by "Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
Published 06/21/2017 at 11:13
by "Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
Published 06/21/2017 at 11:13
No Tags
STARS: 9
Alright all, I am here to answer a question that has been burning in the minds of no one: which is better, a GMC Yukon or a Land Rover Discovery II? I know, I know… questions for the ages. That is just the kind of guy I am.
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I’ve owned my 1999 GMC Yukon SLT 4X4 for about three years. In that three years, she has taught me about a lot of stuff and we’ve done a lot together. She revolutionized camping, as we no longer needed to cram two humans, two dogs, camping supplies, and three days of firewood into a Golf. My dogs absolutely adore the car, which is a good thing. It picked up my newest, Youki, from the side of the road and he is the most calm and comfortable when he is in it. She towed my 84 Saab home without a single complaint, and is pretty excellent in the snow and ice.
That said, she has not been without her… eccentricities. She drinks fuel like it is 1950, the factory paint is peeling, maintenance is surprisingly difficult, and the heat and AC are both tepid at best, despite being well maintained. Since owning her, almost every piece has started leaking in some way and required fixing. Water pump, radiator, AC, front diff, rear diff, transfer case, transmission cooler… you name it, it leaked and required $200+ to fix and more kitty litter on the driveway. One day I came out to a pool of transmission fluid on the curb because one of the transmission cooler fittings hadn’t seated quite right after the radiator was replaced. Tighten it too much, and you’ll damage the fitting and it will leak. Tighten it not enough, and the fitting will back out and leak. For approximately three months she would randomly not start. I finally traced the problem to a bad coil, despite none of the traditional symptoms of coil failure.
She is a horrid smelly cow and I love her dearly.
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The Disco and I are a classic holiday romance. You go away for a week, find someone new and young, have a fling, then decide you’re “in lurv” and they need come home and move in with you. Then when they get to your place they immediately start acting crazy and asking for money. A lot of it. She is still a pretty young thing, but now I’m starting to see the crow’s feet… and the Adam’s apple.
I picked up the Disco entirely by accident on my Overland Road Trip . I had wanted a Rodeo, but the one I went to see didn’t have 4WD and the Disco was the only other thing on the lot. My time and options quickly running out, I bought it against my better judgement. (I am a complete sucker for cars like this! See: Volvo, Saab, Alfa Romeo)
Through the trip it was an excellent vehicle. Comfortable, large enough for all my luggage, and pretty capable offroad. The heated seats and excellent climate control kept me happy from Lake Tahoe to Death Valley and beyond. That said, once we neared the finishing point, the AC started running low on coolant, the transmission started shifting hard, and the brakes started to go. “I can save it!” I thought, and shipped it home. Oh boy…
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So I really only have room for one of these vehicles in my life. I figured I could turn my internal struggle into a public display for literally tens of people to be amused by.
I do find it interesting that these vehicles were basically competing for the same customers when they were new… sort of. The GMC was nearly the top of the line at the time, with only the Denali tipping it over into true high-end. Meanwhile the Rover was top of the bottom, so to speak. My Disco has all but one option selected, lacking the ACE system, but the Discovery series was the low end of the Land Rover line at the time. What this really means is, as speced, the Disco had an MSRP in 2001 of about $39,500 and the GMC in 1999 of about $32,500. Not a huge difference considering you’re already looking at spending over $30k on a car.
Let’s begin the comparing!
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The Discovery looks like a spaceship from the 1960s that came to save us from crossover hell. Seriously. None of the buttons are where you expect and everything is weird. In a lot of ways it reminds me of my Alfa. Land Rover (and Alfa) just did whatever the hell the wanted, the rules be damned. I acknowledge a lot of the design choices in the Rover were also to make it super easy to change between left-hand and right-hand drive, but I really enjoy the symmetry that brings to the cabin. The interior is plush without being over-the-top. The exterior is interesting and rugged looking, without being too brash. It does have something I consider a deadly sin: fake wood, but not enough to be a deal breaker.
The Yukon is a triumph of function over form. The outside is good looking without looking like anything other than a work truck. Honestly, the GMT400 based trucks are some of my favorite aesthetically, and you can tell GM agrees as most of their new models look like modern reinterpretations of it. The inside of the Yukon is roomy and well thought out. Most of the controls are in the right places and well labeled, if pretty uninspired. This needs to be a knob, so we looked up what a knob looks like and there it is. A knob. Only the cruise control doesn’t make much sense, but it is similar to that on most other GM cars, plus my old Saab, so I am used to it.
Both cars have one “major” flaw: Cup holders. The Land Rover’s are perfect for 12oz cans and nothing else. They sit close to the delicate electronics of the climate control panel and over the handle and linkage for the range selector. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Optional holders were available, but mine is not so equipped (though I have been eyeing them on eBay) so I cannot comment on their effectiveness. The Yukon has three cup holders up front, two shallow ones are perched precariously in front of the largest HVAC vent in the vehicle. The shallowness mixed with a lot of body roll means, more often than not, your coffee is going to be on the floor. To further prove this point, I shampooed the carpets when I purchased the car and extracted enough coffee from the front carpets to fill a medium sized swimming pool. The center console also houses an optional cup holder (other options included a CD holder or a cassette holder, oh the 90s) that is deep, but oddly shaped. The rubber retainers having skipped out long ago, anything other than an irresponsibly large cup tends to tip in the bends.
Before you mention not drinking in the car: this isn’t my Alfa or your NA Miata. These are not drivers cars. They are for getting shit from point A to point B, regardless of if point B is the mall parking lot or the north rim of the Grand Canyon. If I want to drink a double Americano while I’m doing it that is my right and privilege as an SUV owner.
Winner: Matter of taste. I give it, reluctantly, to the Disco
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Sort of covered above, both have great seats, arm rests, heated seats, optional rear AC, leather, and cruise control. That said, the Disco’s AC is much better than the GMC’s and the GMC’s heater has always been poor. (Yes, I have changed the thermostat) The ride is also much more civilized in the Disco, lacking the squeaks bangs whistles and rattles of a 20 year old American Truck.
That said, the GMC is easier to get in and out of due to the steering wheel being in a sensible place. In an episode of early Top Gear, Tiff point out that in the early version of the D2 the steering wheel could be tilted such that the warning lights were obscured. It appears that Land Rover took this to heart, as my tilt wheel is barely adjustable, to the point that the wheel is figuratively cupping my gentlemen’s region while driving. Again, a lot like my Alfa. This makes pedal access interesting to say the least as I can’t really pull my legs closer to center without interfering with the wheel.
Winner: Tie
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While I have not done extensive work to either, the Disco comes out surprisingly ahead on this. I will compare three repairs I’ve done to both cars:
Tune up - Both are a pain as both vehicles distributors are located in the rear of the engine bay, against the firewall. The Disco is just that more of a pain as the actual intake manifold needs to be removed to see the coil pack, much less access it. Everything else is fairly evenly matched, though plan for some burns if you want to change the Disco’s air filter with the engine hot. Winner: GMC
Headlights – When I went to change a headlight on the GMC, imagine my surprise when the first step was removing the front grill. In fact, a large portion of the front of the vehicle needs to be removed to access most of the front lights. Being an American car, I honestly expected this to be a 30 second job, not several hours. The Disco, by comparison, involves removing a clipped in cover and, if you have large hands, popping out the headlight. No tools required. Winner: Disco
Transmission service – Another surprising loss for the GMC, which has no drain hole. The entire pan must be dropped and the fluid sucked out with a special machine. The Disco’s transmission is surprisingly conventional, though the fluid change interval is 2 years/ 24k miles, which is pretty damn frequent. Winner: Disco
Ok, not exactly a complete measure of everything, but so far I’ve been impressed with accessibility and ease of use on most things with the Disco.
Winner: Disco
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Well fucking duh the GMC wins. Do I even need to include this? I guess so.
The GMC everything is available everywhere and there really is no unobtanium. Furthermore custom fit “customizations” are readily available too.
Land Rover a lot of available via auto parts stores and Amazon, but a lot needs to be ordered from specialty websites. Rarely a problem if the vehicle isn’t your daily, but can turn a minor inconvenience into a major one. Some parts, like bumpers, are pretty much impossible to find.
Winner: GMC
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Again, no brainer. Parts for the Land Rover are mostly reasonable and comparable to the GMC, but weird stuff is expensive. While I can get replacement brake pads and headlights are comparable, I had to pay $14 a quart for transmission fluid for the Disco. You want coolant by the gallon? Fat chance, but you’re more than welcome to pay gallon pricing for a quart at your local parts chain.
Winner: GMC
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Unfortunately for the GMC, it has not yet reached the age where driving one is “cool”. Cheaply repaired and made in great numbers means a lot of people drive them. For the same reason, a lot of people of lower means drive them, which is fine, but when I drive the GMC people seem to assume I do so because I can’t afford to do otherwise, not because I love the car and enjoy keeping it on the road. WHICH IS FINE, but not very cool. The nice part about this is you can pretty much run in stealth mode most places. No one is going to give an aging GMT400 a second glace exceeeeeeeeept when I take it nice places. Then we get the look.
The Land Rover also comes with a stigma. Despite the low buy-in most people assume you’re well off if you drive one. I haven’t fully explored this side of the coin yet. I will say my neighbors were eager to greet the “new neighbors” when my friends showed up to unload the Disco. Imagine their disappointment when they discovered (ha!) Akio bought yet another car.
How many does that make? Doesn’t matter.
While I smile when I see another Yukon on the road, feeling a kinship with other owners, that feeling is not reciprocated. Meanwhile, every time I passed a Discovery I or II on the road I got “the wave,” which is fun.
The Yukon is also hurt by not being very… good. Again, I love it, but there are better offroad SUVs, there are more interesting SUVs, there are SUVs with more cargo space, better gas mileage, more creature comforts, etc, etc. I didn’t buy the Yukon because I wanted any of those things. I bought the Yukon because I wanted a Yukon. Plain and simple. I learned to drive on one, liked the styling, and had always wanted one.
Should any of that matter? No. A car is good car if someone likes it. But that said…
Winner: Disco
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Finally, one I can use SCIENCE for. MPG is easy enough, over the last 18000 miles the Yukon I have averaged 13.14 MPG, with my best being 15.81 and my worst 10.28. Average fuel cost per mile is $0.158. I’d say my usage is 65% highway and 35% city.
Over the 1800 miles I’ve owned the Disco I have averaged 15.11 MPG, with my best being 17.7 MPG and my worst 11.28, with an average cost per mile of $0.208. I’d estimate that mileage is 20% highway, 50% city, and 30% offroad. My last tank on the Disco was 80% highway and 17.7 MPG, so I am expecting my average to come up as I drive it in more “normal” conditions.
“Wait a minute Akio!” You might say, “Why is your cost per mile so much higher if the Disco gets better gas mileage!? Your science is flawed!” And you would be right to question me. The Disco was driven primarily on the west coast, where gas is crazy expensive, and the GMC primarily in Oklahoma, where gas is basically free. At the time of writing gas costs $1.919 per gallon at almost every gas station in town. In contrast, when we were in California we paid over $4 per gallon at one stop, with $3.50 being the norm. Also, the Disco harbors a dark secret: it fucking takes premium.
Anyway, I’ve solved this with a graph. With the Disco at 15.8 MPG, the GMC at 13.1 MPG, and the upcharge for premium at $0.30, gas needs to be over $1.50/ gallon for the Disco to cost less per mile than the GMC. Math!
Winner: Disco
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I’ve done some offroading in the GMC and it did fine. I’ve done a lot in the Disco and it also did fine. I imagine I would be very proud of it if it hadn’t done all those offroad miles next to two more capable vehicles.
Also not a big contest here. While the GMC has four wheel drive, it is 4 inches wider and about 1,000 pounds heavier than the Disco. While neither is killer offroad, of the two the Disco was certainly the one designed with offroading in mind.
Winnner: Disco
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The Disco has a 4.0L V8 with 188 HP and 250 torque. The GMC has a 5.7L V8 which puts out 255 HP and 335 torque. Simple enough… right? Well the GMC is also 1000 pounds heavier than the Disco. Best way to compare is HP/TON. The Yukon has 87 and the Disco 82.
To drive… both feel like heavy, slightly underpowered cars. The GMC is a little more eager and feels quicker, but is also a lot louder which helps with the appearance of acceleration.
According to Zeroto60times.com, the Discovery get to 60 in about 10 seconds and the GMC in about 9, so I guess the seat-of-pants test matches the numbers randomly pulled off the internet.
Both have a similar towing capacity of about 5,000 pounds.
Winner: GMC
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The GMC seats five and all of their shit in relative comfort, with a big, capable roofrack in case you need more room.
The Land Rover seats seven and none of their shit in relative comfort, with a small, useless roofrack in case you want to take something larger than a handbag with you.
But seriously… The Rover has a smaller cargo area that is a bit crowded by the optional folding jump seats. When they’re folded up, you get a decent amount of cargo space, but it is a lot like playing Jenga. The Yukon’s cargo area is much larger overall, but tends to be too big for daily use, with your groceries sloshing about as you drive home.
I’m giving this one to the Disco only because of the jump seats. For my use case I more frequently have needed two more seats than the extra cargo area. The only times I have fully filled the Yukon are when we go camping, but we could probably leave the kitchen sink at home and make do with the Landy’s cargo space.
Winner: Disco
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Good question. I could keep both, and kind of want to. That would put my stable at five (just the five) cars, the others being a Volvo C30, Alfa Spider, and a Saab 900. Furthermore, my partner has a Golf and a Cabriolet, putting us (currently) at seven cars for the household. My garage holds three, so that leaves four for the driveway and street. This can create problems if, for example, I want to drive the Saab (not that it runs) the Alfa, GMC, Disco, Golf, and Volvo would all need to move to the street if they weren’t already there. That is pretty much worst case, but you get the idea.
So with parking at a premium and these two vehicles being the most similar, one must go.
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Anyone want to buy a 1999 GMC Yukon?
"adamftw" (adamftw)
06/21/2017 at 11:20, STARS: 2
I miss my D1 dearly, and replaced it with a GMT800 Silverado.... so kind of the opposite of what you did. Good luck though, it’ll bite you in the ass eventually but you’ll keep coming back for more. Keep a weekend a grand or so in your back pocket for when those head gaskets go.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/21/2017 at 11:23, STARS: 2
Anything that’s not as good as a Discovery II must be horrible.
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
06/21/2017 at 11:40, STARS: 2
Great comparison. I am going to compare the SUVs Ive owned in the exact same format, if you dont mind. Two 2002 4runners and a 2003 pathfinder. Very similar vehicles so itll be helpful for some buyers i suppose.
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
06/21/2017 at 11:56, STARS: 4
Excellent! Both great vehicles. I got to know my friends 2nd gen 4Runner well during the trip. That thing was a beast offroad, but really struggled on the highway. Then again it had almost 300k miles so...
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
06/21/2017 at 11:58, STARS: 1
Yeah assuming its the 3.0L its an absolute dog at high RPM and blows head gaskets. Very capable offroad though. I actually love ZJ grand cherokees too.
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
06/21/2017 at 12:01, STARS: 1
As much as I loathe to admit it that ZJ was a beast too. I never expected a Land Rover to be the worst at offroading of the three. I mean... it is a Land Rover!!
Except in the snow the ZJ never got stuck and it was running nearly bald street tries, rather than the ATs the other two were running.
"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
06/21/2017 at 12:06, STARS: 3
The reason stock bumpers are so hard to come by is because uprated off road bumpers were actually cheaper so first chance owners get, they swapped them onto their trucks.
If you want to talk about roof racks, you need to just get yourself a proper one. The added bonus of putting on a roof rack is that your truck goes from “not bad looking”, to “dead sexy”.
Disco 1/2's ALWAYS look better with a roof rack.
"RT" (rt-p)
06/21/2017 at 12:07, STARS: 2
Great writeup, both educational and entertaining.
We need more of your type of posts on Oppo.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/21/2017 at 12:12, STARS: 3
Cool comparison. Out of those two I would chose the same generation Range Rover. I like the Disco, but the Rover looks better to me. I just want to build a great offroader out of a P38 with the 4.6 till it gets an LS.
Stock P38
Then almost perfect
"gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee" (gogmorgo)
06/21/2017 at 12:18, STARS: 0
This isn’t surprising if you acknowledge the ZJ was intended as a second-gen XJ.
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 12:45, STARS: 1
If God forbid something happens to your Disco, let me know first for the part out?
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 12:46, STARS: 0
Wait you have an 01 or 02 DII and you think that a 4runner and grand cherokee off roaded better? Uh dude wtf is wrong with yours? Air suspension?
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 12:52, STARS: 1
Also, I used to use your photo ^ as my Blackberry wallpaper. :)
"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
06/21/2017 at 12:57, STARS: 0
Haha, yeah I do love that stupid heap of shit.
"jasmits" (jasmits)
06/21/2017 at 13:26, STARS: 1
The 3.0 is an absolute dog at all RPMs...
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 13:29, STARS: 0
Issues abound?
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
06/21/2017 at 13:29, STARS: 0
Facts. The 3.4 was a huge improvement.
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
06/21/2017 at 13:37, STARS: 1
Ive been surprised by a couple different vehicles offroad. Its always strange when a truck can do so much with bald tires.
Just posted that comparison by the way
"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
06/21/2017 at 13:38, STARS: 0
Bad block, but I have a replacement block and new heads ect... Have to find the time to actually put it back together lol.
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 13:48, STARS: 1
I played that dance with AB several years ago. Bad block, ordered new one, got it in (compression was down) new block ordered, same thing. Third block came from Solihull direct and has been there kicking strong for several years now. Have intake gasketr and valve cover gaskets recetnly though.
My main issues is exterior plastics and my windshield washer setup is outside of the car. I broke the stock bumper to completely unusable status when i removed the ACE hydraulic lines. She needs a new front/rear bumper, A-pillars, and a dashboard rebuild for my AC to vent better.
"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
06/21/2017 at 14:08, STARS: 0
Yeah I’m not fucking with the 4.6 block anymore. Got a 4.0 and am putting the 4.6 rotating assembly into it, only real difference between the blocks is the way the CP sensor mounts. I also need to pull my bumper’s off and repaint them, rust is starting to get a little bad.
"jasmits" (jasmits)
06/21/2017 at 14:17, STARS: 1
I badly want to 3.4 swap my 2nd gen. It’s the rare case where a mod will vastly increase power, reliability, and drivability.
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
06/21/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 1
Air suspension was replaced with conventional. My D2 is from the brief period where they deleted the diff lock linkage and relied completely on the traction control. Great in theory, but in practice you have to get a lot of wheel spin going before the TC can have an affect. Effect? Affect.
Honestly we only got in jams twice: once in snow and once on some major rocks. In the snow the Disco got beached pretty readily, but I imagine the others would have had the same problem if they had been leading. On the rocks the lack of diff locks really killed me as I had to really spin the wheels before the TC could get me going. Lost some big chunks of tread to that. I think the reason my perception of performance is so tainted is because I was in front 95% of the time, so if there was getting stuck to be had, I was going to.
Otherwise the Disco was a champ offroad, seriously.
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 14:24, STARS: 1
I found an ARB local for $800 on CL, need to get that spousal authorization lol.
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 14:25, STARS: 0
See I don’t quite understand the non-cdl models. I have an 03 and all I know is I have 4 HI and 4Low via a manual linkage in front of the shifter. But I do not know what makes the diff lock different.
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
06/21/2017 at 14:36, STARS: 0
I haven’t heard a good explanation with words, but this video explains exactly the problem I had.
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"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
06/21/2017 at 14:38, STARS: 0
It isnt too bad of a swap either. I would be too tempted to go 1uz swap though because v8.
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
06/21/2017 at 14:40, STARS: 0
And I should say the Grand Cherokee with bald street tires monstered the rock crawl with a locking center diff. I don’t know why it works, but I can’t argue with the results.
"jasmits" (jasmits)
06/21/2017 at 14:40, STARS: 1
It’s about as straightforward as swaps go.
The 1UZ won’t mate up properly with the R150 transmission, you need an $800 bellhousing adapter which would make the swap not make financial sense anymore. The 5VZ mates right up with the R150 as it is.
"awmaster10" (awmaster10)
06/21/2017 at 14:49, STARS: 0
Ahh thats a shame because they are plentiful and a v8 2nd gen would be fun. Not a problem though since the 5vz is a simple swap and is already a huge upgrade in all aspects. I want a 5vz 1st gen (‘85) really badly.
"jasmits" (jasmits)
06/21/2017 at 14:57, STARS: 1
*I think* I read that the 1UZ works well with the auto but I’d rather keep my stick. A V8 second gen would be a riot though.
"Svend" (svend)
06/21/2017 at 15:04, STARS: 1
I like the P38a a lot.
Done out in expedition gear, she looks the dog’s proverbial.
The L322 looks good kitted out too.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/21/2017 at 15:11, STARS: 0
It does but you would need an 05 and up to get any of the good kit that is out there, but at that point I would want the supercharged model and then they are just kinda pricy.
"Svend" (svend)
06/21/2017 at 15:15, STARS: 0
Ye’, we’ve got a lot of aftermarket companies and kit this side of the pond for Land Rover that keeps the prices done here but across the pond I’d imagine it’s less so and more geared up for U.S. vehicles and vehicles more often used off road rather than what we term, ‘Chelsea tractors’.
if you ever get bored, I mean so bored that you’ve got two or three days to kill. This is worth a read.
A couple took an L322, kitted it out and drove around the world.
http://www.lilongwedown.com/LilongweDown/Trip_Log/Entries/2010/7/10_The_Range_Rover__a_eulogy.html
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/21/2017 at 15:20, STARS: 0
Yeah I am sure those parts are a bit more here. Jeeps and Trucks and such get more support here. But some reason the early L322s have terrible support here
"Svend" (svend)
06/21/2017 at 15:29, STARS: 1
I think it’s probably due to many L322 owners just using them as Chelsea tractors to look good rather than go off road and that some thought the car too expensive to take off road and too expensive to repair if they chose to do so as there is so much technology in them these days they fear to.
"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
06/21/2017 at 15:44, STARS: 1
Remember, it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission...
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/21/2017 at 15:48, STARS: 1
Maybe. I think the big supercharged V8 would make it just the best and most comfortable off roader
"Svend" (svend)
06/21/2017 at 15:53, STARS: 1
Well ye’, even if they won’t ever be used off road, Land Rover still made them very very capable of doing so and even made it easier for drivers to do so with so many aids to help them through.
One of my favourite gadgets was the bluetooth camera. If you didn’t have a spotter to help marshal you, you put the camera via magnet base/suction mount onto any surface and pointed it where you wanted to and you could watch through the split screen on the dashboard.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
06/21/2017 at 16:04, STARS: 2
Send me the parts. I’ll do it for free, you pay shipping. I even remember most of the torque specs!
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
06/21/2017 at 16:07, STARS: 1
That’s very similar to what mine looked like. Minus the roof rack and bullshit tack on plastic crap on the windows and wheel wells. Very much a love/hate relationship.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/21/2017 at 16:08, STARS: 0
Hmm, never had a need for a spotter. I guess I just bonzied through or was able to know where my vehicle edges were. I think a plus with the Range Rover, just like my old Jeep, is that the wheels are at each corner making the approach and depart angles so nice.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
06/21/2017 at 16:08, STARS: 1
And you avoid 06 because they’re a hodge podge of BMW and Jaguar parts and suck to work on. They’re better sorted after 07.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/21/2017 at 16:09, STARS: 1
I would love to hate owning one of these
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
06/21/2017 at 16:12, STARS: 1
Have fun with the disco! Looks like it could use a little lift and some big AT’s! Let me know if you have any questions about it.
"Svend" (svend)
06/21/2017 at 16:22, STARS: 1
When rock crawling or negotiating ruts it’s good to have someone outside acting as another set of eyes to aid you through.
The Range Rover has wheels at the corner, but if you want them closer to the corner, get a Defender, if you want them closer still, get an Ibex.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/21/2017 at 16:35, STARS: 1
Yeah I don’t rock crawl, just heavy off road. More overland type stuff.
Yeah I wish. Fucking America thinks those cars will hurt the auto industry. Not like the US makes anything to compete with them since there is no Bronco or Blazer
"Svend" (svend)
06/21/2017 at 16:45, STARS: 1
Here’s a question for you guys (and gals).
What happens to the U.S. Rangers Land Rovers hen they are finished with them?
Americans can’t have new Land Rover Defenders, unless your very specially trained to drive them.
"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
06/21/2017 at 16:46, STARS: 0
Heh, thanks! Although I’m pretty sure the freight would be more than a new engine lol.
"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
06/21/2017 at 16:54, STARS: 1
Didn’t know they had them. They probably get crushed or like all current Humvee sales, they are sold for off road use only.
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 17:02, STARS: 1
Yeah, no, not gonna do that. ALready in that trouble over the ST.
"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana)
06/21/2017 at 17:07, STARS: 1
It just seems like the Diff lock equipped driver knew how to get over that obstacle better, or was more experienced. The traction control truck was 100% input error.
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
06/21/2017 at 18:00, STARS: 0
Could be. Too bad they didn’t do it both ways, one with the diff locked and one unlocked.
If my diff didn’t already have the internals, I wouldn’t bother with the mod. Since mine does and is just missing the linkage, I’m going to go ahead and add it.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
06/21/2017 at 23:26, STARS: 1
Lol I don’t know, those dumb engines were pretty expensive last time I looked.
"Maxima Speed" (maximaspeed)
06/22/2017 at 10:32, STARS: 0
But, Murica?
"TriggerPullerUSMC" (triggerpullerusmc)
09/20/2018 at 10:53, STARS: 0
Good article well thought out and humorous without being ridiculous. After yrs of bouncing around in armored GM large SUVS (tahoe) and the occasional Humbee I went with my 2004 disco and have never looked back.
My primary reason is I try to avoid Detroit made cars- I do whatever possible to steer away from US union made garbage. I can’t with a clear conscious give money to Union shops especially UAW. Their socialist ideals and the anti American candidates they support are awful.
My disco over the yrs has had several iterations because they are cheap to build up and pretty straight forward. I readily admit that I have replaced so much of it in the last 14ish years that it is sort of more my creation than LR but it is fast, handles well, nimble, smooth as silk and luxurious. I have re built jeeps, old style early Broncos and even a Scout. I think my disco will handle any chore and terrain that is reasonable and even though it is a 2004 and full on safari ready urban assault vehicle it still maintains enough class to drive up to a fancy corporate event or even when taking my theater loving wife to the opera or whatever sitting down and taking a long nap while she enjoys that goofy stuff.
I love my disco! I did fall victim to my life long desire to have a Corvette so I bought a 2013 z06 and while fast and kinda cool it suffered from cheap interior, lame leather and within 10k miles it was rattling and creaking in several places and the biggest disapointment was that the already ridiculous panel gaps had a mind of their own. Never again will I buy US cars- even of they stopped supporting the same socialist that work hard to send jobs overseas and ruin our nation . I don’t understand how they manage to be fairly expensive for such a compromised pile of bad workmanship. Anyhow, LR discovery and defenders are great vehicles. Especially if you decide to improve upon them.
"TriggerPullerUSMC" (triggerpullerusmc)
09/20/2018 at 10:59, STARS: 0
Yeah gotta be something wrong here. My 72 bronco with a bunch of high speed low drag stuff and a 351 crate with lots of whizzbangetry, 4 inch lift and more articulation ability than a big spider was marginally better. The Grand cherokee is junk won’t even bother the 4 runner is fine but not great. The comment about running it with bald tires to me is a clue that the vehicle(s) weren’t properly maintained- there is no excuse for running bald tires and improperly maintaining a vehic le.
"TriggerPullerUSMC" (triggerpullerusmc)
09/20/2018 at 11:02, STARS: 0
“ My D2 is from the brief period where they deleted the diff lock linkage and relied completely on the traction control“
What? Do you mean the 2004? It didn’t rely on traction control it had the CDL which is actually a highly sought after feature and one of the main reasons I keep mine.
The LR is all wheel drive all the time the only difference is hi/low
"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
09/20/2018 at 12:56, STARS: 0
You misunderstand. D2s produced before early 2001 had the diff lock hardware, but not the linkage, because they wanted to show off traction control . 2001 to 2003 they had neither. In 2004 they reinstated botg, as you said. So mine had the hardware in transfer case, but no linkage. I have since fitted a 2004 linkage.
You are correct that the D2 is AWD. It does this by having 3 open diffs, which allows the wheels to effectively operate independently. The problem is when the going gets tough that would mean you essentially have one wheel drive if you completely lose traction to one wheel. That is where the TC comes in, braking that wheel and ef teffectivly tra nsferring power to the wheels with traction. Locking the CDL makes the Disco operate more like a traditional 4wd vehicle with the added benefit of traction control too, essentially giving it front and rear lockers.... Sort of. Ish. Sometimes. In theory haha.