I know it may sound like a really dumb question especially on this forum but I will risk it.
I was thinking of getting a brand new LR3 V8 HSE 2009. I expect my wife would be using it most of the time. I really like the "promise" of the LR3 but if I were honest with myself, I doubt that we will make a lot of use of the LR3's off-road capabilities. This, however, is not my main worry. I am very disturbed but what seems to be a constant record of quality issues and all sorts of quirks, to put it mildly, that this car seems to have. I checked out J.D Powers research and land Rover comes as a contender for the last place for many of the categories. The traffic on this and other forums is not very reassuring either. So, is LR3 as bad as the JD Powers would make us believe. Am I committing myself to years of misery and disappointment by going with LR3 or are these things blown out of proportion?

 

Well, I'm biased. I just bought a 2008 HSE LR3 about 3 months ago. I've had no issues with it at all, and have already been off-road with it once at a Land Rover event.

It isn't the most gas-friendly truck, but it is an amazing vehicle. They thought of everything.

I've also been hauling a travel trailer behind it using the standard removable hitch available through Land Rover. The trailer is about 6900 pounds give or take 50 pounds. The tongue weight, as measured by a fancy measure is 695. The truck handles it without issue and while it took a little research to figure out why, the manual states that I can not use a weight distribution hitch. The service manager of the dealership where I bought the trailer wouldn't let me drive away without first test-driving the trailer with the truck. He couldn't believe that it was possible to drive a vehicle without the EQ. He ended up getting out of the truck while shaking his head saying he'd never have believed it.

Most of the LR3 issues seemed to be in the 2005/2006 years, but all vehicles can have minor issues; they are mechanical things. I guess the question is: "are you willing to deal with a few minor inconveniences in order to have a vehicle capable of doing what the lr3 does?"

1) available 7 seats (stowable to amazing storage capacity)
2) off-road abilities that are stunning
3) interior comfort that shouldn't be available in a top-performing off-road vehicle
4) powerhouse engine by Jag (nuff said there)
5) towing 7700 lbs at 770 tongue weight !!!

I must say that the regular scheduled services are costly, more so than any other vehicle i've owned; but, with all the little gizmos this truck has, I'm good with paying for maintenance since it requires a degree to figure out how to work on it.

My wife and I have trouble deciding who will drive it. Our second car isn't shabby either (VW EOS) but, the LR3 is our first choice-- especially in winter...

By the way, it handles great in the snow; went up to the local ski hill and played around in the snow for a bit. It was great fun to see the staff gathering around to watch. It was greater fun to see the [cough] Ford [cough] getting stuck behind me. As a prior Explorer owner, it was even better when I stopped to help him out.

Good luck with the decision process!

 

Sputnik62,

I've written many times to people wondering about reliability, etc with the LR3. If you plan on using the truck as a soccer mom car, there are better, more reliable vehicles on the market, but they will not be as versatile as the LR3. I bought mine in January, 2005, and now have over 96k miles on it, but of them in some of the challenging offroad areas of the Calif. desert, and the Colorado Rockies. (check YouTube and search for Offroving, or Great Divide).

Believe it or not, as the vehicle has gotten older, it has had fewer problems. Yes, the 30k services are expensive, but they help keep things going well. The Land Rovers today are a luxury vehicle, by most people's standards, and I would bet that all true luxury vehicles need service as much as the LR3. Check out how much service is on a Ferrari or Porche.

So, I have no regrets, and my biggest dilemma now is whether to get the 2010, or wait another year for it's bugs to work out. I believe the most important thing with the LR3 is the relationship you have with your dealer, and whether they are responsive, and helpful, especially when it comes to the extended warranty, which is important to have if you plan to own the car for several years.

I would bet that even though you say you won't use it offroad, once you try it and see how incredibly capable the vehicle is offroad, you will be hooked, and....you will get to see some beautiful country.

 

Great truck but very tempermental. If you are willing to deal with various trips to the dealer to fix nusiance items and quirks then go for it. Otherwise get a Japanese vehicle. I have a love/hate with my LR3. I love the truck, but I hate the trips to the dealer to fix the annoyances. I do not use mine for off road ventures. It's an everyday street vehicle.

 

I have an 05 with over 60k on the clock and I live about 200miles from the nearest dealer. I was very nervous about buying one. I have had an issue or 2, new stering wheel due to wear, a coulant level sensor, I had to replace worn brakes, and had a new sunroof put in. we also have had to change the oil a few times. I take it off road and have pshed my LR3 and love it. I bought it for my wife. We live in northern mich and get over 150"s of snow so I wanted an 4wd vehicle that would fit 7. She fell in love with it once she finally would look at them. I would buy it again. and again. we love it.
I have towed the boat and trailers with it. it tows ok. it is not a full size truck. the 7 pass 3rd row was a huge hit for her. we had no intention to take it on the trail. But I saw some online and hooked up with a LR club and was hooked. I had run previously as a kid with lifted trucks and vvarious jeeps ect. but thought I was done with that. I wasnt! Follow your gut. if you hate it you can allways sell it. I figued I may reget buying won so I did it even though I was scared ****tless and a nervous reck. but I have been happy with no real problems. but when things do fail it wont be cheap. Ext. warranteeeeeeee

 

Love the truck and have no regrets. actually convinced 3 friends to buy one as well.

Ever since taking delivery we notice 2 annoyances with the truck.

1 - transmission jerks when coming to almost a stop and then going. You're slowing down and coming almost to a stop, but not quite (like at a stop sign), then take the foot off the brake pedal and hit the gas pedal (doesn't matter how hard or soft you step on it). The tranmission jerks. almost feels like it down shifts.
can reproduce the occurance at will. dealer has seen the problem, but has not been able to do anything about it. Since it is a minor annoyance, we'll have them look at it again at the next scheduled service.

anyone else having this problem?

2 - when the truck is running hot, like stuck in traffic on a hot day, the engine sounds like it is under full load when hitting the gas. The actual water temp gauge is reading right in the middle. we feel some power loss.
dealer "reprogrammed" the ECU and it seems better. We still experience this occasionally, but cannot reproduce it at will.