DII owner took the plunge. Sold my Mustang tonight, LR3 soon - opinions on 2 vehicles - Land Rover Forums

EstorilM · #1 09-25-2011, 09:09 PM

Hey guys, this is bittersweet. I loved my mustang and drove hundreds of miles to find the right one (torch red outside, red leather interior, etc) changed everything on it and transformed it from a regular GT to this..

...anyways. Rewind a bit. 2 years ago, just before the insane east coast winter that dropped like 72" of snow - I had the foresight to find a semi-rare DII in its own right.. drove to long island to pick her up (with the first blizzard chasing me down as I went north) then drove INTO the storm on the way back. It was love at first sight, the DII kicked the storms a$$. It's done everything I've asked of it since then, from taking dogs to state parks, hiking on the appalachian trail, and 1000-mile round-trips with my 20' boat in tow to the beach and back. As "unreliable" as the DII is, it's still always been there for me. What started as a beater became the car I enjoyed driving more!!

So. Years later, I solved all my confusions and sold my mustang. Tonight is my last night with the car that I've "grown up" with the last 4 years.. I'm devastated to part with it, but its' average trip computer speed over the past few months is 23mph.. and it just sits in the garage. It's the right thing to do.

Okay. /end depressed rant/explanation

Looking forward, I'm doing all this to get an LR3. My friends have them, I've driven plenty.. I know shops that work on them, it's the vehicle for me. It solves all my complaints of the old one (independent suspension, firm stance/handling, quieter, FAR more reliable/updated technology, better air suspension, and best of all.. nearly double the horsepower. My biggest issue with the DII is that it just isn't fast enough to keep up with the as$hole drivers that will try to cut you off at all costs, even if you're approaching a red light!!! They can't stand being behind me DII

).

So I've got these 2 in mind on the top of my list, both of which happen to be at the same dealer - and both of which happen to be 600 miles away.

The first WAS my first choice. 2005, SE, white/beige (FIRM choice of mine, btw) nav, xenon, etc.. most of the HSE options, 7 pax. AND the burl walnut trim interior (pimp!

)
58k miles, $22,000

Second option - which I found after going to their website (must not be listed on the car sales sites yet) 2006 HSE, white/beige, nav, xenon, bluetooth/voice assist, 7 pax, cooler in center console (ie. hse stuff) etc. PLUS LR driving lights (I love the clean non-a-frame mounted ones!) and LR running boards! - no walnut trim though, so the SE looks nicer inside actually.
..but.. 82k miles, $22,500 (however, it's HSE and 1 year newer. Would seem the miles are highway vs. the '05s normal miles)

Has $2k in LR options that I'm going to install anyways, so I need to factor that into my mileage comparison.

There's also a tonga green/ beige, nav, etc.. -46k miles-!! $22,000 also has Logic7.

So lost.

My "dream" LR3 has been a white/beige.. so I'm tempted to go for option 1 and see if I can get cheap running boards / aux lights.. (however mine won't have dash button will it?) and save 23k miles in the process (2 years of ownership - I'll only have her for 4-5 years anyways!)

EstorilM · #2 09-25-2011, 09:14 PM

option 1:

option 2:

option 3:

Savannah Buzz · #3 09-25-2011, 09:46 PM

They seem too pretty to get mud on....

EstorilM · #4 09-25-2011, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savannah Buzz

They seem too pretty to get mud on....

Well I haven't sold my DII yet, so that's not a problem

Savannah Buzz · #5 09-25-2011, 10:22 PM

If you have used craigslist, you might like www.statewidelist.com, which seaches all of cl for your "entry" in a particular state, "price low" to "price high", individual or dealer, and gives the output list sorted by city. You can even search for multiple vehicles by using the "|" pipe (above the "\" key on most keyboards). Example would be Rover|Mercedes|Audi, which would find all of those in your price range by city.

EstorilM · #6 09-25-2011, 10:29 PM

Thanks, interestingly enough - I hadn't found a solution for that problem on my computer yet, but on my phone the CraigsPro app does that - nothing within a few hundred miles had showed up though, so these results are actually what's left of a rather thorough search, ebay, craigslist, autotrader, cars.com,etc. however I'm always looking for alternative options!

Mack73 · #7 09-26-2011, 09:24 PM

I would suggest buying the newest and lowest mile example you can find. Then add an extended warranty for a little "insurance" against the flaws that can happen on the early examples (air compressors, diffs) which can easily make the money spent on the warranty back.

EstorilM · #8 09-26-2011, 11:27 PM

Hm I had heard of a couple issues but not the diffs... is that just an 05 thing?

perkj · #9 09-27-2011, 10:54 AM

I suggest holding out on getting a LR3 with the HD Package. This package gets you the locking rear diff which is a huge advantage off-roading. The factory locking rear diff is the only locking diff available and its not something you can add later.

if you PM me the VIN numbers to the two LR3s mentioned above, I can check the build sheet for you to see if either has the HD package. You can also call any LR dealer with the VIN and they can check for you as well....though they it gets a little old for them when they are checking 4-5 VINs a day for you like they were for me when I was looking for my LR3 with the HD package. I've been able to get a hold of LR Parts software that also has a VIN build sheet DB so I can look them up now.

Trust me....hold out for the HD Package

Also, if you can afford it, try to go with a 2007 or later model. The 2005 and 2006s were the first and second year of the LR3s so they have all the normal "new model" problems. LR got all those issues worked out by 2007.

Mack73 · #10 09-27-2011, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EstorilM

Hm I had heard of a couple issues but not the diffs... is that just an 05 thing?

I don't think anyone has been able to narrow down a specific year or vin range.

The defect is a coating (paint?) that was applied to the inside of the diff. This heats up and eventually flakes off. These flakes then get broken down and end up traveling through all of the bearings and eventually cause the bearing the prematurely fail.

There have been reports of people replacing the diff fluid and prolonging the life (removing the major large particles).

But either way, with whatever you get - replace both diff fluids just in case.