Hi there, been looking at getting an LR3 as mostly a weekend car, ocasional things around town, road tripping, maybe some off roading and definately to take my dog out running/hiking/mountain biking. I don’t have a commute and live in a city.

I'm a complete newb, this will be my first car - yes red flags all over likely, but hey, gotta start somewhere and i feel I can't figure out how to learn and fix it myself, I can get it looked at. Hoping to learn and fix as much as I can though.

First option 2006:
HSE with 170km, cracked sunroof (no leaks), 3 owners, current owner has had it since 2016 has taken very good care of it. One minor accident reported in carfax in 2010 with damage to the front. No idea what it was as nothing is visible. Everything works, no noises driving it, no noises over bumps, etc. Very little rust, and rust proofed regularly for the Canadian winters. Will need a set of all season tires or winter tires, 19” rims/wheels. $8k asking price.

Second option 2005:
HSE with 180km. One owner. Faded paint on right passenger side door near the window and a bit on the roof. Quietest engine I have ever heard. Couldn’t even tell it was on! Owner a stickler for maintenance and fixing. Some undercarriage rust but nothing crazy. Has all season tires. Haven’t done carfax yet or test drive. $10k asking price.

Both cars have a great interior with the 2006 having a slight edge.

I’m in Canada and those are canadian dollars.

My next steps are to get a carfax for the 2005 and get one of them inspected.

Thoughts? The roof on the 2006 scares me a bit and could be "interesting" to certify because of it. Apparently was bought like that and it looks like it. The 2005 just seems overpriced and I get the impression that while it has been taken care of, it wasn’t done at a dealer.

Thanks!

 

Both sound very high priced to me.

The 2006 is it the sunroof glass over the front seats or the rear panoramic roof glass that is cracked?

Rust is a killer on these. I cannot overstate a well sorted and maintained LR3's value over one that hasn't been as looked after.

 

It's the rear panoramic roof glass.

 

I have heard of trucks being totaled by insurance companies over that glass being broken.

 

Walk away from a cracked glass roof, leaks or not. If it does start to leak, then (a) good luck finding a replacement one for anything other than crazy money, and (b) even better luck fitting it and not breaking the replacement.

Rust can be a killer, but it's important to distinguish between surface rust (and LR do a crappy job of sorting their chassis so pretty much every vehicle will have surface rust) and rust that's gone into the sills, which is a very expensive fix.

Look for a dedicated owner who knows their stuff. If they can't prove good maintenance, then look for another. Enough of these things were sold to make finding good ones just a matter of patience. Look very closely at the air suspension. If you can, ask to see it in the morning, cold, before it's been started. If the vehicle has lost height you could be in for a bit of work to sort it out. If you can, get the faults read. Give the electrics, AC (especially rear AC), and all other settings a good going over. Ask about transmission fluid changes, diff oil changes, etc. Ask to see receipts.

These are great vehicles. I'm mostly used to the 2.7 and 3.0 diesels, but the V8 is just amazing - so superior to the 2.7 diesel sold in the UK around the same eras as the V8 - and if well cared for should go on for miles. On that basis, I'd concentrate more on condition and history than mileage. A well cared for high mileage vehicle would, IMHO, be a better bet than a low miles run around or one that's been abused off-road, etc.

Good luck with your quest. I hope you find a good one.

 

Of note: The large glass sheet is no less than $1400 plus install to replace. It is TWO sheets of glass with an air gap between. So the outer or inner sheet can be cracked. Or both for that matter. But I agree that avoiding the one with it cracked may be the best thing to do.

 

Thanks for all the advice so far!

its a bit of a pity about the 2006, as everything else seems to be great. But ya, that glass and knowing that getting it certified with that issue is going to take some greasing, is going to rule it out.

as for the rust, I’m a newbie but the rust looked to be in the rear axles and it seemed to be surface rust.

im going to keep looking and try to get a 07 or higher and maybe take the 2005 for a test drive. That engine sounded brand new!