Hi have d3 auto only doing 22mpg and £500+ ved
Love the d3 but mpg is sickening really
What are fl2 like years ago i had fl1 manual and auto and they were good so presuming fl2 will be great
Any advice would be great
Cheers

I made the same change 2 years ago. My D3 wA 7 years old, and when I sat down and looked at what has cost me, and its ongoing running costs, I felt it was time to move on.

The F2 seemed to be natural choice, having owned one before the D3.

I went for as new a F2 as I could get, which meant not being picky about getting a high spec, but as I tow a caravan, opted for the SD4 (all are auto).

I knew within a few weeks that I had made the right choice.

There is a trade off, the size, the huge towing ability, the 7 seats, etc, but being realistic, I should have moved on years before I did. Updated- Waiting for a Scotland v England 6 Nations home win. 24th Feb 2018
Gone-1972 88 SWB Soft top
Gone-1981 24v FFR Lightweight
Gone-2009 Freelander 2 TD4 GS manual
Gone before it bankrupted me- 2008 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto
2013 Freelander 2 SD4 GS Auto

Typically I get around 38 mpg and tax is half yours, no brainer as they are also an all round nice vehicle. Leather on later ones even with lower spec. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Prior to Terry we had a 3LTR S Jaaaaag X Type which returned similar mpg figures to your Disco. While Terry will do 36 mpg on his regular Essex to South Wales runs, even around an about the difference was notable.

You will also notice a convenience in size. Discos don't feel big to drive but they are massive if you try to park in London, frequent tourist filled lanes etc. And you no longer have the height issue of multistorey car parks. It is also nice to be able to get stuff out of the boot without having to climb in.

All that said, if you frequently fill the boot of your Disco, and even put down the seats, the FL2 will be too small. There is no two ways about it the carrying capacity of the Disco is vast, the FL2 is merely adequate...ish. I haven't looked at the figures but I would put the boot capacity of the FL2 at half that of the Disco.

If you get into very serious off road gnarly then Disco is also better - more ground clearance, low ratio, more torque. The FL2 is spectacularly good, but not as good. You would need to be doing some properly serious mega to appreciate the difference though.

The Disco tows better - no surprises there. It is big and heavy with massive towing capacity.

I always wanted a D3 commercial but. I took a look at an FL2 and was sold on the running costs I have now also got one a road car as well. I did not need all the space and power so the FL2 is great. It all depends what you need it for. Me I am in no rush to change

An Sd4 has the same power and torque as a 2.7 Discovery and is a great towing car. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

"An Sd4 has the same power and torque as a 2.7 Discovery and is a great towing car."

Quite correct. And the SD4 weighs about 700+ kg's less, making the power to weight ratio remarkably better. Added to this is the frontal projected area that is much less that that of the D3. Those that know the formula for wind drag resistance may agree. It is indeed a great towing car if the towed mass is within specification (1800 kg in SA).
As posted before the FL2 SD4 is indeed a great towing vehicle. Short distance from the rear axle to the tow ball makes for great stability against induced swaying from the towed caravan/trailer.
To position: I had a great D3. A V8 with marvelous characteristics, power, sound, off road capabilities, space and that re-assuring feeling when travelling, and no trouble at all bar some air compressor niggles that I could sort out at home. Courtesy to imports from the UK (seals, O rings, and an Aluminium lid in the dryer).
So to get back on track for this post - The FL2 plays in a different league but will mostly positively surprise and is a very much underrated vehicle. On and off the road. Actually quite remarkable!  2013 SD4 SE (hers)
2013 SD4 HSE (mine)
Ex: 2008 D3 V8 HSE
EX: 2000 D2 TD5

Thanks for all the replies
What sort of mpg in real world will fl2 do auto and manual
I like d3 but tbh it only ever has me in front and wife and toddler in the back and a pushchair in boot odd times,usually just out for scenic drives and supermarket run on a weekend,i use it quite a bit nipping round the doors stop starting journeys so i realise that kills mpg but hence the reason for thinking of changing to fl2 to try and get a bit better plus i begrudge paying ved

My FL2 SD4 Auto does about 31.5mpg (tank to tank) which is 33.5mpg on trip computer.
My mileage is a mix of rural, motorway and some city driving, as I live in a small town, near the motorway, some 15 miles from Bristol.
In Bristol traffic I get about 30mpg on the trip computer, and a lazy (60mph) motorway trip gives about 40mpg on trip.

Edit - I have just checked my 'trip B' average and it indicates 33.5mpg average since I had this car. That is some 7k+miles since last August.
This includes the use of air conditioning for half the year (plus using it sometimes to demist in winter). FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Last edited by IanMetro on 3rd Apr 2018 8:14 am. Edited 1 time in total

993porky wrote:

Thanks for all the replies
What sort of mpg in real world will fl2 do auto and manual

Ianmetro thanks for mpg figures it appreciated
Lightwater you have a point there with 6 mpg differnce,thats why im not sure on what to do tbh,i dont use d3 every day i mainly use my td5 90 ht which ive had for past 12 years and its been really reliable good for throwing tools and fire wood in the back and me jumping in usually in dirty work clothes
Really just comes down to the fancy off changing cars and having a new toy i think
Thanks

993porky wrote:

Thanks for all the replies
What sort of mpg in real world will fl2 do auto and manual
I like d3 but tbh it only ever has me in front and wife and toddler in the back and a pushchair in boot odd times,usually just out for scenic drives and supermarket run on a weekend,i use it quite a bit nipping round the doors stop starting journeys so i realise that kills mpg but hence the reason for thinking of changing to fl2 to try and get a bit better plus i begrudge paying ved

Having moved the other way, my last SD4 auto Freelander was giving an indicated 29mpg on average. Similar journeys in the SDV6 D4 were around 27mpg indicated, so not a lot in it. It’s a lot smaller inside, but it’s also possible to get into standard parking spaces (whilst still being able to open the doors!) and is a lot lighter and more compact if you enjoy the odd green lane or two

I recently got back into my original 2011 FL2 (that was 5 car’s ago!) and found the interior space and the idling engine noise a bit of a surprise, so you’ll definitely need a good test drive after the D3.

Hot off the press. I am almost at the end of a 2,500 mile trip round Europe finishing tomorrow. The cumulative is 39mpg. Pottering around at home it's 32mpg. sd4 diesel auto HSE. Love it to death.

That's fantastic average  Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

Carel Kriek wrote:

"An Sd4 has the same power and torque as a 2.7 Discovery and is a great towing car."

Quite correct. And the SD4 weighs about 700+ kg's less, making the power to weight ratio remarkably better...