switters:
Range Rovers are not known for their reliability, and owing one may not be easy.
Which is more important to you?
If it’s the former, then go ahead and buy it. Either option will do because they’re both a crap-shoot, leading to breakdowns, mechanical issues, malfunctions, etc.
If it’s the latter, then do look at other vehicles.
Range Rover’s.can be an expensive ownership anyways but I’d want that cpo warranty if buying one. If you want one with lower miles there’s probably something closer if you’re flexible.
Doug demuro still owns the car max range rover it’s just kept with a friend on Nantucket. The warranty paid out much more than it cost to buy from car max. They charge more now
@JoeMario That’s a good question. We just bought a 2018 23’ Airstream trailer and we can’t tow it with either of our two vehicles (Tesla Model X and Subaru Outback). I started looking for a vehicle with the following criteria:
Range Rovers weren’t even on my list when I started looking. But after doing some research they seemed to tick the boxes. I think I would enjoy driving it a lot, but what I wouldn’t enjoy is wasting a lot of my time taking my car to get fixed. So, even if I buy one with a warranty that covers the expense of the repairs, that’s a disincentive.
Land Rover just came out with an updated Defender for 2020. It’s an iconic vehicle and it also ticks the boxes. There is obviously no reliability info available on it yet, but it would be new and have the manufacturer’s warranty, so maybe that’s a better choice. I can’t get one until Nov or Dec of this year, but maybe I could just rent a tow vehicle for the Airstream trips we’re taking this summer.
You could get a Cadillac Escalade, and a box of good cigars, and be Tony Soprano!
Apparently a Chevrolet Tahoe can tow that Airstream and it can be repaired almost any where in the US where a Land Rover might not .
Have you put ( vehicle to tow 8000 pounds ) in your search engine ? I did and there seems to be more that I thought that have the terribly high price one might expect .
The Toyota Sequoia might fit the bill as well, my brother has had very good luck with his 2012 that he bought a couple years ago.
Thanks, everyone. I’ve been doing more research and I see that a Porsche Cayenne might fit the bill as well. It gets an 88/100 on JD Power’s reliability ratings. It has a ground clearance of 9.4 inches (with air suspension) and a tow capacity of 7,700 lbs., and it’s very nice to drive on the roads. It’s not quite as good off road as a Range Rover, but that’s probably fine. Given that we’ll be towing an Airstream, we won’t be getting too crazy off road.
Yes, the Porsche Cayenne has a far better reliability record than any Range Rover.
Repairs–and maintenance–won’t be cheap, but I assume that you are aware of that factor with luxury vehicles.
I can’t understand why you are looking at vehicles that have such a limited network of dealers to go camping. Do you really want to be broke down with a trailer and the nearest dealer could be 100 to 500 hundred miles a way . Example : Oklahoma has just 2 Porsche dealers and they are 100 miles apart.
I’m trying to find a vehicle that isn’t massive like a Tahoe, Suburban, or even a Toyota Sequoia, but that still meets the criteria I mentioned above. Other criteria include ground clearance over 8.5 inches and good reviews. It’s not easy to find vehicles that meet all of these criteria.
And anyway, I’m mostly going to be camping in and around Utah, where we live. There aren’t many car dealers of any type near many of the places where we’d be camping in UT. There are two Porsche dealers in UT, both in Salt Lake City. There are several more Ford dealers, but they are almost all concentrated around Salt Lake City as well. So I’m not sure how much of a difference this makes, though I can definitely see your point.
Toyota Sequoia tows 7300#. If you want a Toyota, go for the Land Cruiser. It tows over 8000# and is a lot more expensive than the Sequoia, but that doesn’t appear to be an issue.
Note that anything you buy to tow 7700# or more will be huge. The Suburban class is a little longer than the regular full size like the Tahoe. If you use the 3rd row for seating, you really need a giant like the Suburban or Ford Expedition. They offer 3 rows of seating a decent cargo capacity in the back. I looked at SUVs when we had our 3rd child, but unless I went for a cavernous Suburban, I got better cargo and people carrying in a minivan. Minivans can’t Tow to anything close to what you want. I only mention them to give you a reference for interior room. The Porsche is also huge, they just make it handle well for a large vehicle. Take anything you like for a long test drive to make sure it fits you well.
But that’s the thing: Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport are smaller than the huge vehicles like the Land Cruiser, Suburban, etc., yet they both have tow capacities of 7,700 lbs. The Cayenne is 67 inches tall and 78 inches wide, with a curb weight of 4377 lbs. The Sequoia is 77 inches tall and 80 inches wide, with a curb weight of 5,700 lbs. The Suburban/Tahoe/etc. are even bigger/heavier.
The Cayenne and Range Rover Sport are consistently rated very high by Car & Driver, Car Connection, etc. The Land Cruiser consistently gets poor ratings. So it’s not a clear choice. I’ll keep looking.
Their thing is going fast and handling . I quit the car magazines years ago because they don’t seem to understand the real world.
Given the circumstances, I’d run away from a Land Rover or Porsche. While fine vehicles, I just feel like their primary “function” is to impress others.
I’d get a body on frame SUV, such as a Chevy Tahoe or Toyota Sequoia, possibly even a crew cab pickup truck. Toyota Tundras are popular around my part of the world.
They may not be as “flashy”…but there are plenty of places that can work on a Chevy or Toyota, and they’re reasonably priced.
But your results may vary.
If that’s what you like, buy it. An automotive writer (James R Healey) tested a Range Rover Sport. He later declared if he could afford it, that’s what he would own, and he didn’t care about it’s reliability. Don’t write off something you want just because it’s less reliable. There are a lot of factors that go into a purchase, and it’s up to you to put them in the right order for you.
There is probably a reason why this car has “only” 21k miles and is cheaper. And, only the seller knows why that is.
Found this through the Land rover CPO search but is at the dealer in Utah with almost 35,000 miles for $47,765.
These guys are based out of Park City and the one with a Cayenne has posted some updates on his experience. Much older than the OP is probably looking for as a 2010 but the maintenance is the key.
I looked at the ad . 47000 for a used Land Rover but for 6000 more you can have a new one . I see no reason to buy the used one . Besides the loan rates will be lower and you don’t have to wonder if it really had the service done that should have been done.
Thanks, everyone. I ended up finding a local 2019 Range Rover Sport with 14k miles on it. It still has 3 years/35k miles on the factory warranty, so I feel better about buying this one given Land Rover’s reliability issues. Thanks again for your replies.