What Were They Thinking??!!

[Duncan]

It is all very well manufacturers coming up with all sorts of fancy gadgets in today's vehicles. But do they really give much thought? Then you get the marketing guys who promise all sorts of capabilities from their vehicles, yet falling short in real life situations.

I just returned from a bush trip. We travelled in a convoy of 8 off road vehicles of this one was a Discovery 3 with all the bells and wistles money could buy. Firstly, though pretending to be an off-roader the stock tyres were useless as they picked up punctures in the mildest of gravel tracks. Then when the vehicle picked up it's first puncture, the auto-leveling system decided to drop the height to level the Disco. Well thats sounds very nice, but then with the lowered suspension, we could not get the stock jack into place as the car was now too low! No hi-lift jack could be used as there are no jacking points for a hi-lift (unless serious modifications had been done). So eventually the good ole sissor jack had to be employed to do the job.

After three such punctures, we arrived at a little town where we could not find a single tyre shop that had the size and profile of tyre needed for the Disco. Eventually we found the size from a scrap yard, but not the matching profile. But it did the job, though for over 800km all the bells and wistles were going off as there were mismatched tyres.

So much for a mega buck 4x4. They should really call them "urban 4x4's" and stop insulting the real 4x4s.

Cheers

[dinosh]

I perceived the Discovery 3 to be a good off roader from what I heard about it. Seems the Toyota's & Nissan's are the best for off roading.

[dhp]

sounds like an adventure..what did you expect from a FORD (For On Road Driving/ Found Off Road Dead). I saw an HSE with the rear end dragging...I am assuming its the same self levelling susp. issue. I gave up desiring Jags and Rovers once ford started interchanging parts.

Its not essentially bad unless u couple that with morons like TRW. I can vouch (thru work) that TRW/Ford are srange bed pals who together cant engineer a paper bag (cos they're too busy spanking themselves with them 6 sigma black belts).

anymore, Rovers are just blinged out "I wanna look rich" SUVs - just MHO

got any pics Dunc?

[dinosh]

sounds like an adventure..what did you expect from a FORD (For On Road Driving/ Found Off Road Dead). I saw an HSE with the rear end dragging...I am assuming its the same self levelling susp. issue. I gave up desiring Jags and Rovers once ford started interchanging parts.

Its not essentially bad unless u couple that with morons like TRW. I can vouch (thru work) that TRW/Ford are srange bed pals who together cant engineer a paper bag (cos they're too busy spanking themselves with them 6 sigma black belts).

anymore, Rovers are just blinged out "I wanna look rich" SUVs - just MHO

Isn't the Freelander deisel coming with a BMW engine?

Any way Ford is not sure for on road as well. My neighbour who is using a Explorer in UAE told me that the AC compressor busted when he just did 15000kms & there was a problem in the front CV joint as well.

[Duncan]

The problem is not really manufacturers not knowing how to build proper 4x4s, but rather majority of today's buyers not using these vehicles for proper 4x4 use.

Stats show that only 4.5% of 4x4 buyers world over put these vehicles off the road. So majority rules I suppose.

But what gets to me is when dealers sell these vehicles they don't inform the buyer.

[dinosh]

The problem is not really manufacturers not knowing how to build proper 4x4s, but rather majority of today's buyers not using these vehicles for proper 4x4 use.

Stats show that only 4.5% of 4x4 buyers world over put these vehicles off the road. So majority rules I suppose.

But what gets to me is when dealers sell these vehicles they don't inform the buyer.

Eventhen a 4x4 should be able to do what it is supposed to do when required. But still there are loads of boasting about performance of the vehicle on the official websites & various magazines.

My uncle was having some trouble with his his X-trail after he tried some off roading in it. The best was what the agents had to say, that though it is 4WD it is meant only for the roads & not for off roading.

[Gummybr]

It is all very well manufacturers coming up with all sorts of fancy gadgets in today's vehicles. But do they really give much thought? Then you get the marketing guys who promise all sorts of capabilities from their vehicles, yet falling short in real life situations.

I just returned from a bush trip. We travelled in a convoy of 8 off road vehicles of this one was a Discovery 3 with all the bells and wistles money could buy. Firstly, though pretending to be an off-roader the stock tyres were useless as they picked up punctures in the mildest of gravel tracks. Then when the vehicle picked up it's first puncture, the auto-leveling system decided to drop the height to level the Disco. Well thats sounds very nice, but then with the lowered suspension, we could not get the stock jack into place as the car was now too low! No hi-lift jack could be used as there are no jacking points for a hi-lift (unless serious modifications had been done). So eventually the good ole sissor jack had to be employed to do the job.

After three such punctures, we arrived at a little town where we could not find a single tyre shop that had the size and profile of tyre needed for the Disco. Eventually we found the size from a scrap yard, but not the matching profile. But it did the job, though for over 800km all the bells and wistles were going off as there were mismatched tyres.

So much for a mega buck 4x4. They should really call them "urban 4x4's" and stop insulting the real 4x4s.

Cheers

Hey sorry to be rude. Machang do you get any 4X4 with off road tyres these days on any stock vehicle. Vehicles these days are made for the mas markets, hence they normally comes with All Terrain or road tyres. Its like asking for track tyres on a super car.

Also since the Disco has air suspension why didn't you'll use the suspension height adjusting switch to raise the vehicle? This is not some thing new as even on the good old Citroen's this feature was there, that is when you want to change a tyre you have to raise the vehicle's suspension (believe me one of my friends and I had to face the problem with a Citroen when we had to change a tyre, The car was driven upto that time by a UK garage owner or someone who claimed he knows how to do cars but he couldn't figure out the simple logic in doing something properly)

Also friends do not mistake the capability of the new Discovery3 in its standard form it can still beat many a so called 4x4.

As far as the bells and whistles are concerned, did the guy who was driving put the correct setting on the vehicle. As you would have seen the Discovery has five settings you can chose from. So the correct setting would not have been used and also the fron tpassenger and the driver would not have been wearing seat belts which would have been a cause for the beeping. Yes there are so many electronic gadgets in the vehicle which would take away the vehicles genuine off raod ability but these are there mainly for the safety of the passengers and for the well being.

Well if you really want to go off roading why not get a Defender (in standard form with mud terrain if you so wish without ABS, Traction Control) 300Tdi or 200Tdi or even for that matter an old Patrol (Y60) or old Prado / Land Cruiser (Police model in SL) or else a BJ or Mitsubishi 4DR that will serve your purpose.

Take not guys that no brand new 4X4 is used as hard core off road vehicles by people because of the cost factor (save maybe only the red wrangler). But still some people buy 4x4's for posing.

[Duncan]

Thats exactly my point........today because of people's attitudes the real enthusiasts are losing out.

[Gummybr]

Thats exactly my point........today because of people's attitudes the real enthusiasts are losing out.

stll fr that matter machang do not underestimate the ability of the Disco. It became the 4x4 of 2006 when it was pitted against the likes of the Defender, patrol, prado. The thing is if you want a real hard core off roader there is the Wrangler, the Defender & maybe the FJ Cruiser that are built for true off roading enthusiasts.

You will agree that the Defender & the Wrangler does not have most of the safety equipment that others pack, but they are true there name and keep doing what they are asked to do.

If you take a Land Cruiser or a Prado or a Patrol you will find that they also suffer from the same problems as they have become on road vehicles more than off roaders and their off road ability is shed to enable the vehicle to perform well on the road. It's here the Discovery will beat them. Not only is it good on road (almost the same levels of comfort & sfety of a Range Rover) but it can beat any of its rivals without much of a problem off the road as well. That is where the technology comes in. The manufacturers look into all these aspects when they manufacture these vehicles.

As for Dinosh machang the discovery is still better than the Nissan or Toyota rivals. If you doubt drive them back to back on any terrain and you will see the difference. Also do not try to venture off road on a X Trail or a RAV4(or anything that is in the same league). They cannot perform well off road because of the body being very low + these are meant for on road driving or driving on beaches or on muddy pathes that you do not get stuck in.

[dhp]

I would have to dissagree and say that the biggest problem is poor engineered quality. While most of the Rover SUVs today see no heavy* offroad action, they still keep breaking down during regulay day-to-day driving. Seems like the ROVERS have more than their share of trouble.

I doubt that these guys did any chassis twisting rock crawling or went mudding, they may have parked it on the grass while they ran in and got a starbucks.

Its not that they dont know how to make a quality vehicle, but that they're are being pressured to cut corners and make inferior products that can barely surpass the expected quality curve (warranty period). This has worked fairly well for the big 3 in the US and its now filtering down to their smaller divisions. This is what happens when Engineers have MBAs for bosses