I wasn't dying to replace the LR3 as it's been super solid for me with only a few wrinkles here and there as I dealt with deferred maintenance from the previous owner. I do all my own wrenching and nothing's been too complicated that I couldn't figure it out. Wife's car was a newer Subaru Outback Wilderness but it didn't bring either of us joy. But we live in the mountains and felt like we needed something newer and capable for Worst Case Scenario. Even with the Outback, we ended up driving the Rover more often than not--I drive, I choose. But my eye had wandered, and I mentioned it to my wife and she went out on cars.com and found the Lexus GX 550 I had been emotionally cheating on my LR3 with. She was OK giving up the Outback, so we have the GX and the LR3 (which I had prepped for winter by getting a new set of Toyo shoes).

So: GX 550 Overtrail, basically the new Toyota Land Cruiser with a bit more oomph: V6 twin turbo toyota engine, stock 33" Toyo A/T3 (actually the same tire I just put on my LR3), locking center and rear diffs, e-KDSS plus all the bells and whistles. Just a beast, I'm super impressed. And no joke, does not seem to be much better on a snowy road. I kind of expected to just float over or plow through crud and other junk, but I can bust it loose and I feel the terrain as much as in the Rover. I did take it on a pretty sketch trail and it absolutely ate it up, but wife made me turn around when it started getting gnarly. Snow and good sized rocks, with no winch, no recovery gear and no one around for miles. Fair enough, but it easily would have made it.

Anyway, it's hard to justify grabbing the keys to the Rover when I just added this to the mix, but it'll still be a capable backup. Just can't justify giving it up for the value it gives and the pittance it would get. Crazy these rigs don't get more love.

 

Drive the Lexus and keep miles off your Rover because eventually the LR3 WILL get more love!!!

The LR3 will be the next RRC....it's the last really great one of its kind. The LR4 is nice...nicer?.....but the 4.4L is way better than the 5.0.
The new Defender is a pretender. Unibody Kardashian Mobile.
The Range Rover is just....a Range Rover. It's awesome but it's not rugged anymore.
The Discovery is an atrocity.

So what's left? The LR3. Best Rover ever...

 

I’ll sound like a serious Benedict Arnold level turncoat, too, but last week I got a Nissan Rogue 2024 from Hertz while on a business trip.

For a 30k vehicle it felt great and went off like a rocket when putting the hammer down. The sound system had quite good oomph and all the assistance systems like ACC, lane assist, blind spot monitoring, etc. felt easy to use and, well, nice. And the trunk was power assisted for opening and closing.

For someone NOT used to Apple CarPlay - O-M-G - it is awesome. How can I have lived so long without having it?

Not that I would ever buy one of course but….. 😎😇

 

I guess it's not surprising that 20 years of technology is this much better. But all this being said, the LR3 still holds its own in 2024 and costs very very little. Great offroad, tows its *** off, gets out of it's own way when you tell it, and rides pretty dang well. But yeah, the capabilities and safety features of the newer ones are pretty amazing.

 

I've never been one to buy a vehicle based on safety aspects although i will never buy a chinese sardine can, easy enough to add AA/Carplay to a D3 and bring it into the 21st century.

 

Then things like the Rogue may seem ok. If you need something that does it ALL, then there is really nothing comparable. Maybe the new Bronco or Defender. LR3 still better for the money.

 

Oh I’m very happy with the D3 that I have but as I said there wasn’t anything wrong with Rogue.

Not convinced of the new defender although I like the Godzilla style front lights.

And the bronco isn’t coming over to Europe, I think, unless in some kind of limited edition.

The new Toyota Land Cruiser looks pretty nice by the way