How reliable are Land Rover Range Rovers?

[snocohn118]

Hey Guys,
My mother's X5 lease is ending this May and she wants a different car. I want her to get another X5 because we are a bmw family and i just love that car so much, but she wont budge. So, I know this is a bmw forum but she has been looking around and really likes the range rover sport (either the 2012 or the 2013 depending on costs and such). My aunt used to have a range rover about 9 years ago and it was always in the shop. I need your honest opinions. No bmw bias!:D Has land rover improved over the years? How reliable are they today?

[mryakan]

They used to be some of the most unreliable vehicles in existence, not sure if that has changed recently.

[DougBlack]

However they are great fun... Makes up for it :)

[Graffix000]

They are fine as long as they are newer and have a warranty. One of the nicest looking SUV's out there.

[BimmerBreaker]

They used to be some of the most unreliable vehicles in existence, not sure if that has changed recently.

Yeah they were extremely unreliable when they had BMW engines in them :rofl

I would stay FAR away from new land rover stuff. Look good but there is NO way those cars are reliable.

[mryakan]

Yeah they were extremely unreliable when they had BMW engines in them :rofl

I would stay FAR away from new land rover stuff. Look good but there is NO way those cars are reliable.
You must be a young guy, they were like that long long ago. Great vehicles if you don't mind spending time at the shop. I think BMW sold them quickly for a reason.

P.S. I think the engines were one of the most reliable parts. The electricals were the worst culprits I believe.

[BavTuner]

Once a british car,always a british car. I would keep a few bottles of lucas smoke in the back, I hear you go through it quite often.:shifty

[stefanom3]

not that the X5 is reliability monster though :)

[snocohn118]

So what do you guys think she should get other than a land rover?

[DougBlack]

Get a Range Rover... Or a tank, its the only other vehicle as good off road! (Bar a good old farmers Defender!)

[pegcity]

Friends dad had one, it was in the shop more than it was on the road

[GunnerNell]

.The electricals were the worst culprits I believe.

Remember what they used to call Lucas, the maker of Lucas electrical stuff -- lights and such -- for British cars? The Prince of Darkness!

[PorscheH6]

Infiniti FX50S

[touring intl]

Remember what they used to call Lucas, the maker of Lucas electrical stuff -- lights and such -- for British cars? The Prince of Darkness!

Lucas reputation has preceded him, but these new Land Rover use a different electrical system I recall seeing a Hitachi electrical part in there.

[nate2k5]

they haven't used lucas electronics since the mid 90's. my 2000 is still considered one of the worst rovers and it has bosch. the motor is a reworked 60's all aluminum v8 in mine which mated with the trash coolant temp readings caused some problems. other than that the driveshaft and abs were really the only other issues. the series 2 discovery was designed by bmw and the problems were exacerbated by the fact they sold the company to ford before the model even launched and ford had no clue on how to fix any of its issues.

that is neither here nor there. the newer ones either use a much more advanced rover or jaguar engine. i'm pretty sure they are not too much worse maintenance-wise than other newer luxury suvs. the new ones have little to do with the early 2000 and earlier models.

[RonJonJoe]

make sure you get the extended warranty because that will pay for itself quite quickly...I met a guy who's that had a Range Rover and I asked about his (cause i wanted one as well) (he had an early 2000-2004 MY)...his airride went out and it was about 6000...thing is that one of his family members was a mechanic and giving him a bit of discount...also, if you put your mother into something like that, would it come back and bite you in the butt? I've had family that has purchased vehicles from me and when something broke, i was the first to hear about...even after they owned it for 3 years and put on 50k... good luck buddy.

[trive2]

My ex just bought a 2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8.

Spent $6000 on repairs and servicing in the last month.

__________________________________________________ _________________

1. Turbo replacement is a body off job. 40hrs+ labour.
2. Air suspension leaks like a whore
3. Electrical problems
4. Heavy heavy heavy car, aka, suspension.

__________________________________________________ ______________

Get warranty.

[TexFinn]

Yup, definitely would not recommend owning one without a factory warranty. Unless you are a serious DIY'er.

[nate2k5]

make sure you get the extended warranty because that will pay for itself quite quickly...I met a guy who's that had a Range Rover and I asked about his (cause i wanted one as well) (he had an early 2000-2004 MY)...his airride went out and it was about 6000...thing is that one of his family members was a mechanic and giving him a bit of discount...also, if you put your mother into something like that, would it come back and bite you in the butt? I've had family that has purchased vehicles from me and when something broke, i was the first to hear about...even after they owned it for 3 years and put on 50k... good luck buddy.

the p38a chassis was 96-02. 03 was a entirely new model with 5 series electronics and bmw or jag engines. the p38a was the problematic engine/chassis.

[SilverBeam]

Is she looking to buy or lease? The new ones are way better than the old ones, but they aren't exactly Hondas.

[ezbmr]

How about the FJ cruisers, are they any good off road?

[nate2k5]

Is she looking to buy or lease? The new ones are way better than the old ones, but they aren't exactly Hondas.

neither are BMWs


How about the FJ cruisers, are they any good off road?

seriously? that's what they were built for.

[325bob]

Once a british car,always a british car. I would keep a few bottles of lucas smoke in the back, I hear you go through it quite often.:shifty

My M coupe has a Lucas brake booster!!, Sir Lucas invented the intermittent wiper switch in 1957, but it wasn't supposed to be one!

[SpeedsterBek]

Tell her to get a Cayenne diesel or Evoque

[UK2USA]

I don't think anyone buys a Land Rover because they are reliable, they buy Toyota's for that. However, they have improved immensely, they have the Jaguar 5.0 V8.

There is so much "stuff" on a Range Rover, all with a potential to go wrong, they have Camera's, DVD's, Terrain Gizmo's, Air suspension.
They depreciate at a frightning rate for the first 2-3 years, the Range Rover (not sure about the sport) has a 27.6 Gal Tank and at 13mpg it adds up.

I wouldn't own one out of warranty, an extended Warranty through LR is around $5500.

I guess, in a Nutshell, People don't buy them because they are reliable or economical, they buy one because they really want one.

Hope this helps.

[GunnerNell]

I don't think citing Jaguar components is necessarily a confidence-builder for RRs. Back in the day, I was a huge fan of Land Rovers, but Toyota came along and showed them how to build an all-terrain vehicle. Toyotas are now the standard for vehicles that will be used in remote places with iffy or nonexistent roads. I also knew too many people with Jaguars who had awful problems with them, and the reviews and repair records with Range Rovers were terrible. It's probably less than totally fair, but IMO Jaguars & Range Rovers = pricey British junk.

[nate2k5]

I don't think citing Jaguar components is necessarily a confidence-builder for RRs. Back in the day, I was a huge fan of Land Rovers, but Toyota came along and showed them how to build an all-terrain vehicle. Toyotas are now the standard for vehicles that will be used in remote places with iffy or nonexistent roads. I also knew too many people with Jaguars who had awful problems with them, and the reviews and repair records with Range Rovers were terrible. It's probably less than totally fair, but IMO Jaguars & Range Rovers = pricey British junk.

once again you are talking 90's-00's jags that were unreliable. they both have cleaned up their act. my boss's 03 xj-r was pretty nice. x-types and s-types should not even be considered jags.

[snocohn118]

Ok thanks guys, i dont know what she'll do. I dont really want her to get a land rover but her lease ends in may and the x5 will still be the same. Does anyone know if bmw going to come out with a new x5 in the next 3 years? I was also thinking maybe the new Mercedes GL450?

[mmawolverine]

they were more unreliable thatn audis back in the 80s and 90s which was saying alot, now audi has improved somewhat and the land rover is still not as reliable, that this point they are less reliable than your mom's x5 as well, its a goregous suv that will leave you on the side of the road once its 5 or move years old

[scooper]

what does your mom want a land rover for? Is she going to take it off-road, want to sit up high on the roads, or just want a luxury marque? I'd recommend a japanese, korean, or maybe even a jeep. The x5 hasn't been known to be reliable. Maybe you should look into a x3? Land rovers and jags are more than 2x as expensive to repair as other vehicles, and last I checked land rovers are costly to maintain and fix. If you have the wallet go for it, but any of the other vehicles I mentioned are better vehicles. Land rovers are not built well and mechanics charge a lot because the factory tools cost a bomb. A Mercedes may not be bad but find out how much things cost to repair. Our MB shop told us that to replace a light bulb in an interior involved replacing the whole fixture which cost 1k. I don't know if MB has stopped their integrating madness though. Otherwise, they are solid cars.

[1989 e3o]

If your mom is leasing the Range rover and has another car she will be fine. My mother also wants trade her Lincoln Navigator for something a little smaller i.e. a Range and I finally convinced her that buying a Range would not be smart financially. If she buys a brand new one the depreciation would have her upside down In a year or 2 with 10k down and a 08 Navigator trade with 65k on the clock. If she bought a used one she would be paying for repairs and no one wants to repair a car they just bought. Plus my mom isn't the type to keep meticulous maintenance and a Range Rover has to have it. I'm trying to convince her to get a 5 series now and I think that is what she will buy.

[dalecan]

You should seriously consider the X3. Ours has been uber reliable.

On a side note, my daily ride is an x-type now with 120k on the clock and it has been brilliant (maybe I got lucky).

One of my friends is a high rolling banker in London and his range rover broke down as he was driving through the gates of St James palace. The queens guards had to push him out of the way. His chauffeur tried to convince him to get a bently but he got another range rover. They are nice, very comfortable, but you need a big wallet.

[ddsski]

I don't think anyone buys a Land Rover because they are reliable, they buy Toyota's for that. However, they have improved immensely, they have the Jaguar 5.0 V8.

There is so much "stuff" on a Range Rover, all with a potential to go wrong, they have Camera's, DVD's, Terrain Gizmo's, Air suspension.
They depreciate at a frightning rate for the first 2-3 years, the Range Rover (not sure about the sport) has a 27.6 Gal Tank and at 13mpg it adds up.

I wouldn't own one out of warranty, an extended Warranty through LR is around $5500.

I guess, in a Nutshell, People don't buy them because they are reliable or economical, they buy one because they really want one.

Hope this helps.
Agree with him. Much better than older ones. Motors are fabulous but its hit or miss. Then again, I've had 2 Jag XJ's (1998 & 2004) and neither EVER needed a trip to dealer for even a minor repair. Seems BMWs have become more hit or miss in recent years as well. One big negative. If you live in a windy climate those slab sides catch a lot of crosswinds!

[HamsM5]

I think a LOT of you are missing the point by debating the reliability of past LR vehicles. The OP's mother is in a X5 lease. My guess is that she is looking to lease another vehicle, which would imply a new vehicle (although not necessarily true). The vehicle would likely be a warranty backed vehicle...

Debating LR's of yesteryear compared to the LR's of today is really silly to me. They are really different vehicles today.

With all that said; I genuinely do not understand why 95% of the folks who buy LR's pay such a premium for a vehicle that will never be used as intended. I looked at buying a new RR Sport SC in 2010 because I do like the look of them. I spent an hour on a test drive with a salesperson. He took me over their offroad course, praising it's ability... My response to the guy: "I'd NEVER do this in a $75K truck, that's why I have a 2004 LR Discovery". His response: Well then why would you want to buy this vehicle??? - The guy talked me right out of buying it... So, I went and bought a new Porsche Cayenne S instead...

I guess my point shouldn't necessarily be about the reliability of said vehicle, more the WHY of it all. If it's going to be under warranty, reliability is kind of an afterthought. I'd be more concerned about the resale value (which others have pointed out is atrocious), and if you want to pay a premium for a lot of features that would never be used in an urban assault setting.

Personally speaking, for the current price tag of a new RR Sport SC, I'd seriously look at new Cayenne S. They are fantastic vehicles and would be a good alternate consideration.

[Alan777]

Fairly sure land rover is consistantly rated one of the last reliable car manufacturers.

[325bob]

Fairly sure land rover is consistantly rated one of the last reliable car manufacturers.

I don't think what you said is what you mean!? LOL

[Alan777]

Lol typing on my phone. Last was supposed to be LEAST.

[dirtye30]

The motors are the strong point. Electrical issues are plenty. I have heard horror stories from the owners of 2007-2008 models, and the newer ones are even more complex.

I still want one. :(

[dirtye30]

The motors are the strong point. Electrical issues are plenty. I have heard horror stories from the owners of 2007-2008 models, and the newer ones are even more complex.

I still want one. :(

[dirtye30]

The motors are the strong point. Electrical issues are plenty. I have heard horror stories from the owners of 2007-2008 models, and the newer ones are even more complex.

I still want one. :(

[mryakan]

The motors are the strong point. Electrical issues are plenty. I have heard horror stories from the owners of 2007-2008 models, and the newer ones are even more complex.

I still want one. :(
Honestly, despite all the issues, they are the nicest looking SUVs on the market inside and out (Range Rovers at least).

[BimmerBreaker]

Honestly, despite all the issues, they are the nicest looking SUVs on the market inside and out (Range Rovers at least).

A lot of truth in that statement! I drive a 96 Chevy Tahoe and love the boxy shape on the SUVs, the new Tahoes and other GM SUVs look too bloated - the Range Rover has the nice squared off angular profile of my Tahoe that I like, coupled with a lot of modern design touches and I am forced to agree - best looking SUV on the market! And the interior is gorgeous, dont even get me started...

[hon2bmw]

Landcruiser.


Landcruiser.


Landcruiser.


Oh yeah, and then there's the Landcruiser

Seriously, safe, reliable, off road prowess, it may not be a gi-gi as an LR but its got a little more cache' then an 4runner or an Sequoia.

If she really needs a luxury make, then go for the LX570. Seriously, you cannot expect any luxury SUV from a German manufacturer to be considered "low maintenance", except maybe a G-wagen, but after its been pussiefied for consumer consumption I'm sure they've found some way to F it up.

[snocohn118]

Landcruiser.


Landcruiser.


Landcruiser.


Oh yeah, and then there's the Landcruiser

hahah we already have a landcruiser!

[dalecan]

Porsche cayenne turbo!:buttrock