Which Discovery 5 to get for least problems

All Discovery 5 related discussions
Oberver
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:24 pm

Post by Oberver »

Greetings all,
I have read with interest the variety of faults and issues with discovery 5 vehicles, but also what seems to be a number of very pleased owners too. I love the Discovery as a vehicle and am looking to get a LR approved used discovery 5, probably a HSE and around a year old. My question is - what specification should I look for, for minimal faults / issues and is there anything I should ask a dealer in terms of upgrades, new software installs, fixes etc that they should do or I should ask for, before agreeing to buy one? Thanks in advance for your advice. Andy
D5 HSE Carpathian Grey

Davidls
Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2018 3:15 pm

Post by Davidls »

Hi Andy,
We have a MY18 registered March 2018 HSE and have has (touch wood) nobproblems. Very pleased with it.
Regards,
Qwertyd5
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 7:22 pm

Post by Qwertyd5 »

My July-18 3.0d HSE already has the early service issue, plus faults with media system, air con and keyless entry & start.
I’d avoid the pre MY19 3.0d engine. The rest of the known issues will probably be fixable under warranty, but it’s a real pain if, like me, you don’t live near the dealer for repeat visits!
Oberver
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:24 pm

Post by Oberver »

Ok thanks for that. So from my reading and the above the following seems best:

Choose MY19 or possibly MY18
Avoid 3L Diesel engine, so presume the 2L diesel is preferable over petrol
Ensure infotainment system is updated to latest version
HSE trim for most needed gadgets and driving aids

That’s really helpful.
D5 HSE Carpathian Grey
Hauser
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:39 am

Post by Hauser »

Guys, how can you possibly suggest engines if you don't even know his daily driving style?
This is like: "Doctor, I feel sick, what should I do?" And you guys immediately start to name your favorite drugs. :roll: :?

Greets,
Hauser
Discovery 5 (MY 2017): HSE Luxury, TDV6, Fuji White w. black roof
Discovery Sport (MY 2016): HSE, TD4, Firenze Red w. black roof
Oberver
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:24 pm

Post by Oberver »

Good point Hauser. So driving is typically 13000-15000 per year. Mainly short distances in the working week, but much longer at weekends, with typically 10 - 15 visits from London to Cumbria, n Wales, Peak District per year. Does that help?
D5 HSE Carpathian Grey
Hauser
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:39 am

Post by Hauser »

Hi Observer,

engine choice isn't an easy decision.
Before going into details, there are people here that don't agree with my opinion. So I would advice you to research those points yourself and draw your own conclusion.

Older engines (<MY19):
2.0L Ingenium: It's power is enough to get along well. It is said to be a little louder and rougher than the 3.0L engine, but that shouldn't be a surprise. Quit a few say it's not better on mpg, others say it is. The main point to choose this engine would be the DPF (SCR) and it's regeneration cycle. The DPF (SCR) is close coupled (which means it's located right next to the engine) and therefore the regeneration works very well. It does not suffer from the oil dilution issue of the 2.0L Ingeniums in the Disco Sport for example, where it is loose coupled (located below the car, below the first seat row). It's the best choice if you do lot's of short trips.
In the Disco Sport Forums are quit a few owners that have testet their oil (because of the oil dilution issue) and discovered, that all of the tested Ingeniums have very high iron levels in the oil. An average modern diesel engine got 42 ppm, the tested Ingeniums have 224 ppm. Those tests have been done by Disco Sport owners, so I can't tell you if the Ingenium in a D5 has less wear.

3.0L PSA: Plenty of power, very quiet and smooth. Sadly LR chose a loose coupled DPF (SCR) to go with this engine. So lot's of short trips fill up the DPF (SCR) and therefore trigger quit a lot regeneration cycles. If interrupted (which the next short trip will do) and the cycle has to start over. This causes the oil dilution issue and very short service intervals. But it has to be said that this issue is linked to short trips and if your driving style allows for complete regen cycles you will be fine.

Newer engines: (>MY19):
2.0L Ingenium: They reworked the engine and it lost quit a bit of torque (500NM > 430NM). Since they must have had a reason for this substantial draw back, it triggers my personal alarms. 430 NM is what my (Ingenium) Disco Sport got and it's not a lot of Torque for the heavier D5. But of cause it's up to you to decide if that's enough for your needs. Didn't see any oil analysis results for those engines so far, so can't say if the iron levels are still as high.

3.0L PSA: They reworked this engine as well. It now delivers 700NM torque (600 NM before) and 306 bhp (258 before). This engine was used in the RRS before and there have been quit a few RRS owners that reported engine totals. LR says they found the source and fixed it, but of course there are no long term experiences yet.

So it is really up to you and your driving style what engine is best for you and what you feel comfortable with.

Greets,
Hauser
Discovery 5 (MY 2017): HSE Luxury, TDV6, Fuji White w. black roof
Discovery Sport (MY 2016): HSE, TD4, Firenze Red w. black roof
Oberver
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2018 9:24 pm

Post by Oberver »

Thanks so much for that detailed commentary Hauser. It is indeed complicated. I drove a 3L 2018 plate D5 today and it was a beautiful machine. I then followed that with driving a 2L 2017 plat D5 and I could tell the difference and the slight growl of the engine. Because the 2017 was a slightly earlier model, albeit higher spec (HSE lux over HSE), it didn’t have quite the refinement of digital instrument cluster, which was fabulous on the 2018 HSE. I won’t be towing so I am wondering if I need the bigger engine. My concern is that I can sometimes go two or three weeks between long drives and I worry that this might mean oil dilution issues. Having said that I could easily ensure that each weekend I took my new toy for a long drive, if a week of short journeys can be managed with a weekend longer drive to clear things out. My difficulty is that I can’t afford a new HSE D5 so am likely to need to get one 12-18 months old. As an aside, can you tell me when MY19 editions started? I assumed MY19 were cars due out in 2019, but clearly not. Finally I was originally looking to get a disco sport, but early editions of that seemed to have loads of problems - b pillar rattle, SPD issues, oil dilution, infotainment problems, etc etc. But I have heard that the latest disco sports are excellent machines and these issues have been resolved - in which case I could just go with a new disco sport which is cheaper and I could get what I wanted in terms of spec. Any thoughts you have on this would be most welcome. Andy
D5 HSE Carpathian Grey
Hauser
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:39 am

Post by Hauser »

Hi Andy,

MY19 started a few weeks ago. They just started delivering them. Not a lot out there yet.

What is your daily driving style? (How many miles are you driving at what speed?)
Mine is like 15 miles with 70% of it 50-60 mph. Rest is city speed limit. Once a week I have a longer run: 28.5 miles with 10% city limits, 60% 50 mph and 30% 75 mph. This seams to be enough for both, my DS and my D5 to NOT suffer serious oil dilution. I am not saying, that you will reach the service intervals that LR advertised, but my DS didn't call for an early Inspection (It got it's service when reaching 2 years and 14.600 miles) and my D5 tells me it want's service in about 5500 miles (which would be about 8100 miles after the last oil service). And that's pretty much what I do in a year. So oil dilution and early service intervals are not an issue for me.
The reason I chose the 3.0L engine is the "iron issue" of my DS. The only difference between those engines in the DS and D5 is the location of the DPF (SCR). Sadly there is no oil analysis result of a D5 Ingenium yet. So I went for the 3.0L, which I actually didn't want. I thought it was overpriced and didn't justify the higher price compared to it's benefits. But today, the engine really is one of the features I like the most. Even though I am a very relaxed driver. I am not driving fast or accelerating quick. But it's just so silent and smooth...

I did get my Disco Sport in 2016 and since the D5 was announced I always wanted to upgrade. I guess that could happen to you too, so I would advice you to go for the D5. :) (My wife drives my former DS now so it's still around. I still like the DS, but to be honest, the DS is no match for a D5.)
BTW: Our MY16 DS is build pretty well. No pillar ticking, no major issues. The only thing that worries me is the amount of iron in my oil. (I had the oil analysed twice.)

You mentioned the infotainment issues. The D5 has the same system (that is, if we are talking about the Incontrol Touch Pro). With the latest software (phase 4) it got better, but it's still far from being perfect. The next update will bring Android Auto and Apple Car play, so that's great. But as I said, it's the same system and software in both cars. So this shouldn't be a pro/con for either of them.

Greets,
Hauser
Discovery 5 (MY 2017): HSE Luxury, TDV6, Fuji White w. black roof
Discovery Sport (MY 2016): HSE, TD4, Firenze Red w. black roof
Woodenman
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 4:22 pm

Post by Woodenman »

I've just bought a one year old 3L D, HSE Luxury. I won't lie it was purely for the gadgetry of the seats and the screens. I don't need them, but I can't help myself. I will regret this.
From what I have learnt, if you do low mileage, go for the petrol. If you do higher mileage and long runs, maybe the diesel will work ok. It doesn't seem to like lots of short journeys.
An HSE in a good colour with the right wheels and extras makes sense. Personally, I would buy a dark colour with black wheels and maybe the black pack, largely because when you come to sell, it will 'look' good. Thats very subjective I know, but there will be a lot of highly depreciated Discos around then and so the best looking will be slightly more sought after.

It is a lovely vehicle with a real sense of occasion. I had a BMW M5 last so totally different, but special in a different way.

I won't lie, my favourite vehicle is still my Mitsubishi Barbaraian.......it's not that posh, but it has all the toys you need, goes anywhere and you just chuck stuff in the back and forget about it. 3 years in now and never needed anything more than a wiper blade.... Not something I should say on a Disco forum but stuff it!
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