Ray - we are considering an LR3 for various reasons... comfort, towing ability, space,etc... Can you recommend a good resource for determining best (or can you) years, options, etc... to look for? Use would be likely DD, trips, dirt roads, occasional trail riding. Would need to be built for durability as getting to my house each day is essentially a trail ride in and of itself. Any advice would be appreciated.
John
John-
I don't know of a single source that I'd point towards for some of the nuanced details about the LR3 (beyond paging through here as in my opinion ExpO seems to be the focal point for good LR3/LR4 info but I also only dwell on here, Discoweb, and Defender Source-I can't speak to LRR and other places). For basic research I tend to use Edmunds and their overall commentary on the LR3 and the ability to wade through model year variations is a good start:
http://www.edmunds.com/land-rover/lr3/
My opinion on best years is, like most, subjective. I would tend to say look at 08/09's (while saying I have an 06, and have had no major issues knock on wood) and in the same breath also say that lower mileage tends to be best and all is trumped by good maintenance records. In theory the 05's had the teething problems normal to any new model but I can't speak to that in practice.
In terms of specs I knew that there was a series of things that I wanted in my platform that is akin to what your desired application could push you toward but all is somewhat relative. My logic stream when I was shopping came back to:
-V8 (nothing actually wrong with the V6 either but I was partial to the 4.4L)
-HID headlights
-Cold wx package (the seat heaters are very nice)
-7 seater; I wanted to be able to haul kiddos + friends if necessary, and the fold flat nature means that it is a tremendous utility vehicle in a 5, or in my case with the fridge in the middle, 4 seat configuration.
I also prioritized color as I wanted a green truck with black interior, and wanted 18" wheels from the start to be able to swap on a better range of tires than the 19" ones.
While I have no regrets with my truck, other things that are worth pointing out:
-I should have tried for a green/black truck that had the bluetooth, iPod integration (the aux port is horribly located and sucks), and nav. With that said the OE bluetooth tends to not get good reviews, and neither does the Nav so really I am saying I wish I had the iPod integration but these all tend to be in the same spec trucks.
-Some would advocate for the HD package to get the locker; my intended application didn't call for it and I doubt many others actually do but it could be important I guess. Personally the existing traction control and programs, with good tires, is superb given the weight of the truck compared to many (MANY) other vehicles. For more than that, I have a winch and maxtrax.
So if you're looking I'd suggest racking and stacking options you want; most likely that may push you towards and HSE spec truck (or in the later years the HSE LUX spec vehicle). Simply put buy the most spec'd out truck up front instead of trying to retrofit boutique stuff like I've detailed in this thread!
When shopping I'd pull the recommended service intervals and compare that to the maint records; if there are no maint records be somewhat wary as you may endure a painful initial ownership fixing the 'consumables' of the truck (Lower Control Arms, brakes, wheel bearings, etc). As you hit 100k or the truck hits ~10years expect the need to fix the air compressor, well documented here in terms of the choice to either repair the Hitachi unit most have or 'upgrade' to the AMK that is in the LR4. You may also see the need above 100k to replace the air suspension components selectively too-that depends. As you can see I opted to go a different direction with the coil conversion and there is a lot of opinion on that I don't want to delve into to distract from addressing your question. I'd suggest planning on buying an IID tool immediately as it will increase your self-reliance with the vehicle right off the bat since it is a laptop that happens to have wheels. Given your application I'd also suggest sourcing 18" wheels if you don't find a truck with them, and put new tires on as you swap down an inch and gain a much better platform for dirt roads and such.
Overall I will say that I love my LR3 for what I intended for her; an all-wx capable, spacious and flexible utility vehicle that still has enough luxury to be very comfortable on long trips, versatile DD. Hope that somewhat brief reply helps, I can ramble on this stuff forever.
S/F
Ray
