| Author |
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Ted stalcup
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 06:21 pm: | 
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So its been nearly three weeks since I got my 2003 Disco II and I've put a staggering 1001 miles on it. I've commuted to work, hauled boxes for friends and drove from Orlando FL to Naples FL (due West of Lauderdale on the other coast). The first thing that strikes me about this car is the obvious attention that Ford/LR has put into quality control. QC has been a hobgoblin of the past and they have obviously made a sincere effort to put these cars together at the upgraded factory with a lot of care. What delivery defects does my '03 have? Only a slightly loose fan in the front passenger side AC that will, on the lowest setting only, make a slight racket...and the dealer is going to swap out this fan. That is pretty impressive to me. I've had cars, friends and family have had cars, that had to go back to the dealer to be half rebuilt after delivery; not this one.
Driving the Disco didn't take any adjustment at all. The truck is extremely civilized on the road. She doesn't lurch or lean at all. handling is precise and the road feel is excellent. I can feel imperfections in the road through the seat of my pants but not in a kidney-jarring way. Acceleration is pretty much awful. When you pull away from a stoplight you remember how much this thing weighs but after a few feet she picks it up fine and once she gets her RPMs up you'll catch the MLs and X5s that roam this area in packs. When I drove down to Naples I kept it at around 75, she can go quite a bit faster but the gas mileage really takes a beating. I'm getting about 15MPG combined highway and city...good thing premium is $1.53 right now. Also on the way to Naples I drove through about 100 miles of horrendous thunderstorms where I couldn't see more than 50 feet down the road but obviously everyone else couldn't see at all because they all decided to "follow the landrover". The truck is perfect for Florida rain. Extremely stable and capable on wet surfaces, it just doesn't bother her at all. On the way back from Naples I let the navigation system pick the shortest route and it did an excellent job. It shaved about 50 miles off the highway route (also available from the nav system as the fast setting) but saved no time. I did managed to drive through about a foot of standing water in Arcadia Florida thanks to another rain storm and the truck didn't mind that either. I've heard the nav system described as a toy or gimmick but it got me from my driveway all the way to my grandparent's condo and all the way back by two wildly different route types. There are some idiosyncracies to the nav system but I found that by letting it take me a couple places I already knew how to get I could learn what it was "thinking" when I was going somewhere new.
All in all i'm pretty happy with the purchase although i think I may go deaf playing with the HK stereo. - Ted
PS LR Orlando service manager just shrugged when I asked if CDL was ever coming this year. |
Ramsay (3toedsloth)
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 06:40 pm: |
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My advice to you... Take her off-road, through mud, and beat her up a little. Then take her back to the dealer and get them to fix anything the broke while your truck is still under warranty. You'll thank yourself later.
JR |
Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco)
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 07:11 pm: |
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Ted, congrats on the D2. I've been sold on the NAV systems since my first car with it in '99. Even if you use it only for your positioning and compare it to a map. I've found my in vehicle GPS's to be much better at getting a position than my hand helds. |
deepthroat
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 09:16 pm: |
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Hi all, 'magically' 03 Discovery manufactured after August 02 will have cdl as standard in the NA market. Also the last Discovery Series II model year is 2002. The 03 is simply Discovery.
Deepthoat |
Ron
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 09:53 pm: |
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does your key stick?
Ron |
Robert Sublett (Rubisco98)
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 17, 2002 - 10:49 pm: |
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No oil leaks yet? ABS sensors not going on the fritz? A/C knob don't need jiggling when in 3 or 4? Sunroofs don't rattle and they close? Maybe I should take the plunge!! Sorry man, couldn't resist... wish I could afford one just to scratch it up some. Guess I'll be in the D1 for at least another year or so.. or until the engine goes. |
Ted Stalcup
| | Posted on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 04:50 pm: |
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My key doesn't stick although it did take me a while to figure out that its not my 66 Mustang and you can't just pull the key out any time you feel like it. You have to have it in park, turn it backwards and push in. Then theres a lot of things this car does that the mustang doesn't...but they both get 15MPG on premium. None of the sensors are bad yet although I would assume that like any ABS sensor if they get dirt in them they will false...sort of a drawback to an offroad vehicle I guess. The sunroofs have so much rubber and plastic cladding and drip rails on them that I think LR put some effort into addressing the issues...of course I bet that rubber will need replacing after 4-5 years in the Florida sun. I don't have AC knobs...the AC panel is LCD with buttons...nary a knob to be found. - Ted |
carlt
| | Posted on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 05:52 pm: |
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Robert:
"No oil leaks yet? ABS sensors not going on the fritz? A/C knob don't need jiggling when in 3 or 4? Sunroofs don't rattle and they close? Maybe I should take the plunge!! Sorry man, couldn't resist... wish I could afford one just to scratch it up some. Guess I'll be in the D1 for at least another year or so.. or until the engine goes. "
I have a 2000 with most of those symptoms, just give the 03 truck some time and it will have it to.... It is still a rover. What I find funny is that the rear door leaks, you would think that the british with thier climate would at least be able to get that right... hehehe. But I love my truck as it is and plan to keep it forever.
Carl |
Robert Sublett (Rubisco98)
| | Posted on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 09:27 pm: |
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Carl, as long as mine is running or $100 away from it, I'll be behind the wheel. When the day comes that the Disco is no more.. that just means it's time for a 99 D1. Later.. RS |
Leslie N. Bright (Leslie)
| | Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 09:21 am: |
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Robert,
The 99D1 that I traded in is still sitting at the car lot in Johnson City, FWIW.... lol.....
-L |
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