Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213
Deafener gets another booting at the hands of the D3
This time in this months LRM
D3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven
Jeeps, Lexus, X-trails... Too many to name..
30th Apr 2018 12:26 pm
Pip66
Member Since: 26 Sep 2016
Location: Ely.
Posts: 170
And rightly so.... 2008 G4 D3 vehicle No 11. UK selections.
2003 G4 D2 vehicle No 125. South African workshop car.
30th Apr 2018 1:03 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866
Back when the 2.4L Defender had not long been out, I was at the Eastnor Castle LRE and drove both the Defender and D3. I got the Defender stuck and thinking it was just my poor driving asked the instructor to have a go and he also couldn't get it through, we had to take a slight detour. The D3 just sailed through that section. The Defender does have the advantage of being considerably narrower though.
D3's now cheaper than a decent Defender, so it makes even more sense.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)
30th Apr 2018 1:11 pm
professorpool
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213
Kind of known this for a long time. Have been "overlanding" or at least "long distance travel with camping" across, for example, the Balkans in D3's since about 2011 and too many trips to the Alps, North Wales, Scotland to count. (I joined this forum in 2012).
Drove my share of series vehicles and deafeners in my army days. Took two series landrover 110's down through to Morocco once. Rattle buckets.
Interesting that the article makes the comment (which I paraphrase):
"back in 2004 you could buy 2x defenders for the price of a disco3 yet now the reverse applies for the same MY vehicle"
MadMedic (xanadoo) has made this comment to me for a couple of years now - that the discovery 3 has reached the price that overlanders spend on a vehicle..D3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven
Jeeps, Lexus, X-trails... Too many to name..
30th Apr 2018 1:17 pm
CFB
Member Since: 02 Dec 2005
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
Posts: 6100
Advantage of a Defender off road is still the overall ground clearance (yes I know the diffs are lower than a D3) and lack of flimsy trim panels near to ground level, that and the narrow body still give it th eedge in many scnarios. However over technical sections with plenty of open space a D3/4 with the electronic wizadry will get you through where a Defender won't unless it's got diff locks fitted.
The EPB is still an achilles heel though as it hates mud/water ingress
30th Apr 2018 1:37 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866
With the TR system, you just need to know how to use it and have a bit of knowledge and common sense. You need a lot more skill, experience etc. to drive a manual Defender over the same terrain.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)
30th Apr 2018 2:09 pm
johnlad
Member Since: 02 Dec 2016
Location: blackpool
Posts: 408
i have both D3 and Defender, for comfort the D3 wins every day but there’s some stuff I wouldn’t do in the D3 that I don’t think twice about in the defender, it doesn’t seem to matter if you bump the defender but I think you expect D3 to look nicer.
But if I could only have 1 it would be the Defender all day.
30th Apr 2018 2:31 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866
I guess it's dependant on your motoring needs. I'd love a Defender, if I could fit in one, but not to drive c.25k miles pa in. 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)
30th Apr 2018 2:39 pm
pjm-84
Member Since: 04 Oct 2016
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2608
I found removing the door handle beneficial for the longer journeys in the Defender.
Miss my TD5 XS90 but much prefer the comfort, noise and silky smoothness of the V8 D3.
30th Apr 2018 2:44 pm
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23866
Removing the whole drivers door and fitting the extended seat runners from the likes of Mudstuff, would just about make it bearable for me. 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)
30th Apr 2018 2:54 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Whenever you doubt the ride quality of your D3/4 just drive a defender tdi for a few days, then get back in the disco and relaaax
My wife often steals my D3 and as I detest her Audi I use my defender, me its seriously hard work.
30th Apr 2018 2:57 pm
DavidSally
Member Since: 31 Oct 2012
Location: Chesterfield
Posts: 565
johnlad wrote:
i have both D3 and Defender, for comfort the D3 wins every day but there’s some stuff I wouldn’t do in the D3 that I don’t think twice about in the defender, it doesn’t seem to matter if you bump the defender but I think you expect D3 to look nicer.
But if I could only have 1 it would be the Defender all day.
Well said John 👍
30th Apr 2018 3:35 pm
Matt90
Member Since: 13 Apr 2018
Location: Leicester
Posts: 2
Same for me, own a D3 and a early 90 defender, the D3 is an awesome machine and deals with everything better than the 90, BUT... the ear to ear grin I get whenever I drive the 90 the D3 just can’t compete, I too would chose my defender over the D3 if I was forced to make that choice, but would really miss the D3
30th Apr 2018 4:13 pm
professorpool
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213
Think a lot here commented are missing the point regarding this being about overlanding and not an article about “which is better around an off road course or laning or on the M6 between Birmingham and Liverpool”
OVERLANDERS are turning away from deafeners and are now prepping D3’s..
Think we could see the make up of the group change somewhat as time goes by too..D3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven
Jeeps, Lexus, X-trails... Too many to name..
30th Apr 2018 4:30 pm
Stumog
Member Since: 24 Mar 2018
Location: Bristol
Posts: 171
I have just brought a d3 as a daily and possible replacement for my 80 series landcruiser in a few years time.
However I am worried about the l9ng term use with the d3 and the problems that are all over this site.
For the people that have used there's what's it like when you have crossed rivers and deep water with all the electrics?
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
me its seriously hard work.
