Land Rover opinions

[redtruck]

I have been looking at both a new truck or getting a used 4x4 and saving up a bigger down payment. This would give me a toy in the future when I get a new truck.

I found a 2002 Land Rover Discovery that looks good. The dealer was closed today so I haven't heard the engine or taken a test drive yet. I am curious about opinions especially from anyone who might have owned or does own a Land Rover. I am looking for good and bad opinions so anything goes.

[ocnblu]

Land Rover = JUNK. Stay away!

[Robert Hall]

I've only heard bad things about the Discovery.. but a Defender, I'd buy..

[G. David Felt]

Sorry to rain on your thoughts of possibly buying this lux SUV, but they still are FORD, Fix or repair Daily. Unless you can afford the extended warranty from the Land Rover dealer and make sure it is a bumper to bumper, you will get nickeled and dimed to death as they have a high failure rate for so many things.

You can do better with a Escalade or Navigator, they both are far better SUV's than the Land Rover and yes I do realize that Mercury is part of Ford, but they still are more reliable and lower cost of ownership. If you feel you must have a European then look at the VW Tourage that is much better and find a diesel as they rock, you can also go to BMW or Mercedes as they are a bit better in the reliability department compared to Land Rover but they are very expensive to repair and to do the basic Maintenance on.

I strongly suggest American SUV if you want reliable, inexpensive to repair SUV. My Escalade, Hummer and Suburban Rock!

[FAPTurbo]

You'll become good friends with your dealer's service department manager!

[PurdueGuy]

Another key item of info in considering a Land Rover... find out how much the insurance will cost. I have known of a few people who found they could get a Land Rover (usually a Discovery) for about the same price as they could get a similar size Ford or Chevy run of the mill SUV, but when they priced the insurance, they had a heart attack. Add in other extra costs, and most people decide it's not worth it.

[Robert Hall]

I had a colleague w/ an Discovery II that he traded on an LR3 a few years back..the LR3 was decent, but the interior really didn't seem any more lux or nicer than an uplevel Explorer Limited circa 2006..don't know if the LR3 is considered more reliable than the Disco, would think so..

[redtruck]

I am a bit surprised but glad I asked. I wasn't looking for a luxury SUV but when I came across this one it looked good to me. I thought the Land Rovers were good but it seems reliability is the major issue here. Maybe it is best that I didn't get a test drive before having my question answered.

Thanks all.

[A Horse With No Name]

There's a reason people were clunking these things with 40K on them with Cash for clunkers.

Run, don't walk, from one of these.

Besides, that's more $ away from the GM truck you really want.

Chris

[daves87rs]

There's a reason people were clunking these things with 40K on them with Cash for clunkers.

Run, don't walk, from one of these.

Besides, that's more $ away from the GM truck you really want.

Chris

Yes- I noticed that....wow.

[redtruck]

I didn't check the cash 4 clunker cars maybe I should have to see what not to get.

[fightingbee]

FWIW, a '99-'00-ish Range Rover traded in when I was working at a Saturn retailer a couple years ago was by far the newest car I've seen with so much stuff not working where I thought it was a just a total lost cause.

[XP715]

If you like it, buy two; you'll need one for parts.

[Z-06]

If you like it, buy two; you'll need one for parts.

What if the same part on both of them fail?

[Justin Bimmer]

One of the attorneys at my office used to own a Land Rover. He basically told the dealer to keep it one day and went and got a Jeep.

[A Horse With No Name]

A Jeep might be a damn fine idea for Redtruck. A Wrangler might be a VERY nice compliment for a new GMC truck...hmmm...another sweet garage for the C and G guys...I like it.

A Grand Cherokee might not be bad.

However, avoid the Compass...

Chris

[ocnblu]

If he went and got himself a Compass, I'll wager good money he'd tell it to get lost in a hurry.

[Robert Hall]

If he went and got himself a Compass, I'll wager good money he'd tell it to get lost in a hurry.

I wonder, does the Compass have a compass standard? That's one of the little features in my Jeep I miss when I'm in a rental car, esp. in places that don't have distinctive E/W/N/S landmarks.

[ocnblu]

Oh man I was spoiled. My last two vehicles before the Cobalt (Colorado and Sierra) had a compass built into the rearview mirror. It was extremely handy. My next vehicle will have a built-in compass.

[Camino LS6]

Land Rover = expensive junk.

Except, perhaps, a Defender. In that case just expensive, hold the junk.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Camino LS6

[A Horse With No Name]

But why on earth would you put money into a Defender when you could have a nice fullsize Chev or GMC truck?

Even if it was seven years old, GM fullsize trucks run forever. This is farm country, and we still have lots of stuff from the seventies and eighties running around.

Chris

[Camino LS6]

But why on earth would you put money into a Defender when you could have a nice fullsize Chev or GMC truck?

Even if it was seven years old, GM fullsize trucks run forever. This is farm country, and we still have lots of stuff from the seventies and eighties running around.

Chris

Short answer: I wouldn't.

But I do have a little bit of respect for the Defender, but none for its siblings.

[Robert Hall]

But why on earth would you put money into a Defender when you could have a nice fullsize Chev or GMC truck?

Even if it was seven years old, GM fullsize trucks run forever. This is farm country, and we still have lots of stuff from the seventies and eighties running around.

Chris

I'd get a Defender because of their history and off road prowess...always liked the traditional Land Rovers. A full size truck is just a truck...too mainstream for me, and I prefer SUVs.

I want a serious off road rig eventually, more capable than my GC. The best choices, IMHO, are a Wrangler Rubicon or a Defender 90.... the Defender is more unique than a Jeep, don't see them very often.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[A Horse With No Name]

Probably not what red truck wants, but what would be really cool IMHO is a gently used one ton diesel with that Allison tranny.

THAT is a damned truck.

Chris

[Camino LS6]

Probably not what red truck wants, but what would be really cool IMHO is a gently used one ton diesel with that Allison tranny.

THAT is a damned truck.

Chris

You'll get no argument from me on that!

[A Horse With No Name]

I'd get a Defender because of their history and off road prowess...always liked the traditional Land Rovers. A full size truck is just a truck...too mainstream for me, and I prefer SUVs.

Or you'd keep your nice looking Liberty Blue GC, as unlike the Defender it's actually less dysfunctional than Lindsay Lohan.

Chris

[Robert Hall]

Or you'd keep your nice looking Liberty Blue GC, as unlike the Defender it's actually less dysfunctional than Lindsay Lohan.

Chris

I'm definitely keeping the GC, probably to trade eventually on a 4th gen GC. But I'd love a Defender or Wrangler Rubicon as an off road toy to tackle more of the Colorado back country...

[A Horse With No Name]

Wrangler Rubicon is an object of utter vehicular lust for me. So long as it is the prev. Gen of Jeep and not the rolling abortion Chryco now calls the Jeep Wrangler.

But yeah, my wife has a couple of second cousins who got their Jeeps into Jeep magazine. Those guys have invited me to come wheel with them a few times.

Autocrossing and going to Miata club functions is an expensive enough addiction. Methinks Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket for a reason.

But damn would I love a Wrangler.

Chris

[Robert Hall]

Wrangler Rubicon is an object of utter vehicular lust for me. So long as it is the prev. Gen of Jeep and not the rolling abortion Chryco now calls the Jeep Wrangler.

But yeah, my wife has a couple of second cousins who got their Jeeps into Jeep magazine. Those guys have invited me to come wheel with them a few times.

Autocrossing and going to Miata club functions is an expensive enough addiction. Methinks Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket for a reason.

But damn would I love a Wrangler.

Chris

Yeah, a buddy of mine has a bright red '03 Rubicon. We've gone 4 wheeling with it and my GC...I was able to keep up with him on most trails, except when it got too narrow and rocky (he has the more agressive tires). What a sweet Jeep. I don't care for the new ones, they just look odd to me.

[A Horse With No Name]

I like the old CJ Scramblers/CJ8's as well.

Anything you can pull the top off of or the top and doors is okay with me.

NOTHING beats a Jeep with the doors and top off on a warm summer day.

Chris

[Camino LS6]

I like the old CJ Scramblers/CJ8's as well.

Anything you can pull the top off of or the top and doors is okay with me.

NOTHING beats a Jeep with the doors and top off on a warm summer day.

Chris

Methinks an LS6 Chevelle vert on empty back roads might trump it. :AH-HA_wink:

[Robert Hall]

Methinks an LS6 Chevelle vert on empty back roads might trump it. :AH-HA_wink:

How about an LS6 El Camino convertible? Now that would be a fun phantom to build...1

Not for off roading or anything but one my unlimited money dream projects would be to build a GMT900 Suburban ZR1...that would be so badass.

Rob

Edited September 9, 2009 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Camino LS6]

I'd sooner build a "ZR-1" Suburban than a Camino vert.

The whole vert/pickup thing just doesn't work for me, I'd have rather had a fixed-roof SSR than what they built...

[Robert Hall]

I'd sooner build a "ZR-1" Suburban than a Camino vert.

The whole vert/pickup thing just doesn't work for me, I'd have rather had a fixed-roof SSR than what they built...

I like the SSR concept, didn't care for the styling...but a folding roof car pickup based on the current Holden Ute, that would rock.

Rob

[regfootball]

neighbor has an SSR. love that truck. he got his in yellow.

i thought if i got an HHR ss it would be a fun photo op, to take pictures of the two together.

[A Horse With No Name]

Methinks an LS6 Chevelle vert on empty back roads might trump it. :AH-HA_wink:

It might well indeed, although an LS6 Chevelle vert might find its way to the dragstrip in my hands.

Chris

[redtruck]

I am getting caught up again. I do like the Jeep idea. That is more what I was looking for.

As for the Compass they were only 2WD so they wouldn't meet my desires for a 4x4. Yes I would have to just leave it somewhere. LOL

[redtruck]

Probably not what red truck wants, but what would be really cool IMHO is a gently used one ton diesel with that Allison tranny.

THAT is a damned truck.

Chris

The diesel is right. I had an 85 diesel GMC in the past. That wasn't one of the best diesels but I loved it. I sure wish Chevy had the 1/2 ton with the 4.5 L diesel then the choice would be a no brainer and I would pay the extra cash for it. I don't think the plan included the Allison but that would make it even better.

[redtruck]

On another note I contacted some friends from the UK and they also said to stay clear of the Discovery. Their opinions of it were very poor. I guess it would be like wanting a Vette and getting a Chevette instead of the Corvette.

[trinacriabob]

British...complicated...expensive. Not me at all.

[A Horse With No Name]

If it's going to be British and expensive, along with being "complicated" I would take an original E type Jag.

Chris