I am 6 months into ownership and happy with what is my first auto. I would like to know auto owners thoughts on the box generally but not in a vs manual sense, just general thoughts. Here are a few questions:

1: TD4 vs SD4? I read on here that the TD4 is smoother but the SD4 is obviously faster. Can anyone who has owned both offer their view on the differences?

2: Still learning? I find that when accelerating quickly (i.e. short slip roads to build speed up), it holds on to gears too long so I use commandshift but then recently I have noticed that easing off the throttle somewhat allows it to change earlier but doesn't seem to halt the swift progress. How do you find acceleration when the occasion calls for swifter progress?

3: I have also read that the box in the Disco 4 is far superior. What's different about it and why is it allegedly better?

4: Can you offer any comparisons with auto boxes in rival 4x4's? Be it BMW et al or Nissan X-Trail for example

Ta  60 plate SD4 XS, Stornoway Grey, Arm rest pack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly--gT1RJdk

I've driven the x-trail and new BMW boxes, the Nissan wasn't much to write home about and the BMW has too many gears, and is too keen to kick down.

Ours is a 2009 TD4, not sure how different to yours it is but it is exceptionally smooth. The Discovery box makes better use of the torque I feel and has more 'scope' to 'learn' as it were. I actually think the LR transmissions (before including the 8 speed versions) were the best auto/engine combinations on sale.

I don't use command often, I do use the technique that you describe of applying a significant amount of throttle, then coming off a bit to coax into a change. If I don't use ours for a while, when I jump in over the first few miles the box noticeably alters its shift patterns.

Bare in mind the auto, in Drive will always change up, when accelerating, when it can continue to accelerate at the rate requested. Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

can't talk to the 1st part. As for the 2nd part, modern autos are not just a case of change up and down based on a single mapping. in a similar vein to normal versus sports mode on the box, there are modes which the box can put itself in which are not available to the driver.

A couple of them are often hill mode and towing modes. These tend to favour holding onto a lower gear for longer ( a little ilk the sport mode would do ) and also how harsh the box will make its shift over. The idea of holding a lower gear means that the fluid is pushed quicker through the system, and consequently the cooler of the system, providing additional cooling.

By keeping your foot down, your telling the box you want high demand, and it'll more likely hold the lower gear as the higher the rpm, the better the power transfer through the torque converter. Your change up through command shift probably still gives roughly the same acceleration as the engine is staying on boost with the turbo and is within its power band ... but technically it may not be the most efficient due to the lower rpm of the torque converter.

As for the Disco box ... its upgraded to the 8spd auto , which is a follow on from the 6spd before ... which both have a different gear system compared to older 5spd boxes. The newer design is simpler in is method of operation using less parts with a greater reliability. Its also able to lock up most of its gears unlike earlier style boxes which were limited to lockup in just the higher gears. The benefit being that you can achieve lock at town speed like 30mph ... thus greatly increasing fuel efficiency.

I also use this "shift-by-throttle" technique and it works.Over the week when I use car for mostly short trips around the town the box shifts often over 2500 rpm but on weekends when I drive it on motorways the box "improves" and shifts around 1700 rpm.Have driven a lot of Audis and VWs with their older "Tiptronic" boxes which were terrible compared to ours in FL2s.

Short trips is something different than the learning, once it's learnt, it stays in memory when you next drive.

When cold, auto's are a bit clumsy in that the clutches don't lock up. You can tell as the revs drop when you throttle off, or increase quickly before the vehicle speed increases. What you're describing about it changing at 1700 when been on the motorway is a classic comparison between warm and cold operating temps.

The FL I would say locks locks up in probably all gears, when warm ours definitely does at 30 in town. Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

Sadly LR dont do a twin clutch auto (which I love) - but my guess is that they may not suit off road very well?
The few auto (courtesy) Freelanders I have driven have not impressed me in terms of the auto box compared to some cars I have driven with the excellent ZF auto. BUT - would prefer an Auto FL over a manual any day.  (Coming) 2016 RR Evoque td4 180 HSE Dynamc
(Going) 2013 TD4 GS Auto - Santorini Black with black leather. Cold Climate, UK Lighting & Armrest Packs. Privacy Glass. LR Rubber Mats. Full size spare.
60 000 miles averaging 35mpg

(Gone) 2010 TD4 Manual GS - Stornoway Grey. Sold at 3yrs old & 64k miles. Final average consumption 39.2mpg.

Twin clutch wouldn't be suited to off road...but then again, the majority of things on the new ones are not suited to off road either  Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

Some interesting thoughts chaps, thanks. Whilst I cannot comment on the performance of the TD4, I have never found myself wanting more power with the SD4. Not a fast car in the big scheme of things but power aplenty for B roads and A roads or motorways with effortless overtaking.

The power seems very accessible with the auto (if that's the word I am looking for). A quick turn of speed but I do avoid stamping on the throttle because it drops 2 gears and revs its head off which is pointless and useless. 1 gear kickdown with a more delicate approach is plenty.

I used to have a Freelander 1 manual TD4 (BMW engine) and compared to that, this thing is both limo like and goes like the Starship Enterprise. A recent example of the decent turn of pace was when I joined the slip road with reasonable speed and wanted to get by a HGV promptly. Unfortunately, a rep type guy in an Audi A4 coming up behind in the overtaking lane, spotted my intentions and floored it to try and get by before I pulled out. I elected what I thought was the best option....Engage warp drive The acceleration enabled me to not only pull out in good time without cutting Mr Audi up but I also pulled away from him with ease much to his surprise. I duly backed off once safely back in the inside lane and he went whizzing by engine screaming on a mission to headbutt the horizon

 60 plate SD4 XS, Stornoway Grey, Arm rest pack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly--gT1RJdk

The best autos I have driven have all been pretty much twin clutch, VAG DSG, Ford/Volvo Powershift and Porsche PDK are all the ones I have a decent number of miles on in varying and day to day real life conditions, as opposed to just a test drive of only a day or two.

Historically I have hated torque converter (TC) autos because of the lack of connection between the engine and the vehicle control. I like to drive using acceleration sense and too often the relative lack of compression braking just means one hammers the brakes more when having to get a wiggle on. Memories of extremely so-so brakes on Met SD1 Rover autos still give nightmares.

This downside has been significantly reduced by the introduction of multispeed auto boxes with the TC achieving lockup far more frequently. Whilst the auto in the FL2 isn't the best in this respect, it's still rather good and imo suits the vehicle down to the ground.

I use command shift not that often, but find that Sport setting is the best one for non motorway / dual carriageway work as it seems to hold onto gears and one gets much less frequent up and downshifts when the box in D seems to want to change up too early, only have to change back down on the next bend / hill.

Quite happy with TD4, SD4 that have driven have seemed smoother, but then they have been newer, so ?