I got to drive one of these Bad Boys at work this week. It is very nice but at a list price of £55k I would expect it to be. Automatic, 7 seats, full leather, TVs in the headrests etc etc but it simply didn't feel that special. In fact it did not feel that different to my 200bhp Mondeo in that you just pointed it in the right direction and pressed the pedals, rather than actually driving it. Nice? Yes. Value for money? You're having a laugh.

 

Can your Mondeo tow 3.5 tonnes though? And also go offroad in most territories with no problems, or not get stuck in 3" of snow, or drive through over 2ft of water without any issues? And still return nearly 40mpg on a run?

 

Excellent workhorse if you need something to work, rather than something to get you to work.

 

Edit: but the sat nav is rotten...

'My' Mondeo can't do any of that because I have sold it. But how many Discos do? I know the ones at work don't! OK they might occasionally need to go on the slippery stuff but nothing too difficult.

What they can do and what people use them for aren't the same thing though. We use one to tow a 16ft trailer with a good weight on it usually, and it goes through fields and farmyards with no problems. There's nothing else on the market which does the job as well really, and with a pressure wash down and a vacuum out it doubles as a respectable wedding car if required (only very occasionally mind you).

Can your Mondeo tow 3.5 tonnes though? And also go offroad in most territories with no problems, or not get stuck in 3" of snow, or drive through over 2ft of water without any issues? And still return nearly 40mpg on a run?

Excellent workhorse if you need something to work, rather than something to get you to work.

Edit: but the sat nav is rotten...

yea but ive never known anyone who actually used one of these for anything more difficult than the school run

Farmer up by us has one, hell of a bit of kit, not much unmodified will touch it with its practicality

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Plenty people that have them for Business and leisure and tow regularly with them, Trailers, Transporters, Caravans, Boats and Horse boxes.

I guess people who only drive around in towns, and for those whose work only involves a brief case would see them as pointless.  

Out in the country, things are different.  There is nothing to compare to a disco for hard working capability combined with a touch of luxury.  You could tow your trailer full of pigs, horses, hay bales with your tractor, but would that provide the level of comfort, which the OP admits is pretty good, that a disco brings. 

To follow the original argument to its logical conclusion, why don't we all drive around in identikit cars?  Someone else decided what we should drive.  

The capabilities of one of these is incomparable to a mondeo. I've taken them up, down, through and across some very serious stuff and I personally consider them to be a great family wagon. The only thing that's stopped me from owning one is the awful reliability friends have had with them - electrics, turbos, injectors and the air suspension systems. Real shame, lovely things.

But it's £55k!  That is an awful lot of cash for a car. I confess that I would never go near its capabilities off road which is why it will never feature on my potential shopping list for cars. It was nice, but not the sort of car I want/need. And being a work car it had some rather attention getting logos down the side.

 

Should I ever be fortunate enough to have a spare £55K for a car I suspect it would be German, have 2 seats and be rear engined!

But it's £55k! That is an awful lot of cash for a car. I confess that I would never go near its capabilities off road which is why it will never feature on my potential shopping list for cars. It was nice, but not the sort of car I want/need. And being a work car it had some rather attention getting logos down the side.

Should I ever be fortunate enough to have a spare £55K for a car I suspect it would be German, have 2 seats and be rear engined!

Down to £26k used

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Down to £26k used

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Still not tempted.

Should I ever be fortunate enough to have a spare £55K for a car I suspect it would be German, have 2 seats and be rear engined!

I'd buy an NSU Prinz Sport Spider Rotary too, good choice instead of one of those yuppie things from Zuffenhausen

Edited 15 February, 201511 yr by P6bJOHN

A Porsche Boxster GTS is just over £55k new. And (boot on the other foot) It only has two seats where the Disco can carry 7 in comfort, has no towing capability at all whereas the Disco can couple up a horse box and horse with 7 people on board and travel with luxury to the days sporting event, has hardly any luggage space whereas the Disco can carry enough luggage for a trip round europe camping.

55k for a car which goes no faster than the Disco, and is much less practical?

 

Edit: Value for money?...

A Porsche Boxster GTS is just over £55k new. And (boot on the other foot) It only has two seats where the Disco can carry 7 in comfort, has no towing capability at all whereas the Disco can couple up a horse box and horse with 7 people on board and travel with luxury to the days sporting event, has hardly any luggage space whereas the Disco can carry enough luggage for a trip round europe camping.

55k for a car which goes no faster than the Disco, and is much less practical?

 

Edit: Value for money?...

 

None of which I need; hence horses for courses!

Should I ever be fortunate enough to have a spare £55K for a car I suspect it would be German, have 2 seats and be rear engined!

I'd buy an NSU Prinz Sport Spider Rotary too, good choice instead of one of those yuppie things from Zuffenhausen

 

 

With the classic ****el engine as well I believe!

LOL! Can't believe that failed the swear filter on a car forum!!!

That's why I used the word "rotary"

None of which I need; hence horses for courses!

And there it is. It depends what you need from your particular motor. If you just need to go to work 5 days a week and shopping on a Saturday, then neither a Boxster nor a Discovery are what you need. If you get all you need from a Mondeo then that's fair enough, but that doesn't make the Discovery overpriced or not practical. If you need to tow stuff for a living and get where you need to be in all weather, then a Disco is a very wise buy indeed.

Plenty people that have them for Business and leisure and tow regularly with them, Trailers, Transporters, Caravans, Boats and Horse boxes.

 

I wonder how many business users of Land Rover Discoveries know that unless they're towing a very small trailer, they'd need to fit and use a tachograph?

 

http://www.ifor-williams.fr/news/tacho/index.htm

land rovers are for more of a utility vehicle than a range rover to be fair. the number of the latter I on the motorways with road tyres and little more than road grime is as depressing as it is surprising. and the drivers are mostly *****

Range Rovers started to move away from their initial design brief before the P38 even.  The emphasis moved to higher speeds and luxury from then on, albeit with excellent off road capability with the correct tyres.  They will do remarkably well off road with std tyres if you allow the electronics to do the tricky bits. 

 

If you live in the country side, you get to see plenty of LR product, from the battered and creaky series, through the also battered Defenders, with a dog in the back.  To the made up Twisted Defenders the holiday homers like to have and as many Freelanders and Rangies as you like. 

Driving down the A149 the other day there was a line of about 10 cars, 7 of them the Rover name in either Range or Land form.  No, not a rally.

And there it is. It depends what you need from your particular motor. If you just need to go to work 5 days a week and shopping on a Saturday, then neither a Boxster nor a Discovery are what you need. If you get all you need from a Mondeo then that's fair enough, but that doesn't make the Discovery overpriced or not practical. If you need to tow stuff for a living and get where you need to be in all weather, then a Disco is a very wise buy indeed.

 

Which is why I drive a Citigo now!

Work mate has a Disco 3 which she loves. They do tow with it but just the occasional caravan and his track day car. nothing that couldn't be done with a diesel Passat but they wanted a Disco.

 

They're quite clear that they can only afford to run and maintain it because her hubby is a mechanic and does most of it himself.

 

They are after a Disco 4 now but waiting on used prices to drop

I wonder how many business users of Land Rover Discoveries know that unless they're towing a very small trailer, they'd need to fit and use a tachograph?

 

http://www.ifor-williams.fr/news/tacho/index.htm

 

Correct, exemption still applies for personal use. Many business users may not appear to be in business so will get away it.