Hello everyone, I have wanted an LR3 for a long time and now my wife and I are ready to finally own one. I read the forums and found a lot of useful info on what I should check for when buying, such as the Pre Checklist sticky thread, as well as Zoltans info on what problems to expect and when to expect them while owning.

My biggest confusion is on where I should buy from. Should I steer clear of dealerships? I also would like to know why it is recommended to take the lr3 to a dealer for inspection rather than a third party mechanic. I have a faint memory of reading this in the Disco forums as well. Anyway I would love some guidance when it comes from where I should be purchasing from. Where did you buy yours? Thanks in advance.

 

I bought my used LR3 from a Land Rover dealer. It was more expensive than a private party purchase but it came with a complete service history, a limited warranty, and the dealer I purchased from provides transportation or loaner cars when the vehicle is in for service if you purchased the vehicle from them. It seemed like a good value to me, especially since I had a hard time finding one with the HD package. Good luck and have fun!

-Rob

 

Thank you for the response Rob! i am looking at a couple this weekend, a private party and at a dealer. I feel a little more confident buying from a dealer and I will see if I can get some type of warranty on it.

 

I would get the most comprehensive warranty /service contract money would by. Then use the hell out of it. It will pay for itself.

 

A dealer will almost certainly cost you more, but you might get some perks as mentioned earlier. Doesn't mean you won't get a lemon from a dealer, I'd still have it looked at by a competent third party. That's why dealers were mentioned, you need someone who knows these trucks and knows what to look for. Good luck!

 

Thank you djkronik57. I test drove a white 2008 today with 123k miles. I do t really want to buy that high but it did feel and sound solid. I did however raise and lower the vehicle a few times and when we parked I lowered it one more time and noticed the compressor but I didn't know how long it should be on. I raised it and listened again and it ran for some time. Also regarding the LR3 2010, how great is that engine compared to the 4.4l V8? Thanks again guys.

 

2008 is a good year. Most of the issues are fixed (either in production or through the warranty). My dealer records when I bought mine read like the "pre-purchase checklist" in this forum with all common issues addressed.

The compressor usually runs for anywhere from 10-30 seconds, maybe a minute if you've just gone through a couple up and down cycles.

The LR4 5.0L is a good engine as well, but I've heard of issues with the timing chains and guides that can be quite expensive to fix. Doesn't have as much of a "bulletproof" reputation as the 4.4L, but you can still run into trouble with the 4.4L (I've had mine replaced due to a thrown rod). Obviously more horsepower, but to be honest I didn't feel a huge difference test driving them back to back, it's still a heavy heavy truck.

 

The extra power is probably nice on the freeway. On the trail (where it matters most) there is extra torque from the 5.0L as well but the crawl ratio of the LR4 is less....so the torque at the wheel/terrain interface is about the same.

 

The wife has decided on the LR4 so I am actively searching. I will update when we finally have one and hopefully share my process.


Regards

 

....are you going to take the LR4 off-road? If so, there are some considerations depending on model year. My neighbor bought a late model LR4 that didn't have the HD Package and it doesn't even have a 2-speed Transfer Case.