Hi guy & gals.

A few days ago my wife and I went to the local LR dealer for some test drives. Took the Evoque out for a spin (awesome little thing) and the LR4 (loved it). At first we were more leaning towards the Evoque but after the test drives and comparing them the LR4 won due to it's size and interior room.... plus of course it's capabilities.

So we're first time LR buyers with some questions. Always loved the Disco models but always been equally curious about one thing. Why is it that a $70K world class 4x4 falls in value like a meteor? To a guy like me with zero LR experience to understand why, that is a major red flag. So what gives? Please don't tell me they build them like the Jags they share the dealership lot with lol.

With the LR/RR brand now under new ownership via India, has the change been positive, negative or no change? The salesman had a good speech about the vast amount of $$ Tata was dumping into LR/RR, then again Tata also produces the cheapest car on the planet lol so I don't know what to make of that.

Finally, the loaded question (asking on a LR owner forum)... is it worth it? Like I said I've always loved them from afar but never owned any. For a family that will use it offroad for camping, fishing, and the usual soccer mom stuff too, is it a good investment/purchase?

Cheers gang, sorry for the humongous first post on the forum.

 

We are first time LR owners and have a Disco 4 (sorry LR4 is just a weird name). Outside of the camera system (now fixed), it has been trouble free since we got it new back in 2010. The only think we don't like is the navigation system, but that's not a big deal. No car/truck is a wise investment and if you are worried about something like that, always buy a used vehicle. I would bedt there are LR4's that are coming off lease that would be available to pick up and sadely most LR/RR have never left the pavement.

 

My wife and I are first time LR owners as well - we bought our LR4 new in 2010. We have had the same issues as LabRat with the cameras, and outside of a few minor issues with the programming for the infotainment system, ours has been trouble free. We have had it on several of the Dealership Wheels events and put it through its paces.
As for reliability compared to Jag, you may want to check the latest JD Power stats. Jag tied Porsche for 2nd place. LR is not that high on the list, but have been making big improvements.
As for resale, I guess it only matters at the time you trade the vehicle in, or if you are leasing and the "depreciation" you are paying for makes your payments go up. I would take a look at the BMW X5 for some insight into heavy duty depreciation. My buddy picked up 2 yo X5 which in '09 was fully loaded for right about $70K. He paid a shade over $50K in 2011. Most cars will lose at least 50 - 60% over 5 years.

I say take the plunge and enjoy! You can't take the money with you.

PS - I liked our LR4 so much, I went out and bought a used Disco 1 solely for off-loading!

 

Actually, used car prices in the U.S. are very strong right now. I had a 2011 Jag XJL that I sold to buy an LR4 and the depreciation was far less than what the lease payments would have been for the 18 months I owned the car. I started out looking for a used LR4 but the prices seemed high to me compared to a new one. I have had good success buying dealer demos at good prices. This helps keep the depreciation down if you trade vehicles fairly often. My LR4 had 600 miles on it and I saved a few thousand vs. a new non-demo. Also, of course, you have to sell the vehicle on your own, not trade it in at the dealer. I've had good luck with that on eBay. I love my LR4. I have about 2000 miles now. Same engine as my Jag, beautiful and very useful interior. The Jag was a great car too.

 

Went back to the dealer yesterday to get the ball rolling..... I'm taking the plunge! For now they're just checking local inventory for an LR4 with the specs I want. So far looking at:

2012 HSE
Fuji White
20" 10 split wheels
Heavy Duty Package
Upgraded stereo

Pretty simple, nothing too crazy. With a little luck they should be able to find something nearby and not have to make a custom order. Fingers crossed it'll be in the driveway by October.

 

Well.... it's done. Found a 2012 LR4 a province over with everything I wanted. Pulled the trigger, wrote a cheque and it's now enroute. With any luck it will be here on Saturday so I can have a few days of fun before I go back to work.

Very excited!

 

Had it for 24 hours now and am in love. I'm still not used to the power it has but at the same time having fun playing with that power... for it's size the LR4 is a frigging rocket!! And does that 5.0L engine ever sound nice when you let it red line haha.

Gonna try to get up early tomorrow and see if my old 4x4 roads are still open to the public

 

I know what you mean about the power. I drove a Nisan Armada the other day and it felt like a tank, slow and sluggish. That being said, I'd trade that Jag power plant for a TD any day.

 

Well I managed to get in a little time on some trails today. Nothing fancy, just old logging roads. Was nice to get into the back country again... haven't been back in those woods in over a decade back when I was a Jeep guy.

I did manage to find a few rock pits though to test out the low range ability and I was quite shocked. Even in stock street tires the LR4 turned it's nose to the sky and went straight up anything I pointed it at without fuss or drama.

 

Others can go fast. You can go anywhere.