Hi all,
I've recently purchased a 2006 Land Rover LR3 V6 with the SE package. I bought it from a GTA Land Rover dealer with 86k on the clock. I got it for about 29k OTD. Black on black leather interior.
Outside walk-around:
The LR3 (or Discovery 3) has a very boxy design which is quite unique in today's marketplace. Most SUV's have gone with the round/soft look (ie. RX350, Q5) and I feel the LR3 is a stand out in a sea of new SUV's. The glasses around the truck is huge which aids in visibility. Some may not like the rear glass's design, especially now with the absence of the spare tire. It took me a while to like the design. 8/10.
Inside:
The interior is very spacious with good seating room for five. I am almost 6 feet and I am able to "sit behind myself" comfortably. A lot of storage spaces for both the driver and passenger. Controls have a very "chunky" feel to it, however it is not Audi/VW like in terms of the touchy feely materials. Large dials makes it easy to operate with gloves on. 8.5/10.
Start the engine:
The V6 in the LR3 is directly lifted from existing Ford vehicles (Mustang, Explorer) with unique intakes (I believe) to generate more HP/torque. It is very smooth in idle and remains fairly composed throughout the rev range. Coming from a Saab 9-5 Aero, I miss the midrange ****** of that car, however it is a good drive on its own merit. I'm averaging about 17 MPG in mixed driving (60/40 city/hwy). It recommends premium gas but I use regular anyways. No adverse effects on the car so far. 7/10.
Equipment:
Almost all the commonly expected equipment for a luxury car is present here, with a few notable exceptions:
1) Xenon headlights
2) Memory seat(s)
3) Parking sensors (some may not need it, it's a relatively easy vehicle to park)
Some neat features:
1) Rear heated seats
2) Heated windshield
3) 3 sunroofs (yes, only the first row opens)
4) Air suspension (when working properly) *KNOCK ON WOOD*
8.5/10.
Price:
I've cross shopped the ML350, XC90, Touareg and X5, all from 2006, mileage ranges from 60k-90k. The LR3 is at least 5k cheaper than most of the competitors. In the case of the X5 it's close to 10k cheaper. Typical British depreciation (although the Range Rover Sport seems to be bucking the trend).
9/10
Dealer service:
The dealer had fixed a few things before selling me the vehicle:
1) Front ball joints
2) Tie rods
3) Front + rear brake pads
4) 2 new front tires
5) Oil change
6) Front wiper blades
9/10.
Reliability:
I've checked out the vehicle fairly throughly with the information I obtained through various Land Rover forums. I've decided not to buy the extended warranty (3.1k for additional 3 yrs/60k) due to the high deductible ($200!!). I'll take good care of the vehicle and hopefully it will treat me good in return. So far everything is working in good order and I don't see any signs of anything going south any time soon
It is currently running with dino oil and I will be putting synthetic the next oil change.
Feel free to post your opinions and question here!
I've recently purchased a 2006 Land Rover LR3 V6 with the SE package. I bought it from a GTA Land Rover dealer with 86k on the clock. I got it for about 29k OTD. Black on black leather interior.
Outside walk-around:
The LR3 (or Discovery 3) has a very boxy design which is quite unique in today's marketplace. Most SUV's have gone with the round/soft look (ie. RX350, Q5) and I feel the LR3 is a stand out in a sea of new SUV's. The glasses around the truck is huge which aids in visibility. Some may not like the rear glass's design, especially now with the absence of the spare tire. It took me a while to like the design. 8/10.
Inside:
The interior is very spacious with good seating room for five. I am almost 6 feet and I am able to "sit behind myself" comfortably. A lot of storage spaces for both the driver and passenger. Controls have a very "chunky" feel to it, however it is not Audi/VW like in terms of the touchy feely materials. Large dials makes it easy to operate with gloves on. 8.5/10.
Start the engine:
The V6 in the LR3 is directly lifted from existing Ford vehicles (Mustang, Explorer) with unique intakes (I believe) to generate more HP/torque. It is very smooth in idle and remains fairly composed throughout the rev range. Coming from a Saab 9-5 Aero, I miss the midrange ****** of that car, however it is a good drive on its own merit. I'm averaging about 17 MPG in mixed driving (60/40 city/hwy). It recommends premium gas but I use regular anyways. No adverse effects on the car so far. 7/10.
Equipment:
Almost all the commonly expected equipment for a luxury car is present here, with a few notable exceptions:
1) Xenon headlights
2) Memory seat(s)
3) Parking sensors (some may not need it, it's a relatively easy vehicle to park)
Some neat features:
1) Rear heated seats
2) Heated windshield
3) 3 sunroofs (yes, only the first row opens)
4) Air suspension (when working properly) *KNOCK ON WOOD*
8.5/10.
Price:
I've cross shopped the ML350, XC90, Touareg and X5, all from 2006, mileage ranges from 60k-90k. The LR3 is at least 5k cheaper than most of the competitors. In the case of the X5 it's close to 10k cheaper. Typical British depreciation (although the Range Rover Sport seems to be bucking the trend).
9/10
Dealer service:
The dealer had fixed a few things before selling me the vehicle:
1) Front ball joints
2) Tie rods
3) Front + rear brake pads
4) 2 new front tires
5) Oil change
6) Front wiper blades
9/10.
Reliability:
I've checked out the vehicle fairly throughly with the information I obtained through various Land Rover forums. I've decided not to buy the extended warranty (3.1k for additional 3 yrs/60k) due to the high deductible ($200!!). I'll take good care of the vehicle and hopefully it will treat me good in return. So far everything is working in good order and I don't see any signs of anything going south any time soon
It is currently running with dino oil and I will be putting synthetic the next oil change.
Feel free to post your opinions and question here!
