For anyone on the fence on a Discovery Sport, and looking take it off for light offroading... the car can totally do it. Very impressive.
Taking the Discovery Sport Off Road
Took the Disco Sport off road two weekends ago at Frank Raines here in Cali. 
This truck is definitely very capable for the class it is in. I was able to keep up with the LR3s, but couldn't go play around like they did, but still had a ton of fun.
Love this truck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zHhtlHr6fo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJKSuC9KJNg
Warning: It was quite some work to get all that mud out though!
This truck is definitely very capable for the class it is in. I was able to keep up with the LR3s, but couldn't go play around like they did, but still had a ton of fun.
Love this truck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zHhtlHr6fo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJKSuC9KJNg
Warning: It was quite some work to get all that mud out though!
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Oh yeah, We took our Disco on some moderate off roading not long ago. We trekked off down a really wet and muddy road on a spur of the moment adventure. Haveing several 4x4 vehicles in my time, I was extremely impressed with the terrain response system.
Given that the stock Conti tires are crap for off road, the Discojust plowed along, finding traction from nothing. I've had it on solid ice as well. It performed unbelievably well.
Given that the stock Conti tires are crap for off road, the Discojust plowed along, finding traction from nothing. I've had it on solid ice as well. It performed unbelievably well.
Attachments
Yeah, you'd think it would make sense to have traction/stability control turned off automatically when you select a special program. BUT, I'm sure the safety staff (aka: their lawyers) advised them against it. I'd think to avoid liability, It's better to put that on the drivers responsibility. Here's why. In severely compromised traction situations it usually requires slow speeds. Select a special program, turn off the traction control and let the special program do its thing.
The traction control works against you in those types of situations. Sure, the nannies will get tricked into cutting power and whatnot and you might get stuck but you're not likely to lose control and enter into a death spiral. However, if you switch to mud/snow and you start getting into higher speeds, even with that special program selected, the traction control cold save your bacon if you start to lose control, much more so than the operation of the special program. It would actually be better to leave it in general in those higher speed situations but you know people will select the mud/snow special program because they think they have to or should and if traction control was auto disabled then you're asking for the possibility for trouble.
So LR are erring on the side of caution.
I agree with it, leave it up to the driver to turn it off. People need to get to know their vehicle and know what they are doing with it to get what they need out of it. If they don't or won't get to know what they are doing, then at least leave some fail safes in place. Computers can't do everything for us...but that's for another thread. >
HD Links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU77-DolMXI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFA7nb5lOjw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU77-DolMXI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFA7nb5lOjw
Took the Disco Sport off road two weekends ago at Frank Raines here in Cali.
This truck is definitely very capable for the class it is in. I was able to keep up with the LR3s, but couldn't go play around like they did, but still had a ton of fun.
Love this truck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zHhtlHr6fo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJKSuC9KJNg
Warning: It was quite some work to get all that mud out though!
Agree with your commentary. Often I think when you're in mud/snow in an off road situation you're not going to be in high speed because you're treading lightly and eyeing any hidden rocks that could rip off your 'undergarments'. So it is unlikely it is an issue.
The only risk is when you're going downhill. I'm not sure if traction control is required for hill descent control. I would think not. But even then no need to turn it off when you are going downhill because you have gravity on your site.
All in all you said it best. Technology is helpful, but you can't 100% rely on it. You need to learn the car.
The only risk is when you're going downhill. I'm not sure if traction control is required for hill descent control. I would think not. But even then no need to turn it off when you are going downhill because you have gravity on your site.
All in all you said it best. Technology is helpful, but you can't 100% rely on it. You need to learn the car.
Yeah, you'd think it would make sense to have traction/stability control turned off automatically when you select a special program. BUT, I'm sure the safety staff (aka: their lawyers) advised them against it. I'd think to avoid liability, It's better to put that on the drivers responsibility. Here's why. In severely compromised traction situations it usually requires slow speeds. Select a special program, turn off the traction control and let the special program do its thing.
The traction control works against you in those types of situations. Sure, the nannies will get tricked into cutting power and whatnot and you might get stuck but you're not likely to lose control and enter into a death spiral. However, if you switch to mud/snow and you start getting into higher speeds, even with that special program selected, the traction control cold save your bacon if you start to lose control, much more so than the operation of the special program. It would actually be better to leave it in general in those higher speed situations but you know people will select the mud/snow special program because they think they have to or should and if traction control was auto disabled then you're asking for the possibility for trouble.
So LR are erring on the side of caution.
I agree with it, leave it up to the driver to turn it off. People need to get to know their vehicle and know what they are doing with it to get what they need out of it. If they don't or won't get to know what they are doing, then at least leave some fail safes in place. Computers can't do everything for us...but that's for another thread. >
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