(OT) I hate my Rover

[lendaddy]

Wife calls on cellphone " I am at the intersection of blank and blank the Rover died help me" Damn that thing. An hour later I figure out it's the fuel pump(oh yes it is 34 degrees and raining out why'd ya ask?) A tow truck and 500 clams later she's back on the road! Sweet!!!!!!! Avoid these things like the plague! Unless they are under warrantee. I'm done now, where did I put that Prozac?

[gaijinda]

If you dare own a British vehicle, always get towing insurance. (I hope they flat-bedded it.)

You must admit, Range Rover makes the only SUVs that are capable off road... Most of these half-baked jacked-up mini vans make me sick! Rover invented this class and has profited from it. My Dad's 1989 is running strong and has well over 100K on the clock...

[cab83_750]

I thought it was LandCruiser, not LandRover that started it all.

By the way, just my humble opinion, LandRovers are butt-ugly!

[lendaddy]

Yea, I agree it is butt ugly however thats part of what makes em cool. This one is a 95 with 160,000 miles on the clock.

[APKhaos]

I had an old late 70's two door Range Rover for years. That truck was bomb-proof. It built my horse farm [in Australia] - carried fencing, cement, trash, horse feed, and more.... pulled old posts, pulled harrows around the fields [faster than the tractor!], and more. It finally committed suicide - jumped out of gear when parked, and ran down the hill through two fences and into the creek. Insurance paid up because they had never heard a funnier story!

My current truck is a 99 Land Cruiser. Now THAT is a great truck. Very refined, but strong as an ox and rock solid. Pre 99 straight six models tended to be underpowered for US highway driving.

If you visit the really rugged areas of this planet [central Australia, Africa etc] you will find a long history of Land Cruisers and Land Rovers. Very few Range Rovers or derivatives - they tend to be found around the horsey set.

Funny that Len's post inspired these memories!
Keep on truckin'

[mwbaum]

Having owned three Landcruisers, and having spent a lot of time in Iceland...one of the most brutal places for vehicles on earth....I can say that there is no better offroad transportation made. You dont see any Rovers crossing the hundreds of miles of barren rough volcanic scree......lots of Landcruisers. Same in Australia. They just dont break down.

[motion]

I wouldn't even wish a Range Rover on my ex-wife.

-ex '92 RR County owner

[rob911]

Second that.
Watched a Jeremy Clarkson ( "famous" motor mouth in UK) TV show monday.
In Australia Land Rover used to have 90% market share until the land cruiser launched - then Land Rover has 02%!! market share.

Where did it all go wrong for the british motor industry...

[lendaddy]

I wouldn't even wish a Range Rover on my ex-wife.


Thats hillarious, and I couldn't agree more. Dave in the service department is so deep in my spider eye that I can't bend at the waist anymore. damnit it who took my Prozac? bastards!

[speeder]

I have also heard the high-maintenence stories on these, but a fuel pump going at 160,000 miles is not a very good exhibit for POS trial, (unless last one was at 155k), too bad about rain and cold, though.

My brother and sister-in-law are relief workers in Africa, (Congo at the moment, but many other countries over years), most god-forsaken/scratch that/ dealer-network forsaken places on earth, and THE vehicle of choice for international aid community is the Landcruiser. One of the few things they can all agree on, (U.N., CRS, etc..)

[gaijinda]

I think the Willys 4WD Wagon back in the early 50s way the first "Sports Utility Vehicle." I think Range Rover was the first to go up-market in a big way. Made all the suburban Moms want to get a truck...
The Landcruiser is a capable vehicle, although most sold in the US have fender flares, fancy wheels, and so many options they would be lost in the Outback!

.

Originally posted by cab83_750
I thought it was LandCruiser, not LandRover that started it all.

By the way, just my humble opinion, LandRovers are butt-ugly!

[R22tech]

I've had (2): 96 Discovery= great truck after they did a top end rebuild at 32,000 miles(under warranty thank god). Now I have a 99 Series II Discovery-46,000 miles and been very reliable. the thing is, these trucks are so unique in every way, much like the 911, and THAT is what keeps me coming back for more. I had a 97 Land Cruiser in between L.R.s, B.O.R.I.N.G....the only thing that was memorable is the reliability, which is important of course. I'll take the Land Rover and keep it under warranty- they do provide loaner Disco's and free roadside towing that is remarkably fast....probably keep a tow truck in transit at all times, knowing they are likely to be called a few times a day!

[drwest]

let me chime in. I was REALLY glad to get rid of my Range Rover. It seems that the quality control was not there. I had troubles with that thing from the start. The rear diff went out, the front grill decentigrated, the sunroof stuck open....etc Everyday was a new headache. This thing got amazing poor gas mileage and was slow as a slug, but MAN! it sure could crawl over some tuff terrain. If you are considering buying a Rover, be sure to buy a tow truck to go with it.

[bpcsguru]

As previous posters said, there are not too many choices if you want a serious off-road vehicle. I take my truck to places that would make people cringe. And I do it in style. I've owned my 1995 Range Rover 4 years now and I'm still amazed at its capabilities. I learned to live with the minor inconveniences of reliability.

Boris

[carnut169]

I work at an auction and one of our accounts is Land Rover- we sell 300+/- a month. Yes, they are JUNK! I cannot tell you how many new LR I have seen that needed lifters, rebuilds, etc. The plastic inside the truck is cheap as well and it is very hard to find one w/o something broken. The engine is 60's Buick technology (very hi-tech). They are good off road w/ plenty of wheel travel but having experienced hundreds of these thing- STAY AWAY! How they keep selling them is a tribute to their marketing department's ability to make them seem like upscale Yuppie grocery getters- they are just junk. No offence to those of you who have one- but I would never recommend getting one.
My .02.

[rw229]

Hey Sean,

I assume you work at/for Manhiem?

I was down there in September and picked up a very nice (pre-certified) off-lease '98 Disco for about 7-8k less than the local dealer wanted.

8k miles later and no major problems. I would however NEVER own one of these without a warranty! The minor things I had fixed would have cost thousands.

[Nickshu]

I too had a bad Rover experience. 1995 County LWB, relatively low miles, seems like something broke every week....and the EAS (air suspension)...my god what a horrific design...a good idea in theory, but like so many Rover things...poorly executed. I have a pretty high tolerence for car problems, but this rig pushed me over the edge.

Never again.
Nick.

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by bpcsguru
As previous posters said, there are not too many choices if you want a serious off-road vehicle. I take my truck to places that would make people cringe. And I do it in style. I've owned my 1995 Range Rover 4 years now and I'm still amazed at its capabilities. I learned to live with the minor inconveniences of reliability.

Boris

Boris? HA! Wanna try to follow me over the roughest "road" in Linn County with your Land Rover? I get to pick the road... But, I can pretty well guarantee neither of us would see a Cayenne up there...

[xtianw]

Gotta say I'm on the plus side on this one. My 95 LWB has been a great vehicle(barring my last air suspension debacle) My one piece of advice is if you venture into the world of Range Rovers or own one, do yourself a favor and spend the $600 and get a spring kit for it!! Mine has been extremely dependable otherwise!They are ugly, but some would say Maria Bartiromo(CNBC) is so ugly she's beautiful!

[Norm Faustino]

I'll take a HUMMER please...awesome looks, power, and rugged as an Abanian grandmother.