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Spannaz
Member Since: 07 Sep 2017
Location: ME39SU
Posts: 23
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| Disco 3 purchase advice....again! |
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Hi, newbie here, so please be gentle. I know you probably get this asked all the time, but just need some advice on the possibility in purchasing a DS3.
Now I wasn't looking to, my parents were, but having driven one, fell in love with the silky smooth drive. Currently we own a Hyundai Terracan, which is great, but simple. However, not without it's own big bills (clutch and DMF £1200 parts only!)
So now i am thinking of changing, and have considered a late 2004/5 DS3 SE with some extras, with 75k on the clock. It is manual, sorry i just prefer them to autos. I drive alot for my own business, and just prefer manual.
Now soon as you go looking everyone has bad things to say about them, however i am not adverse to getting hit with big bills for other cars. Mercedes, Audi, Kia have all hit me in the past for some obscene bills when you least expect it and even not with big mileage.
Now i know Belts need to be done, clutches can be expensive, bushes etc, but are these really all that bad compared to other cars?? Or is it just ones that arent looked after? I recently seen a service bill from LR dealer, discs and pads £150 in parts!! For Genuine ones!! Now thats cheap, Hyundai would sting me easily twice that, and spares for Hyundai are not the easiest to come by.
So do people have anything good to say about the Disco? Parents are also looking at a 2007 model with only 50k on the clock, so looking at a group buy lol
Stuart
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 7th Sep 2017 5:51 pm |
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bimblephish
Member Since: 21 Jul 2016
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 272
 
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It's all about history. Sounds like you know most of the things to look for but do some more digging on the forum. If you are looking at vehicles with 70k then budget to do the front lower and rear upper wishbones in the next 20-40k. Also budget to change your diff and transfer box oils and get a gearbox flush - service interval is 150k by the book but but the combined experience of this forum says do it at half that. Make sure the front diff breather mod has been done or expect to put a new front diff in sometime.
Stamps in the service book are a good start but what you really want is a large stack of receipts showing exactly what has been done. Then you can check for new diffs / air compressors etc. Worth looking at the for sale section of the forum and don't be afraid of a high mileage example with loads of good history. Look at the max miles thread on here and there are loads above 200k
A good quick reconer when viewing a vehicle is good quality rubber, if the owner has fitted cheap tyres then he has probably skimped on everything else, and these are not vehicles to cut corners on
Good luck! Mine has cost me a goodly amount of money however I wouldn't trade it for anything else
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| 7th Sep 2017 7:51 pm |
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Narpy
Member Since: 18 Jul 2011
Location: Stockport
Posts: 7830
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Had you bothered to search, (you're right this question has been asked dozens of times  ) you will quickly learn the answer is always the same.
History is everything with these cars. Get one with plenty of history and with all the correct service entries and you should be ok. 
These are good for hundreds of thousands of miles provided they have been looked after.
History, you know it makes sense.  Mods:
Front Fogs + Halos
FBH Remote Control
The 1st Ever RRS Modded Grill
Garmin Nuvi + D4 Surround + Reversing Camera.
D4 Steering Wheel.
Rear Boot Spoiler.
Twin Brake Lights.
Wing Mirror Indicator Repeaters.
Long Roof Rails
Make your own Narpy grill thread
I'm not scared, I'm outta here.
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| 7th Sep 2017 7:52 pm |
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Charliecloud
Member Since: 31 Jul 2014
Location: Tonbridge
Posts: 980
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Hello and welcome
Spend a few hours,or days trawling the posts on here and you will find that a lot of good things get said about the D3.
I would, but suspect I'm wasting my time, advise you to get an auto.
A few pointers, believe nothing that you get told and ask to see receipts for work carried out. Check the reg against the DVLa MOT history website as that will tell you what it has failed on in the past and more importantly what advisories there are.
Take your time as there are a lot available if you are looking at the diesels.
Do a search on belt changes, oil pumps etc.
If you get one with a sunroof, check that the drain pipes have been changed, not just cleared as the ends rot with age and give you an indoor paddling pool.
Good luck
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| 7th Sep 2017 8:01 pm |
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Mike40
Member Since: 30 Nov 2008
Location: Newport South Wales
Posts: 796
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Best advice I can give is don't spend all your money on buying one...........leave at least £2k in a slush fund to do all the little jobs that you find in the first few months of ownership......
If you don't spend it all, just top it up with £100 every month to keep on top of the maintenance of the car. 8) ------------------------------
"Ruby" 
Rimini Red 06MY TDV6 S
Xenons, Bright Pack, Climate Pack,
BAS Magic Box and Remap
ITG Air Filter
ERG's Blanked (Woody32)
Huge Permagrin
Suzuki GSX1400, Triumph Daytona 1200, Yamaha RD500LC, Norton 850 Commando, MV Agusta 1090 Brutale, Honda Hornet 900, Honda 600 Tansalp, Matchless 750, AJS 650CSR......plus very understanding wife!
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| 7th Sep 2017 8:09 pm |
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Spannaz
Member Since: 07 Sep 2017
Location: ME39SU
Posts: 23
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ok, so from what i have gathered, timing belts are due at 105 or 7 years, and oil pump may need to be changed at the same time.
Local indy has quoted £1440 to do that job on anything i look at that does not have history.
I have already asked the seller to confirm if this and any other work has been done, or is the 'Service History' just a load of stamps in the books. The latter to me proves nothing other than the book went in the garage for an oil and filter change.
Manual V Auto, well is the manual worse than the auto for towing? I don't know, but my only experience is that autos are more troublesome when towing for longer periods (which we do) especially over the Pyrenness Mountains. Manuals tend to give you some warnings, but not all autos do. However, if this is different on the DS3 i'd love to hear. I understand that LR says its sealed for life on the auto (did they copy that from MB??) which is crazy given its size, and would change this.
There seems to be a regular 'issues' and questions to ask regarding any potential purchase, i take it then it would read like
Service history supported by receipts
Records of all and any repairs, replacement parts
record of timing belt - oil pumps
check for wet floors if it has sunroof
judder from auto box driving
smoke under load - EGR?
Premium tyres - cheap ones indicate cost cutting maintenance
MOT history for failures and advises
everything MUST work so check it.
Having looked through the For Sale ads there are some very nice examples, and i am suprised by the prices, being low compared to Autotrader etc. I get the impression that mileage really isn't a problem if the car has been maintanied highly and record kept, I am budgeting for around £8k at the present. As i said, we currently run a Hyundai Terracan that can tow just fine, it is however not in the same league with regards to comfort as the Land Rover.
If however someone is planning on selling one that fits all our needs and is a 'good' one and anywhere local to Kent i'd be happy to hear from them lol
i appreciate all your advice and help, i very much doubt it will be my only post, as parents are dead set on getting a DS3 purely for the ride comfort and towing ability. They have a much bigger budget than me, and different needs. They only want cloth and auto, the rest is a bonus
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| 7th Sep 2017 8:17 pm |
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Spannaz
Member Since: 07 Sep 2017
Location: ME39SU
Posts: 23
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Mike40 wrote:Best advice I can give is don't spend all your money on buying one...........leave at least £2k in a slush fund to do all the little jobs that you find in the first few months of ownership......
If you don't spend it all, just top it up with £100 every month to keep on top of the maintenance of the car. 8)
See that i can handle no problem! And yes your right, with any used car you should always 'budget' for extras.
Had to explain this to Dad when he nearly bought a 9k DS3, by the time he added bluetooth kit, tow bar, towing electrics, mats, new tyres, warranty, he was close to getting to 11k. At that point i said why not buy a 11k car thats already had it done and got the bits already on it?? Just as well after the dealer telling us the belts had been done, only to find out actually they hadn't!!
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| 7th Sep 2017 8:20 pm |
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