What makes you loyal?

[Finlayforprez]

I would say this mostly covers why I love my LR4 and what makes me fall back in love when it leaves me stranded, ends up back at the shop and makes me drive that POS LR2 loaner while it is there (if you can't tell I really hate driving an LR2, no offense to anyone who owns one). Only issue is that I always have in the back of my mind is something going to break while I am in the middle of no where....

I completely understand your thoughts. First of all, I hate the LR2 with a passion. I also apologize to anyone who has one, but I just don't like anything about it. A few weeks ago I had my first free service and drove about 70 miles in a 2014 LR2 and tried to like something about it, but I just didn't. I think we are spoiled in our LR4s (especially being up high in a commanding position).

Secondly, I know that thought in the back of your mind as well, it is always running through my thoughts. Sometimes my OCD kicks in and I wonder when something will break or if I will get stranded somewhere. My LR4 is 14 months old and I am at about 8,500 miles with zero issues. I know that sounds stupid, as there should NOT be anything at such a mileage, but with Land Rovers we have seen otherwise (as you very well know). I've been off roading about 8 times, a couple times through some pretty tough terrain, and have never had a problem. But, that doesn't mean I don't think about having issues all the time and worry.

In the end, I try to tell myself to STOP thinking about future issues and getting stranded in the middle of a trail and just enjoy it. While we do love these machines a lot, in the end, they are just cars and issues can happen to any type of vehicle. Sometimes I want to sell my LR4 and get a Land Cruiser, just for the reliability, but I know I would not be happy. I like them, but man they are ugly and so boring. Sure, I could modify it and it would look good, but it still doesn't feel special.

I know some folks with Land Rovers like the luxury, exclusiveness (though not evident in certain areas), and status; but that's not me. In fact, and I know this is going to sound really dumb, sometimes I feel a little self conscious driving it. Heck, I actually hide my LR4 from my church in Utah so I don't have to deal with crap/issues.

In the end, it's just something about a Land Rover that is addictive - as we all very well know on this forum.

Very interesting thread!

Regards, David

 

[PaulLR3]

For me, brand loyalty is all about matching a vehicle to my lifestyle. In the 80's and 90's I was a loyal Honda Accord driver. As a sales rep I would drive 35K miles a year. I would trade it in every 4 years when the next Accord model came out. They were reliable and really fun to drive. Then in the late 90's I got married and we got a dog, so time for a wagon. As avid skiers, AWD was needed so I bought an Audi A4 avant. As we needed more space I moved on to two allroads and my wife drove a Q7 once we had kids. We were loyal Audi drivers.

Then our lifestyle changed...we bought a house near a drive-on beach. Q7 was not great in sand so we replaced it with an LR3.

Brand loyalty ends when the manufacturer stops making a vehicle that matches your lifestyle. Last year it was time to replace my aging allroad. No more avants in the Audi lineup. Very few manual transmissions. Q5 is too small, already had a Q7. Goodbye Audi.

Decided to buy my wife a new LR4 and take the LR3. First daily driver I have ever owned with an automatic transmission and it's nice in heavy traffic. Plenty of space for kids & gear, great in snow and now with an LR3 & LR4 we can take lots of people to the drive-on beach. I'm now a loyal Land Rover owner because these vehicles do it all. Tata, please don't screw them up going forward.

 

[AxelR]

In fact, and I know this is going to sound really dumb, sometimes I feel a little self conscious driving it. Heck, I actually hide my LR4 from my church in Utah so I don't have to deal with crap/issues.

Regards, David

This made me laugh David.
Since I moved to Albuquerque, I feel really self conscious driving this expensive luxury truck around. "Luckily" it's been in the shop for almost a week (bushings, brakes, sat radio module...) and I've been driving a.... Wait for it... LR2.
Even though I much prefer my LR4, in this area the LR2 looks less pompous

Axel

 

[epiclr4]

This made me laugh David.
Since I moved to Albuquerque, I feel really self conscious driving this expensive luxury truck around. "Luckily" it's been in the shop for almost a week (bushings, brakes, sat radio module...) and I've been driving a.... Wait for it... LR2.
Even though I much prefer my LR4, in this area the LR2 looks less pompous

Axel

I feel sorry for you... LR2

 

[Finlayforprez]

This made me laugh David.
Since I moved to Albuquerque, I feel really self conscious driving this expensive luxury truck around. "Luckily" it's been in the shop for almost a week (bushings, brakes, sat radio module...) and I've been driving a.... Wait for it... LR2.
Even though I much prefer my LR4, in this area the LR2 looks less pompous

Axel

I should add in the SF Bay area there are so many Land Rovers that I shouldn't really feel weird about it, but I am nuts. Down in UT, forget it - where I go is huge American truck, big vans, and Hummer H1 territory.

 

[mbw]

I live in Dubuque, Iowa. To see another Land Rover is extremely rare. I was waiting somewhere in a parking lot and some guy came up and said "So what is this? A Nissan?"

Try getting people to understand the difference between a Range Rover and a Land Rover. They know nothing.

If I do see another, its never modified. I've seen a black LR4 and a new Range Rover in town, but that is about all. ~4 hour drive to the only dealer in Iowa. Couple hours to the dealer in Madison, WI. I like having a unique vehicle though, so its worth the isolation and risk of repair for me.

 

[Finlayforprez]

I live in Dubuque, Iowa. To see another Land Rover is extremely rare. I was waiting somewhere in a parking lot and some guy came up and said "So what is this? A Nissan?"

Try getting people to understand the difference between a Range Rover and a Land Rover. They know nothing.

If I do see another, its never modified. I've seen a black LR4 and a new Range Rover in town, but that is about all. ~4 hour drive to the only dealer in Iowa. Couple hours to the dealer in Madison, WI. I like having a unique vehicle though, so its worth the isolation and risk of repair for me.

Don't even get me started about the Land Rover vs. Range Rover confusion. Some guy said, oh that's not a Range Rover, it's a Land Rover. I said a Range Rover is a model made by Land Rover. He said, no, Range Rover is Range Rover and Land Rover is Land Rover. He said he is sure they are made by Toyota.

Ugh. Though, I wouldn't mind Toyota reliability.

 

[danrhiggins]

OK. Just finished my 4-week road trip (this evening) so I can jump back in.

- David, as for your 8,500 miles in 14 months I will cross the 8,000 mark this next week and I'll still have the temporary license on it! ;-0

- samcarloso, you are spot on. During my 4-week road trip I used "the rig" (as my Dad calls it) in a wide range of different situations. From freeway to the White Rim Road (that was a mistake and another story) to off roading with Bill Burke - spend the whole day in 4L and S-manual to toting cargo on a roof rack to sleeping/camping in the back to shuffling the kids and grandkids around to standing on the ladder/roof to get a better angle for a photo to... My wife must have said a dozen times, "Wow, we wouldn't have been able to do that..." with one of our previous vehicles which included a Land Cruiser and an Acura MDX.

- And on a similar tack, PaulLR3, it just seems the right vehicle for where our lives are at right now. We have the time and freedom to explore. For my wife and I it is not longer about shuffling the kids to soccer or commuting to work (I work out of my house). And whereas some folks look to smaller, sportier cars for their midlife crisis, I/we prefer to have a vehicle that can take us places, not a vehicle that will make us look or feel younger or will draw attention.

- But as to that last point, it is a Land Rover and the style is iconic. On our way back to Colorado we drove Highway 50 across Nevada and stopped in the little town of Austin, NV. As I was filling up for gas an old geezer steps out of the mini-mart and says, "Can you help us settle an argument we are having inside?" I said sure. So he asks me, "We're arguing about how much your car costs. Can you tell us?" So I tell him and he says, "Sheez, that's a lot of money. Guess I lost that bet." I just smiled. So to AxelR's comment on Albuquerque, I completely agree. There are plenty of Land Rovers around Denver. But I saw none in the small towns we traveled through.

As for loyalty - I've only been an owner for 6 weeks. But with 8K miles and no significant issues I could not be happier. I'm not going to worry about the future. What will be, will be. For now, the LR4 has been working out as the best combination of capabilities for us.

 

[AxelR]

I'm glad you're enjoying the "rig" Dan.
I'm still amazed by its capabilities to this day.
Just drove to Denver yesterday (to go to Ikea - it's the closest one to ABQ) and I have to say that we went through a few storms and we both were pretty happy to be in such a reassuring vehicle (back from dealer with new hub and bearings, bushings and rotors). Also it was nice to see a couple other Land Rovers on the road.

 

[btglr4]

First land rover and will NEVER buy

I would advise to stay far away from this car. I've owned many luxury line SUVs before, and by far this is the worst and biggest piece of crap ever.

You may ask why... Well, I'm writing from the side of the road waiting for road side assistance because the car decided to completely shut off while driving at 30mph and throw itself into park. Car is completely dead now and will not start. I've owned the car for less than 2 months and this will be the 3rd time being brought in for service. The first time was 2 hrs after pick up because the breaks were grinding. The second time was because of a charging system failure light that Land Rover chalked up to not being a real issue, but just a faulty error code they've seen in the new ranges that there's no fix for at the moment. Today was and extremely dangerous situation to have a vehicle completely die at 30mph and throw itself into park. Getting a lawyer and going for the lemon law...this **** is a POS