Test drive Land Rover Discovery 2002 - 2004 SUV

The battle of local significance

The circle of these people, they are terribly far from the people. This is not about the Decembrists - this is about fans of SUVs Land Rover Discovery and Isuzu Trooper.
It so happened that both cars did not justify our proud names. Land Rover is just opening the market for its Discovery, and Isuzu got bogged down with Trooper in the rearguard of numerous Cruiser and other Patrol. Nevertheless, these two cars look very worthy and have every chance to lead an off-road hit parade. The high price is quite consistent with their internal content: rich filling is combined in Discovery and Trooper with excellent road and off -road qualities.
AMMUNITION. These cars have a lot in common. The main thing is an old reliable frame design. She saved many jeepers in critical off -road situations. Although its advantages in the city are doubtful, if only due to increasing the weight of the car.
The second resemblance is an uncertain rear bridge, which is used for a century on SUVs. The system is again reliable on off -road, only you should not forget to change the oil after crossing water barriers.
Discovery and Trooper are also related to the fact that both retained the appearance of the early 90s. Although they were subjected to restyling in the recent past, they saved their classical unpretentiousness. The fact that we have enough new cars are quite insignificant details-smooth contours and chrome burdocks of mirrors on Trooper and modern block facts on Discovery. And so on both cars even removable spurts have been preserved, which immediately suggests that we have serious SUVs, and not parquet scarves. Unfortunately, under the belly of Trooper, details of the protection of the distribution and muffler are too frankly visible, which can be torn to a serious OFF-ROD. But Discovery in this sense does not cause concerns.
DISLOCATION. The creators of Discovery and Trooper have given much more attention to the interior decoration. From the inside they look more modern and elegant than outside. First of all, light interiors create a feeling of space. Although the use of expensive pale cream skin in both cases is debatable. Jipper in dirty shoes and elegant-tabble clothing from Columbia looks against the background of all this splendor as a lemonade straw in a glass with expensive wine.
But sitting in both cars is convenient regardless of the style of clothing. Trooper looks more spacious, due to the absence of a central glove compartment and a low tunnel of the cardan shaft behind. Discovery feels closer, but seven people are elementary in it. Two extra - for folding places in the trunk.
Even Discovery frankly beats Trooper in overview. Side mirrors are better, and the back stand does not interfere. The fact is that in Trooper the back door is a double -leaf, and a massive standing greatly harms the review. In addition, only one door is equipped with a janitor, and a large dead zone forms in the back in the back.
We have claims to ergonomics of jobs on both SUVs. In Discovery in a driver’s place, it is quite crowded: a large driver will constantly beat his left elbow on the door. In Trooper, adjustments to the driver's chair are very limited - horizontally and in the back of the back. Sitting, in general, is convenient, but too vertically in a battles. On the highway, I constantly want to take a more relaxed pose. In addition, the automatic transmission selector moves too easily - as a result, when switching to the drive, we constantly missed and fell into low gears.
AMMUNITION. Discovery in the form in which he got to our test, he was preparing to conquer Europe. An economical diesel engine with excellent characteristics. The turbine is already included in the operation of 2 thousand engine speeds and spurred the car on the overclocking so that it goes to the nostril with a much more powerful Trooper. The numbers in the table are a crazy thing. ISUZU was preparing Trooper for landing on an American continent - hence a powerful gasoline engine, which is absolutely indifferent to the wallet of its owner. Moreover, on the highway of 215 hp. It is not particularly felt - there is no hurricane acceleration from the place, there is no powerful pickup from medium revolutions. Discovery reactions were more adequate to the driver's ambitious desires on a flat road.
But in terms of controllability, these cars look like children from one shelter. As befits a heavy jeep, they are distinguished by the complete absence of reactive effects on the steering wheel. These cars are simply not created for active drive. The steering type of the screw-gay type requires active work even when rebuilding from a row in a row on the highway.
PREPARATION. Despite the fact that Trooper, unlike Discovery, has an exceptionally rear -wheel drive mode, the transmission can be considered similar. In the sense that they require a minimum of attention from the driver.
Trooper has a proprietary ISUZU Torque-on-Demand. It is driven by pressing the button on the central console. You can use it when moving on even asphalt. Most of the owners do not turn off the TOD system at all and constantly go on all -wheel drive. This is safe for the design, since in automatic mode 4WD Trooper retains the rear wheel drive. Only when they slipped, the electronics include a multi -disc clowing in the distribution and distributes part of the torque on the front wheels. This process is displayed on a special indicator on the left side of the devices - the more the moment is transmitted forward, the more intensively the pouring of the Graphic image of the front wheels with the green light. When the lowering is turned on, the force is distributed in a ratio of 50:50.
Discovery has a permanent all -wheel drive 50:50. In addition, the engine effort can be redistributed between the wheels using the ETC electronic system, which slows down the masking wheel. But where did we slip?
DISPOSITION. After a terrible Moscow drought, finding good off -road is like looking for a swamp in sugar. Therefore, we limited ourselves to a broken lanes and an awesome -looking slope in order to test the cars on the off -road.
According to the lane cut in places with deep ruts, we moved on all -wheel drive, a handout in 4h mode (increased). The slope was stormed on all -wheel drive and reduced gear.
On it, Discovery demonstrated its absolute advantage. Firstly, thanks to the HDC system (control over the descent on the descent). It is enough to tackle the special button on the console, and the two -ton car independently slides off the slope - the electronics holds a speed of about 10 km/h, simulating the braking with the engine. Secondly, the presence of a rear active suspension helps a lot. It is enough to press another button - and the back of the car rises above the road by 15 cm. This significantly reduces the rear overhang, and Discovery will not hook the surface with the bumper.
According to ISUZU and Land Rover, they move about approximately the same, but Trooper seemed less comfortable to us - the body swing with constantly increasing amplitude on the potholes, although the car quite gently swallowed large irregularities. And on asphalt in sharp turns Discovery is definitely more comfortable. Thanks to the ACE electronic hydraulic system, which in time extinguishes too sharp fluctuations in the body, increasing the rigidity of the suspension.
As a result, we could not give a clear preference to one or another SUV. Their strength and chances are approximately equal. Unless Discovery looks more stylish and elegant than the angular Trooper. But to impose your aesthetic preferences is a thing, as you know, ungrateful. Moreover, both SUVs, as we already said at the beginning, people choose consciously and with their sight.
Text Nikolay Kachurin, photo Alexey Ilyin

Model/Modification Land Rover Discovery Isuzu Trooper
Manufacturer/country Land Rover Ltd./ English iszu Motors ltd./yaponia
BODY
Type station wagon
Number of doors/places 5/5-7 5/5
The fasting element of the staircase type frame of the staircase type
ENGINE
Type of diesel with turbocharged gasoline with multi -point injection
Front in front of the front is longitudinally
Working volume (cubic cub) 2495 3494
Number/location of cylinders 5/rowing 6/V-shaped
Power, kW (L.S.) at about./Min. 101 (137) at 4200 158 (215) at 5400
Moment (Nm at about./Min.) 340 at 1950 312 at 3000
TRANSMISSION
The drive is full, connected full
Automatic gearbox, 4-speed automatic, 4-speed
Transporting number (norms/lowering) 1.211/3.269 1/2.05
SUSPENSION
Anterior/rear spring, unreasonable bridge on longitudinal levers, Panar's thrust/spring, an unreasonable bridge on articulated levers, pneumatic power absorbers torsion, double transverse levers, transverse stability stabilizer/Spring, insoluble bridge on longitudinal levers, traction of panar
STEERING
Type of screw-gay with hydraulic power steering screw with hydraulic power steering
Min. Diameter of turn (m) 11.9 10.8
Brakes
Front/rear circular ventilated/disk ventilated disk
ABS 4-channel with ETC, EDB, HDC 4-channel systems
Dimensions/volumes/weight
Length/width/height (mm) 4705/1885/1900 4795/1835/1840
Wheel base (mm) 2540 2760
Equipped mass (kg) 2270 2080
Tires/discs 235/70 R16/alloy, 7J 245/70 R16/7J
Dynamic characteristics
Maximum speed (km/h) 157 180
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 17.1 11.8
Economy
The average fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 12.7/9.0 20.6/11.7
The price in Moscow from $ 46 thousand $ 42.9 thousand.

 

Source: "Autopilot"