How safe is a Disco ?

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Thomo1927

Thomo1927

Active Member
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South Walian
My wife is expecting our first child in March ,Now after losing a baby through miscarriage last year we want to make sure everything is perfect.

I have a bmw which me and my wife hates ,We both love our 300 disco .But how safe are these in a crash or for carrying a baby in ?

Ideally I wouldn't mind getting rid of the bmw and get a disco3 but some of the stories I've heard about maintenance frightens me. Any help or tips on a another 4x4 would be great.
 
Last edited:
Thomo1927 said:
My wife is expecting our first child in March ,Now after losing a baby through miscarriage last year we want to make sure everything is perfect.

I have a bmw which me and my wife hates ,We both love our 300 disco .But how safe are these in a crash or for carrying a baby in ?

Ideally I wouldn't mind getting rid of the bmw and get a disco3 but some of the stories I've heard about maintenanc frightens me. Any help or tips on a another 4x4 would be great.
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Breathe and drive on. Nothing's perfect.

I'm sorry for your loss.
 
First of all I'm sorry for your loss.

A lot of people assume that 4x4s are much safer as they are big and beefy. In low speed accidents this tends to be true, especially for vehicles with ladder frame chassis that act as battering rams. I've been rear ended twice by numpties at low(ish) speeds in my 300 disco and all I have to show for it is a slightly bent tow bar.
The problem comes at higher speeds where the high centre of gravity makes for longer braking distances and a higher propensity to roll over. Many a road traffic accident has ended with a 4x4 on its roof. This of course can be mitigated by correct driving technique, if you get into a big 4x4 and drive it like a sports car you're just asking for trouble. Also the elevated driving position allows you see further down the road which can help spot trouble earlier.

I cannot give any specific information regarding disco 3s as I've never had one and everything I've heard has come from forums like these, but has there ever been a car that has been 100% reliable?
 
Critical Mick said:
First of all I'm sorry for your loss.

A lot of people assume that 4x4s are much safer as they are big and beefy. In low speed accidents this tends to be true, especially for vehicles with ladder frame chassis that act as battering rams. I've been rear ended twice by numpties at low(ish) speeds in my 300 disco and all I have to show for it is a slightly bent tow bar.
The problem comes at higher speeds where the high centre of gravity makes for longer braking distances and a higher propensity to roll over. Many a road traffic accident has ended with a 4x4 on its roof. This of course can be mitigated by correct driving technique, if you get into a big 4x4 and drive it like a sports car you're just asking for trouble. Also the elevated driving position allows you see further down the road which can help spot trouble earlier.

I cannot give any specific information regarding disco 3s as I've never had one and everything I've heard has come from forums like these, but has there ever been a car that has been 100% reliable?
Click to expand...

Cheers ,Some good info there. Very rare I go above 60 in the disco. I find the disco at 60mph feels comfortable to drive.
 
It depends on the nature of the collision. They are good in some and worse in others., and I suggest you can not give a definitive answer to such a question.
 
Thomo1927 said:
My wife is expecting our first child in March ,Now after losing a baby through miscarriage last year we want to make sure everything is perfect.

I have a bmw which me and my wife hates ,We both love our 300 disco .But how safe are these in a crash or for carrying a baby in ?

Ideally I wouldn't mind getting rid of the bmw and get a disco3 but some of the stories I've heard about maintenance frightens me. Any help or tips on a another 4x4 would be great.
Click to expand...
Volvo XC90? Certainly safe but time bomb repair bills lurk constantly. I work on them and wince at what it costs to fix the blighters!
We felt pretty safe in our old Disco TD5- the extra inertia belt in the middle helps for child seats of course. Plus they handle like a car, albeit a big heavy one.

Big strong cars driven sensibly will always be safer than smaller ones.
 
The main big one with the D3 is air suspension and the turbo location. Air suspension issues could be over come by buying a Nanocom, also help keep on top of any other electrical/ECU related issues if they where to arise. As for the turbo I believe any maintenance or replacement etc.. means a body off job, which yes is bloody ridiculous but I spoke with some chaps at Gigglepin who stated you can *just* about get to the turbo by shunting the body work. Much quicker job.

I've driven a couple D3 and over all I liked them, nice drive, smooth, quiet and spacious.
 
Aside from choosing the most 'crash friendly' vehicle, which is a bull****e option, unless you want to drive around in a tank, you would be far better taking an advanced driving course, lowering your speed in general, and keeping whatever vehicle you decide to keep in good maintained order.

The 300 tdi is probably one of the easiest Vehicles to work on, so if you are capable of basic mechanics then it's not a bad option: saves you expensive garage bills, keeps you under the bonnet whilst the baby is screaming it's lungs out, and you have the satisfction of doing the maintenance, knowing it has been done properly...
 
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