I upgraded my nav unit with one from an LR4, much faster and cooler looking. Also updated maps (but not the latest). Spark plugs are easy, very DIY. Same for belts, the viscus fan is the only hard part.

 

yes, you can read the fault codes on any other vehicle even though it’s locked to yours, at least you can with the Bluetooth version I have. It’s not quite plug and play but takes but a minute. You need to set it up in your phone - it does work. The IID user guide on the Disco3 site probably has the process. I just muddled through last time I did it. I’m not sure if you can do a LR4 if you’re locked to an LR4 tho. I read the codes of another LR3 no problem.

 

...I did this as well, while hunting for a second LR3.

 

Is the iLand tool the same as the IID? It's a lot less expensive which is nice.

Well, I've pretty much landed on two vehicles, an LR3 or a Lexus GX470. I have a feeling that when I find the right one of either, whichever comes first, I'll have a hard time passing on it to find one of the other but I'm leaning LR3 for a few reasons. A couple more questions if you'd all indulge me some more... How easy is it to remove the middle and rear seats? Are there any resources to make it easier to find a LR indy shop in my area? I don't see a specific vehicles for sale subforum here so other than the usual places to look for used cars is there a good place to look for these?

 

...I'd probably lean Toyota, but the LR3 has more character and is better off-road, not that the GX is bad off-road. My buddy just built one and it handles itself just fine. Also not implying the LR3 is not reliable, it is, but I'd call it higher maintenance, too.

The iCarsoft is not the IIDTool.

 

When I get in a vehicle and turn it on, I want it to return the favor. Lexus, for me, does nothing. My parents had an old RX300 (bought new) and it was incredibly problematic so maybe that is why.

As for Rover maintenance, I am not sure if the LR3 is really any higher than any vehicle I have had before. I bought mine used and it needed stuff to get it back into shape, but nothing too crazy. I think the only BIG wearable item is with the suspension control arm bushings. They last about 70k miles. Mine had been dealer replaced at about 80k before I bought it. I am at 160k now and they need replacing again. Engine - just the starter. Which is ironically made by Denso and a known weak point. The solenoid contacts fail. I replaced the spark plugs and PCV valve as maintenance items but neither of those needed replacement. Transmission, just a fluid/filter change along with the transfer case and front/rear diffs. My rear driveshaft has a loose center bering bushing. So I replaced the shaft but again it was not a necessity. I thought it was worse than it really was. For air ride I did rebuild my valve blocks and at $20 and some time that's not difficult, they regulate air to the various parts. My compressor did die, picked up a new Hitachi OEM unit.

Project I have lined up then would be a full suspension rebuild. Then I want to overhaul the cooling system, all new hoses, water pump, etc. Again not because anything is failing but because of milage/age. I take the truck to very remote places and need to be certain its at 100%. Thats probably the main reason I do preventive work.

 

Thank you for that perspective. People make LR's sound like some scary Brit thing that you're supposed to run away from screaming, I think the old Lucas Prince of Darkness thing is hard wired into the collective Borg mind here in the US. I think that as long as I can find one that's not all rusty I'll have less "job anxiety" and will enjoy working on it like I used to on several of my old vehicles so regular maintenance and updating wear parts won't be a problem. I just spent the last 20 minutes reading up on the Por15 treatment My remote places are still (generally) on the road but there are some places around the northeast and Upstate NY that are pretty far from shops with significant knowledge of anything that doesn't have an open bed or a bowtie/blue oval on the grill so knowing that I can take care of so much is important. I currently have a Durango that's being retired due to an oil pan that's so rusty the oil seeps through it but it takes over 7 hours to replace it and I can't do it on jack stands in the driveway so it means going to a shop and costing $1k for a $100 part. There's also an evap sensor that's been on for 4 years now and nothing that's been done to solve it has worked and it won't pass inspection again because it has been flagged so the tank probably has to be replaced. These two seemingly simple things are going to cost more to solve than the silly thing is worth so I want to get into something that was made to be maintained rather than made to be disposed of. After spending several hours going through this forum the LR3 appears to be a good choice.

Again, because it was missed, is it easy enough to remove and reinstall the middle and rear seats that I shouldn't be afraid to think I could do it often? Part of what I really like about these is the interior height compared to so many SUV's and those extra few inches would make getting a mt bike inside standing up easier, I don't want a minivan

 

You probably know this, but these vehicles come in 2 variations: with/out third row seating. The third row folds flat, so you wouldn't actually want to remove those otherwise you'd have an uneven floorpan. The second row seats also fold down flat, so again removing them won't make much sense either. If you haven't played with one and messed around with the seating, maybe you should start there. My version has no third row as I have no use for it and they price in a little cheaper as a result. Removing the second row seats is simple unbolting.

 

The rear seats, if equip, fold flat but can be removed. A few torx bolts and a helping hand to get them out. They are joint at the hip with plastic and rivets. If you plan on pulling them often you can drill the rivets then you can probably manage them on their own. Otherwise as a pair they are heavy and sorta flop around.

Again if equip with third row, the middle row will be three individual seats that will fold flat with the same height as the rear cargo area. If no third row you may have a tow-part second row. My understanding is that this configuration does not fold flat? Or I could be remembering wrong. In any case the seocnd row is a matter of several torx bolts and some wire connectors for heating seats, etc. Not difficult but not something I would want to regularly. do. Of course you could remove just one seat in the second row. Some remove just he middle one, makes a great spot for a cooler Or maybe that would be enough room for the bike's front end to sit.

 

Don't mind at all. This is the beauty of finding the right Internet forums. Appreciate everyone's feedback, very good points many of which that align with my thinking and some new advice as well. I am not in a hurry, have been on and off actively searching for a couple years. All of you are right about the price of this, specially considering it doesn't look like a pristine car. There is one in California with 55K miles that looks awesome, but the price is IMHO absurd ($22k) https://www.70scar.com/details/used-...r-lr3/68097235. Will continue the search and update this thread.