Test drive Land Rover Discovery LR3 2004 - 2009 SUV

The light of different stars

There are enough seven -seater SUVs today, but the hand itself writes the Land Rover Discovery into competitors to the new Jeep Commander. On that and decided ...

In the history of Jeep there was already one seven -seater SUV. In the early sixties, a closed van was produced in the early sixties, in which an additional pair of seats was installed against the drive of the car. As for Land Rover, in its range there were six-, and eight, and even ten-seater cars. And even Discovery in the trunk received a couple of seats in the early nineties. Is it worth it from this that the seven -seater SUV among the British came out more successful and, above all, more convenient, we decided to check, crossing the swords of the latest Jeep Commander and still very fresh Land Rover Discovery III. You can even say that this is a kind of duel of salons and trunk, although the part that concerns patency and controllability will not be left without our attention.

Duel Salonov

The British did not build their Disco from the cleanest sheet, no matter what press releases and advertising avenues to say. They used not only the experience of two generations of two generations of Discovery SUVs, but also the developments of their colleagues. It is appropriate to recall that now Land Rover belongs to the Ford Motor Corporation and most of the solutions, both marketing and technological, come to Heydon from behind the ocean. The Discovery third series platform is very similar to the new generation Ford Explorer base. It is enough to mention an independent rear suspension with semi -helmets passing through the high -profile shells with a low profile of the rear. By the way, Explorer is also seven -seater, but in its salon on the third row it is not as convenient as in Land Rover. However, about comfort a little later, so far about technology. Having gathered their own tested decisions and adding partners' development, the British issued a more than interesting SUV, which for two years in a row collected almost all the highest awards in the nominations of the best 4x4 different competitions.

In turn, the engineers and artists of Jeep, in the development of Commander, used for the most part their own ideas. Not counting perhaps the diesel engines and the gearboxes joined with them, borrowed from German partners from Daimler. The platform, and for the Commander, it was the 2004 debutant Grand Cherokee, already managed to run into, so that the main severity of the works fell on the shoulders of salonchiki and ergonomics, as well as designers. Climb three rows of seats and keep dimensions within the used platform is serious matter.

The car will move

The platform will remain ... in this case, the platform, but it doesn’t matter. The platforms of our duelists are fundamentally different. If in a nutshell, then Jeep Commander has a supporting body, and the rear suspension is dependent, and the Land Rover Discovery Rama and the fully independent suspension of all wheels. Well, isn't it a reason for a fight? Sir, you are an ignoramus, and your platform is the wrong system! Meet me at half-second at the Saint-Germain monastery! I will cut your ears on the go!

The overall dimensions of the Jeep Commander relative to the basic Grand Cherokee increased very little. The length is five centimeters, the track is steamed, the width has grown and especially the height. The wheelbase is the same. An inspection on the lift showed that no new elements that distinguish the Commander from Grand Cherokee appeared. The front independent spring suspension on double levers, the rear unreasonable bridge with five levers and springs. Permanent all-wheel drive, the distribution box of the Quadra Drive II system, a five-speed automatic transmission, a 4.7-liter gasoline engine V8. The planetary differential in the handout when driving through dry asphalt distributes the torque between the front and the rear axles in the proportion of 48:52.

Electronics monitors the degree of blocking of all three differentials, and the degree of this lock can change smoothly up to 100 percent. Well, when turning Quadra Drive II, weakens the lock so as not to load the transmission. The handout has a lowering gear 1: 2.72, which is activated by a servo by a small chrome lever. And in order to turn on the neutral in the handout, you need to use a ballpoint pen or other similar item, which must be pressed a tiny, drowned button in the panel. By the way, the Land Rover has a lever that is very similar to the Jeep hand -controlled hand gearbox, is responsible for the manual brake. Such is the British irony ...

Land Rover Discovery is built on a frame. True, it is declared built -in in the body, which in practice is easier to say than to show. I understood the explanations of the designers, but I did not show an examination on the lift of the fundamental differences in Discovery from other frames, except for holes for the rear pennants. Frame as a frame, a body as a body ... Land rover pendants are independent, in our case with pneumatic elastic elements, which allows you to change the road clearance. There are versions with a spring suspension, which, with frequent use on off -road, are preferable, because pneumoballons are far from eternal. The Land Rover drive is constant full, torque is distributed evenly, and all locks, as well as Jeep, occur automatically under the control of Terrain Response, an electronic system that helps to move on roadway. It does not allow you to make a mistake if you think at least a little and see what will happen under the wheels in five minutes. The reducing gear in Land Rover is manually turned on with a beautiful key, and Terrain Response can only demand or recommend this. The system will follow everything else itself. However, no, the suspension level must be changed.

Seven by seven

We did not have the most expensive version of Discovery, and it was possible to change the position of the driver's seat only at a distance to the pedals, tilting the back and the height of the rear edge of the seat. And I would like to raise the front edge. Otherwise, it is not convenient to sit at the wheel. The gas pedal is very soft, and the leg remains in tension all the time, and even on weight. I must immediately make a reservation that it was not not only for me ... but other versions, where the degrees of freedom of the chair is one more, this problem is not so clearly expressed. But Jeep does not regulate the departure of the steering column. True, this is compensated by the pedal unit crawling from the driver. Be that as it may, the pilot planting in Commander is more convenient. It is a little more vertical than in Grand Cherokee, although our Discovery does not reach the Command Position. But on off -road is much more convenient to control the machine, sitting in Land Rover. He leaned out of the window, and you see both wheels on their part. And on the right side, the navigator will help. Such tricks do not pass with jeep, even though they get out to the waist - the rear wheels can only be seen in the mirrors. Due to a higher landing, the rear view from Land Rover is somewhat better, unless the third row is raised and its head restraints are not installed in place. Jeep with the third row has a review through the rear -view mirror a little better.

In the second row, and even more so in the third much more comfortable in Discovery. Places are larger for the legs and width. Parity except in space above the head, but only in the second row. On the Commander’s galleries, I immediately rested the back of my head on the stamping doorway. I'm not even talking about pursed knees. In a word, the third row of Jeep only for children ... This is especially noticeable against the background of quite tolerant and even comfortable seats of the third row in Land Rover. True, there is no separate air conditioner there, but there are cup holders, voluminous boxes and plugs for connecting headphones.

In the nomination, the difficulty of folding and installing the third row seats with a large margin forward breaks the Commun-Der. The whole procedure is performed in one motion from the side of the fifth door. Raise - pull the strap. Fold - turny by the hilt on the wall of the compartment. The Land Rover has a complicated and harsh mechanism. Then pull it, there are turfs, turn over, snap, throw off, fix it. From here you can’t get it, you can’t reach there ... Here the second row is fine: I pulled it for the rope - everything leaned back. However, Commander is also not too difficult with this. But with a place on the second row, the American is worse, knees are cramped, but still within the limits of permissible norms of convenience.

One step forward

At Land Rover Discovery, it is a pleasure to ride off -road. Comfortably, smoothly, regular music is good, the engine purrs something of its own, Terrain Response thinks its own, everything works, everything helps. Moreover, he begins to help earlier than it comes to mind that help is needed. The jeep commune-deer on rough terrain must be addressed decisively. Here British delicacy is useless. I chose the trajectory, turned on the reduced, the transfer in the transmission of the second limited - and the go. Only on good gas all Drive systems will work on the fullest. If you make your way with tanks in plastun, then transmission mechanisms will only pull the car, as an option, digging it deeper. I managed to break the clay track above the bumper only at a good move. Not on the move, as the owners of light cars do, but on even gas, but without dropping the momentum, even if there is a feeling that now we will get stuck. Electronics know its job and redirects the traction properly and very efficiently. In approximately the same clay, Land Rover Dis-Covery moves much easier due to a higher landing and Terrain Response. Here it is worth letting the car to do everything yourself, not forgetting to work with the steering wheel. The amplifier, by the way, on Jeep is a little more powerful.

As for the crossed terrain, in the geometric parameters of patency, the advantage of Discovery. This is determined by a large road clearance and angles of entry/congress, as well as articulation, which simply irritates. It is almost impossible to hang out Discovery! As the designers managed to get such a rear independent suspension, for me it will remain a mystery ... The poor man Jeep with his durable and hardy bridge loses dry in the articulation. But where Land Rover unpleasantly scratches the ground with a bottom, Jeep easily breaks the soil layer with powerful protection and rides on. The front bumpers were potentially vulnerable to both cars. This applies to Commander to a greater extent. He has a small aerodynamic skirt that can be removed, but doing it lying on the ground is not very pleasant. It is better to take care of this in advance. A spare wheel is located under the rear overhang of our duelists, so you can not worry about the rear bumper. The Commander, in addition, on both sides of the spare tire, have powerful rails, which you can lean on, crossing over the obstacle.

On the asphalt, the heroes of our narrative are not distinguished by anything remarkable. It is worth reminding me of the stunningly smooth course of Land Rover Discovery. He is a true gentleman - it is impossible to make him be indignant. However, it cannot be said that Jeep is uncomfortable, just Disco is better in this aspect. But in the turns on the Commander, I felt much more confident. Discovery softness during maneuvering is wrapped in rolls and upbringing. It is believed that you need to get used to them and consider a family line and a payment for comfort.

About low and high

That version of the Jeep Commander, which was with us, is Limited 4.7 V8, costs about $ 54,500. The amount that is asked for the Land Rover Discovery 4.4 SE - $ 70,000 (this is with a fabric salon, Comander leather). And cheaper? On springs, with an excellent modern diesel and manual transmission - from $ 55,000. Plus package 7 Seats - another $ 1960. If you equalize such a DISCO by equipment with Commander, taking the automatic transmission instead of a handle ($ 2140) and the skin ($ 2500), it turns out $ 61,600. Even in this situation, there is a difference with the price of Jeep of almost $ 7000. Is it justified? To our taste, yes. Firstly, an almost full-fledged third row of seats, which is important, because it was precisely because of it that these cars took. Secondly, style and image. You can get used to the appearance of the Jeep Commander, it may even like it, but to argue with Discovery in this matter, even if you don’t try to count a pretty penny, you will have to remember that you can still buy Nissan Pathfinder, Kia Sorento in the Russian market , the same Ford Explorer. All of them are not so expensive, quite good, and everyone is produced in seven -seater design. They do not have only one thing - the charm surrounding the Land Rover and Jeep brand.

Text: Igor Gubar
 

A source: Magazine 4x4 [July/2006]