Hi,

My family and i live in northern canada (cant get any northern than that). I have an opportunity to buy a 2016 LR4. I keep reading they are unreliable and not worth the money. Anyone here have reasons why i shouldnt get one, id really appreciate it to hear from you.

 

If it's a 2016, what's to worry about? It would be under warranty. There's no question it's a fantastic vehicle. It's just that it normally sells for around $50K. There's an opportunity cost in purchasing one, because you could use that fifty grand for a lot of other things. There may be other vehicles that are better for you personally, and there may be better things to do with all that money.

As for being "not worth the money," that's mostly up to you. Is it worth your money? You'd have to consider your alternatives. There's no question the market values them for what they sell for, or they wouldn't be selling. But if poor resale value troubles you because you're only going to keep it for two years, then consider how it's resale value compares to alternatives. Besides resale value, there's a lot of other issues that depend on you. Does it have enough cargo space? Passenger capacity? For the purchase price, I'll assume fuel economy isn't your biggest concern (you'd save far more money buying a cheaper car than you would with a few extra mpg).

For me personally, I have a good use for a rugged 4x4. My wheels are covered in rock rash, and I actually use my sliders. I drive a lot of trail that would be very rough on a LR4. I use a Discovery 1 instead. But I also have a use for a comfortable road car. The Discovery 1 is not as comfortable as an LR4. I bought a late model (but not brand new) Mercedes E class wagon instead. The chief reason being that it's smaller, lower, and more car-like so my wife feels comfortable driving it. She's not comfortable with a big truck. It's a two-car solution, whereas the LR4 could potentially be a one-car-does-it-all solution. But it's a compromise. It would get badly scuffed on the trail, and it would be bigger than my wife likes to drive.

Your situation is likely different, but you haven't told us much about it. I could only speculate that if you're considering a 2016 LR4 that you're not intending to do hardcore offroad driving. If not, you could consider alternatives like the Audi Q7, the Mercedes M class, or even a more affordable Ford Explorer.

 

binvanna thank you for your reply.
A bit about us. Well we do love off roading, wadding in rivers and streams, all the out doorzy things. Yes my wife loves the drive height, I guess she likes the expensive stuff. Main reason my wife loves the lr4 is the space it offers. We did drive the Toyota Highlander hybrid limited we liked it but the deal breaker was it could handle the dirt roads. The 4Runner was good but we needed 7 seats so that was a no. She was sold on the lr4.
I did own an Audi A4 and I didn't enjoy it. Maybe cos I just bought it if someone who didn't maintain it well. But ever since I didn't want anything fancy. I like the q7 but would off roading work?
The things that are troubling me are the resale value, maintenance, and reliability. We have a Tacoma now and love it. When we bought it 4 years ago we said we would keep this truck for a long time. But the family grew and friends circle grew and the Tacoma unfortunately doesn't fit us no more. I hear that the lr4s are better than before when it comes to reliability? Is it true? If I get convinced that this is the SUV we are buying I won't be selling it any time soon. But I'm just torn between what I have heard and the brand reputation for off roading. Do I have other options? We drive a lot at least 6000kms a month a lot of it is highway and the remaining 25% would be grid roads, and off roading. As much as I say fuel economy isn't my concern it is cos we live out in the middle of no where so on a tank of gas if I can do 450km on dirt road I'm fine. Would you suggest a Range Rover in a desiel engine? Then I'd compromise on 2 seats. Reliability is key especially in winter 😂 . Are the reliable? We love to drive but again I don't want to buy a vehicle and regret it cos it's just not working for us. If I had to do the breaks on the lr4 is it expensive? owning cost is high I'm guessing.
Really appreciate the time you have taken to write. Thank you.

 

If you really offroad, it makes more sense to have a rugged vehicle that you can beat up offroad than to drive anything like a 2016 Land Rover or Range Rover. How many people in the local clubs drive Land Rovers? If you've never done a trail drive with other local offroaders, you may just want to stick to dirt roads. Offroading alone takes experience and self-recovery equipment. Groups help you recognize what works, with people on hand to help. For most people offroading, you'll find that what makes sense to them are vehicles that are already depreciated unless they have so much money it doesn't matter. Not a lot of those people around.

Your older Tacoma makes a lot more sense, but if it's not big enough anymore, just about any 4wd SUV will do what the LR4 does up to the point where you're putting it at risk for costly damage, and where you're better off with a depreciated vehicle and others in a group. If your wife doesn't mind big vehicles, you could even use something that would tow a trailer with a side-by-side. For the price of the LR4, you could afford a Highlander and a 4-seat SxS.

It sounds like your wife is sold on the LR4. It could be the luxury appeal, or the status of the brand. If the shopping isn't objective at this point, it's not because there aren't good alternatives to a new LR4. If you'd have to borrow money to buy it, then I'd just hold off six months and see how things look then. You'll save some money in the mean time, and if it's still the right choice, it will be just as new. But you might also have the chance to cool off and make a choice that's better for your family.

 

Binvanna hi again, valuable info. Thanks. I will take your advise, going to revisit the lr4 in a few months.
Just out of curiosity, is the gas readings on a lr4 2016 that bad? Even with the new eco mode on it?