Guys, I think I posted in the wrong spot earlier. I am considering buying an LR3 used. I currently own a 2015 Tacoma TRD 4x4. I love it but I a kid and need more room. Are the things reliable or are junk? This is not going to be a "toy" but I do want 4 wheel drive as I live in MS. Most people say that they are not reliable ,but I am not taking this thing to a safari as it is supposed to be an everyday vehicle. Thanks.

 

They are quite reliable but expect to keep an eye on serviceable items. Expensive components and more frequent than the toyota service. See the tech/buying guide stickies at the top of the section.

Make for a great everyday car, gas mileage could be better but it isn't bad.

 

I am going to give a bit of a different perspective than Dave. I agree that they are reliable if maintained, and that maintenance is expensive. I spend about $1000 a year on mine of my own volition to "stay ahead" of the vehicle. A lot of my intel comes from this board and ones like it. If someone has an issue that I think is an eventuality, I may choose to change that part early. Stuff like that. It has never left me stranded but I know things like bushings are unforeseen wear items. I've been through the diff woes and the EPB issues and the EAS compressor issues and changed both front shocks and all that...so if you're buying one used it's a matter of finding one that is "well sorted" which means good enough that it only needs $1000-2000 of love put into it. I drive ones now and then - in fact I drove one today - that are for sale locally, because I eventually want another one as a project. Few are in great shape.

Here is where I deviate from Dave: I don't think the LR3 is a great daily driver. It's heavy and more expensive to maintain than a typical Japanese or American SUV. That is in part because it's not a typical SUV, it's a tank...and it's really purpose built for off-roading.

For that reason, if you are not going to wheel it, I'd avoid it. I LOVE mine....but it's my toy. I do maybe 3000 miles a year in it. I think there are many better choices for your use case. Here are a few:

Toyota 4Runner
Honda Pilot
Infiniti QX80 (if you haven't driven one of these, do yourself a favor and go do it. They QX80 is awesome, and under-the-radar)

 

My wife and I both daily driver our LR3s. We have done cross country trips in both even towed trailers cross country with them both. Mine has failed on a road trip once. I didn't catch a tensioner pulley on it's way out. I think I hit 23k miles in the last year on mine.

It's comfortable, and I love driving it. It is lifted on the a coil conversion with 32.8" tires skids, sliders, bumper winch, fox wing awning, Roof top tent and roof rack. Did I mention the cross country road trips were to wheel it at rover events? Her's is lifted on a little under 32's.

I think you have to stay on the maintenance and take care of problems when they appear no waiting. If you do they are fantastic Daily Drivers

 

as long as you take care of it, it'll take care of you.

dont slack off on the maintenance items like oil changes, etc and it'll keep on running.

The unreliable reputation comes from people that treat it like a Toyota. Treat it like crap, dont do any routine maintenance, miss oil changes, etc then wonder why it broke down.

I had a D2 (prior model) and took it all through New England with no issues. Moved on from it with 162k and only having to do a head gasket.

Current LR3 just rolled 110k with nothing but oil changes, daily driven + trips throughout NH and Maine

If/when you do buy one, I'd definitely recommend changing the front/rear diff and transfer case fluids, and replace the tranny pan/filter. All in all ~3 hours of work but huge piece of mind going forward.

 

You have a fair point there, I will qualify my earlier point by saying they are fantastic from a driving perspective. They are nice to live with and are well put together for passenger comfort. You can drive them across the country at 80mph all day every day. They are a great daily car if you have to have a LR, move things around with it like a van, then go weekend in the mountains with the family, and it can do a lot off road. Sure a lot of cars could be better but it is damn good. They are heavy by their design, good for safety, bad for suspension bushings, brakes, tire wear etc. I disagree they are purpose built for off road. They are purpose built to do both highway well and off road well. Simpler vehicles could spend their lives off road, I wouldn't expect and LR3 to do so without spares and modification. They would need factory workarounds for the several items that can leave them disabled, Suspension failure leaves the suspension useless, voltage issues will disable gears in transmission, disable suspension, turn off the off road computers etc.

I still think the LR3 is the best compromise and one of the most fun to drive.

 

I agree with everyone on this thread, but with qualifiers.

ArmyRover, you state that they are great daily drivers but then you detail qualities that are not daily driving. Dave, you sort of pull it all together by saying that they are fantastic from a daily driving perspective but that you can also do a whole lot more with them. I completely agree with that. My point...is that if all you are going to do with it is daily drive, and you just need space and AWD/4WD, there are better options for that mission. If you are going to daily drive it as a reality but want it for all the other things it can do, then it is the gold standard.

I think....that this is what we are all actually saying.

Totally agree that the rep they have is because they need a higher standard of maintenance and owners are negligent. Mine is like new. That's not even hyperbole. I have had it for 13 years and it is just like it was in 2005.

When I said it's purpose built for off-roading I only meant that LR paid attention to overhangs and crawl ratio and wheel travel and it is generally still built like a real-deal 4x4. I did not mean that it is the best choice for an overlander. I agree that simpler is better if it's going to be out in the bush for long periods of time, that's not what I meant to imply. I have to say though....there are not many suspension failures that render it useless. There are two, really: toasted air shock (you can check for this before you go, by testing for interference between the canister and the upper control arm) and toasted compressor (usually you know when these are on their way out). Also, if the trip is more overlanding type (not technical but long in nature) then you could always put it in Off-Road height and pull fuses. No more EAS to worry about!! SEE??? Super versatile the LR3 is!!!

I think the LR3 is one of the best 4x4s ever made for its blend of versatility and capability.

....but seriously OP, go drive that QX80 and prepare to be amazed.

 

Sorry for a more in depth daily use perspective.

It's really reliable, the seats are comfortable I really enjoy the driving position and the feel of safety. It will pull the utility trailer well, and transport 5-7 people comfortably. Plenty of room in the back for a cooler for heading to a tennis match, and folding charis etc. It has plenty of get up and go along with great maneuverability for the city commute. When out on the highway it can turn in very respecatble MPG numbers considering it's size, age and aerodynamics based on an apartment building. I will add that carrying lumber over 8 feet long is annoying if you do so without a roof rack. The seats do fold flat which is fantastic with my never ending home improvement projects. It can also carry hundreds of pounds of rock, pavers, mulch and sand (bagged of course) in the load space.

My dogs love the rear air when they come for a ride with us as well.

It is however a bit tight feeling in the sonic drive up spots and the car hop frequently has to reach over the mirror to hand me my favorite breakfast burrito. Oh and the back seat is horrible to sleep in unless you are a child or a contortionist. I generally flip it flat use a camp mat works great.

These are all things I do in my LR3 on the regular. I cover a lot of miles in my trucks. The off road trips are common for me as well. My truck has been to ME, NY, VT, PA, NC, VA, GA, AR, IN and everywhere in between in the last 12 months. Even towed another Rover from Georgia to PA as well. My truck is off road weekly even if it's tank trails on post.

That better

I've driven a lot but Rover's keep my attention because they have a quirky personality. They are more than just a vehicle.

 

That's great....you are using your LR3 to the max.

I'm just saying that if all you are doing is daily driving with a little cargo use needs and maybe light duty off-road for camping or snow, other rigs perform that mission as well as the LR3 (although with less charm) but with easier maintenance.

 

My wife DD's her's think Soccer mom use but Tennis instead. She hates Land Rover, but loves her LR3.