Are Range Rovers in fact rubbish?

[luckystrike]

Impasse said:

But by my secondhand experience every single Yaris is a money pit requiring expensive parts to be replaced in a continuous cycle. It's just as valid, if not moreso, as the secondhand claims being made about Range Rovers on this thread.

That would be great if RobM77 said anything about range rover reliability in relation to a yaris, which of course he didn't.

He said if he was buying a car that was slow and relatively poor handling he wouldn't want to be paying performance car running costs. He then happened to use a yaris and an M3 as examples of the former and latter.

Complete non-sequitur on your part there I'm afraid.

[lostkiwi]

Jimmy Recard said:

RobM77 said:

I'm no fan of the great big clumsy things, mainly because they offer the handling and performance of a Yaris with the running costs of an M3, but that's just my own tastes.

I really can't imagine the thought process that leads to making that comparison

Quite simple really. Rob is one of those who have an entrenched dislike of SUVs and who can't understand why people want them so is pretty closed to any discussion where SUVs are involved. Ergo to him the RR is pointless but just as expensive to own as the M3 (which he would likely buy) but as slow and ungainly as a Yaris (which he would be unlikely to buy).
Of course this is just the result of his prejudices having likely not owned one (Yaris or SUV).
Exactly the response I was alluding to on page 1 (though I'm a little surprised it took this long).

ETA - just checked his garage. Not a single SUV or Yaris mentioned.

Edited by lostkiwi on Wednesday 25th November 14:50

[Impasse]

luckystrike said:

Complete non-sequitur on your part there I'm afraid.

You're saying that as if I should care. This is just another Range Rover bashing thread (of which PH has hosted plenty over the years) and neither facts nor relevance ever feature particularly heavily.

[Chaffs]

I love mine - coming up for 3 years old (L405), one failed reversing camera, fixed within a couple of days, the only other fault actually due to me having crashed it and something having a fracture that didn't fail until some spirited driving. I'd tend to agree with the warranty comment made earlier, but it is just a lovely place to spend time and a fantastic way to get from A to, well, anywhere really.

[luckystrike]

Impasse said:

You're saying that as if I should care. This is just another Range Rover bashing thread (of which PH has hosted plenty over the years) and neither facts nor relevance ever feature particularly heavily.

Given it's a debate on the subject then I'd argue that the quality of the argument is quite important actually. As you say RRs and SUVs in general get an often undeserved bashing, but attacking the sound parts of someone's argument doesn't help one's own case.

I'd say this is one of the more relaxed threads on the subject from what I've read previously, in fairness.

FWIW I like rangies. They're not the car for my needs or budget so I don't have one, but I understand why people do.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Impasse said:

You're saying that as if I should care. This is just another Range Rover bashing thread (of which PH has hosted plenty over the years) and neither facts nor relevance ever feature particularly heavily.

Oh do stop crying.

The Lotus guys insist Porsches are only bought for the badge by people who aren't interested in driving. Imagine where that leaves you lot!

[Impasse]

I never knew we had so many fervent Yaris fans on here. Apologies if I've upset your sensibilities.

[RobM77]

Crikey - sorry, I didn't intend to mislead quite so much! Thanks to those who very eloquently and accurately defending me. I posted to back up most other people and say that in my experience of Range Rovers (through friends and family that have owned them), they've always seemed very reliable and have given a good ownership experience. The RR is one of our major exports - I pass dozens of the things every day on transporters making the journey down to the coast to be shipped overseas. They're hugely popular and well liked across the world.

My comment about the Yaris and the M3 was a tongue in cheek comment and not intended to be taken seriously. It was based on truth though: the mpg, consumables and depreciation costs of an average RR are of a similar order of magnitude to an M3 (or 911, C63 etc), and the handling is tidy (thanks to talented people like Mike Cross and his team), but obviously not that great, which is the case for all two tonne+ off roaders with a high centre of gravity - that's just basic Physics. Perhaps I was being mean to the Yaris in retrospect, but again it was a tongue in cheek comment, not something to be analysed and spat out again.

[Jimmy Recard]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I wasn't trying to deconstruct your point. It's just a bit like saying "A Range Rover costs as much as a flat in Dunfermline and is nowhere near as nourishing as a cheese toastie, so what's the point?"

In fact I would have been buggered for what I wanted if I had chosen an M3 as I have no idea how I'd take the horses and boat where I want using an M3.

[Guvernator]

I've never owned a Range Rover but know of 3 people who own them in my close friend circle (they are everywhere in my neck of the woods). All 3 have had problems with the air suspension which seems to be a weak point. In fact one of them looks like it's permanently on the piss as the self levelling suspension doesn't...err...self level and this is despite the local dealer having replaced almost every part to do with the suspension. The owner is well and truly narked off, HOWEVER if you ask him if he'd have another then the answer is always Hell yes. It seems once you are bitten by the RR bug you can't go back.

[Parisien]

Just to give personal anecdotal support to my expressed view on the first page. In the time I've had my P38 I had to repair/replace the following. When I bought it I gave it a full service including gearbox, had only done 60k miles in its life with FLRSH

All airbags,
Airlines
2 Height sensors
2 brake calipers
Air compressor
Repair to air valves
Leak to heater system
Most of exhaust
Every 2-300 miles the air suspension failure lights came on, for no apparent reason ( sometimes I could reset if not off to indie specialist garage)

Plus a few other bits and bobs, all in just 6k odd miles


P

[RobM77]

Jimmy Recard said:

Oh, don't get me wrong, I wasn't trying to deconstruct your point. It's just a bit like saying "A Range Rover costs as much as a flat in Dunfermline and is nowhere near as nourishing as a cheese toastie, so what's the point?"

In fact I would have been buggered for what I wanted if I had chosen an M3 as I have no idea how I'd take the horses and boat where I want using an M3.

It was just a tongue in cheek comment and I wasn't trying to make a point. My point was in my first paragraph, that RRs are very popular and are not 'rubbish' as the OP asked.

Seeing as you ask though, the reasoning behind the joke was that most owners (unlike you) don't tow heavy loads or drive off road, so they would be just as well served by a normal car. I'm not for one second saying that people shouldn't be free to choose whatever car they want (I believe very strongly in free choice), I was just making a quip based around the fact that most people buy a RR to use as an ordinary car, and in doing so they're achieving the running costs at one end of that spectrum (M3) and the handling and performance from the other end of the spectrum (Yaris) - it was just a light hearted look at the logic, that's all. If you use your RR to drive off road or tow over 2 tonnes, then it obviously doesn't apply to you.

[swisstoni]

MIDangerfield said:

I saw this video today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzQCj-dbgN0 which although made me laugh also got me thinking. Are Range Rovers rubbish? My dad has the same model as the guy in the video and he too has had endless issues from failed air suspension, snapped steering components, oil leaks, the dash board trying to do an impression of the Blackpool illuminations etc. The parts all cost a bomb to replace too. I'm not sure it's just the older models either. A well off chap down the road has a brand new Range Rover that in the year since he's had it has been back to the dealer 6 times for various problems! I'm not doubting their ability off road (although most will be lucky if they ride up a curb) but surely the build quality should be up to scratch?

Maybe tell Daddy - don't give me the Range Rover - I scared!

[Jimmy Recard]

Don't worry, I'm trying to be slightly tongue in cheek too! Maybe it doesn't come across well.

Being serious, I'd have a Range Rover whether I wanted the off road/towing ability anyway, but there's surprisingly little to choose from if you really want the 3500kg towing limit

[Sump]

Impasse said:

luckystrike said:

Complete non-sequitur on your part there I'm afraid.

You're saying that as if I should care. This is just another Range Rover bashing thread (of which PH has hosted plenty over the years) and neither facts nor relevance ever feature particularly heavily.

Poor people love a good bashing

[Tannedbaldhead]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Forget the glowing reported from fanboys, check out the industry survey,

http://www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/2015%20...

Surveys like these and breakdown figures from organisations like Warranty Direct should be your go to when trying to ascertain the reliability of a manufacturer. On a forum the evidence of Swiss watch reliability or worse car ever owned is merely anecdotal and of little worth.

Sadly Land Rover products do not score well.

[monthefish]

MIDangerfield said:

I saw this video today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzQCj-dbgN0 which ....

Why has the video been over-dubbed with the voice of Fozzie bear from the Muppets?

[13m]

Tannedbaldhead said:

Surveys like these and breakdown figures from organisations like Warranty Direct should be your go to when trying to ascertain the reliability of a manufacturer. On a forum the evidence of Swiss watch reliability or worse car ever owned is merely anecdotal and of little worth.

Sadly Land Rover products do not score well.

What's an "Industry Average?" some sort of American ute that I've not heard of? And why is it greyed out?

[anonymous-user]

My 2010 RRS 3.0 has 115k miles on it now, made all the more impressive in that it spends at least a month a year in the shop. During that time I've changed air suspension, turbochargers, door locks, reversing camera, fuel filter sensor, fuel tank sensor, parking sensors, various ball joints and suspension bits, cracked wheels, heated seats, etc. I've had to leave the car at the side of the road twice and on one occasion had to steer for a soft bank to slow me down as it's legendary off road abilities failed me in an inch of snow. I love it. It makes me feel good, and I have some pretty special cars in the garage. It's taken me all over the country and continent, towed horses and cars, been packed with holiday gear, and ladies in small black dresses. It's madly unreliable, but brilliant when it works. Which to be fair, it has done for the vast majority of time that I have had it.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 25th November 17:27

[Willy Nilly]

Jimmy Recard said:

And it may not be a Range Rover, but I was very glad of having my Discovery 4 only yesterday collecting my father from the wrong side of a bog after a nasty fall.

That must be a big bath room.

A colleague has a D3 and said you get used to various warning lights and error codes showing every time you drive it. It decided to die on his drive from a failed alternator, which was about a £1000 claim on his warranty. I put a new wiper blade on my Jazz a few months ago.