Does an LR3 fit my needs/lifestyle?
 

Hi guys I'm considering buying a a big SUV and I'm quite taken almost by everything in the LR3 but I'm not sure how much it can fit my needs and lifestyle that's why i need your help. I get a monthly salary of 1400$ but it's gonna reach 1900$ 4 years after, a period during which I'm willing to be settling payments for my car loan over my future SUV. I work in city and get through traffic jams for about 2 hours daily...every weekend i go to my hometown in the mountains driving on zero quality pavements and a region covered in snow and ice for 3 months a year.
I'm used to the luxury of my previous mercedes E and C class and can't get easily to love any japanese made car even though i know toyota may be an icon for reliability.
I did my calculations for a 2007 LR3 and I may need 400$ for monthly payments and insurance and I drive around 1400 km (900 miles) per month.
I'm afraid of the reliability concerns (and expensive parts) of the LR3 and mileage along with expensive 18 inch tires.

Note: i use my vehicle off roading in deep 50cm of snow will an LR3 do the job confidently?

My other options are a jeep grand cherokee 2006-2007 and a toyota 4runner 2007.

What do you think guys? I need help please

$1400 a month car allowance or salary?.Don't get me wrong I love my LR3 but they are high maintenance and can empty out your wallet pretty quick.Do your research here and read read read.

The lr3 is extremely capable off road, if you can afford the maintenence and poor gas mileage which I assume you can having had Benz as I doubt they are any cheaper to maintain

Whatever you do take any rover to a dealer for pre purchase inspection with emphisis on rears and suspension

Do a good carfax and be sure it reflects proper maintenence

No dear that's my salary :s what should I read more? I already downloaded and read the owner's manual hehe...I know their maintenance is pretty expensive...

Well I know in my country the Land Rover spare parts are pretty expensive...even the used ones. I've been driving a 4matic E class, so i recently asked and guess what I've found...the brakes on the Land rover cost more than the double of the cost of my previous benz. That's too bad, making an astonishing car such as the LR3 and making it unreliable (as I'm reading on other blogs) with very high maintenance values. God damn BMW !

Ours has been OK so far most of what I do is extra stuff not maintenence, that said I do have to address the fuel tank and rear diff in the spring

I've had my 2006 LR3 for a little over two years. I have put roughly 25K miles on it. It currently has 106K miles on it. So far, I have only had to change the oil (4x) and the axle oil (front & back - 2x) Fix water leak from sunroof. But I'm sure many people on the forum will say I'm abusing her lol... This spring, she will get a tuneup, because of miles only. Other things I need to do? Front Air Block - (lowers over night), change transmission fluid. Point I'm trying to make is, Yes, when they break - it won't be cheap. But they don't break every other month either. This is my third land rover (1994 Disco, 2001 Disco) and the LR3 has required less work in the same time range than the other two. I can't wait to get an LR4 - but won't happen until my current one need an engine (hoping that's around the 300K mark)

You make $1400/month and you want to put $400/month towards a car even before putting any fuel into it? $28% of your income... You should be seeking the advice of financial planners, not Land Rover owners. How many months is the loan for? What's the outright purchase price? What percent is the loan at?

2 hours a day in stop and go traffic? Hello 10 mpg! What is the price of fuel in your country? LR takes premium grade fuel. Here I would be looking at $320/month in fuel or more to cover the mileage you are after, but gas is fairly expensive here. That would be close to half of your salary gone on just the car and you haven't covered any maintenance.

From the little information you have given so far buying a Land Rover LR3 for you is a really really dumb idea.

Thank you for being the first one to talk financially about my issue. Yes you may be right that it would be so dumb to take a move on LR3 with my current salary. But as I mentioned above that my salary will be raised fast the following years and regarding a 14 mpg (as most of auto reviews are saying onling about the LR3) I would be spending around 200$ monthly on fuel.
No i don't need financial planners dear, I need guys like you to tell me about practical mileage of the car and yearly service costs. Oh and I'm sorry i didn't clear the thing out...it's 1400$ without the monthly 150$ transportation allowance and it's gonna be soon 1900$ without the transportation allowance too.

people aren't kidding when they tell you to expect 11mpg in the city. If its stop and go, its usually going to hover around that. Highway is better, but you'd better be careful about it. Personally, the yearly maintenance isn't that bad but blow a diff and its already $1500 just for the part, depending on who you ask. Can you devote your entire $1900 take-home to your vehicle??? On that salary I wouldn't say its entirely impossible, but I hope you find a cherry rover, and that takes a lot of luck or a lot of waiting.