Test drive Land Rover Discovery LR3 2004 - 2009 SUV

Her Majesty Pirate

The history of England knows examples when kings complained of high titles of notorious pirates. The current disco is also like that. It seems that you can contact him exclusively with the word sir.
 



Evening suit for old tramps
When I drove up to the house, I drowned the engine and opened the door of the car, my neighbor’s pink -legged, who was important to swept the snowball from his eyes of her Mercedes, almost did not have enough impact. I only thought that I bought a ranga rover for a hundred thousand bucks. Do not worry, Petrovich, this is just Discovery. And it costs almost twice less, and I did not buy it at all ...
 

I admit, I, too, did not learn how to distinguish a discovery from Range the first time. In size, they are almost the same, both have identical wide black windshield racks, huge square headlights and very similar radiator grilles. And only the doors on which there are no stamping, and the rear wings have a Z-shaped edges, plastic extensors of the wheel arches and the roof of the step give out the old diskauri.
 

Needless to say, this land pirate was made up, and this is how you can translate the name Lend Rover, to glory. Now it looks sedentary, important and very vaguely resembles its daring predecessors.
 

Actually, there is nothing surprising in this. Sales statistics are inexorably testified to: the current jeep must successfully play the role of a comfortable passenger car, and only then knead dirt. That is why, creating Disco of the 21st century, the British could not limit themselves to half measures, they had to design a completely new machine. And we must pay tribute to them, they did not hit the mud in the mud, investing in this matter no less ... billion dollars!
 

For the new Lend Rover, a body with an integrated frame was developed, significantly lowering the center of mass. The heavy unrestrained beams-bridges were replaced by an independent suspension. And on cars in the SE and HSE trim levels, pneumo elements are installed instead of springs with shock absorbers, which allowed to reduce the weight of unsprossed masses four times.
 

I immediately felt that the current corsar on the highway behaves like a spar gentleman. For thugs with a equipped mass for 2.5 tons and a height of a meter ninety of its manner can be called unique. Not only does it hold perfectly at direct at speeds at 160 km/h, but also the turns prescribes much more confidently than the old discovery.
 

And yet, over and over again, screwing my super-distinction into the turns of the suburban highway, I thought with involuntary longing that you could no longer go fishing to the forest lake. This dandy is unlikely to like the asphalt for a long time ...
 



You must be strong, otherwise why should you be
Pops with appearance switch and toggle switch instead of the lever of the distribution box and the buttons of the differential lock only confirmed my assumptions. Farewell, rocky mountains ... All this plastic crap, of course, is not suitable for steep off -road.
 

Ah, it turns out that a lower series of transmissions still exists and is turned on one of these same toxis in the central tunnel, and electronics head with differential locks. Damn it, but here everything does the electronics in general: it is enough to install a rotating pen opposite the suitable icon of the Terrein Rispons system. For the highway, road regime is suitable, and for off -road there are four more installations: grass/gravel/snow, deep track, sand/rocky terrain.
 

They are glorious, but I know from my own experience: the fewer wires and button, the off-road the car behaves more reliable. Remember, for example, to the Niva or GAZ-66.
 

Well, that's just ahead of the clearing with a depth of snow about 40 cm, now we will find out what all this electronics costs. I turn on the snow mode and quietly press the gas. And a miracle, Discovery did not bury, did not helplessly rotate with wheels, but quite confidently rolled further, leaving behind a deep mark.

Well, well done. However, this is a service, not a service. Let's see how our important gentleman on a 30-degree rolled snow slope will be taken away. Confidently, as a climber with experience, the machine reaches the top and no less skillfully, slowing down the wheels, returns to the foot, scaring away numerous skiers. You are! Five points.
 

On the last generation disc, the reserve from the rear door moved under the bottom


But here you certainly sit aground, my friend, I thought and directed the discovery to a dense, 60-centimeter snowdrift. After the front wheels were behind the top of the snowdrift, and the left rear still lost the point of the support and I already imagined myself running to the nearest village behind the tractor, the Lend Rover found some hidden reserves and, at the expense of the moment on the front wheels, returned me to smooth surface.
 

I take off my hat, sir! You pleasantly surprised me. But you know what is the most curious? After all, this dudes was not shod at all in off -road tires, but in ordinary highways! Now it is clear why so quietly, without a characteristic rumble, we went on asphalt.
    
Motors from Yaguar

Discovery III received two completely new engines. Diesel six fruit of joint work of Ford and Peugeot engineers. A feature of the motor is that fuel into cylinders under a huge pressure of 1650 atm injects nozzles with electronic control. And this happens up to five times in one working cycle. Moreover, there is also a supercharger with a variable geometry of the turbine blades. As a result, the engine gives out a torque of 440 nm at 1900 rpm, and the maximum power of 190 liters. With. reached at 4000 rpm.
 

The cylinder block and a 4.4-liter V8 gasoline head with adjustable gas distribution phases are made of aluminum alloy. Which made it possible to significantly reduce the mass of the motor. As a result, the engine develops 295 liters. With. and 425 N.M, telling Discovery crazy dynamics. But the most interesting, both engines, only with some improvements, are installed on the cars of the jaguar brand.




Without false modesty
And yet, you must agree, no matter how well the car drove, no matter how cheerfully it climbs steep slides, but if the car is inconvenient inside, only lone fans dare to buy it today. Previous discovers were just distinguished by this for the worse, the old disco was a thing in themselves. But the new one once again pleasantly surprised me. It seems that the British did not in vain spend a whole billion!
 

Her Majesty's pirate is fulfilled by nobility, and he shows this property in everything. There is now so much space in the cabin that the owners of the former discovers will die of envy. The seats provide the driver with a convenient, almost vertical landing and, accordingly, excellent visibility. And if passengers of the second row earlier had to sit almost on the floor, considering their own knees, now there is no question of any discomfort. Even on the gallery, people with a height of eighty meters will not have to be grieve.
 

The materials of the doors and the front panel are soft and look very solid. There is, however, in the sun spots. Firstly, the indicators of the automatic mode are located to the right of the lever, from the passenger. And secondly, I did not like the petty digitization of the speedometer and tachometer, made in a circle, as in a safe lock. But the British has always been characterized by some identity.
 

Otherwise, solid joys. There is a separate climate control, and a full electric package, a decent audio system, a great many pockets and cup holders, and as many as 8 airbags.

 
    
Terrein Rispons system is easy and understandable in management

Instead of the usual handbrake, a small button on the central tunnel

Having folded the seats of the last two rows, you will receive a cargo compartment with a volume of 2558 liters with an absolutely flat floor
 
 
In the middle row, there is quite enough for passengers a tall of 190 cm

Passengers in the second row have their own heater control panel
 
 
 


What is the end? Of course, now even the most affordable discovery costs $ 13,000 more than its predecessor. But to compare them with each other, even somehow the language does not turn painfully, they are different. The new disco is surprisingly correct, versatile and well -mannered, unlike the very original, but utilitarian rogue, which was before. Honestly, I find it difficult to recall another car for $ 59,000 with such a harmonious combination of such versatile qualities. And even seriously, I am afraid for the health of my neighbor, feeding the weakness for Mercedes. When he reads all these praises to the land-Rover, his, what kind of good, there is really enough blow.
    
From self -sufficiency to luxury

Disco III is sold in Russia in only three trim levels. But they will satisfy any requests. Even the most affordable version of S is quite informative. In the car for $ 52,900 there is air conditioning, electric windows, alarm, central locking with DU, electric mirror and heating, audio system with a CD player, 8 pillows, blocking of the center differential, ABS, dynamic stabilization systems, anti-cpendary and control control from the mountain, Cast disks R17 and even overturning sensors. True, you will have to be content with a diesel engine and a spring suspension.
 

The SE equipment includes everything that your heart wants. Or almost everything. How do you like the list of R18 alloy wheels, separate climate control, pneumatic suspension with the TerRein Ripons system, parking and rain sensors, bixenon and fog lights and an on-board computer? Here, by the way, you can already choose from two engines. A diesel machine costs $ 56,900, and gasoline (only with automatic transmission) is exactly $ 10,000 more expensive.
 

The most luxurious HSE equipment can also be equipped with a diesel or gasoline engine. Real luxury connoisseurs will like a leather salon, 8 electric-regions of a driver's seat with memory and 6 for the front passenger seat, acoustics Harman Cardon, 8 speakers, subwoofer, a 6-disks CD and control of the audio system on the steering wheel. And all this will cost additional $ 5000.
 
PER

Good controllability and smoothness, high cross -country ability, spacious and convenient salon, a painful and economical diesel
AGAINST

Expensive gasoline engine, poorly readable devices, rapidly contaminated glass of the rear door, uncomfortable handles of mechanical adjustment of the back of the front seats
 
Land Rover Discovery 2.7 TDV6

common data
 
Body (number of places/doors)
Universal (7/5)
 
Equipped mass, kg
2718
 
Length x width x height, mm
4835x2190x1837
 
Base, mm
2885
 
Front/back, mm track
1605/1612.5
 
Acceleration time 0100 km/h, with
12.8
 
Speed, km/h
180
 
Fuel consumption, l/100 km highway/city
8.7/13.2
 

Engine
 
Design
diesel, V-shaped, 6-cylinder
 
Working volume, SMZ
2720
 
Power, L.S. at rpm
190/4000
 
Torque, kgsm at rpm
44.9/1900
 

Chassis
 
Drive unit
Constant full
 
Transmission
Automatic 6-speed
 
Suspension
Independent, pneumatic, on double transverse levers, with reptile stabilizers
 
Steering
rhealenic type with hydraulic power steering
 
Brakes
disk, ventilated
 
Tires
225/60 R18
 
 
Andrey Koltun, photo of Maxim Goncharov
 
 

Source: Magazine buy a car [02/2005]