Help me make a choice....

[SCRover]

i've owned a '98 D1 (my wife's actually) and an '04 DII (see Rovertrader's orange one - i've owned it once and he's owned it twice).

my biggest gripe about the D1's and II's is interior space. Not enough up front, not enough in the second row and a bit cramped in the cargo area (although my 225-lb. mastiff did spend some time back there). however, for driveability, loved them both.

didn't wheel the D1, other than snow, but wheeled the DII pretty heavily. great offroad, the DII, especially with the CDL, HDC and TC. preferred it's offroad manners to my '97D90 and to my current NAS 110.

don't have experience with the LR3, but have seen them in action. incredibly capable offroad.

like you, i am also a yota owner (just bought an '06 Tundra for my DD and my wife has an '02 Sequoia). great vehicles, but boring. LR's have that cool factor and once you're bitten by the rover bug, forget about it - you're hooked... for good or bad.

if the vehicle will be your wife's primarily, go with the LR3. if you guys will use the vehicle for family trips, go with the LR3. if you plan to mix in any serious wheeling, go with the DII.

good luck.

 

[nwoods]

Just to clear up the space issue in a D2, I'm 6'5" and considerably bigger than 190 and fit comfortably in my '00 D2. I had to remove the cup holder on the drivers side but have no problem spending 12+ hours in my truck, well except for the lack of power but that's getting fixed soon.

Also I would prefer a D2 to an LR3 off-road, everytime. The LR3 is plenty capable but has a massive body that tends to get into the way as well as the lack of approach/departure angle. But then again comparing a D2 to an LR3 is really apples to Oranges. Kind of like comparing a Series to a Range Rover Classic.

Hi Larry, I know who you are, I've met you, and have a deep respect for your Land Rover knowledge, but I have to question your comment about body size and angles. Are you referring to a DII on 35" tires with massively trimmed wheel arches and front and rear low profile steel bumpers? Because if you are talking about stock comparisons, the LR3 has better approach/breakover/departure angles than any Disco ever made. Additionally, the LR3 is only 1” wider, and 2” less tall, while offering more ground clearance in standard road height mode. Granted, the LR3’s wheelbase is 13” longer, but don't discount the fact that the stock LR3 has the ability to lift itself more than 5" above standard road height (ie: 1) off road mode, 2) extended mode, 3) super extended mode), for a total of nearly 14" of ground clearance, stock. While the LR3’s overall body and wheel base are longer, the LR3 has a much shorter overhangs front and rear than the Disco's, and a significantly better turning radius that more than compensates on the trail for the few additional inches of length.

I still agree with your conclusions about what is better for a dedicated hardcore wheeling rig, but you're math is a bit fuzzy.

 

[GunshipDriver]

if the vehicle will be your wife's primarily, go with the LR3. if you guys will use the vehicle for family trips, go with the LR3. if you plan to mix in any serious wheeling, go with the DII.

good luck.

From what you wrote above... the vehicle is to be the wife's primary... I would like to use it for family trips.. and I do plan on doing some mild to possibly at times robust wheeling. Nothing wild.. nothing extreme or hardcore by any means.. just a little bit of occasional crawling and some spirited fire trail runs...

 

[nwoods]

From what you wrote above... the vehicle is to be the wife's primary... I would like to use it for family trips.. and I do plan on doing some mild to possibly at times robust wheeling. Nothing wild.. nothing extreme or hardcore by any means.. just a little bit of occasional crawling and some spirited fire trail runs...

Either will do moderate trails with aplomb in stock configuration, but the LR3 will be more comfortable and versatile in daily use. Neither offer tremendous reliablity, but they differ in the type of issues they experience. THe D2 is more owner servicable than the LR3 when it comes to serious issues, but general maintainece (brakes, oil, filters, etc...) is quite easy on both.

 

[Alaska Mike]

In the interest of family serenity, let her drive each one and make the decision. Either one would fill your requirements.

I personally like the DII better than the LR3 (looks, relative simplicity, ability to modify...), and I'm right at 6' and thought the D2 was a palace. Then again, I drive a lot of small vehicles so my perception is skewed there.

Again, if your needs are as stated, either one would fit the bill. It's more about what attracts you.

 

[SCRover]

as much as i love LRs and plan to always have at least one in the garage for the remainder of my existence, you may be better served buying a 100 series LC. it combines off road prowess (in stock form) with comfort, spaciousness and, perhaps most importantly, reliability.

 

[Navman]

From what you wrote above... the vehicle is to be the wife's primary... I would like to use it for family trips.. and I do plan on doing some mild to possibly at times robust wheeling. Nothing wild.. nothing extreme or hardcore by any means.. just a little bit of occasional crawling and some spirited fire trail runs...

My wife drove our D1 for almost 10 years. As soon as she drove the LR3 she wouldn't shut up until I bought her one. The LR3 is perfect for what you are describing. In fact, that is mostly how I use ours. When my wife's not along I push it harder than I would ever tell her but like others said it is extremely capable and way better as a daily driver.

My plan was to finally build up our D1 for serious use but as I mentioned, I just couldn't get comfortable. I'm actually looking at a Land Cruiser for myself now.