Looking to buy an RR - any advantage on years ?
Discussion
I'm looking at a Range Rover as a new family wagon, focusing on a vogue, probably petrol and somewhere between a 2002 and 2004 plate.
I intend to do some research on here as to main things to look for e.g. diff upgrade etc.. but wondered on opinion as to whether there are many advantages with an 04 plate car over say on 02, did they change much, iron out any particular faults ?
Also - I'm seeing what appear to be very reasonable prices at main dealers. Does this mean they come with 12 months warranty and can this be extended ?
Any info appreciated,
I intend to do some research on here as to main things to look for e.g. diff upgrade etc.. but wondered on opinion as to whether there are many advantages with an 04 plate car over say on 02, did they change much, iron out any particular faults ?
Also - I'm seeing what appear to be very reasonable prices at main dealers. Does this mean they come with 12 months warranty and can this be extended ?
Any info appreciated,
The Land Rover stealer warranty comes in two flavours. Older cars have less cover. The details are on their website. I've had a 4.4V8 for nearly a year and apart from the front diff going bang (and it really did!!), it's been as reliable as anything else I've had. It sounds like you already know about the front diff issue. If you find a nice car which hasn't had it done, LR will do it for nothing as a recall.
Otherwise, things to watch out for include the odd electrical glitch. A reset by the dealer or specialist will generally sort those. According to my specialist, be aware of the gearbox in high mileage cars as they are expensive if they go bang. They put this down to the fact that LR seal the gearboxes for life. All previous Rangies required the gearbox oil to be changed every other service and they recommend that you do that.
Otherwise, things to watch out for include the odd electrical glitch. A reset by the dealer or specialist will generally sort those. According to my specialist, be aware of the gearbox in high mileage cars as they are expensive if they go bang. They put this down to the fact that LR seal the gearboxes for life. All previous Rangies required the gearbox oil to be changed every other service and they recommend that you do that.
other things to look out for; coolant leaks and expansion bottle problems; bottles crack and the coolant leaks in the belly pan where connection to radiator bend is.
sat nav failures; screen and unit fairly common
gearbox and torque convertor; about half fail before 100k
air suspension; slow leaks in air bags causing eventual compressor wear and problems with height adjustment and levelliing
seats; side plastic trims snap off on models without full side steps
seats; seat relays fail and you need to remove th whole glovebox and a considerable part of the dash to replace
front indicators fall out - ususally bottom clip breaks
door handle control cables break so internal door latch won't work
batteries die often especially in cold and wet weather
door handles external paints bubbles
interior paint finish wears off
in general they are great cars but the build quality is poor as is reliability. get a very good warranty and keep a second car. check out some 322 forums for more specific advice.
sat nav failures; screen and unit fairly common
gearbox and torque convertor; about half fail before 100k
air suspension; slow leaks in air bags causing eventual compressor wear and problems with height adjustment and levelliing
seats; side plastic trims snap off on models without full side steps
seats; seat relays fail and you need to remove th whole glovebox and a considerable part of the dash to replace
front indicators fall out - ususally bottom clip breaks
door handle control cables break so internal door latch won't work
batteries die often especially in cold and wet weather
door handles external paints bubbles
interior paint finish wears off
in general they are great cars but the build quality is poor as is reliability. get a very good warranty and keep a second car. check out some 322 forums for more specific advice.
Great buying advice, partic from Daddyov.
The list of potential problems worries me a little and I wondered about the mention of warranty. What do people think are the best options :
Land rover - I understand less than 7 years old and under 60k miles automatically gets 12 months which can then be extended ?
Independent warranties - a colleague mentioned warranty works ? Any experience of these or others ?
Also, the gearbox issues - does fulid change help to avoid, or is it a bit random !
Any more info appreciated.
The list of potential problems worries me a little and I wondered about the mention of warranty. What do people think are the best options :
Land rover - I understand less than 7 years old and under 60k miles automatically gets 12 months which can then be extended ?
Independent warranties - a colleague mentioned warranty works ? Any experience of these or others ?
Also, the gearbox issues - does fulid change help to avoid, or is it a bit random !
Any more info appreciated.
It's not all doom and gloom. You maybe unlucky to get a dodgy car, but I would say on the whole these are very good cars.
If you find a RR for sale which has had multiple owners and low miles, it may well be a dog. I would look for a car which stayed at the same dealer and then you can pull the entire service history. I did this with my LR322.
Warranties are a minefield IMHO. The independent ones are run as a business, therefore it is in the companies interest to resist payouts. Manufacturers are really interested in retaining current owners with a bullet proof factory warranties. Extended warranties may not be quite the same.
I bought my LR322 with just under 6 months factory warranty remaining and extended it for a year, mainly because of the front diffs going. But these are now covered with a service bulletin. So I would stick the £1500 in the bank and risk not having one, provided I sourced a v nice example with a verified history.
To sum up, get one of these cars, they are fab.
If you find a RR for sale which has had multiple owners and low miles, it may well be a dog. I would look for a car which stayed at the same dealer and then you can pull the entire service history. I did this with my LR322.
Warranties are a minefield IMHO. The independent ones are run as a business, therefore it is in the companies interest to resist payouts. Manufacturers are really interested in retaining current owners with a bullet proof factory warranties. Extended warranties may not be quite the same.
I bought my LR322 with just under 6 months factory warranty remaining and extended it for a year, mainly because of the front diffs going. But these are now covered with a service bulletin. So I would stick the £1500 in the bank and risk not having one, provided I sourced a v nice example with a verified history.
To sum up, get one of these cars, they are fab.
Gazzab said:
And remember that LR often struggle to fix broken RR's. I know someone who runs an indie LR servicing place, he has to help the dealer 'fitters' often. The RRs take a lot of cash and hard work to fix when they break.
That's because most modern car dealers don't employ mechanics, just technicians whose role is just to replace components until the problem is fixed. (A very expensive method). No one actual trouble shoots and fixes things anymore unless you go to an independent.Triple7 said:
Gazzab said:
And remember that LR often struggle to fix broken RR's. I know someone who runs an indie LR servicing place, he has to help the dealer 'fitters' often. The RRs take a lot of cash and hard work to fix when they break.
That's because most modern car dealers don't employ mechanics, just technicians whose role is just to replace components until the problem is fixed. (A very expensive method). No one actual trouble shoots and fixes things anymore unless you go to an independent.I was thinking about buying a 2002-2005 RR, either a 4.4 or a diesel, since I may be doing some more motorway miles and need to carry some stuff about. I noticed the comment above to "keep a second car". Is that for real? A 6 year old premium car needs a backup? I have a 20 year old Porsche that I rely on totally! Is this PH standard advice for a RR?
mr_spock said:
I was thinking about buying a 2002-2005 RR, either a 4.4 or a diesel, since I may be doing some more motorway miles and need to carry some stuff about. I noticed the comment above to "keep a second car". Is that for real? A 6 year old premium car needs a backup? I have a 20 year old Porsche that I rely on totally! Is this PH standard advice for a RR?
IMHO no, you don't need a back up at all, but as with any machine you buy, it could break down. If you have a LR warranty a courtesy car is provided with your policy. Just be careful of the car you buy. Avoid high milers. Edited by Triple7 on Saturday 17th January 17:04
Thanks for more great info. To be honest, I'd never expect no problems with a complex car, I used to run a TVR, so I'm used to the off foible !
Interesting on the mileage front, I've been browsing cars with a range of mileages, anything from 25,000 miles right up to 65,0000, which is where my limit would be. We'll probably do up to 7k per year and I'm aiming to keep to less than 80,000 on the clock after my two year ownership, when I may wish to sell. My inclination is to go for a low miler, but accept the number of owners and full history may be a better guide.
On servicing a couple of questions :
Are there any particularly 'big' services e.g. 5 years 60k miles ? (Am I right in thinking no cam belt as it's chain)
Any good independent service recommendations ? Actually prefer to use indies and have done with most of my current and previous cars.
I'm based in West Mids, but travel the M6 and M40 corridors regularly so interested in any indies in these areas ?
Finally, for now, the other car I have considered is an X5, as my wife is a little daunted by the size of the RR, though she's willing to give it a go. Anyone had both and hence, any views on how they compare. I personally thought they seem small inside and on the boot front and as it's space we're after, wouldn't give us much more than the 5 series we already have ?
thanks again for yet more info !
Interesting on the mileage front, I've been browsing cars with a range of mileages, anything from 25,000 miles right up to 65,0000, which is where my limit would be. We'll probably do up to 7k per year and I'm aiming to keep to less than 80,000 on the clock after my two year ownership, when I may wish to sell. My inclination is to go for a low miler, but accept the number of owners and full history may be a better guide.
On servicing a couple of questions :
Are there any particularly 'big' services e.g. 5 years 60k miles ? (Am I right in thinking no cam belt as it's chain)
Any good independent service recommendations ? Actually prefer to use indies and have done with most of my current and previous cars.
I'm based in West Mids, but travel the M6 and M40 corridors regularly so interested in any indies in these areas ?
Finally, for now, the other car I have considered is an X5, as my wife is a little daunted by the size of the RR, though she's willing to give it a go. Anyone had both and hence, any views on how they compare. I personally thought they seem small inside and on the boot front and as it's space we're after, wouldn't give us much more than the 5 series we already have ?
thanks again for yet more info !
WindsorRob said:
Finally, for now, the other car I have considered is an X5, as my wife is a little daunted by the size of the RR, though she's willing to give it a go. Anyone had both and hence, any views on how they compare. I personally thought they seem small inside and on the boot front and as it's space we're after, wouldn't give us much more than the 5 series we already have ?
thanks again for yet more info !
I can't comment on the X5, however my other half was daunted about the thought of driving the Range Rover as well. She currently has a Nissan Micra, so you can't get much further apart.thanks again for yet more info !
1 week in and she’s wrestling me to drive it whenever she can, which is great when we go out. Twice this week, I've been driven home from the pub!
The RR is such an easy car to drive, yes the size takes a bit of getting used to, but it comes very quickly. Go for a model with front & rear parking aids and that will help.
Go for the RR, forget about an X5!
WindsorRob said:
Any good independent service recommendations ? Actually prefer to use indies and have done with most of my current and previous cars.
I'm based in West Mids, but travel the M6 and M40 corridors regularly so interested in any indies in these areas ?
JE Engineering is where mine is going to be serviced. I'm doing 25k-30k per annum with a late 2005 RR S/C currently at 25k miles. I'm based in West Mids, but travel the M6 and M40 corridors regularly so interested in any indies in these areas ?
As for the warranty thing. Mine runs out next month. LR want about £1,000 to renew with lots of get out clauses and for it to be serviced by LR. I have run a TVR Cerbera for 5 years without a warranty. My approach will be to bank the £1,000 pa (before servicing costs) and pay for the maintenance which will be undertaken by enthusiasts who know what they are doing.
Oh and I'm not keeping a second car just in case the RR breaks down.
Triple7 said:
Gazzab said:
And remember that LR often struggle to fix broken RR's. I know someone who runs an indie LR servicing place, he has to help the dealer 'fitters' often. The RRs take a lot of cash and hard work to fix when they break.
That's because most modern car dealers don't employ mechanics, just technicians whose role is just to replace components until the problem is fixed. (A very expensive method). No one actual trouble shoots and fixes things anymore unless you go to an independent.Once you find a good independant, they can save you a fortune.
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