So after driving an LR3 we have discontinued our Land Cruiser search. The vehicle will be primarily for cross-country road trips, light wheeling, and transporting our pooch. Problem is there are only two around us worth considering - both are 06 SE with cold weather, xenon headlights and HK sound. One has approximately 116k, good service records(going to JC British for PPI Wednesday), but is in rougher shape physically - headlight needs restoration, heated windshield chipped, tailgate license plate light cover missing, center console latch broken, radio screen not working, seat ripped, etc. The other is about $500 more and has 20k more miles, but appears to be near perfect cosmetically. This truck is at LR Roaring Fork out in the mountains, which means it's about 3 hours from the LR indy shop. Would you trust the selling LR dealer to perform an honest PPI? is it even necessary coming from a franchised dealer? Which direction do you think you guys would go? Thanks so much and I'm looking forward to being a part of this community.
Which LR3 to buy?
- Thread starter etl330
- Start date
ollifl
New member
I have an 2006 LR3 (200k) and 2012 LR4 (30k) on them, I do most of servicing myself since it is super expensive at the dealer. I would go for the second one, but, ask the dealer to do transmission, differentials (both) and transfer casing fluids. Transmission Fluids, filter and pan, (interval is approx. 70k), if it slips at all in any of the modes it's time to change, don't let them charge you $700.00 for diagnosis it's 90% of the time transmission filter... differentials pretty much during every motor oil change, and transfer casing, just because. Try every available off road mode multiple times, lower and raise the vehicle few times, should lift pretty evenly and the compressor shouldn't run extended periods of time. Good luck, great trucks when they work, but they need to be driven and used for the purpose they were made for....
DiscoDavis
Explorer
Write it into the purchase agreement if you are worried, if they go for that... IE anything not found under inspection, seller is to correct, w.e. Generally I found dealers to be OK when it comes to PPI, at least LR. Ask to speak to a tech directly about it, I was allowed to meet with one after the PPI to go through every item and he explained several helpful items to me when I was new to rovers. Though in every dealership they usually try to keep customers from talking with service personnel period, mileage may vary.
Does either have 100% complete service records? by 100-120k it should have had the diffs, transfer case serviced, the transmission pan/filter/fluid changed for new, and depending on service life, all lower control arms/bushings done at least once. If you care about the heated windscreen, pay special attention to it, nobody noticed that the heating element was broken in mine until it was winter already.
Just get the best possible one you can, short of $1000's difference, it will take way more time and headache to correct issues when you wanted to pinch pennies.
Does either have 100% complete service records? by 100-120k it should have had the diffs, transfer case serviced, the transmission pan/filter/fluid changed for new, and depending on service life, all lower control arms/bushings done at least once. If you care about the heated windscreen, pay special attention to it, nobody noticed that the heating element was broken in mine until it was winter already.
Just get the best possible one you can, short of $1000's difference, it will take way more time and headache to correct issues when you wanted to pinch pennies.
Thanks for the responses! Both trucks are now out - Roaring Fork sold the night before we were supposed to go look at it and the other one failed its PPI at JC British. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Also, big thanks to Brad, ColoDisco, for being a Fantastic resource through this search!
GORM
Adventurer
If you have any desire to take off road make sure the LR3 has 18" wheels ... this knocks you out any HSE in which the former owner did not take it off road.
I bought a great condition 2008 HSE and then the first $600-700 was buying new rims one at a time on eBay. You have poor tire choices with the 19's. Of course now there are steel 18's so that $ investment is maybe $500 for new rims.
My 2 cents is the NAV is useless because the maps are dated and you'd get better on road nav with your iphone and off road with Gaia or some app that that. If I did it again, I might have gone with am SE model. I love my rover and I must admit the heated windshield, cubby frig and full front/ back heated seats are nice upgrades.
I bought a great condition 2008 HSE and then the first $600-700 was buying new rims one at a time on eBay. You have poor tire choices with the 19's. Of course now there are steel 18's so that $ investment is maybe $500 for new rims.
My 2 cents is the NAV is useless because the maps are dated and you'd get better on road nav with your iphone and off road with Gaia or some app that that. If I did it again, I might have gone with am SE model. I love my rover and I must admit the heated windshield, cubby frig and full front/ back heated seats are nice upgrades.
GORM
Adventurer
I may be making it more difficult but $200 to upgrade maps from 2008 version to 2011-12 version without hope of likely future upgrade means it is basically obsolete. The added bonus is that even with the IdTool you can cannot edit the program to enter directions while moving.
I think that knowing that tire choices are not great with 19"s is important to those whom want to take this truck off road. It was almost the entire reason I bought mine. It's my DD but I wanted if for harder use off-road. For trails, I agree, you need nothing. I'm in the northeast and it gets darn close to rock crawling and driving over stumps at the handful of places around (Rausch Creek and Anthracite). I'm glad I have KO2s. I have seen few LR3s off road not already on 18s unless they are driving on simple dirt trails.
Lots of choices .. just sharing feedback, which after all is one of the great things about this forum. I've found this site invaluable.
I think that knowing that tire choices are not great with 19"s is important to those whom want to take this truck off road. It was almost the entire reason I bought mine. It's my DD but I wanted if for harder use off-road. For trails, I agree, you need nothing. I'm in the northeast and it gets darn close to rock crawling and driving over stumps at the handful of places around (Rausch Creek and Anthracite). I'm glad I have KO2s. I have seen few LR3s off road not already on 18s unless they are driving on simple dirt trails.
Lots of choices .. just sharing feedback, which after all is one of the great things about this forum. I've found this site invaluable.
krick3tt
Adventurer
Yes, feedback. I was also sharing mine. I did not think that $200 for a NAV upgrade was excessive, after all I have over $30K invested in this vehicle. I know that some friends with LRs have upgraded for less by just getting the disk and installing it.
I have the stock 19s and also the 18s that I got from Atlantic British, all steel version that I had mounted with Duratrac tires as well as the 19s with them.
As you say there lots of choices and this vehicle seems to have more availability for items than my last two. 404MOG and 710M Pinzgauer, both with 24 volt systems that were difficult to buy items for without having step down devices to 12V. So after 25 plus years driving ex-military vehicles I find the LRs easy to equip and fun to drive and once again I find myself driving vehicles that are much more capable than I am off road but, they are still fun.
Happy trails
I have the stock 19s and also the 18s that I got from Atlantic British, all steel version that I had mounted with Duratrac tires as well as the 19s with them.
As you say there lots of choices and this vehicle seems to have more availability for items than my last two. 404MOG and 710M Pinzgauer, both with 24 volt systems that were difficult to buy items for without having step down devices to 12V. So after 25 plus years driving ex-military vehicles I find the LRs easy to equip and fun to drive and once again I find myself driving vehicles that are much more capable than I am off road but, they are still fun.
Happy trails
okay new one in the running. 2007 SE pretty fully loaded. Dealer called it a 'lux' which I told him was only available on the HSE and he didn't like that. The seats do have lumbar though which the 06 I was looking at didn't. Anyway, what do you guys think this truck should be priced at? ColoDisco will be checking it out for us on Tuesday, but I'd like to know what you think just from this info
2007 SE LR3 106k
The Good:
Lots of service history at LR dealer on the carfax
2 owners - last one had close to 9 years with it
Color combo works for us and has the options we want(minus HD)
The bad
Minor Accident - carfax says very minor run in with a fence
Only one key - definitely need two with how my GF's keys sometimes go missing
No floor mats
Dealer does not seem to want to sell it
Not many other options locally and the dealer seems to know it.
2007 SE LR3 106k
The Good:
Lots of service history at LR dealer on the carfax
2 owners - last one had close to 9 years with it
Color combo works for us and has the options we want(minus HD)
The bad
Minor Accident - carfax says very minor run in with a fence
Only one key - definitely need two with how my GF's keys sometimes go missing
No floor mats
Dealer does not seem to want to sell it
Not many other options locally and the dealer seems to know it.
Keys and mats don't matter much, but with the accident I feel like the price is high, especially if I need to replace a key and get floor mats. I'm thinking the key and mats will easily be $500
morrisdl
Adventurer
He will this Saturday! Its the very special last-Saturday-of-the-month, and every car salesrep knows its the last big sales day to make quota/bonus. Best strategy is find two that you could be happy with, make your best-and-final-out-the-door offers on Saturday and see what happens. Winter months with only 4 Saturdays work best, but you should still see an a definite attitude change this weekend.
Good luck with the search! I bought my loaded 2006 SE used 10 years and 125K miles ago and still love it!