I plan to hopefully purchase a luxury SUV in the next year (used), and have been looking at several models. I'm considering a Lexus LX, Lexus GX, and the Range Rover HSE mostly. My prospective price range is probably somewhere in the $20k - $30k range. I would like to get a Range Rover, as I like the looks and the interior much more, but I do have some concerns as far as maintaining the vehicle.

I'd like to purchase a vehicle that is around 40 - 50k miles (be it RR, Lexus, or whatever) and would plan to keep it until it reaches about 100k miles. My issue with the Range Rover is focused largely on the reliability issues I've heard about (in my very limited experience). So I have some questions:

I understand there was some variation / updates over the years, with the BMW engines being phased out (around '04 I think?) and the Jaguar engine replacing it. I'm not too clear on the other updates / improvements (or perhaps the opposite) that took place in the following years like 2005, 2006. I'm interested as to the consensus about what the better engine / overall car is reliability wise? I'm not concerned with which performs better I want to know which is more dependent / less prone to major issues.

Also, I've read quite a bit about catastrophic transmission & differential failures, as well as the suspension and all sorts of weird issues with Range Rovers (electrical and otherwise) that you don't expect to occur at low mileage. As a backdrop I'd like to mention that my dad and I have had several BMWs and he is a very knowledgeable person when it comes to cars and mechanical things in general. He maintains 75% of everything by keeping a close eye on the wear and tear of our vehicles and knowing the typical items that "go," and at what mileage it can be expected. Beyond this we have a very capable mechanic that works on all of our vehicles. We also have Toyotas which is why I'm inclined to trust the reliability of Lexus even though I don't like them quite as much as the RR.

To be clear: it's not the expense of typical wear issues / parts that break on all cars that concerns me... brakes, thermostat, radiator, etc. etc. - but rather, the "biggie" things that I worry about... that you don't really expect to go on a car 50-100k miles.


That said, what are some of the most typical wear items / failures that one would expect in the RR HSE in the 50k-100k time? I'm concerned because it seems like a lot of people dump these cars off around 50-60k miles, and I don't see a whole lot of them with really high mileage (whereas the Lexus SUV's are commonly run up to 200k without major failures).

Any and all information is greatly appreciated.

 

A lot of cars a dumped off at around 50k miles. Doesn't mean they are bad. The biggest reason transmissions go out on the BMW versions is because, BMW and all their wisdom said the transmissions never need to be serviced. So guess what happens around 75 to 100k miles . Rovers are a lot like BMWs, the cores are very solid and last a long time if you are meticulous. Electrical crap, get used to it... You'll encounter quirks here and there. Sometimes they don't mean anything and just go away.

People get bent out of shape with rovers because they take it to the dealership for every little thing, and get raped when they receive the bill. If you have a competent rover mechanic, the cost of ownership is drastically reduced, and is reduced even further if you do the work yourself.

There have been 3 main engine platforms. The first starting with the buick block (GEMS and BOSCH, used on the classic and P38 rovers). From 2003 to 2005 BMW put their 4.4L V8 in the rover. If you are partial to BMWs, you might consider getting one with a BMW engine. In 2006 they put the Jag 4.4L engine in it and gave the body a face lift and in 2007 they updated the interior. 2010 models still use Jag engines, but are a much different design than the previous ones. Personally, I like the Jag engines, but the BMW engines are great too. As far as dependability goes, I would say they are about equal. However, the Jag engines seem to not throw as many fits. But it really boils down to personal preference.

As with any car (more so with rovers) if it was not maintained properly, you will have problems. Find one that had a loving owner. Lexus makes a good car, but they do not have the "personality" that I like in a rover. If you are a sloppy person who does minimal maintenance, and turns the key expecting everything to work flawlessly every time, a rover is not for you. If you have a sense of humor with euro cars and are patient and meticulous with them and grin at the random little issues rather than have a heart attack over them, a rover might be right up your alley. After all, you are dealing with a car that has more computers on it than the space shuttle!

To give you an idea of what kind of electrical quirks I am talking about. Occasionally mine won't start. Usually does this once a month, turn the key and nothing happens. Pulling the key out and trying again fires it right up....lol. Another one, the brake light will flash from time to time and the instruments will say "brake fluid low" and then it will go away after a few seconds, even though the brake fluid levels are fine. When its super cold out, sometimes I see "transmission fault" or "slow to 35mph" when I start it. The faults always go away and everything operates fine.