Not A Gm Topic, But I Value Your Opinions (most Of The Time)

gmowner4life · July 8, 2010

My wife is asking that her next vehicle be a Range Rover (used of course because I'm sure as hell not rich!) We're about 6 months away from buying her next vehicle as my son will inherit her old car. Does anyone have any experience with them? I've never heard anything bad, but I really don't have friends that have ever owned one. Any help you can provide is appreciated!

Matt_ · July 8, 2010

holy crap man stay away!

while i love the Range Rovers.... both styling and functionality... they're VERY troublesome vehicles (specifically the air ride, HVAC and electrical systems).

i went through the same thing with my wife... and the ONLY reason we got one was because the deal was so good that i knew we could sell it for more than we paid..... which we did about 8 months later after she 'learned her lesson'

i love them.... but repairs are extremely expensive (this is coming from an ase tech by the way... i know my way around vehicles).

thus, my recommendation is to talk her into a more reliable/lower cost to maintain vehicle.

amtz.zero · July 8, 2010

I wouldn't get one.

If she wants a flashy SUV, GM makes some good ones like the Escalade, Yukon Denali, and the Envoy Denali. I would get ANY of those over the Range Rover.

STINSAN3 · July 8, 2010

I wouldn't get one.

If she wants a flashy SUV, GM makes some good ones like the Escalade, Yukon Denali, and the Envoy Denali. I would get ANY of those over the Range Rover.

This.

Like Matt mentioned, the repairs & maintenance would be more expensive than other vehicles. Our neighbor had one & said that loved it, but due to troublesome repairs, they sold it & bought a Denali.

gmowner4life · July 9, 2010

Thanks for the feedback. I don't think it's the part of being flashy. She just wants something nice. She has brought up other vehicles that I have experience with. The only one I didn't have any experience with is a Range Rover. She doesn't like Cadillac, but does like the Denali. I'm good with that especially out here. I wouldn't drive a Caddy in Lake City, FL. There's a stigma out here with them.

KMGZ400 · July 9, 2010

holy crap man stay away!

while i love the Range Rovers.... both styling and functionality... they're VERY troublesome vehicles (specifically the air ride, HVAC and electrical systems).

i went through the same thing with my wife... and the ONLY reason we got one was because the deal was so good that i knew we could sell it for more than we paid..... which we did about 8 months later after she 'learned her lesson'

i love them.... but repairs are extremely expensive (this is coming from an ase tech by the way... i know my way around vehicles).

thus, my recommendation is to talk her into a more reliable/lower cost to maintain vehicle.

yes i have heard they all have many electrical problems and do not hold up well after about 70k miles.... also like matt said, everything at the dealership will be so damn expensive to replace or fix you will regret owning a land rover. the worst land rover ever made were the discoverys. they were absolute shit boxes.

Bowtie2Sierra · July 9, 2010

I just went through the same thing with my wife. Her 328i was due to be replaced this summer. It was between the Range Rover Sport and BMW X5 for us. We ended up not getting serious about the Range Rover because there is not a dealer closer than 2-3 hours away. If we had a dealer in town, I would have looked closer at the Range Rover. Like others have said, the reliability sucks but that's what the warranty is for so I personally would still buy one (if we had a dealer in town). They are bada$$ vehicles.

We ended up buying a loaded '10 BMW X5. We have only had it a couple weeks so far but absolutely love it. You mentioned you are looking at used. Check out the certified pre-owned BMW's...you can get them for around $35-45k depending on the year and the cerfitifed will come with 6yr/100k mile warranty. You are in the same price range as a Denali or Escalade but much better vehicle IMO.

The Denali and Escalade are nice rides but by no means a true "luxury" vehicle like they are marketed. We had a Denali before and it was nice but the Range Rover & BMW are on a totally different level. I saw an Escalade Platinum a few weeks ago at the dealer for $85k. WTF. Even if you got $20k off sticker, why would anyone pay that for an Escalade?

Good luck in your search.

gmowner4life · July 9, 2010

I just went through the same thing with my wife. Her 328i was due to be replaced this summer. It was between the Range Rover Sport and BMW X5 for us. We ended up not getting serious about the Range Rover because there is not a dealer closer than 2-3 hours away. If we had a dealer in town, I would have looked closer at the Range Rover. Like others have said, the reliability sucks but that's what the warranty is for so I personally would still buy one (if we had a dealer in town). They are bada$$ vehicles.

We ended up buying a loaded '10 BMW X5. We have only had it a couple weeks so far but absolutely love it. You mentioned you are looking at used. Check out the certified pre-owned BMW's...you can get them for around $35-45k depending on the year and the cerfitifed will come with 6yr/100k mile warranty. You are in the same price range as a Denali or Escalade but much better vehicle IMO.

The Denali and Escalade are nice rides but by no means a true "luxury" vehicle like they are marketed. We had a Denali before and it was nice but the Range Rover & BMW are on a totally different level. I saw an Escalade Platinum a few weeks ago at the dealer for $85k. WTF. Even if you got $20k off sticker, why would anyone pay that for an Escalade?

Good luck in your search.

I love the BMW! I don't know if my wife loves it though. And since it is primarily her car, I would really have no say in it. LOL If I didn't love my truck so much, I would probably drive a X5. And you're right. I would never pay 85k for an Escalade!

Bowtie2Sierra · July 9, 2010

Get her to at least drive one. Initially we never looked at them b/c the interiors aren't as "luxurious" as Lexus, Mercedes, etc. After having nothing but problems with our last Lexus, we switched to BMW and haven't looked back. The X5 is our 2nd BMW and my wife swears she will not drive any other brand. The driving dynamics are unmatched. They are fun as hell to drive...even the SUV's.

There are a lot of good choices out there so I'm sure you will find one that will suit her.

[email protected] · July 9, 2010

I would not get a range rover, especially one without any warranty on it. They are notorious for electrical glitches. I opt for a Mercedes mlk or glk series or something like that, myself.

ShimanoFisherman · July 9, 2010

I've heard the same thing about Range Rovers but never owned one first-hand. I thought that their quality was supposed to be better than in years past but maybe not.

I really like the interior of the late-model Audis. The Q7 is nice but it's a slug if you don't get the 4.2l engine.

Bowtie2Sierra · July 10, 2010

Better budget 10-15k a year for maintenace and repairs. These are VERY high dollar vehicles to maintain.

No comment...

Nytemare · July 10, 2010

One thing to say

Lucas Electric....Prince of darkness

Did you hear the one about the guy that peeked into a Range Rover and asked the owner "How can you tell one switch from another at night, since they all look the same?" "He replied, it doesn't matter which one you use, nothing happens!"

gmowner4life · July 12, 2010

One thing to say

Lucas Electric....Prince of darkness

Did you hear the one about the guy that peeked into a Range Rover and asked the owner "How can you tell one switch from another at night, since they all look the same?" "He replied, it doesn't matter which one you use, nothing happens!"