Purchasing Pre-Owned LR4: 2015 vs. 2016

[Wonder Woman]

Hi all! I've driven Land Rovers for almost 20 years - first a 1999 Discovery and currently a 2008 LR3. I LOVE the boxy body style and am not a fan of the new updated Discovery. Defender isn't bad, but still not the same as the LR3/LR4. Thinking of passing my LR3 down to my daughter and getting myself the latest 2016 LR4 I can find. I have been searching for months for the right 2016 LR4 combination of interior/exterior color (I can't do dark interior which drastically narrows the available inventory) and low mileage. I've come across a decent deal on a 2015 with 46,000 miles. It's higher mileage than I'd hoped and a year older than I'd like. Just curious if anyone has good advice on 2015 vs. 2016 models. So far biggest upgrade I've been able to find is some improvements on the infotainment system in the 2016. Just trying to determine how long I might want to hold out on finding a better option. Thanks for any advice!

 

[ttforcefed]

i dont know if there is a difference from 15 to 16 but if u find a dark one you can always wrap it. my 2013 is causeway grey and i got tired of it so i wrapped it mediu matte white. literally better than a new paint job and it only cost $3,500.

 

[Jimmy Brooks]

If I were you I’d look for a 2013 with the mighty V8 in it! But that probably won’t meet your low mileage demand.

 

[PaulLR3]

Those of us that are used to the V8 in the 2010-2013 LR4 think the SCV6 in the 2014-2016 LR4 was a downgrade. However, since you are coming from an LR3, the SCV6 will be perfectly fine for you and you also get an 8-speed transmission.

I'm not sure if there are any drastic differences between an 2015 & 2016 LR4. But be aware that you need to find one with the heavy duty package if you want to have low gear, and a locking rear differential. Unlike the LR3, not all LR4's have low gear. HSE-LUX models will add nicer leather, a better radio, memory seats and a few other nice options. There are also the 2016 "Silver" and "Landmark" models that have these options included.

Finding an LR4 with 46,000 miles is a good find. If being sold by a LR dealer, see if you can get a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) warranty on it. Having that CPO warranty until 100K miles is great. Or, look online for a CPO LR4 with low miles. It's easy to ship a car these days. When it came time to replace our LR3 I found my LR4 1200 miles away and had it shipped.

 

[Quijote]

If I were you I’d look for a 2013 with the mighty V8 in it! But that probably won’t meet your low mileage demand.

That would be hard indeed. I have a late 2013 with 42.5k miles and that's pretty rare.

 

[avslash]

Slightly off topic, but was a official or semi-official reason for the change to the S/C 6 cylinder ever given?

I would assume it had to have related to LR's CAFE calculation or similar since it is literally the same block with two plugged cylinders and a S/C bolted on top.

On it's face, it always seemed bizarre to me to incur the engineering/development cost to come up with a kludgey end product that added complexity and reduced power.

I heard at the time of the change that it was "to reduce weight", but that was before we realized it was the same block with a relatively heavy additional lump of metal bolted to the top of it.

For that matter, since I have never been under the hood of a V6, are the cylinder heads the same with no intake/exhaust ports machined at the rear or are they truncated at the rear with shortened camshafts up top?

 

[PaulLR3]

I've read they went to the SCV6 for the 1 mpg increase. (CAFE compliance)

 

[Wonder Woman]

Thanks so much for the responses. I've been able to find 2016 LR4s with mileage in the 30,000-45,000 range. I'll be test driving a 2015 with 46,000 miles next week. There is a nice looking 2016 in GA (I'm in NC) but was wary of having it shipped. Paul, you mentioned having one shipped 1200 miles - were there any guarantees included? I asked the dealership (it's at a Land Rover dealership) and they aren't offering any price breaks on shipping and once it ships, it's mine (so, not like a CarMax or Carvana that are willing to take it back without question). There is no grace period for returns if I drive it and find an issue. Just makes me nervous to purchase without being in it first. At a different time, I'd make the road trip to check it out in person but can't do that right now.

Secondary question - my current LR3 came with a roof rack (two separate bars, not the full square version) and I'd like a rack installed on whatever LR4 I end up with. Anyone have any experience installing those after market? Assume that's not a big deal to add on?

 

[scott schmerge]

Thanks so much for the responses. I've been able to find 2016 LR4s with mileage in the 30,000-45,000 range. I'll be test driving a 2015 with 46,000 miles next week. There is a nice looking 2016 in GA (I'm in NC) but was wary of having it shipped. Paul, you mentioned having one shipped 1200 miles - were there any guarantees included? I asked the dealership (it's at a Land Rover dealership) and they aren't offering any price breaks on shipping and once it ships, it's mine (so, not like a CarMax or Carvana that are willing to take it back without question). There is no grace period for returns if I drive it and find an issue. Just makes me nervous to purchase without being in it first. At a different time, I'd make the road trip to check it out in person but can't do that right now.

Secondary question - my current LR3 came with a roof rack (two separate bars, not the full square version) and I'd like a rack installed on whatever LR4 I end up with. Anyone have any experience installing those after market? Assume that's not a big deal to add on?

I’ll chime in on shipping. It’s very easy to find a national carrier that is bonded and insured. I have direct contact to one who is fantastic and I have used twice (I’m super cheap, so I hunt for a deal until I find it). If you’d like her information, she was great to work with and negotiated for me. Just send me a pm and I’ll shoot her info over. Most brokers have a vested interest in having you pay more and getting you to commit as quickly as possible. Brokers will threaten that the deal won’t be there for long as the truck is leaving, etc... FYI there’s always another one...and yes, if you wait and are reasonable, they’ll pick your truck up. Note that all brokers are just brokers and have the same software to put out for bid. Multiple carriers leave each city each day and having a full truck optimizes revenue. If a carrier is short a car, they jump on and see if there are any cars that they can fit on that follow the route.

my shipping cost each time I shipped was inexpensive. Indianapolis to charlotte was roughly $600 and McAllen Texas to charlotte was about $750. Both trips took about two days to arrive and the driver inspected and took photos and documented any damage or blemishes before the vehicle loaded. The broker kept me updated with timelines for arrival and the driver called me when he was about twelve hours out, then again morning of, then just before delivery. Both vehicles went door to door. One came from an individual and the other came from a dealership. The first vehicle was an x5 and the second was an lr4.

 

[PaulLR3]

Scott did a great job of covering the shipping issue above. And he's in NC too. I bought my CPO LR4 with 13K miles from a dealer in Chicago and had it shipped to Boston. Only reviewed photos and a Carfax report in hope that it was not in an accident. And I had the salesperson confirm in writing that it was a non-smoking vehicle.

If you buy an LR4 with a CPO warranty from a LR dealer, any LR dealer has to honor that CPO warranty. That warranty doesn't cover wear items like brakes tires, or control arm bushings, but it does cover other common issues like the air compressor, front hubs, tailgate actuator, leaking valve cover gasket, hood alarm switch, rear camera, etc. And you get that coverage for 100K miles or 6 years from the first sale date.

Dealer can install the side roof rails if missing. Heard it can be tricky and some people have cracked the roof glass trying to DIY. Your LR3 cross bars will fit the LR4 side roof rails.