Buying the last “reliable” Land Rover ever made

“This is the one” – I recall telling myself. Finally, after months of neurotically checking Facebook marketplace looking for my needle in the proverbial haystack I stumbled upon what appeared to be my latest solution to boredom – an old, used Land Rover

Finally, after months of neurotically checking Facebook marketplace looking for my needle in the proverbial haystack I stumbled upon what appeared to be my latest solution to boredom – an old, used Land Rover

See for a few months I had gone back and forth debating the idea of picking up a winter beater to add to the family fleet. With a cold Texas winter rapidly approaching, I didn’t want to continue risking my E39 M5 as a daily driver throughout the winter. While mechanically fine, the M5’s age has begun to show more are more with a growing list of maintenance items now nearing the length of my arm.

For quite some time I had been aching to fill the void that my old GX470 had left in my heart after selling it. My heart yearned for a proper body on frame, 4×4, workhouse and family hauler that can tackle both the most treachous terrains and the occasional trip to coffee shops. With the cost of your average 4×4 family SUV requiring a mortage to pay for, I decided to go the used route. Something cheap but capable.

Anyone who’s been in the market for a Affordable, Capable and Reliable 4×4 family suv knows that this can be a tall order. The used 4×4 suv market in Dallas is especially hot for these types of vehicles – even more so if they carry a Toyota badge. Rummaging deep through old reddit threads and facebook groups led me to discover a growing vocal majority of enthusiasts praising what I deemed an unlinkely hero in this scenario: a Land Rover LR3.

For newcomers who have arrived at this page during their search for the a reliabe 4×4 SUV, I know what you’re thinking. “But Geoffrey, didn’t you say you were looking for a capable, afforadble and reliable suv?” While I understand that many of those unfamiliar to the LR3 may be surprise at the mention of “reliable” and “Land Rover” in the same sentence. I can assure you based on my experience and that of many others that the Land Rover LR3 may very well be one of the most reliable Land Rovers ever built. Now let’s go into exactly what that means in detail.

Room for the whole crew

One of the biggest factors that drew me to the LR3 was the fact that it could seat 7 passenger comfortably. While my old GX470 could technically seat 7 passengers, the rear jumper seats in the back were barely suitable for large toddlers let alone full sized adults. In contrast, the LR3 features a stadium seating configuration for it’s rear seats meaning the back seats are raised slightly to provide extra leg room, allowing adults to comfortably sit in the back. In addition to this awesome feat of engineering is the fact that the seats can fold down completely flat and out of the way when not in use, something that Landcruiser owners know very well is not the case with Toyotas. I was never a fan with the rear seating configuration in 7 passenger Toyotas.

Ability to tackle any terrain

It’s not surprise that Land Rovers are well renowned for their offroad prowess and the LR3 was no exception. Full time 4WD, Air Suspension and Land Rover’s Terrain Response system give you the ability to tackle any sort of terrain you might encounter in the great wilderness with your LR. While this may be overkill for someone like me who is just shuttling their family around town, it’s always good to know that there’s the option the get down and dirty in the mud should the occasion arise.

A Reasonably Reliable Powertrain

I’ll go ahead and say this right now – I fully understand that saying Land Rovers are not typically know for their reliability is a bit of an understatement. However, in all fairness there is an argument to say that much of Land Rover’s reputation for being unreliable may be blown a bit out of proporiton. While there are many horror stories from other Discovery models regularly suffering catastrophic engine failure, the general consensus from the community is that the Discovery / LR3 was and continues to be one of the most reliable Land Rovers ever built. You can find several examples of owners going well past 200,000 miles while only requiring regular maintenance and upkeep. I am also happy to report that this has also been my experience in the 6 months of owning my 160,000 mile LR3.

Knocking on wood, praying to the car gods

As of now, my decision to buy a use Land Rover has not come back to bite me in the ass. However only time will tell in the long run. Part of being a car enthusiast is to learn how to contend with your personal tastes, even if that means suffering at the hands of the car gods every once in a while.