The Old 200TDi Disco is getting long in the tooth now, and although functionally it's fine, I'm concerned about future costs. It's going in for its MOT soon and the news maybe terminal. It nearly was last year.
Currently the disco fulfills the following purposes:
1) Seats a family of 4 comfortably. I am 6'4", my 13 year old girls are 5'6" and 5'2" respecively. they are still growing. We need a LOT of legroom.
2) Pulls a tipper trailer fully laden at 2.7 tonnes. The disco has a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes but I wouldn't like to tow this weight with it, so something that "boasts" a similar towing weight would be good.
3) Is 4 wheel drive with diff lock. I would gladly go to the more modern traction control as is on the TD5.
I may need another 4 wheel drive to replace the disco with.
So far I have considered the following:
Disco TD5
Nissan twin cab thingy - poss new on some 0% finance deal
Nissan Patrol
Mitsibushi L200 twin cab
Other suggestions please, and comments.
Thanks
Hugo
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May I be the first to respond, with possibly the only suggestion of a Hyundai Terracan? Widely used in the Oz outback, and more obscurely for snow clearance in bavaria.
It would seat 4 6'2 people easily - indeed when I get in the back to see the baby, I'm shocked by the amount of room.
The best bit? The price £15K will get a 1yr old, whilst £17K should get a new one.
The bad bit? The image!!
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One mate in Sweden has the Sorento CDi, and is very pleased with it.
Another rocked into Frankfurt last month in a mean-looking black SsangYong Rexton CDi, and reckoned he´d got an M-Class for ?15k cheaper.
Not sure what the max towing wheights are on these Korean jeeps are, but maybe worth thinking about (if you haven´t already).
I *think* the technology may be a bit more modern than the Terracan, which IIRC is a reskin of an old Mitsu Shogun - none the worse for it, it´s just a bit old-tech.
Regards,
Barchettaman (king of the left-field choice...)
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The Terra' can tow 2.8t. In terms of space it beats the sorrento hands down. Not sure about the rex.
It is older tech, which means cheap to run, with a 5yr warranty anyway!
I cant find anything wrong with mine, although I haven't towed anything.
Have a look at forum.australia4wd.com/index.php?showforum=47 for more feedback!
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>>May I be the first to respond, with possibly the only suggestion of a Hyundai Terracan?
Drove a new one a few times in the last weeks in the Andes. Should be called a Terracan't. And on at least one slope, Terrorcan't.
Also, since someone else asked a few weeks ago, spent some time in the new HiLux. In my occasionally humble opinion Toyota have made a mistake with this. I am a huge fan of the older model - which is tough and can take the abuse. This new one drives alright offroad but it doesn't feel half as tough or capable as its predecessor, although it is a lot more sophisticated. Its also a great deal larger, leaving Toyota without something in the old HiLux space - hence my opinion that they've made a strange decision.
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Are you doing the towing for business or pleasure? At those weights you are getting/have got very close to having to have a Tacho fitted if it is for business!!! (big bucks!!)
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The Old 200TDi Disco is getting long in the tooth now, and although functionally it's fine, I'm concerned about future costs. Hugo
What is the purpose of a twin cab. IMHO and that of many others is that they serve no purpose at all. It is not a pick up.........Too small. It is not a four seat car.....Too small in rear.......You cannot hide tools in it......I know what you do for a living......It has no use at the money. Many of my ilk consider these vehicles to be nothing more than an extension of some part of the male anatomy......They are a joke, but a very cleverly marketed joke and no more. My van pulls a 2 ton trailer over carpy terrain if it has to. Your money is earnt working, not carrying rubbish to the dump or picking up bags of sand. Let the merchants and the skip people do that....Nuff said..Except Long wheelbase high roof van. Deadlocks and tools hopefully safe and dry and spoilable materials carried as and when. No sign writing and park where you like as a delivery driver for short periods. Long enough to nip to the bank!!
Vbr.......MD.
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Disco TD5. Tough enough to work hard, posh enough to look the part at the weekend - after a clean.
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hugo ,have heard of nissan navara? needing welding after a bit of towing work,L200 is a good truck but kids might not be impressed with rear cabin.
depending on your price range I suppose but you would get a late 300tdi disco easily enough and good td5 discos are also easier to buy now and a better towing motor will be hard to find
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Hi Hugo,
Not much to bring to this thread other than to discount the L200. My uncle has one and it's a nice beast but not a family car when it comes to rear legroom.
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A client has just had the same dilemma, his old Disco wasn't quite dead and he had a buyer who was getting rid of one with 280,000 miles on the clock which was dead! He considered a few alternatives, but I saw him last week in a 55 reg Disco TD6.
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Hugo
I have just got the Isuzu Rodeo doublecab, excellent pulling power, pretty good legroom front and back, carries a ton in the back and can tow three tons.
I agree with the other poster that you cannot hide stuff easily, but it does depend what you want/need it for, only had mine for just over a week, but it's already done two full loads to the tip (including a chest freezer and dishwasher), trip to the timber merchants (six 8x4 sheets of plywood, and a 10' length of 2x1 and a weekend at the field towing trailers (full of hay and dung) and horseboxes.
It has coped with all that perfectly.
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Thanks for all the replies so far.
TU, the disco is towing mainly for private use. It tends to be Waste or building materials. It is not "goods" as in what you're thinking of. Does this answer your question?
Martin, I had thought of the van but to be honest, having got stuck even with the TDi with a tonne in the trailer I have discounted this, plus we do need a family vehicle. The current TDi is the first car we've had that we're all comfortable in
We have thought of combining SWMBOs transport and the disco to get an auto 4x4 but I'm not keen on this as it took years to get her behind the wheel of something, and I don't want the hassle of her not driving again, that is something I cannot afford to happen.
Having said that, a look over last year's MOT has revealed that on reflection, the mileage I have done in the last year really does not warrent spending new car money. I'm hoping it'll get though the MOT without too much trouble.
Thanks again
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