Discovery TD5 vs Mk3 shogun 3.2 d-id
Discussion
Hi looking at buying either a disco td5 facelift or a shogun. I’m wondering which would be best for towing an off road jeep and a horse box occasionally and general road use but still capable of snow conditions. Was wondering which will be most reliable I know the disco are bad for chassis rot so would be sure to check thoroughly. Any problems with the shogun I should be aware of? Wondering what the auto gearboxes are like in both the TD5 and the shoguns or whether to stick with the manual. Tbanks
Having driven Shoguns for work for almost a decade (2005 to 2014) I would go for one of those. They were extremely tough in my experience. We had some with over 300k miles at one time. The engines are tractor-like but seem to run and run. Diffs got noisy at very high mileage but didn't actually seem to fail.
I had a disco 2 td5 with a manual box, for mixed work/personal use. At work it would be towing.
To be fair, when it worked, it was good, but it did usually seem to need a constant flow of maintenance. Engine was quite grunty and made a nice noise. The chassis had been patched on mine before I got it too. Hunt one out with the air suspension still in place, as even with uprated rear springs, mine still sat low when towing. I ran it from 165k to just short of 190k in about a year, so it was far from fresh.
To be fair, when it worked, it was good, but it did usually seem to need a constant flow of maintenance. Engine was quite grunty and made a nice noise. The chassis had been patched on mine before I got it too. Hunt one out with the air suspension still in place, as even with uprated rear springs, mine still sat low when towing. I ran it from 165k to just short of 190k in about a year, so it was far from fresh.
blueST said:
Having driven Shoguns for work for almost a decade (2005 to 2014) I would go for one of those. They were extremely tough in my experience. We had some with over 300k miles at one time. The engines are tractor-like but seem to run and run. Diffs got noisy at very high mileage but didn't actually seem to fail.
Hi have you ran the autos or manual? What would you look out for upon purchasing The achilles heel of the Mk3 Shogun (1999-2006) is the fuel pump.
The fuel filler and fuel tank breather pipes behind the rear O/S wheel arch liner corrode and drop crap into the tank. This gets sucked into the fuel pump and knackers it. The cost of a reconditioned pump is about £1500 which can put the car beyond economic repair.
The later Mk4 cars have a different pump, which only costs £250 to repair. Unfortunately it can't be retrofitted to the earlier cars.
The engines are generally fairly bulletproof and the cars main enemy is rust.
I bought a 2004 SWB manual over 4 years ago.
It's been a good workhorse that has only let me down once, when the DMF failed at 120k miles.
If you're thinking of buying one, the Pajero owners club forums (POCUK) and Facebook group are a great source of info.
If you go and look at an early car, as well as checking for obvious rust, try and get a look behind the plastic wheel arch liner in the rear offside.
The fuel filler and fuel tank breather pipes behind the rear O/S wheel arch liner corrode and drop crap into the tank. This gets sucked into the fuel pump and knackers it. The cost of a reconditioned pump is about £1500 which can put the car beyond economic repair.
The later Mk4 cars have a different pump, which only costs £250 to repair. Unfortunately it can't be retrofitted to the earlier cars.
The engines are generally fairly bulletproof and the cars main enemy is rust.
I bought a 2004 SWB manual over 4 years ago.
It's been a good workhorse that has only let me down once, when the DMF failed at 120k miles.
If you're thinking of buying one, the Pajero owners club forums (POCUK) and Facebook group are a great source of info.
If you go and look at an early car, as well as checking for obvious rust, try and get a look behind the plastic wheel arch liner in the rear offside.
Littlec said:
Hi have you ran the autos or manual? What would you look out for upon purchasing
All autos. Other than noisy differentials at high miles I don’t recall any really common faults. They just seemed to soldier on. Drivers seat could get a bit knackered and lose its support, but they are pretty flat anyway. They were million times more reliable than the Disco 3s we had alongside them.I've had a Mk3 Shogun and would pick it over a Disco TD5 personally, very reliable,capable car, like another poster said the only real weak point on them is the fuel pump.
Depending on budget have a look at the Landcruiser 3.0 D4Ds as well, they are a bit more expensive but arguably the toughest and most reliable of all of them, having owned both I'd rate the Shogun a very close second though.
Depending on budget have a look at the Landcruiser 3.0 D4Ds as well, they are a bit more expensive but arguably the toughest and most reliable of all of them, having owned both I'd rate the Shogun a very close second though.
3.2 shogun is way better to drive than a disco td5 , It's quicker, has way more torque from idle, is way more comfortable to sit in, handles massively better, has more comfortable suspension , steering is much lighter and precise (proper steering rack not box like disco) and is just light years ahead of disco 2. My one was faultless for five years heavy use with a lot of towing and was 90% used as a work car so boot was full of building tools most of the time. It dies in the engine of head gasket so was scrapped.
Negatives are lottery of fuel pump failure £thousands and I read the heads crack so will be a expensive head gasket repair. Second hand engines are dear if they come with a pump.
Disco td5 my (current car) is s
te in comparison. Even though it is rated to tow 200 kg more , it is less capable than the shogun.
Not had it long enough to comment on reliability but positives are they are very modifiable and for half the price of moding the shogun (off road mods, suspension,winch bumpers and so on).
Negatives are lottery of fuel pump failure £thousands and I read the heads crack so will be a expensive head gasket repair. Second hand engines are dear if they come with a pump.
Disco td5 my (current car) is s
te in comparison. Even though it is rated to tow 200 kg more , it is less capable than the shogun.Not had it long enough to comment on reliability but positives are they are very modifiable and for half the price of moding the shogun (off road mods, suspension,winch bumpers and so on).
I'm a big LR fan having currently a S3 and a RR classic... however as a work / tow / holiday car I have a 2003 Pajero LWB - I started looking at LR products and read plenty of "what to look for" haa haa ok enough said, then I did the same for the Pajero, Fuel pump is about it..
From my experience, look for rust on the backside of the sill, rear wheel arches like on a RR mud gets trapped in the door seal and can rust. Finally the rear camber bolts seize and then the rear wheels sag in if towing wearing out the inside of the tyres...I ran around with the roof tent still on the car I guess that didnt help,
Select 4x4 regularly as the selector switches can fail often from lack of use...
Plenty of parts available on ebay and specialist parts suppliers, shop around its not so expensive.
Perfect travel car, big safe and parts / garages can be found everywhere...
From my experience, look for rust on the backside of the sill, rear wheel arches like on a RR mud gets trapped in the door seal and can rust. Finally the rear camber bolts seize and then the rear wheels sag in if towing wearing out the inside of the tyres...I ran around with the roof tent still on the car I guess that didnt help,
Select 4x4 regularly as the selector switches can fail often from lack of use...
Plenty of parts available on ebay and specialist parts suppliers, shop around its not so expensive.
Perfect travel car, big safe and parts / garages can be found everywhere...
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