Hello everyone. In 2006 we came within a chin hair of purchasing a LR3. At the last minute we chickened out and purchased something just as capable but we thought it was a far better value for the money. It turned out to be less than stellar and we always kind of regretted not getting the LR3.

I also almost bought a Disco for a toy/daily driver a few years back. Chickened out again and bought an old Bronco instead. Dont regret that one.

The biggest reason I shyed away from the 06 LR3 was due to LR/RR's reputation for less than reliable reliability. So I wasnt confident buying a brand new model year of and all new model. The problems I was coming across from new owners online was just too much to look past. This coming from a guy who has owned 3 Triumphs. It was just too much coin to drop on a problematic machine.


I'm looking at a RR Sport as well. I like the utilitarian focus of the LR4, I like the whole configuration. It just fits what we want to do with an SUV. But the Sport has that supercharged 5.0L V8 LOL!
And it looks very cool.

The reason I'm looking at the 13 LR4 and not a 14 is because I'm not a fan of forced inducting small engines to pull around large vehicles in the lame efort to improve MPGs. Its doesnt work that way and theres no replacement for displacement in large SUVs and trucks. In my opinion and experience you cant have both from forced induction V6s in large vehicles and theres nothing that will change my mind.

So, since 2006, I figure these LRs have become very refined and I'm hoping problems have been mostly corrected. Ive heard that reliability was greatly improved round 2010or 2011...Please chime in on that.

I tow a 5K lb boat 2 or 3 times a month over 4 or 5 months of the year. This WILL be our only tow vehicle. In the past, weve always had two vehicles to split tow duties. So how does the 5.0 equipped LR4 tow and can it handle it?

Any other input on the late model (2013) LR4 would be great!

Thanks!!

 

I bought my wife a '13 LR4 HSE Lux in Orkney gray. It's a beast. I pulled a 5000 pound trailer up the grapevine with it coming back from L.A. with no issues.

Coming from my Disco2, the Jag V8 is a lot of fun. We've had no issues to report whatsoever, other than rock solid reliability and a lot of great family memories using our truck for the purpose for which it was designed.

 

Our 2012 LR4 towed our 22' Chris Craft Launch boat with the 70 gallon fuel tank full on a double axle Eagle trailer fabulously. The backup camera makes hook up a one man job and the air suspension handles the auto leveling great. Highly recommended as a tow vehicle!

 

Thanks guys. I appreciate the real feedback from people who actually tow. I never see a RR or LR pulling anything around my neck of the woods...itsalways a soccer mom vehicle..

As I mentioned, for the first time since weve owned our boat (11 years) this will be our only tow vehicle. Weve always split tow duties between two vehicles in the past, so I just want to know that the LR4 can handle it. It'll see some decent amount of tow duty in the spring/sumer months.

I did drive the LR4 a few days ago. The 5.0 felt strong. It fell right between the 5.0 in my wifes 13 F150 ond the 5.7 in my 14 RAM 1500. It moved the vehicle well and I love the fact that it load levels. I put some air bags and auto leveling in one of my past trucks and it makes a world of differnce when towing. Ive missed that feature ever since. Thats why if I was to get a truck again, Id get a RAM with the four corner air system. BUT, looks like I'm not going down that route.
Robert, the LR4 I drove was Orkney Gray...beautiful color.

 

What was that?

 

I have the 2011 LR4 HSE which stated as 8000lb. tow capacity. I pull 20 ft boat at 3500lbs and have towed from Chicago to St. Louis with a 3300lb Jag on dual axle steel trailer with no problems. My fuel mileage with trailer at highway speeds was 16mpg. Only warning Rover gives on towing, do not tow under 25mph for more than 10 min. in first gear. Nerve wracking in hot weather due to work zone backups. But nevertheless never bounced the gauge at all. Very happy. Actually seem to tow smother than my 5.4litre Ford 4X4 Supercrew.

 

LOL, Since you asked...
It was an 06 Jeep Commander Limited. It was just as capable, more loaded, more features, better ride, more powerfull and $8K less.
There were alot of reasons we felt it was a far better value for the money at the time.
In the end it suffered probably more first year problems than the LR3 would have.

Some of the neato tech features stopped working. Some things they were able to fix, some things they never could figure out. We lost the transfer case twice, leaving my wife stranded on the side of the road in a snow storm once. And the damn thing sprung a FUEL LEAK in the ENGINE COMPARTMENT!!! If I wasnt driving it at the time, and it was only my wife, I'm not sure she would have been able to detect it as fast as I did and it very well could have gone up in flames with her in it...she was pregnant at the time as well.
Needless to say....That was the last straw.

That truck did have a few merits though. Although it COULD have killed us with the gas leak, it did very probably save my wife's life one day. She was cruising along the highway one morning and had someone come into her lane. She did the classic quick swerve then over correction. Classic rollerover maneuvers.
Vehicle stability controls were coming along and out of infancy in those years. I always thought stability control was smoke and mirrors and marketing BS. She could feel the passenger side rear wheel lifting and was bracing for the worst.. But, she says that something weird happened, the nannys kicked in, made a bunch of clicking and whirring noises and the truck just settled itself, straightened up and continued on with no drama.
The HEMI in that thing was also VERY strong, it towed like a beast. Even better than my 06 F150 at the time.
We took it to Colorado in the winter during a major storm, it just plowed through like nothing Ive ever driven before. We also took it during the Fall and went off roading. In those instances it was beyond great.
But in the end, it was just a failure.

 

Thats intereting about the under 25mph warning. But I dont run into that very often.

Glad to hear your input!

16 mpg towng that weight it very good IMO. I could actually live with less LOL so thats good to hear. I do realize MPGs will vary. Does anyone know what rear end gears these trucks have?

 

Well my wife has thrown a wrench in the cogs. She is enamored with the Range Rover sport now she's got me intrigued.

From my research I'm still gathering that the LR4 is still a better Tow vehicle than the Range Rover sport. Would I be correct in this assessment?

 

I actually stopped in today and drove the 13 RRS SC thatmy wife was ga-ga over. Its no doubt a nice looking vehicle, but its very cramped inside. Also the supercharged 5.0 is very strong, but Ive had a couple of fast, high powered vehicles before and this just didnt blow my socks off. I was expecting more from its claimed 510HP. It left me a bit underwhelmed. I think I'm sticking to my initial choice of the LR4. Its way more useful and practical for our needs.