Things you wish you knew when you purchased your first Land Rover

[costelj]

Hey folks, me again. I am very close to pulling the trigger on a 2013 LR4. This would be my first Land Rover and since I see a lot of good tips on this board, I thought I'd ask: knowing what you now know, what do you wish you knew when you first bought yours?

For example, should I be prepared to treat the leather? Get some protection for the paint? Make sure I get the rubber mat thing for the back? Break the car in? Not take it off road for the first month? You get the idea....

Any help for a true newbie is much appreciated.

 

[alexcorral]

Get the rubber cargo mat and take it off road immediately after you pick it up from the dealer

 

[Kaaae]

if you do get the rubber cargo mat, you will not be able to raise the third row as you can not roll it up in whats left of the storage bay unless you get three people and a roll of duct tape....

 

[PaulLR3]

Don't buy any interior or exterior treatments from the dealer. Use Lexol products on the leather when it gets dirty and wax the outside yourself. (One Grand Blitz Wax lasts about 6 months) Buy the rubber floor mats from Atlantic British, not the dealer. If adding dealer accessories like side molding or roof rack rails, make them match the pricing at Roverpartswest. Try to bargain-in the dealer installation of the roof rack rails. I have read of people cracking the massive sunroof installing the rails themselves.

If ordering an LR4, get the heavy duty package. The full size spare is worth the $750 alone. And the locking diff may come in handy off-road someday.

Since buying our first Land Rover in 2008, the biggest surprise has been the reliability. After years of driving Audis, I'm amazed how reliable the LR3 has been. (Probably should never say it, but it's true) We liked the LR3 so much that we now have an LR4 as well. With kids, a dog, ski trips and a nearby drive-on beach, these vehicles fit our family perfectly.

 

[alexcorral]

if you do get the rubber cargo mat, you will not be able to raise the third row as you can not roll it up in whats left of the storage bay unless you get three people and a roll of duct tape....

Too funy

 

[alexcorral]

If ordering an LR4, get the heavy duty package. The full size spare is worth the $750 alone. And the locking diff may come in handy off-road someday.

It's true that the spare wheel and tire are worth the $750 but I had one on my 2011 Discovery 4 for two years and sold it without ever using it. I hesitated when ordering the 2013 and the dealer told me that none of the LR4s with full size spares that they got as trade-ins had ever used the spare.

 

[PaulLR3]

Exactly. We have never used our full size spare on our LR3. I'm sure if I had the donut spare I would have had numerous flats by now. But I like knowing there is a full size spare if I get a flat on the beach or while driving in deep snow. And if we ever curb rash a wheel we can just swap it with the perfect spare wheel.

 

[Quijote]

Exactly. We have never used our full size spare on our LR3. I'm sure if I had the donut spare I would have had numerous flats by now. But I like knowing there is a full size spare if I get a flat on the beach or while driving in deep snow. And if we ever curb rash a wheel we can just swap it with the perfect spare wheel.

This ^

I just got back from a summer vacation that almost got massively derailed because of my 328iT and it's lack of spare at all. Sure it's got runflats. Tell me how that helps you when you are in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday and you car uses some crazy 18" lo-profile run-flat that costs $350 that hardly anyone stocks?

With a full size spare it''s a 15 minute delay and it's as if it never happened.

I made use of my old JGC's full-size spare twice in 4 years 30,000 miles. And that had 17" Michelin all-terrain tires.

 

[Count Laszlo]

I think if you get the Lux interior you may want to do some leather care a few times year. The non-Lux leather is pretty resilient and doesn't need as much care... but it's not as luxurious of course. Both are easy to take care of though. And I do like the LR leather care kit myself.

The first thing I did when I bought my '10 LR4 was install OEM rubber mats front/and back. These are carpet-savers, and the OEMs are high-quality (Made in Sweden) and protect your carpets during the wet/snow seasons. Highly recommended.

The rear cargo mat/or otherwise is a good idea too... I always hauled crap around in my LR4 and it was nice not to worry about the carpets. But as others have said, if you want to use the 3rd row, you'll need to stow it away.

Other little things I recommend is a nicely equipped Swiss Army Knife/stow it in the glove box and a tire pressure gauge. And a compressor if you can. A flashlight too. These things are lifesavers when off roading. I also encourage a high-quality first aid kit --- I always have one in our cars. Everyone should have one - seriously - you never know!

 

[umbertob]

When I purchased my first Land Rover (a Sport, back in 2005) I wish I had known I was going to fall in love with off-roading. At the time, I just lusted after the look of the RRS - which was new to the market - and had to have her, I didn't have a clue about Land Rover's rich heritage, no idea what a locking rear differential was or why I would want it (I got it anyway, but only because the color I wanted was only available with it...) I would have saved myself a ridiculous amount of money buying expensive 21" German rims with low-profile tires, "performance" exhaust, and other bling that I now could care less about.

Since I knew what I was going to do with my almost new LR4 (other than getting myself to and from work daily and the occasional family trips and soccer dad duties), my mods have been far more focused this time. I go off road as much as I can (not as much as I'd like, but that's a different story), with friends or with my local club.

In addition to rubber mats for passenger and cargo areas, I got 18" wheels and beefier all-terrain tires, rock sliders and a skid plate to protect my baby from the rocks that, here in Southern Cal, are nearly impossible to avoid if you step off the beaten path. I installed a second battery to have more juice available in the boonies for fridge, chargers, etc.

Even when I am not off road, I always carry with me what I think is necessary equipment, even on the road - if that road takes you far away from help or a cell phone signal:

- A fire extinguisher (mounted on a bracket on the front passenger seat);
- A flashlight (mounted under my legs on the driver's seat);
- Jump start cables, a decent air compressor, an ARB tire repair kit, a full set of spare fuses, and a high quality tire pressure gauge / deflator (all in a gym bag stashed under the folded third row seats);
- An IIDTool, a diagnostic tool to read and clear fault codes and modify suspensions height, best gizmo I ever got for my car;
- A SPOT Connect satellite communicator (with a fresh set of spare batteries in the glove box);
- A First-Aid kit, the best I could find at REI that still fits in the cubby on one side of the cargo area;
- A box of baby wipes in the other cubby - laugh all you want, those things are great, they clean your hands from grease and dust, your face from food and sunscreen, they are soft and super strong, fully biodegradable and unscented.
- A Leatherman multi-tool;
- A D-ring hanging from the rear bumper's recovery point.

When I go wheeling with friends I throw in the trunk another big duffel bag with less essential stuff, including several ****** straps, Staun tire deflators set at 32 psi, couple more D-rings, an air jack, several hand tools, zip ties, FRS radio, bug spray, sunscreen, folding shovel, lantern, windproof matches, emergency shelter, a compass, a BIG scuba knife, etc. Of course, my fridge / freezer. And if I go camping for more than a day... Watch out! I can even produce a portable shower WITH full privacy enclosure on request.

The beauty of the LR4 is that all this crap fits and the trunk still looks half empty.