Today I took the day off from work and decided to drive to Wichita, KS and Tulsa, OK and look at some LR3's. Some of the LR3's had one owner and some had two or three previous owners. Would it be best to only stick with one previous owner or is two previous owners ok? I really enjoyed being back in Rover again and wanted to run straight home with one of them lol but I'm being very very picky if I decide to go with an LR3 - taking my time in picking the right one. My top price to pay would be about $18,000 to $20,000. I didn't notice any issues with the few I test drove, they all drove fine to me lol.

While in Wichita, KS and Tulsa, OK I also looked at a used 2006 Range Rover HSE and a 2008 Volkswagen Touareg. Any thoughts on reliability with the two listed just now vs the LR3? I really like the two listed just as much as the LR3 but just wondering. And would a 2008 Range Rover HSE be more reliable than say a LR3?

Thanks

 

I doubt there is any space between the Land Rover line in terms of maintenance. Sure, it is going to require more maintenance than say a VW, but it will be a whole lot more fun.

 

Personally I'd look for one with 1 previous owner. The LR3, in my opinion, is a highly nuanced vehicle. People who treat them differently are going to have far different experiences. By way of contrast the same two people could own a Toyota Camry and get two identical service lives out of them, despite the different maintenance practices.

The main thing is understanding what issues to look for, and being able to have maintenance records. If you spend time on this forum, do some searches and some reading...you'll learn everything you need in terms of what needs addressing within the first 100k miles.

 

Yeah I've been reading, reading and reading a lot on the forum posts and replies here lol. I was over at the Volkswagen Forum and asked about the Touareg vs LR3 in terms of reliability and all replies were pretty much saying that the LR3 was cheaper to maintain and more reliable that a Volkswagen Touareg. I really didn't think that would be the case or whatever. I thought it would be the other way around that the Touareg would be more reliable and cheaper to maintain - not saying it's cheap period but cheaper and more reliable. I really liked the Touareg for the diesel option and wish they offered the LR3 in diesel in the US.

 

If reliability and maintenance costs are a big priority for you, you might consider a Lexus GX470. The LR3 is a beast and it really shines off-road. There are a ton of luxurious, all-weather people-haulers that are both more reliable and "fancier."

 

We were this close "" to buying a VW Treg. I had taken it to the stealer for the pre purchase inspection (useless) and I had pretty much all the service records since delivery. It had already gone through the driveshaft replacement (1,600) and various other recurring LR like odds and ends. In the end, I was happy with the LR3 choice. The VW had some stuff I really enjoyed for features and if you dig on the forums for that make you will find lots of stuff that is/are quirky on the model.

 

Yeah, when the turbos go on the Diesel, you have to remove the whole engine. And since your doing one you should do both turbos. The Diesel and the size of the engine (V10) is great but if you are not ready for that bill, then you are in for a big treat.

 

If you buy used take a look at the car reports. See when they changed the oil, lubed etc.

If you are lucky get one that has had parts replaced.

- Front Control arms - they will go before 80k so that will probably need to be done.
- Air suspension - see if they replaced anything
- If they have gone 10k between oil changes pass.
- tires, brakes, alignments, battery. If they have not been done you probably will need to. Those add in in a hurry cost wise.
- Front, rear, transfer case fluids. Ever been changed?

If they have not been done you could use that as a bargaining chip.

Say I'll buy it if you do this this and this. It will be cheaper to deal with that now than if you buy it and pay full retail for services you know you will need to have done later.

 

Yes I looked into diesel, almost wanted to get the new Jeep diesel, was not legal yet in my state so I got the LR3 instead.

I think Diesel has some advantages like gas mileage and torque with a smaller engine. But fixing them arghh, I think any money you save in gas will go right back into the engine costs.

Never really liked the sound of a diesel either, sounds like the motor is falling apart.