Im in the entertainment industry and i am wanting to move out of my s class up to an suv. I love the look and features of the Lr3. I hate the intertior being completely plastic though! My other options are a 2005 gx470 or a 2007 4runner limited. All are around the same price. I want something that i feel comfortable driving around clients in. I do not go off roading (i live in the middle of Los Angeles) but i would like to maybe once or twice a year in colorado with my buddy. I drive 20 miles a day in stop and go traffic. I spend 15 in gas a day right now averaging 14mpg in my damn car. Bottom line, should i even be interested in the lr3? I do not have the money to be fixing it like crazy at all. I like the reliability of the lexus and toyota obviously. The lexus has such good quality interior parts also, but it wears pretty badly so you can tell its used. The lr3 i drove today still looed brand new besides the fading black plastic everywhere which i know can be restored. Is an lr3 a good choice or should i go with something different given my needs? Any input is appreciated! Thanks guys!

 

yes, go for it.

 

If you want to impress clients, the LR will do it as long as you can afford to keep it running. Breaking down or running on the stops certainly does not impress my wife so I presume clients may take a similar view.

Good detailers can make the interior look almost new and the body style remains current - re the exterior, just the front grill, headlights and tail lights are about all that differentiates a 2012 LR4 from a 2005 LR3.

Toyota's are dime a dozen so no one even notices them - never seen a Land Rover taxi yet, but Toyota's well ....

Royalty seems to find the LR reliable enough but then they do have the Royal Mews to look after them. At the same time, the steering wheel is on the wrong side so I am not certain about the help.

By Royal Appointment

 

And the ability to make your own exit ramp when needed can be handy with a client, or getting the boss to the airport on time.

 

I am in the exact same situation.

I am looking at this nice looking fully loaded LR3 and I really wan it. But I am concerned about reliability and cost of repairs. Same as Stevobenz, I just moved to a new place and still in a process of getting a job ( I have saving tho..) so I cannot afford repairing the car every month!

The thing is.... I used to own 2005 LR3. I had to let it go when I left to the bay area. I loved it. It is a great truck. But my LR3 had issues after issues!!
Replaced the air suspension twice and other issues. Spent probably like 4 to 5 grand on repair.


Then why am I still considering getting LR3?

She is my only love....

I don't know what to do!

 

I think a spam can may be in your future for awhile. A 3 can empty savings very quickly; particularily one you do not know the history of.

Most vehicles are put up for sale for a reason - the question is what reason. Buying "off lease" has the fewest question marks; anything else, well you take your chances.

Compressors are still a disposable commodity, air springs do not get younger, engines gets older, dealer rates are higher, parts are not cheaper, wrecks do not seem abound in the junk yards - do not know where crashed 3's go but heard that they get rebuilt - not certain if that is encouraging so ....

 

Honestly i love the looks and features of the land rover, i love how it uses regular gas, and i love the offloading aspect..But....

Gx470 is

1. Cheaper on insurance
2. More reliable
3. Less cost to maintain
4. More mechanics to choose from
5. Interior does not even compare as far as quality of parts used, way more solid than plastic
6. A tad bit better gas mileage
7. Probably most important, this will hold its value, I'm not about to buy an suv again that i sell 2 years later for less than half of what i bought it for. There's a 50x bigger market for a high mileage Lexus than a high mileage land rover

 

Your comment about using regular unleaded gasoline surprises me - my 4.4 litre petrol V8 requires premium unleaded and I thought the petrol V6 did as well. Yes, both will run on regular, but premium is preferred, but I presume the Toyota is the same, premium required.

I suppose insurance on the 3 could be higher as no owner would chance their Toyota off road where real harm could come and no owner would dare fording creeks and the like; also you see more of them as true grocery getters so probably insurance is less.

Definitely more reliable - you will never have a problem with the Hill Decent as there is none; the air shocks will never collapse like air springs do nor will you ever get stuck down on the stops as Toyota has yet to develop real air suspension.

Yes, lots more mechanics familiar with Toyota and certainly more dealers. That is of course common with a mass market vehicle. There are almost more Ferrari dealers in the States than Land Rover.

The interior of the GX470 has much more of a North American mass market appeal - certainly softer and more in character in the upscale pretender market; the 3 was designed for the world market for use in not so civilized environments where roads may be in doubt and bridges are considered a luxury.

Gas mileage, well yes, lighter, less mass, so less fuel.

When you purchase a Land Rover, it is best you consider it a keeper; the same problem occurs when you try to unload your Lambo - tough to get a decent buck on the resale market - one is much better off with a light mass market product.

If you want to truly retain resale value, buy a Made in USA true pickup such as a Ford, Chev, or Dodge, now those trucks retain their value. For them, high mileage might be something over 250,000 miles. The foreign stuff is of course, always problematic.

 

The V6 takes Premium, to affirm what bbyer said.

Resale for any vehicle that is a known money-sucker is horrible. Our LR factory can't make them to work right, so re-sale is the cost of poor design features.

Looks? Can't beat 'em. Comfort? Can't beat 'em because all that weight and air suspension translates into a wonderful road vehicle.

Truth be told, our LR3 (whichever one happens to be working at the time) takes to the highway more comfortably than the XJ8 VDP that the admiral drives) That is saying a LOT for LRs.