Newcomer to LR4 from Virginia

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Leebar

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Hello to all, I might be a new owner, soon, of used Land Rover , Greetings to all. Currently I am looking into purchasing an LR4 and found a 2011 with no codes. I am the original owner of a 2000 Dodge Durango Sport 4WD and have enjoyed driving this for 267k miles with me doing the majority of the repairs. Unfortunately, parts are becoming scarce from the junk yards as the 1st generation Durango are being scraped because not enough customers are buying parts. Therefore, that puts me in the market for a new vehicle which I am considering this LR4. However, a master mechanic for Jaguar has almost put the fear of God into me saying, "stay away from the LR4 unless you have pockets of money" therefore, I am hesitant to put both feet in and buy this LR4. Does anyone have any sound advice for me to either move forward or put the brakes on this LR4? I come to you all for advice as you seem to have solid information, not just trial and error as many other vehicle forums. Thank you for your time. Best regards, Leebar
 

joey

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Welcome to the forum. I think as with any brand you will find people that will have bad things to say about them. I have owned 2 Jaguars, and 2 LR Discovery's and a Range Rover. I have never been left stranded in any of them. The key is to find the best example of the model you are looking at and preferable one with a good service history. It wouldn't hurt to have a good Independent Rover Mechanic look it over first, but this could be said of any brand as well. If you look at one and it has cheap tires, you can figure other things have been done cheaply. If it has new Michelin tires, you can almost bet everything has been done to spec. Either way when you buy one, always change all the fluids and have everything flushed (this goes for any brand).

Spend a few dollars and have someone look it over, it could save you thousands of dollars. Heck I just looked at a Lexus here a while back and took it to a mechanic friend and he found several thousands of dollars of needed repairs, so I didn't buy the great driving no lights on the dash car.
 

Leebar

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Hi Joey, I thank you for sharing your wisdom . I am fortunate to find myself with mechanical comprehension since an early age. My first vehicle to work upon was a '57 Bel Air as the owner and I made a few modifications for the 1/4 mile. I did look upon this LR4 and was quite impressed by how well it had been maintained and the car fax being very informative of the facts. Micheline makes a fine tire as I run them on my vehicles. However, these LR4 tires are Goodyear with very nice tread. This vehicle was not used for rough terrain. Even though I did not find anything of concern, your suggestion to have an expert look upon is not without it's merit. The oils were fresh without odor, the filters were clean, no external oil leaks and no leaking of water to the interior. I am looking further into this LR4 as I require a vehicle that will be reliable while on road and off road. I believe this LR4 has it's purpose. I hope to share more soon. Best regards
 

BigBriDogGuy

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Hi Leebar, I feel your pain. I'm about ready to pull the trigger on the same year, make, and model. I also test drove the same year turbocharged Range Rover with about the same miles. The LR4 had 102,000 miles and the Range Rover had 89,000. Both were private owners here in Bellingham, WA. I tested the RR first and loved its power and handling. However, the owner had modified it to make it into some sort of street racing car by making it all black, with black rims, and 21" slick tread tires. That's not where I'm coming from. Plus, he wanted a few thousand more.

The LR4, on the other hand, handled like a dream as well, and it had other features that I liked over the RR. The third row seat. The enormous flat cargo space with the third and second row folded down. Much better visibility than the RR. Nice sound system. I talked to the local LR mechanic and he said none of the European vehicles are going to have the reliability of a Toyota. I looked at Highlanders as well, and they were asking more for older vehicles with nearly 200,000 miles. They say a Highlander can last 300,000. That doesn't mean that it will. And what will those last miles be like? Dating a 70-year-old woman that looks great (for her age)?

I've been scouring the local postings for vehicles since my 2013 Pathfinder was rear-ended and totaled. My take away is they all are potentially overpriced garbage. Generally speaking, people rarely get rid of good vehicles. They drive them into the dirt. That's why my backup plan was to find a $1,000 beater that runs, drives, and stops. Try finding one of those and, if you do, it's gone before you finish texting the owner. And, even if I landed one, sure it might get me from point A to B cheaply and just as well as anything else, but how is it going to transport my oversized ego?
 

BigBriDogGuy

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Update: I am meeting the seller of the LR4 at the bank this morning to complete the transaction. Earlier today, I got the bright idea to purchase a Carfax report on the VIN. Everything looked pretty normal (other than the fact that the odometer was showing in kilometers rather than miles, imported last year as a Canadian vehicle). I knew about the odometer thing and even know the local dealership that routinely sells used LR product imported from Vancouver, BC.

The other interesting fact is that it was most recently serviced at the local LR mechanic here in Bellingham, WA. This is the one that had previously told me that LRs are touchy, but that all European vehicles tend to be. I called him with the VIN and asked if he could fill me in if there was anything major he saw during his servicing of the vehicle. He said it was all routine/minor maintenance, nothing major that he saw in his notes. I guess that is about as much confirmation as I am going to get.
 

Leebar

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Thank you, BigBriDogGuy, for your comments. I have seen my share of LR4s and RR. First thing I do is run a scan on the whole system, then I am under the vehicle checking for rust, since most of these vehicles are coming from up north where road salt tears up an undercarriage when not rinsed off, then I go through everything else, such as the lifting shocks for speed of lift and lowering along with the sun roof for leaks under the drivers floor mat. I have been disappointed in the past with a Jeep Commander and try not to let that happen again. Best of luck with your new to you vehicle. Somewhere is a vehicle out there for me at least as good as my 2000 Durango or better.
Best regards,
 

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