Is The Land Rover Discovery LR3 The Most Affordable Modern Off-Roader?
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- Опубліковано 24 вер 2022
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Fun fact: The LR3's exterior was designed by J Mays who also did the 5th gen Mustang, Audi TT, VW new Beetle, '05 Ford GT and more. You can really see his personal style in all of these cars and in the LR3. The strong primitive geometry of the wheel flares, the belt line and the strong logical surfacing. The guy is a genius.
Great tidbit of info!
That’s a cool info to share. Thanks
I own a 2008 LR3 SE V8 with 98K miles on it, and even with it's sometimes pain in the WALLET gremlins it's an awesome truck and I love it.
I picked up a LR4 after watching the LR3 TFL videos, I've had it a year and a half and have put over 12,000 miles on it with zero issues.
Just wait till yah need to install the cam phasers, also try buying wheels for off reading. There is really only 1 company making anything. These gens suck for actually going wheeling.
no issues on 12k miles?! you should go play the lottery!
Yeah, right. Junk
@@mattalexander4699 Thank you for your kind words!
@@DeadOnTrail You sound mad
‘05 LR3 owner here. Literally bought after watching your video with the Touareg and Mercedes. You’ll replace things that wear out as you should expect on any 17 yr old vehicle. But like everyone says, it’s a beautiful, timeless rig. So underrated. And unlike most Toyotas, there’s loads of character as well. Just read the comments. People that own them literally love them.
Don't own one of these LR3/4 but still think they look good. Like you said they are an old car thats heavy and going off road so expect some maintenance and as for the air ride I have seen some original air bags thats taken years to go wrong so not that bad and price on aftermarket bags are now cheap. I have had plenty of cars were the springs have cracked and thats on normal UK roads lol
As owners of 2006 LR3 and I do all of the repairs myself and find it that most repairs can be done inexpensively and effectively by rebuilding/servicing your existing original parts and staying on top on maintenance. Most mechanics don't want to touch or are not knowledgeable enough to diagnose or repair rovers correctly, and Rover specialist wont go into extent to service your Rovers without forking out your lifesavings. For someone who don't know much about wrenching on your own vehicle I DO NOT RECOMMEND an LR3 as a good budge off roader, those are reserved for older/same year Toyota Jeeps, Nissans as parts are plentiful/cheap and can be serviced/repaired at most mechanics shop and its affordable.
My sentiments exactly!!! I’m a long term Rover fan and have owned many a Disco 2’s, LR3, LR4 and classics. I enjoy working on my trucks and keep them in near pristine condition. They require knowledge and understanding of how the systems work. If your willing to study and read the forums, owners group pages and rave manuals, one can keep these trucks running well and inexpensively. Cheers to you!
I think too many people have become custom to just take it to a garage to be fixed, My cars in my younger days were old so needed to be fixed by myself/brothers. Older cars were not as realible as todays so you had to do your own work and to be honest if I bought a vehicle like an off roader then I would expect to do my own maintenance and at least you know its done right at cost. Also another channel to look at for maintenance tips and work carried out check out LR time channel
Thoughts on the Lr4? Most I’ve ever done was change a valve cover gasket lol.
What do you recommend that one go looking for information to perform this work themselves?
I've been doing my own mechanical work for more than 25 years.
I knew a chap who had both one of these and a similar vintage Land Cruiser, his comment was that the land cruiser was more reliable, but when it went wrong the parts were so much more expensive than the Land Rover parts that the actual cost of maintenance & repair was roughly equivalent. As he paid quite a bit more for the second hand LC than the LR his total cost of ownership over some 6 years for each was higher in the Toyota. He also said that the LR was more comfortable and much better handling on the road, the Toyota steering was very vague by comparison & the whole vehicle felt imprecise when being hustled along a winding road compared to the Land Rover.
190,000 miles and counting on my 2006 LR3 with center and rear electronic locks. Not your kind of off-roading but seen lots of Alabama mud and hunting trails. It's been a great SUV. Just keep up with regular maintenance. Thanks for the video.
I’ve owned my 2008 LR3 for almost two years now. It had 169,000 miles when I bought it for $5,250 and now it has 178,375. It’s huge on the inside and I will probably never get rid of it. I’ve taken it off road and through the snow here in Texas. I’ve maybe only spent $800 in repairs since I’ve had it. It is AMAZINGLY comfortable. I do most of the work on it myself at home because the dealerships are going to eat you alive every time. Reliable? With routine maintenance yes. I wouldn’t advise anyone to buy one unless, when the time comes, be prepared to spend a pretty penny on said repairs, But! I love it and it’s never steered me wrong!
I have two LR3s. One has 132k miles and the other 231k. They are badass and have been very reliable. High maintenance, sure, but reliable and unstoppable.
I bought 06 LR3 with 75k miles in 2013. It's going strong with 135k miles. It is a daily driver with a little bit of time off road. It has been a great truck! There is a ton of space when you fold all of the seats flat. I'm always surprised what I can stuff in there. It's great at towing - plenty of power and stability. I've hauled ~6k lbs with it many times.
Approaching 20 years old, there have certainly been repairs so far and more to come. New alternator (I think water got on it from wading), front air shocks after one had a slow leak, transmission pan is expensive to replace OEM and Atlantic British has a good cheaper option. Some suspension parts wear out here and there because the vehicle is very heavy. MPG is low and premium...
Overall, it's classy looking, very comfortable, and very capable! Air suspension is very helpful at getting over the obstacles, but more often helping older people in easier or hitching up a trailer easier.
One of my favorite memories with it was taking my 4 grandparents off-roading up to a part of the their property that they would never be able to reach on foot. They were very comfortable and amazed at how beautiful the view was at the property!
Lol it's junk & you haven't even tried to OR it!
If I could only post a photo of mine. 😎
I chose the LR3 as a perfect choice for long distance overland travel. With a few add ons, I can set my suspension at any hight from full droop to full extension. Set it high for river crossing and near bumb stops to get under downed trees and limbs.
Yes, if you depend on dealers or independent shops to do all your diagnostics and work, this ain't a good choice for you.
Everyone fears the air ride. It's actually a very simple system once you understand just how it works.
Anyway, .... mine is pretty awesome. 👍
I just saw a virtually pristine LR3 at the gas station yesterday, decked out with a snorkel and 33s. It was beautiful. I never considered it as an option, until now.
Watch LRTime videos, pleasant German couple who have an LR3 and LR4. The guy (Christian) seems to know engineering and they have modded and fixed a lot of stuff. His opinion has been that it's a truly brllliant vehicle if you're preapared to DIY. If you need to take it to a dealer, it will break you. Maybe not straight away, but that day will come.
@@threeboardsfour isn't that the truth!
@@threeboardsfour yep this is my Sunday watching the couple doing work or overlanding
Make sure you get one with the HD package. You get a rear locker, higher towing rating. Mine has 235k still going strong.
I actually have one of these that is very similar to the one you tested. Mine is a 2008 HSE V8, with the rear locker. It goes all the places everything else goes, and weirdly does so on smaller tires than you'd normally need on most rigs, since it being 4 wheel independent and having the ride height adjustability gives it a massive amount of center clearance vs most anything this side of a Humvee. Problems? It has 185k on it, so yeah I've replaced a few things, but it's been no better or worse than anything else I've had from GM, Toyota, Ford etc.. Thy seem to have an appetite for suspension bushings, wheel bearings and tie rod ends more so than I'd consider average, but other than that there's not much to fault really. I'm on my original suspension compressor/lines etc, zero issues. I did replace my air springs as a maintenance item since the shocks inside do eventually wear down, just like any other vehicle, but it wasn't an expensive endeavor nor was it hard to do for a DIY guy like myself. I do recommend those who get these though, to buy a GAP OBD scanner that's made for these vehicles, as it'll definitely help overcome any issues you may have on the trail, especially if you do lose a suspension sensor etc. It's easy to just manually set it and pull the control fuse if needed. Parts are cheap enough, the driveline itself longevity-wise is easily in Toyota territory. They just don't mechanically fail with routine maintenance very often. I have seen/heard of LR3 V8 rigs with upwards of 300k on them, some much higher even than that! Good vehicle if you can move past the "opinions" of others. Land Rovers before and since haven't been as good longevity wise in my opinion. This generation of Land Rover (RR sport and fullsize included) are the best to get.
Have an 06 LR3 that i bought w 155k miles on it for $7k. It's been an absolute blast, and I actually love how simple they are to work on when things do pop up here and there (It's a 15yr old truck, it's just the nature of the beast). I've taken it on some amazing adventures so far and look forward to many more in the future!
thats how you should see it, its a lot of car for the money thats old and high mileage so expect things to do on them. I have had cars with 34000 that timing chain stretched and another 26000 and clutch needed replacing (manual gears in UK ) and all German cars
I think they’re pretty cool, especially for the price. Also pretty cool seeing case in a video
I bought an LR3 after watching your videos. I love it!
I've owned one going on 7 years, a 2006 with the Ford V6. I've had a bad brake bulb that prevented the auto transmission from shifting out of first, no error codes or error messages. Luckily I posted to a UK Discovery 3 forum and someone said "check the brake bulbs". Sure enough found a bad one, after changing it the car drove normal. Later due to a poor factory wiring harness splice the LR3 went into panic mode, and would not drive. After some research I pulled apart the passenger side sill to get to the wiring harness and found the splice that had failed. It was not soldered or heat shrunk. It had the wires twisted together and one small wrap of tape. Next there was a wiring failure for the air suspension valves somewhere between the drivers side wheel well and the passenger wheel well, most likely behind the bumper. I just ran new wires. Recently the rear latch mechanism failed, for the second time.
Now onto maintenance items. These vehicles are now really old and every suspension piece is most likely worn out, even if you do not feel it. Three years ago I ordered about $3k of suspension and brake parts direct from UK and redid the complete rear suspension. While doing the rear suspension I did the rear wheel bearings and brake backing plates, so it was probably about $3500. In the past year I have had to replace the transmission cooler lines (rust), fuel tank support/skid plate (rust), weld new exhaust hangers to the exhaust (rust), replace the brake lines for a second time (rust).
I need to replace the rear locking diff motor, as when it gets below -5C, it does not work well and I get warnings (car lowers), and it takes a few starts to get it to work.
Oh and I should mention the previous owner in the year before I purchased the LR3 spent $13k in service at the dealer (steering rack, air suspension compressor, air tank, alternator, starter, brake lines, front lower arms....)
I know it's not the same as an LR3 but I've have an lr2 I bought with 70,000 on it five years ago and it now has 275,000 miles on it and the only problem I've had was one wheel bearing went out, it has never left me stranded and trust me I've had it on trails it shouldn't have been on! I'm actually camping in a RTT on it right now!
Great job, Case nice scenery along the way, More videos like this are needed!
Enjoying my 2006 LR3 HSE ... great video !
It's the fact that an LR3 feels newer and nicer than a brand new TRD PRO 4Runner
Bought a ‘15 LR4 with 51k miles 9 months ago, I’ve put nearly 11k miles on it since then. SC v6 and the HD package (full size spare, locking diffs). I put better tires on it but that’s the only modification.
It’s fantastic on the highway and the limited trails I’ve done. Handles Colorado winter like a champ.
Maintenance is way more expensive than anything I’ve owned. They’re well known for eating brakes and tires. Figure $900/axle for the former, $1200 all around for the latter. $300-ish for 5k service warranty covered $5,100 right after I bought it for a coolant leak and control arms (two other things their famous for eating). Don’t care, still worth it.
Don’t skimp on maintenance and they run beautifully seems to be the rule.
Best truck we ever had
2:15 it really depends on how the air suspension fails. There's a few components: an air compressor, an air tank, one or more valve blocks, air lines, and then the air struts themselves. (The LR3/LR4 actually have quite nice monotube air struts.) Of these things, the air compressor and the air struts are most likely to fail. The compressor can wear out, or corrode, which is why there's a dessicant in the system. You can relatively easily replace the compressor, or refurbish it. The air struts contain shocks that like all shocks have a service life and should be replaced long before the air springs are likely to wear out. The air lines or valve blocks are only likely to fail if something gets stuck in them, for example if some sort of gasket blows out. In a well designed and maintained air suspension system that shouldn't really happen. Again, it's usually the struts or compressor that go, and they're wear items that should be serviced.
Air suspension failure is a big trumped up fear espoused by people who have never owned a Land Rover or have only owned old clapped out ones that were not properly cared for. It's a relatively simple system. Most failures I hear of are with people running lift rods that push the system way out of spec. Changing an air spring is no different than changing a strut on any other vehicle. I love going to Home Depot and loading the back with 1000 lbs of landscaping pavers and have my LR4 level itself out as soon as I start it. Every time I go to Colorado I pass multiple Jeeps and Toyotas so overloaded their front ends are facing the sky. Never in an LR4.
@@rl9810 I see it more as people who get these see how cheap they are and then complain because the parts are expensive. The shocks are a wear item, but they aren't cheap, especially for someone who got the LR3 for $5k. It's not a Toyota, you can't get cheap aftermarket parts like you can for them.
Whenever I see a 1995+ Range Rover, I make an effort to give the driver a thumbs up, because I’m well aware that the have gone broke to keep it roadworthy
I had a 2008 full sized Range Rover (same drivetrain) and was a great car. Sold it at 135k miles about a year ago - still miss it!
Best all-round vehicle you can buy. Spacey, quiet, comfortable, seating 7 persons in comfort und a towing capability of 3.5 T, And please do not ALWAYS doubt British quality. This is an ongoing phrase which had its justification in the 1960, but not anymore today!!
I have had my 2007 LR3 for 10 yrs. Most of the maintenance done after purchase was due to the lack of care the PO was responsible for. Now that I am able to maintain it there is not much that goes wrong. Oil changes and just keeping up with some items that would be necessary to maintain no matter what vehicle I had. I previously had many x-military vehicles and they are not made for comfort but this LR is. Quite off road capable. Many items I can do myself but some are done by a shop as they have better tools.
I’ve owned my ‘06 LR3 for about a year now. Its a unique truck, It’s been fun and has given me no real troubles, it has around 155k miles, all I’ve replaced is an EGR Valve and a brake light switch, which is a very common LR fault! Both easy DIYs as well. If you get a well maintained one, and take care of it, it’s as reliable as any other truck! ;)
Bought my LR3 after selling my Discovery 1. Absolutely love it, it's far from stock and surprises everyone with what it can do. It's still going strong at 220k on it the last 13k have been rougher then the rest. Bought it after watching your LR3 videos. So far it's the normal things that go bad, if you can turn a wrench they are great trucks and easy to maintain.
Lol "normal". Normal for who? Engine issues....that stupid air suspension, head gasket....what am I forgetting? Dumpster fire.
@@mattalexander4699 lol
In Australia i see these on the 4x4 tracks often, not as popular as Toyota's but I do see them. I always chat to the owners & they always have people around them. I ask the questions about reliability to them & I have not heard of a horror stories. They have replaced parts due to wear & tear & little more $$$ than Japanese 4x4s. You do your research before buying but if you buy a good model & service when need be your're gonna have a good 4x4 & be popular.
I had a series II 96 model Manuel trans love it but it was a money pit off-road it was a tank on the Highway it was a Cadillac I loved it
I have a 2008 LR3, and I've had two major pains with it; the first is it was OEM outfitted with 19 inch wheels so I had to source 18 inch wheels and tires to improve off road performance, but the entire brake system had to be rebuilt... I don't know what caused it but basically the lines corroded out and the system failed. It was an expensive repair but cheaper than buying a new vehicle so I don't regret being able to keep my LR3, my experience with it's capabilities has been amazing. Air ride is a con if you're not ready for it, but replacing an air spring is less difficult than changing a tire (honestly, it requires less specialized machinery for it too) so I don't mind that vulnerability knowing what I gain from the system.
1 thing I have learned since having LR3 is it will never remain behind on any offroad trail. NEVER. This thing is so comfortable and capable.
Get a good one, regular oil changes with 5w40 oil and it’s good to go. Yes they have the odd gremlins, but a decent code reader helps loads. Most of the work I try and do myself, parts are reasonable in comparison with other large 4x4s. Loads of really good how to fix most problems on you tube. The comfort is amazing on any surface, it will go more places than any other stock 4x4.
A solid axle grand Cherokee is a good choice. They also can have a v8 and interior comforts
they are small inside compared to an LR3 and only seat 5
The 1st generation is surprisingly large inside, and the back seats come out easy to use as camp chairs and that makes for more room as well.
@@atodaso1668 who take s more than 1 other off roading ? most 3rd rows are folded down and never see day light again
@@youtubecarspottersguide1 Me?
@@atodaso1668 you have 7 people in your off roader ?
You can find LR3s that have been suburban grocery getters that have been pampered for a steal, and if you get a good one it’s jackpot.
The fact is that Top Gear used land rovers for years as their shooting and recovery vehicle in some of the most harsh environments in the world. They could have chosen whatever vehicle they wanted yet the chose a Land Rover. It’s a testament to their off road capability and comfort going off road.
Top Gear, a UK based show that uses UK built cars.... Well I guess bias, or just company promotion is totally out of the way, eh?
I would choose Land Cruisers or Pajeros/Monteros, not oil leaking Land Rovers.
You mispelled (lied) Land Cruiser.
This video makes me miss my old LR3.. literally the most comfortable, quiet vehicle with great outward visibility and incredible headroom (in the second and third row).
When I got my LR3 I paid $2500 for an extended warranty that covered the vehicle up to 100k and had a $100 deductible per visit. After suspension, infotainment, parking brake, and sunroof replacement, I saved over $20,000 in repair costs. Once it hit over 100k, i had an instance where after a rainstorm, the sunroof drain had failed for a third time (know that I stopped using the sunroof after it broke the second time) and a wave of water rushed out of it when I opened the door. Safe to say.. I rushed to sell the vehicle after that.
Think I will try to get a 2016 LR4 someday for fun. Realistically I haven’t seen any vehicles that are compatible to the LR3/4 in terms of ride and capability. The only hope I’ve seen is the Rivian R1S. But I don’t know if the second /third row headroom will be compatible to the LR3/4 “stadium” seating.
So it was junk....you just sold extended warrenties
you have to clean out sunroof drains lol
For a company that never quite figured out how to make them well, they sure like cramming a lot of windows into the roof.
I own 2006/7 HSE V8 4.4 petrol. The parts arent expensive at all. The challenge is labour charges for any works. I bought it is 2019. Till date I havent got stuck by the road side or heard anything unusual. Annually I take it for full inspection and only 2 mechanical issues have been identified in advance (proller shaft which cost around 800 USD to purchase and brake pipes rust). Zero other major issues
The Land Rovers are awesome bang for the buck!! By far undervalued. You can buy 4 Land Rovers for the cost of one 4-Runner and have better comfort. And their capabilities are extraordinary. I prefer the Discovery 2, in particular the 2004, with it's balance of electronic features and mechanical strength.
I own a 2008 LR3 SE V8 and even with it's sometimes pain in the butt gremlins wouldn't change it for anything else. Going on 95k miles
Cheers 🍻
I have three D3's all cost me less than $5k AUD. TDV6 has 575k currently on it (I got it at about 200k) same engine and gearbox and it's my main off-roader, A V6 petrol SE which is a bit of a fuel pig but it's my daily drive and just a great car, and a V8 HSE which the missus stole and is her daily drive. Never had a major issue and I service them every 5000km. Doesn't matter what brand you drive they will let you down if you don't look after them. Pre-emptive maintenance on the air suspension stops any issues and I'm off road each weekend also an X lifter is a great mod.
My last off road rig was an lr3, and I loved it so much that I'm buying another. The air suspension is its greatest boone and its greatest fault. Make sure you read the manual, switch out the air pump every 100,000 miles At least, keep the undercarriage clean, keep an eye out for clogged sunroof drains, and that is really it. In six months I put over 7000 miles off road in Ocala national forest, and I only got stuck once due to user error. Keep an eye out for the locking differential package. my old LR3 did not have it, but if you are looking for the ultimate off road, that is what you want.
I've had a couple LR3's and love this vehicle.
Got my '08 HSE in early 2020 with 144k, just recently hit 179k. It is my second Disco, the first being a '00 which was a money pit. The initial problems I had were with the air suspension. Replaced the air tank (it was on sale so...), front valve block and then the compressor, which finally fixed it. It has been in shops for a few jobs that were a little too messy to do at home but, otherwise, I've done everything else on it myself. It has been comfortable, quiet, amazing in the snow, rain and mud (on Vred Quattrac Pros) and has never left me stranded. To reiterate something that's been mentioned several times, if you want to own one of these and plan on taking it to the dealer every time it makes a strange sound, it'll bleed you dry within a year. Turn your own wrenches and these can be great, dependable rigs. If something happened to it tomorrow, while I might get a different color and look for a rig with locking diffs, I would get another without blinking. Also, I have other vehicles, so this is not a daily driver, but it has been great for road trips and has done some amazing hauling. Case in point: helped a friend haul a '91 inch TV. All seats folded flat, front passenger seat moved up; it fit in with room underneath to spare. I love the fact that it doesn't have a very large footprint but can do things like that.
I own a 2007 Lr3 V8 with 3rd row that has 210K miles on it and I love it. I've replaced the suspension compressor at about 190k, replaced catalytic converter, and some ball bearings on the wheels. It rides like a beauty comfortable, spacious, durable. I wouldn't even now what to replace it, with most likely with and Lr4. 2 years ago a heavy duty work utility van rear ended me...my lr3 took almost no damage but the vans entire front end was destroyed the bumber went into the radiators and into the tires wasnt drivable. Todays suvs, pick ups off roaders look like overpriced plastic Hot Wheels toys especially the new defenders are a joke. These manufacturers are nurturing these vehicles... I'll take a Lr3 Lr4 older 4 runners ect any time over these newer vehicles. I do like the new bronco but I would love to see a 3rd row longer version.
Well done review
I own a 2013 LR4 for almost 5 years bought it with 55k miles and after 45k miles I only had to replace a frozen caliper have drove it around the country and off road in Colorado and Utah, there is no other vehicle that can drive the whole family in comfort and go offroad,
I bought an '05 off lease in early '07. An airbag went under warranty and that was the only thing until I hit 100K. At that point the alarm would go off intermittently, solved by a $10 sensor replacement. at 105K the suspension warning would go on and lower the truck after a couple of hours of driving. Pull over and turn it off and on and it resets. Never figured out what caused it. Replaced the air pump at 120K for less than a grand. The rear latch failed but that was a do-it-yourself zip tie affair. An ac compressor at the same time. Other than that, it was all maintenance items. These are amazing trucks (the BMW based early ones) that can be fixed for the most part on the fly. If the air suspension is maintained, it won't be an issue like the earlier P38 version. You can always replace it with coil overs. Best bargain out there. I sold mine two years ago and it's got 180K and going strong.
Love my 06 LR3
Part of a Land Rover club… the LR3’s are super capable…. Just as good as an original defender with a lift and good tires. Reliability wise, from dozens of remote off-road trips the LR3’s have never had serious issues apart from some faults that just required a quick reset. The original defenders and older discos have had issues but they have the advantage of being easier to work on
Watch LR time on UA-cam. A German couple Christian and Vera do off roading and maintenance videos on their LR3 & LR4(discovery’s) well worth a watch.
The best channel to watch, such a funny couple and the guy goes into depth with different makes of parts and testing
Been driving around a 2017 V8 land cruiser, top of the range. I'll take my old Disco 3 any day...
There is only one trim level of the Land Cruiser. They are all top of the range.
@@ScoobyFermentation in other countries there are several grades.
@@KTMcaptain yes base ,basic GX model 2 rows cloth seats diesel a true off roader not a 3 rows of leather seat 2 sunroofs 2 rear seat ent screens Toyota priced them out of the us market
You guys are STILL sleeping on first gen Sequoias. They’re good off road, cheap, AND reliable. I got mine just last year for $5400.
I love my LR3.
Hey bro! Thanks for your great videos! Can you tell what's ur rim and tire setup!? I'm just about to get a 2007 LR3 and wanna take advantage of black friday deals. What do you recommend!?
It does more than the average 4X4, which requires a little more maintenance then the average..... and I love mine!
It’s amazing to think of an LR3 and “the cheap option” nowadays. And even more amazing to hear “surprisingly reliable” in the same sentence - but based on what I’ve seen even outside of y’all.. it’s pretty true. Seems like when they get a bit older, either you just stop minding the small issues it has (because cheap beater car) or like in your cases it just fixes itself on occasion. Seems like it never left y’all stranded which is the most important part. And there’s just something to be said about comfort
Never would have guessed that those air suspensions would last so long. I saw how y’all beat on your old air suspension and I was amazed it didn’t pop
Mine's seen air and I've done 70+ on sand tracks in the desert and it still won't die. The springs are pretty cheap tbh, and I trust it won't fail any more readily than anything else on steel springs. 70 on corrugated sandy lumpy tracks and it rides like it's on pavement damn near 🤣 ...Should be noted, I don't condone 70+, I tried it once to see how it'd act and I was impressed.
I always kinda liked the look of the LR3 and LR4 aka Discovery's. Look way better than the new Discovery ughhh!
Just curious what size tires you are running? Did you lift it above off-road height?
1999 to 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WJ). Best budget off reader by 6 miles.
Are those tires 285/65/18...if so, any modifications needed so they don't rub? Thanks!
The air suspension, like one the Touareg/Cayenne, does need to be tended to from time to time, but it’s not the end of the world. Check it for corrosion and leaks every oil change is a good practice.
I’ve always wanted to give one of these a shot but I like to work on my own rigs as much as possible and I’m just not familiar enough with British systems to trust that I can manage any issues that come up. Jeeps are also not the most reliable but I am familiar with Chrysler systems enough that I can get in there and sort the issues out myself 90% of the time.
The common things that will need work are sometimes comically simple. And since there’s a long history of these things making mechanics out of the ordinary man there’s write ups about anything you can imagine.
I have an LR4. Easiest vehicle I've ever had to work on. Blows the several Land Cruisers I've had out of the water in that regard. Big SUVs go through disc brake rotors, and on the Land Cruiser you had to take apart the hub to get the rotor off. Land Rover is much easier. And the oil change on an LR4 is the easiest job in the world if you buy a Mightyvac.
They really arent that difficult and theres a huge and very passionate group of owners that document everything online. I'm yet to come across any problems that i couldnt work out with a couple of google searches!
@@IBODEGAI Plenty of channels to help you on working with the LR 3/4 watch LRTime channel
Failed air suspension is not very expensive to fix. I just replaced a strut for £150, two and a half hour job on my driveway. The coil spring 'upgrade' option was a lot more expensive.
My 06 LR3 HSE I bought in 2011 was a money pit, but that's largely my fault. It was my daily driver, and it was my first car, which I wanted to be perfect. I also used the dealership as my mechanic. While they were awesome, they were also expensive. I've missed that LR3 ever since I sold it.
should always find a specialist rather then a dealer but lesson learned as they say
totally agree
I have had mine for 7 years. 06 LR3 V8. I bought it for 9K and have put 4K into it and that includes breaks and tires that is regular maintenance. If I had bought the comparable same year used Toyota Land Cruiser I would have paid 22k so in my experience I am still way ahead.
9k in regular maintenance? Are you stupid or insane??
Lol nope
The inside rack that is attached the roof, anyone have a link on it?
Best truck I ever owned. I was sorry I traded it for the sport
another aspect of not buying a cheap lr3 to immediately be your dd is you should probably have something more reliable while you sort out the kinks in the cheap lr...
I have one and I love it. It sure does complain about a lot of things but much like an aging man, once it’s up it’s ready to work. It hasn’t let me down yet. *knock wood*
The biggest issue I’d say is not the air suspension. It’s water ingress. Keep it dry on the inside and you’ll save yourself alot of head and heartache.
the most reliable LR product they ever built especially the 2005/2007 model and especially the HSE model
Just a comment regarding the air suspension. If grandma’s player piano wasn’t played regularly, the pneumatic bellows would eventually leak. I always use the access mode in order to keep everything moving. 400k k’s later, not a problem.
Correct Graeme, and also make sure to lift her regularly as well. Phenomenal vehicle in every respect. D4 owner past 7 years, Australia
My son and I both have LR3s his is up in Montana and he has had it for a year and a half and the only issue is we had to replace the suspension air compressor. Not big of deal. My LR3 has had a few mor issues with bushing and wheel bearings but now that is all sorted out and now I’m getting it ready to go to Alaska next summer. Can’t wait for my adventure in my LR3
Get a tow truck # before you go. But you know they"re junk!
@@mattalexander4699 I have 2020 Chevy 3500 that only has 20k on it and this such junk that GM has to buy it back. Sad to say when you trust an LR3 over a new truck.
I have a LS460L 2007 that I want to get rid of for roughly $10k and I want an suv around the same price I don’t want another payment. What should I get I’m thinking this vehicle? Mostly because I hear how smooth it is
I owned a 2007 Lr3 with the HD package. And a 15 LR4. The lr3 was great off-road. But the Suspension was a nightmare. In the shop a ton. Problem is the compressor is underneath the vehicle and living in the snow belt just made it hard to keep going. 2 compressors later. And at 60k I traded it in. The LR4 was a disaster. A lemon law lawsuit and I was out of that vehicle at exactly 36k. So what did I go and do…. Bought a 2000 RR P38. Lifted it. 33’s. Rebuilt transmission and transfer case. . Detroit True Tracs. Front and rear. 4.11’s. My family calls it battered wife syndrome. I love Land Rovers. My 2 Range Rovers are a whole other story. Here’s a tip. Fluid film your whole undercarriage. Especially the old ones.
ugh anywhere you have to fluid film your undercarriage is somewhere I give a pass for unreliability issues...even a newer car will rust super quick in that type of area
Nope, never dumped my $ into a Land Rover. But I have known plenty that have. Regretted every lost penny of their money. People that did not even off road them that spent countless thousands of dollars trying to keep them maintained for daily on road use. I spent countless thousands on POS Chevy products. Learned some hard lessons from that. Don't need to keep dumping $ on bad gambles. In another time and place with unlimited funds, I might buy an LRD. And that is who I would promote them too. Unlimited funds. Or lease a brand new one for a few years or at least under warranty ownership. 😉
how many miles has this LR3 got? just curious...
Interesting
Nothing beats the ZJ Grand Cherokee for an affordable off-roader/overland vehicle. I've passed many broke down LRs on the road. They are cool, but not the same.
knew a guy who had a zj he was constantly dumping money into..
I have a zj grand Cherokee and love it. It has 245k miles and the engine and transmission still purr. I have an lr3 with 216k miles and it's amazing as well. It's a much smoother, more comfortable ride. The ZJ is beautiful in it's simplicity and performance with the v8.
Bought 1 for 400 bucks owner sold it to me cause she said it needed a battery a tire inflated and it was rusty underneath. It had 143 000 km.. I bought pumped up tire added a battery and underneath was just the off road metal shield that was rusty not the frame yay me... V8 6spd with 7 seats. Needed brake pads for inspection.. momma mia...
I really really wanted one of those but the Mpg is.....and needs premium..... easy to spend an extra $5k in gas annually
An older Toyota Sequoia will get you all 3. Cheap, reliable and capable.
That's what I would get, but no factory diff locks (do they even exist after market for gen 1) no terrain control, no variable ride height. It would require much more driving ability to go everywhere, which requires a degree of dedication. That being said, none of the extra bells and whistles on an LR are worth a damn if the truck breaks down. Sequoia all day long.
Who's the fancypants with the black magic and matte box @4:06?
Your LR3 is almost to the specs of a Cherokee Trailhawk with a 2 inch lift. Unless you're in some kind of boulder garden , it's really tough to scrape anything.
I'm at 40° approach, 40° departure and 28° breakover with 2 inch 4 corner lift and an upgrade to 30.6 inch tires (up from 29.5).
Minimum clearance to the entire underside apart from the suspension arms is 12-13 inches. Suspension arms would be about 9.2 inches up from the stock 8.7 inches thanks to larger tires.
If you're not climbing around a rock garden with bowling ball sized rocks or bigger you'll basically NEVER scrape anything at all on a trail.
Based on the similarities I'm going to say that the LR3 is highly capable.
I've been in a Tundra a lot too and they have a great ride , especially for a pick-up truck. I was blown away by the flex after doing a few different flex tests on my friends Tundra. Corner travel index type metrics are very impressive.
a LR with unknown maintenance history or undisclosed issues is cheap to buy . a properly maintained and serviced LR with receipts is not but may be cheaper to own.
Great presentation. I was close to ordering an LR4 when they announced the Disco 5, so I waited. And then that unbelievably ugly thing came out... How many Discovery 5 did Land Rover sell, you don't see a lot on the road? New Defenders, too (still more than Disco 5, though) - at least here in Austria.
see loads of new land rovers esp new defender here in Yorkshire UK
2008-2012 Nissan Pathfinder R51 is what you’re looking for. Can we get Nathan to redo this video?
Not everyone is handy with a spanner or able to repair their Rovers. I loved my Land Rover disco 3 to bits but there was a fault with the exhaust manifold (limo mode, black smoke, loss of power all that). This meant an engine out , body off job to access the engine. Would be 13 hours on labour time only.
This killed my rover for me. I had to trade it in. Lost a £1k on trade off value.
But I still think land rovers are the best cars to drive and own.
Hey guys what is the stuff at min 2:01?
What about the lifted $1500 WJ that spanked it on your old hill? That WJ totally spanked it... the ZJ's and WJ's (and XJ's) are the best SUV form 4x4 ever made. These LR3's sure look nice, but I can't look too much or my ZJ will get it's feelings hurt.
Where can I find one for 5k?
Unsurprisingly the LR3 and LR4 are pretty popular as a used vehicle in the UK. The LR5 is not so popular with traditional LR owners and I have a few farmer friends who have kept their 3's & 4's as they hate the look of the 5. The 5 is reckoned to be not as good offroad in mud due to its wheels as the 3 & 4, and we have lots of mud. While they can be unreliable as they age, in the UK we have the advantage of it rarely being far to travel to a non-franchised LR specialist as there are lots of them about. Getting your 3 & 4 maintained at non franchised LR specialist is usually the best way to make ownership affordable, particularly to prepare it for the annual safety test.
It's a great car, but I wouldn't suggest new car owners or non mechanical people yo own one
Thing with the air suspension is it needs an overhaul every 10 years. If you neglect it until it fails then yes you will have problems. It's worth every penny to not have to drive around in a lifted up truck while on road, which even a pure tourer will do 70-80% of the time...
No it doesn't. That's just not true. Traditionally coil springs need new shocks, shock mounts, balljoints, etc, and most of those hardly make it 10 years...
@@cf5914My shocks went at 200,000km and 7 years. I replaced the struts then. At 310,000km now. Most owners who go off road have the same experience. Just like any other shock absorber really.
10 years is not bad at all. If anything thats extremely good.
You guys just buy into the old notion of Land Rover reliability being crap and expensive repairs being common place.
I do agree that the disco 2 was a terribly unreliable truck, but this is not!!! Please stop with the expensive air suspension myth. This truck is exceptional. The 4.4 is/was so reliable, I can’t believe more hasn’t been said about how robust it truly is. The air suspension on my truck has been just as reliable. In almost 10 years of ownership. I’ve spent less maintaining mine, than I would of paid to replace the front shocks on a jeep. Most of the components can be repaired quickly and with simple tools even for a trail repair. My 05 is nearing 20 yrs old and at 250k miles is without a doubt as reliable as fords. Jeeps and a Tacoma that I’ve owned. I understand your looking for views and jumping on LR’s reliability gets folks riled up. If you truly want to know what long term Rover ownership is like, just give me a shout. Otherwise, maybe tone it down to actual experience and not perceived reputation.
Bet most of the people who trash LR in the comments never owned one
You've got one of the rare unicorns 🦄.
It’s no unicorn. I have yet to hear about a LR3 with the 4.4 v8 with anything except affection. The suspension system is often just dismissed as problematic. The truth is that it’s very simple, but misunderstood. Very few things actually break on it. The rear bags rarely ever fail. Mine are on 250k miles. Front bags were recently replaced at 240k and the compressor and valve blocks can be rebuilt with simple o-rings and desiccant. My LR4 is quickly becoming just as reliable. The Range Rover classic and disco 1 are both moderately reliable and durable. The negative reputation derived from BMW’s ownership is unfortunate and yet well deserved, but putting that label on all Rovers is not just.
To be fair, TFL did buy an LR new defender, which died immediately and had to be replaced because is unfixable as a brand new car. Unless my hyperbole is running away with me, I think it took two replacements to finally get a serviceable brand new vehicle. I think they are justified in being a little wary of the brand.