Considering LR3 SE

[philhess]

Have 10,000 miles on my LR-3 with zero problems. Recommend it very highly. - Did have a Land Cruiser - 120,000 miles with zero problems. Tough Decision.

 

[mpn1]

Granger: we own a Toyota Sequoia and the LR3. The Toyota (03) has been reliable, but is a bit of a tank. We refer to it as a school bus. Seats 8 people, however, not an exciting ride. Has always been reliable.

The LR3 on the other hand is a lot of fun to drive. I have 6000 miles on it. Took it in for the computer update for the stalling issue and have had no other issues. Gas mileage took a little getting used to. My perception of reliability kept me from feeling really comfortable at first, however, I got over that shortly after the purchase. We have the SE, no nav, rear air, and 7 seats. I had to have NAV in my last vehicle, a BMW X5 and found that I just didn't use it.

In comparison to the X5, the X5 was a bit sportier, however the LR3 is more commanding in the city, and off road. Also, you see X5's everywhere, and they really are not that distinct. I have only seen 4 LR3's since buying in December 04, in Portland, OR. The LR3 despite the size accelerates well, has great turning radius and handles very solid.

Good luck with your decision. I like mine.

Mike

 

[goofyMD]

Granger,
I went through the exact same thought process as you. what it boiled down to for me is do I want the reliable option which is boring or do I want a little risk to dirve somthing that gets me excited? I decided that the risk was minimal so My LR3 comes in this week.

Nobody knows how reliable any car is. I've had 2 cryslers and a first year 350 Z with no problems at all, A BMW with a lot of problems, and an acura that was in the shop all the time. who knows?

Good luck with your decision.

 

[tommithy]

MPN1, I'm probably one of those 4 that you've seen in Portland!! I live on the other side of the river though. Picked our HSE up near the end of May.

 

[GadgetRick]

Hmm, you keep trying to compare the reliablity of the LR3 to other vehicles. You mention the Sequoia, which you say has a much better track record. What are you using for the comparison? As you have said, the LR3 is a new vehicle with little reliability track record. Not sure I follow you on this part.

Also, you mention you don't mind the potential teething issues and you feel the warranty is solid. So stop worrying about whether you should get one and just get one. If you have problem, it'll be taken care of. If you'll be happier in another vehicle then buy that. However, it sounds as if you'll be happier in a Rover so I'd say just get it over with. You're not going to get any more information to make the decision. Your truck will either have problems or not. This is the same with the Sequoia or any other truck.

So I say, just do it.

The Rickster

 

[Granger]

Everyone,
Thanks for all the replies. It really helps hearing real world issues or lack there of as opposed to relying on the limited reviews and ratings.

Rick,
To answer some of your questions to me

"You mention the Sequoia, which you say has a much better track record. What are you using for the comparison? As you have said, the LR3 is a new vehicle with little reliability track record. Not sure I follow you on this part."

Well, this is a two part thing. First, Toyota has a better track record for reliability then Land Rover. I doubt there are few that would argue this. Second, I agree that the LR3 has a limited reliability track record, however there have been recurring problems (see: Nav system and suspension faults) that have been mentioned often. I am trying to determine if this is a few incidents that are just talked about often or if these problems are affecting everyone. (One or two bad apples or the whole bushel)

"Also, you mention you don't mind the potential teething issues and you feel the warranty is solid. So stop worrying about whether you should get one and just get one. If you have problem, it'll be taken care of."

What I had actually said was "On paper it is a very solid warranty, more so then the other trucks I am looking at." The key thing here is "on paper". I was trying to get a sense of others experiences with dealers to see if people felt that the dealers were responsive and if they felt like their problems were being corrected. If I was too subtle here I apologize.

"You're not going to get any more information to make the decision."

I feel that the responses I have received so far have been very helpful. Some ppl have mentioned problems others have mentioned none. Sorry if I am coming off as a nuisance, this just seemed like the logical place to research the LR3.

"Your truck will either have problems or not. This is the same with the Sequoia or any other truck."

Well, the reliability of the manufacturer does play into this somewhat. I was only trying to guage the risk, trying to determine if my chances of getting a "problem" are "1 in 1000" or "1 in 5"

Thanks for your input,
Granger

 

[grommet]

Basically, you can't judge anything from an internet forum. We are not a decent cross-section of ownership experience. You'll need to wait for the professional research results to be released to judge actual reliability.

If you just want to gather more uncontrolled "comments", you might try to visit the LRC Pub: http://lrchroniclepub.proboards29.com/index.cgi?board=land22

The top "issue" thread was an attempt to collect all the early issues (both real problems and a "want list")... it's a little stale, though... but a decent read.

 

[GadgetRick]

Sorry, didn't mean to come off as making you sound like you're bothering anyone. Not at all.

You are correct in saying Toyota has a better overall track record than LR with reliability. However, as you've mentioned, it's an average-looking/performing truck. Just like everything else. LRs have a character and are different than other trucks on the road. I, personally, like this about them.

Also, I believe grommet mentioned Internet forums are a good place to get an idea of a product you're looking to buy. The thing you have to be careful of is most forums tend to have a lot of negative comments posted and not as many positive comments. This is because most people are quick to complain but not so quick to praise.

Honestly, I hang out in a few Rover forums and, although I have a Disco, I still keep an eye on the LR3 and other areas. I've not really noticed a huge number of posts complaining about these problems. The biggest thing I've seen is a few complaints about the suspension having some faults. I believe there was a fix issued for the most common problem. There was also a starting problem, which, I believe, was fixed with a software upgrade. Other than that, I haven't seen a lot of complaints.

Of course, that doesn't mean you'd get a truck with no problems either. You could wind up with a truck with no problems (whether it's a LR or Toyota). So, either way, you're still rolling the dice somewhat. So the next thing you need to research is a good dealer. I've been very lucky with my dealer (LR Paramus). They've been nothing but good to me and I've now bought two Rovers from them. If you have a good dealer and you have problems with your truck they will take care of you.

I know where you're coming from. Something else may be more practical to some people so it's a tough decision. I've been very pleased with the two Rovers I've owned. They do everything (and then some) LR claims they can do offroad. One of the best stock offroaders out there. They have also made leaps and bounds on the reliability side. If you take care of it (scheduled maintenance included anyway), it will last a long time.

The Rickster

 

[racingdc9]

We have an SE7, black on black, 8500 miles on it. Only problems recently is the suspension fault(kept coming back, so it's at the dealer right now) all the audible chimes(turn signal chime, key in ign chime, etc...) are all gone, not a sound in the car other then the radio working. One last thing is, a quarter size paint bubbling or something on the hood on the driverside about 8 inches from edge of hood closer to the driver not the headlights. Not sure how that happened(heat?) but I have my car handwashed everyweek and waxed every 3 months, and I've had the car for about 6 months

Other then that it's fine.

 

[Michael99b]

I bought an LR3 in December 2004. I've had nothing but problems with it. MAJOR water leaks still not fixed, keyless entry intermittently inoperative (likely from all the water), radio goes dead for days at a time. It rides great (when not in the shop), if you don't mind perpetually wet carpets that are getting musty. Previous vehicle was a BMW X-5 4.4, which had zero problems over three years and 75,000 miles. The ride was rough, but the handling was far superior to the LR3. Vehicle prior to that was a 1999 Landcruiser (same as current body style). I still own that one with 120,000 miles on it and it is still an excellent vehicle. If I had to do it over again, I'd buy another Landcrusier and not the LR3. I suspect the Sequoia is equally as dependable with a somewhat less refined ride. If you don't need the third seat or alot of extra room, you might try the 4Runner. It rides nice, you get alot of features for the money, and its not made by Land Rover.