Hi All,

A bit new to this, but hope some of you can help point me in the right direction.

I currently own a 95N reg 300tdi ES 7-seater with 112k on the clock. I have only had it since April, but touch wood its been fantastic and I have not had any issues at all . It drives really well and looks great for a 10 year old car, not a blemish on it.

However, Mrs G. has now decided that it would be better if our car had three 3-point seat belts in the back. On the basis that I refuse to get a MPV it looks like I'm going to have to trade up to a Td5. Ideally a 7- seater with similar spec.

Any advice on what to look for, or any differences I should expect in terms of performance would be great. Specifically do all Td5s have complete sets of 3-point belts or do I need to be looking from a certain year on. Additionally did all Td5 7-seaters have fwd facing rear seats. Any pointers as to where I can find information on the Td5 model would be gratefully appreciated, otherwise I'm doomed to a life of driving a MPV

thanks

Gottsy

Hi all td5s have centre seat belt but to save yourself money go to halfords or such like and fit a 3 point belt yourself i did as i have 3 children it works great,tiga

thks for the advice. I will have a look this weekend.

To answer your TD5 questions in case Mrs G. doesn't like the after market seat belts... All 7 seat Series 2 Discoveries came with forward facing seats in the back and they were all fitted with 3 point inertia reel belts. It's difficult to sum up the differences between the two cars in a short e-mail suffice to say they are vast, short of being similar looking. I swapped my 300 TDi for a '99 model Disco 2 four years ago and have never regretted it Toys (if you are into them) are fewer and further between but certainly available. Performance and drivability is far superior.

thanks kzycnn.

As predicted Mrs G, is not too comfortable with the idea of having the belts fitted, concerns over safety, insurance (not that I'm sure how it will affect it as a modification to initial spec?) etc., so it looks like I'll have to trade up.

In terms of relaibility on the TD5 should I be looking past a certain year. I hope to have up to 15k to spend and, whilst I like all the bells and whistles on the ES was wondering whether it is better to plump for a more basic newer model. That said if there are no significant differences concerns between say 1999 and 2002 I might just enjoy the luxuries .

Any thoughts greatly welcomed.

thanks

Hi Gottsy.

Can't say I blame Mrs G. My better half certainly prefers the Disco2.

There are always (with any Land Rover) good cars and bad cars. Touch wood, in 90,000 miles (so far) I haven't had undue cause to worry. Providing you get the usual warranted service history then it's highly likely that recalls/mods will have been covered already. These are easy to check with a quick visit to the dealer any way. From memory, there were oil ingress problems through the injector harness on early models (mine included) and also ECU problems. Here, again, mine was changed under warranty when I got the car. This problem manifested itself as 'lumpy' running at low throttle openings which was accerbated in low range. Post 2000 cars were fitted with a modified ECU which was flash programmable - the earlier ones didn't have this luxury which would limit 'chipping' options a bit. For the '03 model year (June 2002 release) there were also quite significant changes across the board - new 'pocket' head lights, repositioned rear lights being the most obvious visually. Here, again, the ECU was changed.

Given a choice, I'd go for a post '03 TD5 ES automatic. Why? The '03 changes were a very good worth while improvement. The TD5 'cos of the price of fuel(!), the ES for the toys (from experience, I got a GS) and the auto well, because I like them and, on the Disco 2, the auto box is a revelation.

These are probably just out range of your budget so the choice would probably be pre-'03 ES or post-'03 GS/XS. Drive them both and decide... Things to look out for, however, are ACE which was an option on early 7 seaters below ES spec. A must have. Also, go for climate control. Again this was an option on early models below ES spec. Another nice to have is the premium radio option which adds a CD player, additional speakers and separate control from the rear most (children's seats) allowing them to wear head phones and not subject you to whatever the latest listening craze is.

Bottom line is that there were no significant differences between any year pre 2003 model year introduction.

Mine, for interest, is a 1999 TD5 GS 5 seater manual. It has ACE, climate control and premium ICE. Currently fitted with a dastek powerplug chip, 19" RR3 Vougue alloys and michelin AT tyres, OME suspension (2" lift), OME steering damper, Discoparts rock sliders, receiver hitch, center diff lock ( not available pre '04), safari snorkel, patriot 2.0 m roof rack and howling moon 2.1 m awning.

I have considered a change to an '03 ES auto but don't think the price hike is worth it.

Hope this helps...

thanks kzycnn - most helpful