I recently bought a 2011 LR4 with 102,000 miles. I've appreciated other vehicles I've owned, but this one I love.
The LR4 is a replacement for a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder with 123,000 miles that got totaled in a rear-end accident. (I was the one rear-ended.) I liked that vehicle too, but the Nissan CVT transmission was garbage. I was lucky enough to get it replaced under my extended warranty just before it expired. It also was barely competent in the snow. It had AWD, but only one wheel engaged in the front and one in the back. It got 20 MPG on regular unleaded and drove reasonably nice.
Our other vehicle is a 2004 Toyota Sienna with 180,000 miles that just won't die. Gas, oil, tires, and the occasional brake job. (Had the timing belt replaced as a precautionary measure.) It's totally practical (heck, it's even beige). It's paid for and we will drive it into the ground. Great visibility. Huge cargo area. Engine is still responsive, the 3.3 L v6 never seemed underpowered. The body is a bit dinged up and the interior is trashed, but you could spill a 64 oz. fountain drink on the carpet or the dog could get sick and toss up its lunch and you wouldn't worry about it too much, just sop it up with an old ratty towel and call it a day. The same is true with the body. I can park as close to the entrance of the Walmart as I want and if someone bangs into the side of it while opening their door, so what? Probably going to do more damage to their vehicle than mine. Also, gets 20 MPG on regular unleaded.
I was looking at used Toyota Highlanders. They have one of the highest reliability ratings out there. But the resale value of Highlanders is pretty high while the loan to collateral value is a lot lower than the asking price. To me, what that says is that, yes, they are reliable, but the market has factored that in and you are going to pay for that reliability upfront. Basically, they are overvalued. Plus, when it comes right down to it, it's just an oversized station wagon that you can say isn't a minivan when, for all practical purposes, it actually kind of is the Sienna with four wheel drive.
Then came along the LR4. Land Rover wasn't even on my radar screen, but it was local and I thought I'd give it a drive. It was beautiful. It was black. It had everything (even 3rd row seating for the kids if we needed to drive around the in-laws). It drove like a dream. It would handle the snow like the Pathfinder never could. Heck, it could handle just about anything. Plus, the loan to collateral value was such that I could finance the entire thing, even the tax and license. Nothing down. Nothing out of my pocket. Just sign the papers and drive away.
I work from home so I don't have a commute. I don't like shelling out for premium gas or the low MPG, but most of my driving is discretionary rather than forced. I don't need to fill the tank every week to get to and from work. That offsets the increased fuel costs. My biggest problem is that I tend to take it for "joy rides" for no practical reason whatsoever. I can see myself dropping another engine into it once this one gives out or whatever it takes (within reason) to keep it on the road.