 8:30 pm
Compusmentis
Member Since: 18 Feb 2016
Location: Effingham
Posts: 237
It sounds like what you need, Sir, is a Disco 5
26th Sep 2016 8:30 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72786
Starting a 1,500 haul to LR Party tomorrow in my trusty D3. Best car to get there in, best to do the event, best to do a week of tracks, then best to get me home. Abba & Mike Oldfield instead of Wagner and no problem hearing it, I don't go that fast.
26th Sep 2016 8:33 pm
Dudleydisco
Member Since: 20 Jun 2014
Location: York
Posts: 853
Tubular Bells, Ommadawn or Crisis Del D4 MY14 XXV - RLD/IID BT
D4 MY13 HSE Lux - RLD/IID BT
P38 RR - Sad parting
110 - Even sadder parting
S3 88" - Still going strong after 23 years of ownership
26th Sep 2016 8:40 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72786
Tubular Bells, but on Exposed live album. Good & loud. Pure classic.
26th Sep 2016 8:42 pm
Landroverfan1
Member Since: 10 Dec 2015
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 275
You mean you all don't agree with me? What the....?!
I did say my opinion really doesn't matter and it doesn't.
Except to say, while I may have decided on the RR as the car of choice for this journey, I do still think of the Discovery as my preferred all round vehicle.
26th Sep 2016 8:43 pm
RBP
Member Since: 29 Aug 2012
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 1936
Doesn't matter what you are driving if you are insisting on listening to this guy
5 mins to the corner shop would be far enough....
26th Sep 2016 8:48 pm
Landroverfan1
Member Since: 10 Dec 2015
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 275
Style hero.
26th Sep 2016 8:54 pm
LandPhil
Member Since: 25 Apr 2015
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 197
What were you driving an MY10 or MY16? No info in your profile. I have owned a MY11 RRS and an MY12 D4. Except for the boot space no real difference except one was a TDV6 with a 6 speed box and the other an SDV6 with 8 speed box. I found both fantastic to drive and to cover long distances (except I had a few problems with the RRS due to the previous owner!!!) Looking at your trip I would take the D4 SDV6 over anything you mentioned. Having spent my professional life in an environment that is not to kind on the ears, I prefer heavy metal, as it's all I can hear now. As for fuel consumption, if you buy a D4, or any of the previous models and expect good economy, then you didn't do your research.
I just hope the D5 carries forward the ruggedness, comfort, adaptability, reliability (yes I really did say that because mine just starts and runs, but like most here, it gets looked after) and above all the fun factor of owning and driving a truly great car.FFRR Westminster TDV8
D4 HSE MY12 Aintree Green. Great car
RRS HSE Lux MY11 Stornoway Grey
Freelander2 SD4 HSE-Best car I have ever owned.
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
On the other points I found the Disco as good or better than an RRS.
in the back as I woukd be too worried , Disco 4 is the only car I know that you can do what you have done and the very next day there is a pregnant sheep bouncing around in the back as you cart it over the field or a ton of logs or a cast iron bath or 3m of gutter (4 inch to spare on the dash lol )
