This is simply my opinion guys. Nobody has to agree with me. I just think that you'll only get half of the LR3's value if you don't wheel it. You will deal with the headache of maintenance without experiencing the pure bliss of what it excels at. X5s **** it on the road; GX470 kills it on reliability; nothing touches it on off-roading ability. It's NOT an SUV, it's a Rover....
So my opinion, is that buying an expensive vehicle and not using it to its full potential is ill-advised. Since I was asked for advice, I gave mine.
Certainly understand your point, but the LR3 also offers better packaging (IMO!) then the either the BMW or GX470, at a very attractive price point when looking used.... To that end, buying used, I wouldn't consider it a very expensive vehicle.
The wives on our street have started comparing our LR3 to their minivans from a practical perspective - the minivans win on gas mileage and cargo volume - the LR3 wins in all other areas (including passenger volume), and a two year old LR3 is cheaper then many new mini-vans (ie, our 2 y/o LR3 was cheaper to buy then the neighbor's KIA minivan - and his brother works at the dealership!). Throw in the extended warranty and you're covered better then your average new minivan as well.
I can see where many people wouldn't want the LR3 compared to a minivan, but it's really no different then comparing it to a BMW or Lexus SUV - except that a minivan has better on road manners then your average SUV; people usually buy what they want, not what they need.
For the record, I'd also encourage anyone buying an LR3 to take it offroad - not something that I ever thought I'd enjoy, but it is a lot of fun....