Landrover suggestions for newbie
- Thread starter 4xRoam
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David Harris
Expedition Leader
People have gone nearly everywhere in the world with Land Rovers, so that speaks for itself. However, with that said, Land Rovers will take more attention to maintenance than a Toyota, which can be ignored more without suffering consequences. They will both break eventually. I have owned several Rovers and a couple of Toyota trucks. I bought them all with over a 100K miles on them and they all required work to them, sometimes major, like head gaskets and a transmission on one of my Range Rovers at 155K, a timing chain on one of my Toyota trucks at 125K and a complete head job due to faulty valves on another of my Toyotas at 135K. So in the end, they all seem about the same to me in reliability. I do feel I have to be more painstaking about maintaining the Rovers though and I don't think they are for owners who don't want to do their own maintenance, unless you are willing to pay an independent Land Rover mechanic to do it. Stay away from the dealer if it is more than ten years old. I haven't personally owned any of the newer Rovers but they are said to be quite reliable from what I've read.
I think a big part of this will come down to which specific models are you looking at. There's a big difference in say an LR3/4 and a D1 in terms of general reliability.
As for should you buy a Toyota or a Land Rover in general, I think it comes down to emotion vs logic. Toyota builds fine transportation appliances. They go, stop, start and generally do what they're told but are pretty soulless and bland. Land Rover's tend to be much more emotional and involving. You'll love it much of the time, and you'll curse it other times. But it won't be 'just a truck'.
So if you're the sort of guy who looks at a Ferrari and says man, that's not very practical and I bet it gets terrible gas mileage, then maybe you want the Toy. If you look at it and start drooling because it's a dead-sexy car and you can imagine what it would feel like in the corkscrew at Laguna Seca, maybe you're a good candidate for a Land Rover.
As for should you buy a Toyota or a Land Rover in general, I think it comes down to emotion vs logic. Toyota builds fine transportation appliances. They go, stop, start and generally do what they're told but are pretty soulless and bland. Land Rover's tend to be much more emotional and involving. You'll love it much of the time, and you'll curse it other times. But it won't be 'just a truck'.
So if you're the sort of guy who looks at a Ferrari and says man, that's not very practical and I bet it gets terrible gas mileage, then maybe you want the Toy. If you look at it and start drooling because it's a dead-sexy car and you can imagine what it would feel like in the corkscrew at Laguna Seca, maybe you're a good candidate for a Land Rover.
David Harris
Expedition Leader
Pretty sure the stormtroopers would be in new Toyotas and the rebels in beat up old Land Rovers. . . Or, if we're talking Star Trek, Spock is Toyota to Kirk's Land Rover.
hurstjd
Adventurer
I've had two Land Rovers. I had a 97 Land Rover Discovery. I kept that until 2009 and I had 187,000 miles on it. No major problems. The problems I had were mostly electrical. I had to replace all of the window motors and door locks. The driver's seat motor was going out when I sold it. The motor and transmission ran perfect. I never had any problems.
Currently, I own a 2006 Land Rover LR3. It has been fantastic! I have 127,000 on it and it runs like a top. I have driven it across country twice. I do have the dreaded sun-roof leak that seems to occur in all of them. I had to replace the lower control arms at 110,000, which I've heard is normal maintenance. I replaced the battery at about 100,000. One thing that I did that made a big difference is that I installed aftermarket dual exhaust (Magnaflow) and I swear it made a huge difference in power. At stop lights it will jerk you back if you tromp it.
I'll probably keep this one until 200,000 and then get another one.
Currently, I own a 2006 Land Rover LR3. It has been fantastic! I have 127,000 on it and it runs like a top. I have driven it across country twice. I do have the dreaded sun-roof leak that seems to occur in all of them. I had to replace the lower control arms at 110,000, which I've heard is normal maintenance. I replaced the battery at about 100,000. One thing that I did that made a big difference is that I installed aftermarket dual exhaust (Magnaflow) and I swear it made a huge difference in power. At stop lights it will jerk you back if you tromp it.
I'll probably keep this one until 200,000 and then get another one.
Fivespddisco
Supporting Sponsor
What Rover are you asking about?
Like any brand some models are better then others.
Like any brand some models are better then others.
If you want an 'early' Land Rover or Toyota then yes you'll have to do some tool wielding. Maybe on both. But you know, I read some of the comments on this subject in various forums and you'd often get the impression that having to figure out which end of a spanner to hold is somehow a 'problem'.
I don't subscribe to that notion.
Anything made by people can and will break at some point. 'Maintenance' simply seeks to prolong the life of things until they do fail. Toyota's are no exception. And what you learn by fiddling with the various components of a Land Rover is what might go wrong, how to access the problem, how to fix it, and how to maintain it better in future. And in the process of fixing one thing you might find several other little things you can fettle at the same time. And for many people (like me) you learn that you often CAN fix them, and that gives you confidence to take on larger and more complex jobs. We're not all born mechanics, and learning as you go is not to be sniffed at. And as a bonus knowing how to mend bits is confidence inspiring when you want to go to out-of-the-way places too.
I guess it's THAT involvement with the vehicle that accounts for their 'soul' that's mentioned above. And once you've welded bits onto a LR there's no turning back - for you don't simply burn two bits of metal, you fuse part of yourself in there too.
I don't subscribe to that notion.
Anything made by people can and will break at some point. 'Maintenance' simply seeks to prolong the life of things until they do fail. Toyota's are no exception. And what you learn by fiddling with the various components of a Land Rover is what might go wrong, how to access the problem, how to fix it, and how to maintain it better in future. And in the process of fixing one thing you might find several other little things you can fettle at the same time. And for many people (like me) you learn that you often CAN fix them, and that gives you confidence to take on larger and more complex jobs. We're not all born mechanics, and learning as you go is not to be sniffed at. And as a bonus knowing how to mend bits is confidence inspiring when you want to go to out-of-the-way places too.
I guess it's THAT involvement with the vehicle that accounts for their 'soul' that's mentioned above. And once you've welded bits onto a LR there's no turning back - for you don't simply burn two bits of metal, you fuse part of yourself in there too.
What kind of Land Rover are you looking at? Discovery? LR3? Range Rover?
As many have said before, Rovers just have a lot more soul to them. I've had a Toyota and a Nissan, and they were both great trucks and were reliable, but that's all they were.
They really aren't unreliable. A lot of the bad rap comes from the people who take them to the shop for every little thing, as well as consider a window switch failure to be just as severe as a transmission issue. As long as you keep up with your maintenance, a Rover shouldn't give you any more issues than any other vehicle.
As many have said before, Rovers just have a lot more soul to them. I've had a Toyota and a Nissan, and they were both great trucks and were reliable, but that's all they were.
They really aren't unreliable. A lot of the bad rap comes from the people who take them to the shop for every little thing, as well as consider a window switch failure to be just as severe as a transmission issue. As long as you keep up with your maintenance, a Rover shouldn't give you any more issues than any other vehicle.
If you are overlanding for the romantic experience and want your travel defined by your vehicle, get a Land Rover. If you actually want to get to where you are going, and the vehicle is just one element of your travels, get a Toyota. If you want both of those things get a G-Wagon
optimusprime
Proffessional daydreamer.
Owing a Landy can be described as 'character building'
I've had 3, a series3 109 hardtop,110TD station wagon (that i converted to v8) and a 200tdi disco series 1, they all had their issues.
Having said that,all the other cars i've owned have had their own issues.
I've had 3, a series3 109 hardtop,110TD station wagon (that i converted to v8) and a 200tdi disco series 1, they all had their issues.
Having said that,all the other cars i've owned have had their own issues.
SailRover
New member
Being a Toyota enthusiast for 17 years I still have a deep respect for Toyota. I modified and drove the piss out of a '02 DC Tacoma. Always got me home but did my fair share of work on issues due to some situations I put it in. That being said all of the maintenance was always $150 - $500 (alternator, brakes, CV axle replacement, timing belt ect) fantastic platform and ridiculous aftermarket support and options. At the time I didn't mind and kind of liked the extremely stiff suspension that the truck had witch provided good handling for aggressive driving. That is one common thing I've notice across the board with Toyota trucks. (The Tundra and Sequoia are a little better)
A few years back I decided the wife was due for a newer vehicle and got a great deal on a 05' LR3. By far the most comfortable riding SUV I personally have drive or ridden in. Having a horrible back issues since 2001 I fell in love. Then the gremlins arrived and started having all of the notorious LR3 issue, I got scared and traded it in on a QX56.
Last November a gem 08' LR3 popped up at a local lot and I had flashbacks to the relaxed Ahhhhh moments I had while driving the 05'. I came home, trolled the forums and webs which surprisingly eased all of my concerns. The vast majority of the issues with the LR3 were non existent after '07 and the aftermarket suppliers has beefed up dramatically. So after a week of soul searching and a test drive of a 2012 4Runner Limited the LR3 came home with me. No regrets what so ever.
Already driven 7k miles and getting +20 mph highway +15 city.
The best advice is drive as many different models as you can on as many different types of roads. Compare comfort, handling, rattling, features, and most of all condition. Don't settle unless you like swapping vehicles regularly.
The off-road ability of the LR3 is astonishing to say the least. With similar modifications as I added to the Tacoma the LR3 will do all that a and then some while also adding superior comfort and options.
Sorry for my long winded 10 cents.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A few years back I decided the wife was due for a newer vehicle and got a great deal on a 05' LR3. By far the most comfortable riding SUV I personally have drive or ridden in. Having a horrible back issues since 2001 I fell in love. Then the gremlins arrived and started having all of the notorious LR3 issue, I got scared and traded it in on a QX56.
Last November a gem 08' LR3 popped up at a local lot and I had flashbacks to the relaxed Ahhhhh moments I had while driving the 05'. I came home, trolled the forums and webs which surprisingly eased all of my concerns. The vast majority of the issues with the LR3 were non existent after '07 and the aftermarket suppliers has beefed up dramatically. So after a week of soul searching and a test drive of a 2012 4Runner Limited the LR3 came home with me. No regrets what so ever.
Already driven 7k miles and getting +20 mph highway +15 city.
The best advice is drive as many different models as you can on as many different types of roads. Compare comfort, handling, rattling, features, and most of all condition. Don't settle unless you like swapping vehicles regularly.
The off-road ability of the LR3 is astonishing to say the least. With similar modifications as I added to the Tacoma the LR3 will do all that a and then some while also adding superior comfort and options.
Sorry for my long winded 10 cents.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk