Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7441
Highways Agency Traffic Womble's Disco 4....
I met two Highways Agency Traffic Wombles taking a break in the sunshine in Saltash today. I thought I'd say hello and ask how their Disco 4's stand up to daily use use for them. They were really friendly and happy to talk. What they told me, surprised me.
It turns out that they are supplied with either Disco's or Shoguns, both on a 3 year lease and dealer maintained. The Discos are basic cars, while the Shoguns come with leather and heated seats etc etc. They have to source from two different companies, in case all cars have to be withdrawn from service at the same time for a safety recall and (apparently) they can't "show favour" (?)
Each car works either 2 or 3 shifts a day and the mileage after 3 years? 250-330,000 miles
So which is best as far as they are concerned? He said that amongst the users, it's split around 5%:95% in favour of the Disco! Why?:
1. The Disco is much more reliable in service than the Shogun!! Apparently, the Disco's go from service to service with very few issues, only brake discs and pads being considered consumables. He's not aware of a single gearbox, engine or suspension failure. The Shoguns, on the other hand, are regularly in for failures. He said that the electrical system caught fire in a 2 week old one recently though, to be fair, he said that they add a lot of electrical equipment - but no problems with the Disco's wiring.
2. The spare parts are often at the LR dealer, or available on a next day basis. He said that the Mitsubishi's are often off the road waiting for parts from Japan.
3. The Disco tow's better. He said that they often have to tow cars out of mangled crash barriers, but they had also used them to move 44 tonne trucks! Apparently, as long as the brakes aren't stuck on (!), then LR are okay about this
4. They don't like driving the Shoguns, or even being in them. There's less space and despite the posh leather trim and the gadgets, they say they "are like driving tractors" after the Discos (apparently, it's the 3.2 litre engine that they use in the Shogun).
He said that the only reason they go back after 3 years is that that's the length of the lease as they were "just getting nice" at that mileage! They had been working hard with LR to lease a new fleet of 40, but LR are "working flat out for export" and couldn't give a decent delivery time. However, they've still placed the order with LR and are prepared to wait.2011 - 2015: 3 x FL2
2015 - 2017: 2 x D4
2017 to date: FFRR SDV8
2023 to date: 2 x FL2 as “second” cars 🙄
2021 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200
2022 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200 & sidecar!
(One of only two known to exist in the world!)
16th Apr 2015 7:36 pm
Brian_DL13
Member Since: 25 Aug 2013
Location: Teesdale
Posts: 1418
Interesting!
Surprising ? Nah
16th Apr 2015 8:20 pm
Fitzy73
Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
Great review and very interesting too.
I would hate to be paying the diesel bill for that many miles! Oh hold on, we do via our taxes!!!Andy
16th Apr 2015 8:34 pm
Somerset Bumpkin
Member Since: 08 Mar 2015
Location: Gosport
Posts: 234
Mitsubishi's fall from grace is quite remarkable. During the 80s and 90s, the Shoguns were the way to go for refined, reliable, modern, practical 4x4s, far more so than Land Rover. Hell we've still got a M Reg 3500V6 that hasn been serviced for at least 6 years and gets used for 3 months during the winter and is left outside. Every October it fires up instantly and doesn't even have a spot of rust.
16th Apr 2015 8:55 pm
Disco dazboy
Member Since: 02 Dec 2013
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 1782
SB why haven't you serviced it for 6 years? D3 x2 now gone
Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 4motion
16th Apr 2015 9:00 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23829
In 2006 when I bought my D3, the competition was the Shogun and Land Cruiser. At least for those who wanted off road capability that the X5 etc. couldn't provide.
Now I see loads and loads of Discoverys on the road, but I hardly ever see any recent/new Shoguns or Land Cruisers.2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
16th Apr 2015 9:48 pm
Somerset Bumpkin
Member Since: 08 Mar 2015
Location: Gosport
Posts: 234
Don't get me wrong, the oil gets changed but that's about it. It's been SORN for about 8 years now and stays off road.
Land Cruisers still compete but they fail to deliver on the road in the same way. They're still stuck in the 90s but for a lot of farmers and people in the trade the old LR reputation for producing junk is still alive and well. Shoguns used to be 'the' 4x4 for all round usability and luxury, a top range shogun in the mid nineties was North of £40k, that's FFRR moneh in today's prices, they just lost their edge. The Japanese have always been extremely good at taking an idea or product and re-engineering it to make it much better, they seem to struggle more to innovate on their own.
16th Apr 2015 9:56 pm
galwaygreen
Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: plymouth
Posts: 6525
And Me !!!!! Morris Dancers: Drinkers with A Dance Problem
17th Apr 2015 8:44 am
MarkOne
Member Since: 23 Jul 2011
Location: County Antrim
Posts: 3345
I have heard it all now, Land Rover more reliable than Mitsubishi
I have owned Shoguns put plenty of miles on them and this story is far from my experience.
There not bomb proof but comparing the two I know where my money would be.
17th Apr 2015 8:52 am
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7441
To be strictly fair, he said that they run D4's (which is what I've done the write up on) and D3's before them. They did have some issues with the D3's, particularly with wiring and water in the early ones. They weren't perfect, but they were okay, is what he said. Though he did say that you could get more fuel in the them (something to do with emission control equipment taking up tank space on the later cars).
I'm a LR fan, but I really wasn't expecting him to say that the LR's were a lot more reliable than the Shoguns either....2011 - 2015: 3 x FL2
2015 - 2017: 2 x D4
2017 to date: FFRR SDV8
2023 to date: 2 x FL2 as “second” cars 🙄
2021 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200
2022 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200 & sidecar!
(One of only two known to exist in the world!)
17th Apr 2015 9:26 am
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7441
galwaygreen wrote:
another member close by yippee
2011 - 2015: 3 x FL2
2015 - 2017: 2 x D4
2017 to date: FFRR SDV8
2023 to date: 2 x FL2 as “second” cars 🙄
2021 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200
2022 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200 & sidecar!
(One of only two known to exist in the world!)
17th Apr 2015 9:27 am
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7441
ROY_H wrote:
And Me !!!!!
2011 - 2015: 3 x FL2
2015 - 2017: 2 x D4
2017 to date: FFRR SDV8
2023 to date: 2 x FL2 as “second” cars 🙄
2021 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200
2022 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200 & sidecar!
(One of only two known to exist in the world!)
17th Apr 2015 9:27 am
grzesiul
Member Since: 11 May 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 6403
I have been looking for D3 replacement for 4 months now looking at everything with similar abilities but nothing comes close in versatility of good old Land Rover
Mitsubushi looks outdated sounds and drives like my old 30 year tractor
Toyotas are ugly as feck
all the rest either not a proper offroader or way too overpriced
17th Apr 2015 9:35 am
edwardandtubs
Member Since: 23 Jun 2012
Location: Glossop
Posts: 460
When I'd decided that the D3 was going I went to a Mitsubishi dealer and had a drive of a Shogun. I didnt like it!, driving position seemed lower, cab space smaller and felt it was more agricultural.
Within 5 mins of sitting in a D4 without even driving it my mind had been made up, plus the Shogun forums arent a patch on this place Discovery 4 HSE Luxury Santorini MY12
Discovery 3 GS Manual Java MY07 ( gone )
Mini Cooper S
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