New to the Forum... How do they compare to a LRD4?

[801]

Hello

New to the forum.

Are there any good threads on the comparison between owning a T6 versus an LRD4?

We currently have a Discovery 4 but am under pressure to buy a T6 4Motion 'cos the kids are getting huge.

How are the T6's driving manners compared to the Discovery?

I know I am not going to be able to wade in 1m of water (that might come in handy given the current situation...?) nor scale a mountain a la Clarkson, but the majority of driving will be UK roads, heading off to campsites and the occasional sortee to the Alps.

Any insights welcome. If you have come from a LRD4 to a T6 do you regret it? I oscillate between the D4 and Audi S6 Avants having had 3 and 2 resp., always regretting going back to the D4, but somehow am drawn to it because it's great as a family wagon.

Will the T6 be as good to drive as the D4? Or is it just different? How much like a van is it to drive?

Have heard they are reliable (not something that comes to mind with the LRD4) and that servicing is affordable (unlike LR).

There seem to be so many configurations I am slightly at a loss, but thought I would join the forum, and start the research.

Thanks

 

[Shredder]

That's a huge question because you can pretty much make Transporter's into what you want if you throw the right money at it.

You'd probably start with a Kombi given what you've said. That's 5 or 6 seats.

I've basically created a high performance super-sized-estate car out of mine but for different reasons to you.

You can do everything you'd like, from full leather interior, sound proofing, infinite handling upgrades, bhp upgrades etc etc on top of whatever manufacturers spec you get. That's the key thing about Transporters, the variety and sophistication of after-market mods you can get, so you can build something to meet your requirement.

I've done about 5,000 miles in an LRD4 and IMHO, they feel agricultural compared to my particular Transporter build/spec.

 

[801]

Thanks, @Shredder

I know exactly what you mean about being agricultural, and the LRD4 feels less like a tractor than the LRD3 before it...mainly because the interior is relatively refined.

I didn't expect it would be easy. The sheer array of options on the T6 makes it very difficult find one that's exactly right or if we should go for camper or kombi or convert our own. We can't afford new.

First question I have is about the T32, T30, T28 etc. What does this affect? If we were to test drive one which would be the optimal weight to bhp?

I think we have a min. spec. of 4motion, DSG, leather, but beyond that...

 

[Lord Mfwic]

Thanks, @Shredder

I know exactly what you mean about being agricultural, and the LRD4 feels less like a tractor than the LRD3 before it...mainly because the interior is relatively refined.

I didn't expect it would be easy. The sheer array of options on the T6 makes it very difficult find one that's exactly right or if we should go for camper or kombi or convert our own. We can't afford new.

First question I have is about the T32, T30, T28 etc. What does this affect? If we were to test drive one which would be the optimal weight to bhp?

I think we have a min. spec. of 4motion, DSG, leather, but beyond that...

I have a 204 T32 Kombi.
If I was to buy again, I would opt for a T30. The T32 is a little harsh on the suspension although I have now upgraded mine.
I would not drop below the 204 because I believe "what holds a lot, holds a little", so even if you don't need the power, its better to have it then to not.
T28 can limited what you can add for a camper conversion due to weight limits so I would opt T30 minimum.

Blackberry is the best colour and twin sliding doors is a great option if you have kids, also prefer tailgate.
DSG (auto) box is brilliant. I have an auto Jag and an auto Wildtrak and neither gear boxes come close to how good the VW is.
Really wish mine was a 4Motion so guess that answers your question.
If you can find 1 with the Comfort dash then you have ticked every box.

I've had a rather exotic range of cars over the years and never kept one for more than 3 years. My 4 year old T6 is the most enjoyable vehicle I have owned and I have no intention of ever letting it go. It's a brilliant bit of kit.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[dubber36]

The T28 etc relates to the gross vehicle weight when loaded. T28 = 2800kg, T30 = 3000kg, T32 = 3200kg.

T32's don't have as many options when it comes to suspension and wheels and tyres as they have to be rated for the maximum load of the vehicle.

If you want it as a super flexible people carrier, have a look at the Caravelle. They are the most car like of the bunch.

 

[True Romance]

LED headlights should be on your list of options.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Hello

New to the forum.

Are there any good threads on the comparison between owning a T6 versus an LRD4?

We currently have a Discovery 4 but am under pressure to buy a T6 4Motion 'cos the kids are getting huge.

How are the T6's driving manners compared to the Discovery?

I know I am not going to be able to wade in 1m of water (that might come in handy given the current situation...?) nor scale a mountain a la Clarkson, but the majority of driving will be UK roads, heading off to campsites and the occasional sortee to the Alps.

Any insights welcome. If you have come from a LRD4 to a T6 do you regret it? I oscillate between the D4 and Audi S6 Avants having had 3 and 2 resp., always regretting going back to the D4, but somehow am drawn to it because it's great as a family wagon.

Will the T6 be as good to drive as the D4? Or is it just different? How much like a van is it to drive?

Have heard they are reliable (not something that comes to mind with the LRD4) and that servicing is affordable (unlike LR).

There seem to be so many configurations I am slightly at a loss, but thought I would join the forum, and start the research.

Thanks

We had a continuous succession of Discoverys, from 1990 to 2013, 8 in all. The last one was a D4 HSE. We tow a boat & used the Disco for launching & recovery etc. We now have a T6 t32 204 DSG 4mot with a full camper conversion & VB air suspension.
Here are my thoughts:-
The T6 will never be as capable a tow vehicle as the D4, or as comfortable a ride.
That said, the T6 has no problem towing & launching the (1950kg) boat, it never struggles & has loads of torque & power. The ride is comfortable enough, but not the premium SUV ride of the D4. Mechanically, the only thing I miss is the low box.
We can eat/sleep and live in the T6 which makes for a much more flexible package.
The T6 beats the D4 hands down on fuel economy/servicing/insurance/depreciation costs.
Do I regret ditching the D4? A bit of me still hankers for one, but I dislike the D5 with a vengeance, so something had to go.
Do I regret getting the T6, absolutely not, we keep saying we should have done it years ago, we love it.
If I had to choose between T6 & D4, it’d be T6 every time.
Hope this helps.

 

[Ads_Essex]

@Indigrey has just posted that he too has a Landy, so he might like to add his thoughts

 

[Indigrey]

@Indigrey has just posted that he too has a Landy, so he might like to add his thoughts

Mines an old defender so a long way off a D4 , but I did use to have a Range Rover sport which was based on a D3 so can offer abit of insight. In terms of refinement, comfort and feeling robust, the discovery wins hands down but a well sorted T6 (with sound deadening, nice interior lining and media system upgrades) is a perfectly nice vehicle to live with and will give much more practicality. They are more reliable, more efficient, cheaper to service and maintain and more usable for transporting things like bikes.

Although they are a van, they don't drive like a van. A well sorted T6/T6.1 on nice wheels and suspension handles very well, is comfortable and quiet. I'd say the driving would probably be more engaging in the T6 than the disco, but in terms of a more luxury car giving a more relaxing drive, the disco would be better.

Personally, I feel the T6/T6.1 is the better all rounder and once you've had one, it would be difficult to move onto something else.

Hope that helps!

 

[MrSkip]

Caravelles are very nicely specced but also at a higher price point, depending on budget definitely worth looking at but I am biased as I have one

 

[buchanan84]

If your after dsg and 4x4 your limited to the big engines, 204 and 180 (only early t6's were available with the 180)

We have a t30 kombi, 180, dsg, 4x4 with twin sliders (sliding door on both sides) that we use as the family car. It also has the rear auxiliary heater which probably helps keep the back seats warm/ cool but it's a big space so doesn't heat up or cool quickly. I also made (you can buy) a bulkhead for behind the rear seats and added sound deadening so that it feels less like a van inside with the noisy booming/ bouncing around.
I don't have a disco but mates have, if agree with the others that it won't have as comfortable ride as the disco and that's the next thing I'm looking at improving on the van. The space you get is a luxury tho

 

[BadWaz]

The disco 4 can tow anything uphill and keep accelerating. The vw is painful to tow with as the torque seems almost non existent.
Disco seats also far more comfortable.
If you live rural and use a 4x4 because you actually need one then the vw will be a disappointment. Height clearance is obviously a concern, it’s ability can’t in any way whatsoever match the disco off the tarmac.
Vw ride is far too firm for us so we’re gonna buy air suspension to mimic the ride the disco had.
The only way to decide is to be pragmatic. We needed the extra room or the disco would’ve been a life keeper. It was that good.

And to add, the road noise in the vw is amplified on the discos.
I’m not a sore buyer but the van is overpriced for what it is and 4x4 traction control isn’t an off roader.
Any specific questions you have just ask.

 

[DaveD]

Lots of valid comments - I suppose it comes down to two totally different types of vehicle that were never designed to compete with each other. I've driven Disco 4's and was very impressed but when I've got a dozen 8x4 sheets of ply in my T6 it doesn't matter how much I liked driving the Disco 4 it can't do what I need it to do.
So it depends where your priorities lie!

 

[JOG]

Horses for courses. Our T6 is the family car and we got shot of the Disco

 

[Salty Spuds]

The disco 4 can tow anything uphill and keep accelerating. The vw is painful to tow with as the torque seems almost non existent.
Disco seats also far more comfortable.
If you live rural and use a 4x4 because you actually need one then the vw will be a disappointment. Height clearance is obviously a concern, it’s ability can’t in any way whatsoever match the disco off the tarmac.
Vw ride is far too firm for us so we’re gonna buy air suspension to mimic the ride the disco had.
The only way to decide is to be pragmatic. We needed the extra room or the disco would’ve been a life keeper. It was that good.

And to add, the road noise in the vw is amplified on the discos.
I’m not a sore buyer but the van is overpriced for what it is and 4x4 traction control isn’t an off roader.
Any specific questions you have just ask.

Re. torque, what engine/gearbox do you have in the VW, our 204/DSG surprised us. I was expecting to be disappointed after coming out of a 3litreV6 with a "proper" auto box, the T6 was a pleasant surprise.

Re. Offroad capabilities, you're absolutely correct, the D4 is probably the best offroad vehicle I've ever driven, but that's what it was built for. It was also the worst nights sleep I ever had, when I was forced to spend one night in it. The T6 has never let us down wrg to launching/towing. In reality, how often does anyone really need the extreme off-road capabilities of the D4? Apart from bragging rights in the pub

Re. Ride comfort, The D4 is a luxury SUV built/designed/priced to cosset it's passengers. The VW is a commercial vehicle designed to carry loads from A-B, If we decide to use them (T6) for a purpose that they weren't designed for, that's our problem.

Re. Air suspension. We have VB Air on our T6, if you think that adding air to your T6 will give you a D4 ride; save your money.

At the end of the day, the D4 & T6 are entirely different vehicles, designed to do entirely different jobs, trying to compare them is nonsensical. Like I said previously, I miss my D4, If I had the space I'd have another in an instant, but I wouldn't give up the T6 for it.

Just my 2 penneth.

 

[BadWaz]

Trying to compare them is what the original poster requested.

Our Disco was bought to use off road every day and did so for over three years without fault. The guys that put lift kits and a/t tyres on their vans are misguided if they think it’s an off roader, much more to it than that. If JLR could make a decent van I’d buy one, but they don’t so here I am. Tried two new Vitos beforehand and they were disappointing to say the least. The build quality of the van is excellent for what it is, but overpriced for what you get. The transits drive much better but are too large for us, and the transit custom is only fwd.
The 200 bhp vw engine can’t match the V6 jag engine in any way. It needs winding up all of the time whereas the disco had strong torque from very low down.
I didn’t buy a Land Rover to sleep in it I have a house built with bricks

To the original poster I’d say if you need an awd van then get one, if you’re expecting it to outshine the disco it won’t in any way other than the cargo area. We had a prospeed roof rack system and all weather roof bags in the disco for when the need arose. The vw was a pragmatic purchase as needs must, and I couldn’t justify keeping the disco as we have a few other cars to run. If you just want a van that does it’s job well, look at the transit custom. We get great feedback from these and the vws are usually seen as being to expensive for a van compared to others.

Solution:
Hire a transporter for a week and use it daily to see how it works for you. If you live in a city and stay on concrete you’ll be fine, although your teeth may rattle. Residuals are strong, build quality is good, huge dealer network, lots of aftermarket goodies to be bought for personalisation if that’s your thing.

good luck with your search

 

[Lord Mfwic]

I didn’t buy a Land Rover to sleep in it I have a house built with bricks

Thats the best comment I've read in a long time.
However, you can't drive your house to a field and get drunk with the lads but you can in a T6.

 

[BadWaz]