Land Rover LR3

trm2

Well, before my return trip from Buffalo to the Jersey Shore, I let the gas tank go to virtually zero. I had Sunoco 94 put in. Marginal improvement for the first half of the return trip (.3 mpg). Then, I put the transmission in sport mode with the cruise control on. The last 100 miles or so of the trip, I got 19.4 mpg. Again, at approximately 60 mph. A lot better. [Although I don't understand why. One thing I noticed was that with sport mode, the cruise control no longer revved the engine loudly to get up big grades.]

 

Also, no stalling even through the Poconos with only 35 miles to go before empty. . . .

beachbum

It is in the middle of a blizzard in New Jersey. I just return from a 75 mile trip in the blizzard. The truck handled well and I felt very confident on the barely plowed highways. When I got home my wife opened the front passenger door and when she closed it the molding on the bottom of the door popped off. I opened my door to look at it and the molding on my door popped off. It seems the snow/ice accumulated on the running boards (factory model)This is an FYI and was wondering if this has happened to anyone else.

Thanks

ypshan

btn,

 

You need to document everything so you can invoke the lemon law after several attempts to fix the problem fail.

 

They will take your problem seriously when you are close to triggering the law. In some states, it only takes 3 tries.

michaelwillems

The LR3/Disco 3 has been selected 2005 Car of the Year (as well as being Large 4x4 category winner) by WhatCar (UK) - see:

 

http://www.whatcar.com/News_SpecialReport.asp?NA_ID=213136

 

-Michael

fbaer

Your best bet to hook up an iPod, (This only works for an iPod with a dock connector) is to get either the Belkin or Monster 12 volt adapter, as the both have a line out connector. Then, get a mini plug to mini plug cable, and plug it in to the aux input. It is a better way to connect than through the headphone jack.

fbaer

I would imagine that Johnson Controls makes seats to the specifications that they are given by the manufacturer. Hopefully, the design and material specs for the LR are better and higher quality than the jeep.

ypshan

Has anybody tried installing the aftermarket Rosen A10 DVD player on LR3?

 

It seems that the factory kit uses Rosen A9 which is a generation back. The A9 and A10 have the same footprint so I'd imagine that one can get A10 into the same space designed for A9.

 

Thanks.

webbuzz

ypshan

 

I looked at the Rosen systems, dealer qouted $2600, found it for about $1600 at an auto stereo shop. The only cath was the "kit" that LR uses can only be purchased through a dealer.

 

So, I called the parts department at my dealer, the guy kept quoting me for the kit, Rosen unit and install. He finally said he would sell it to me. But, I chose a Clarion 7" all in one overhead.

 

At first the stereo shop tried to sell me a 10" LCD with a stand-alone DVD player. The DVD player would either be mounted in the top glove box, requiring some cutting, or under the seat.

 

Regardless, I haven't had my DVD system/XM units isntalled yet...Waiting for my replacement vehicle to do that. :-(

 

oops...been so long since I bought it, called it an Audiovox

ypshan

$2600 is outrageous. You can order an A10 for about $1300 on the Internet. A9 is even cheaper.

 

I am curious about why you went for a non-Rosen product. I'd assume LR designed the LR3 kit to fit Rosen. Is the kit universal so you can use whatever aftermarket unit you like?

webbuzz

You are correct regarding the online prices. However, most installers will charge a few hundred to install. All of the units have a "universal" mounting bracket that can be cut to fit.

 

But, they were all concerned about the minimal amount of spcae between the front sunroof and rear alpine roof. So, the LR kit is a must from their perspective. Due to weight issues I would assume. That is why one of the shops suggested the 10" LCD with stand-alone DVD player.

whaleya

Is it possible to hook up (hack) an aux video input into the nav screen? For towing a trailer (and coupling it) a rear camera would be great.

grommet

I've seen plenty of installs of non-OEM DVD players in the LR3. I haven't heard any installer having trouble fitting one; they normally push the units directly against the existing dome lighting. It looks good as long as they carefully trim the all-in-one DVD unit's shell where it meets factory dome. They've all been less bulky, too.

 

On the Rosen A10... it's possible it might install like the OEM A9-like version if you can get the large plastic dome mount/replacement Land Rover uses. (I'm not sure if that's in the LR Installation Kit.) It's also unknown if would play audio through the stereo's "AUX" like the factory one will (or should) if you have the little "dummy" plug in the mini-stereo AUX jack. (When Rosen/LR issues a fix... that feature is still broken on all the DVD units last we heard. tincup47?)

grommet

Any video screen can be bypassed with a little surgery. Has anyone been brave enough to ignore their warranty and do it yet? Doubtful. Remember to send Land Rover your feedback. It really should have been a factory option.

yogidoc

just got LR3 back from service after 3 days w/ a loaner and guess what? air bag sensor lights up again; oh well time to call the dealer tomorrow morning........great car BUT?????

also since i got car back last fri. computer shows i'm only avg. 7 mpg, that's strange??? before service for air bag sensor i was proud of my 12 mpg.

rdnick

MY wife just got delivery of her LR3 on Yesterday (1/22). Was supposed to be here on 1/4. Dealer provided a 04 Disco for us to use and threw in mats and some other items as a "sorry for delay". So far, dealer has been good.

 

She got the HSE Bonati Grey, with 3rd row. Let me just say, ride so far is outstanding. The creature comforts are pretty nice. And, it does well in snow. We're in Southwest Ohio, and had ice and snow, though not as much as other parts of midwest. It is a joy indeed.

 

We chose the LR3 over a Volvo XC90 (I own a 10 year 850 sedan--which I love) and a Pacifica (yes, a Pacifica-3rd row seat and the crossover vehicle idea was the key). I had given my wife a pic of the LR3 b-4 I knew the price. She fell in love. WE drove it and we were both hooked. The LR3 won based on we really liked the idea of a truck and it just seemed to have some neat items. My wife also feels very comfortable in it.

 

I am mildly concerned about the stalling issue. LR has a bad rep on reliability. WE have a strong shop here in town, so that helped our decision. Also, as I've read here, Ford has a $1BN "bet" that this will make LR and the Premier Auto Group profitable. They will clearly make sure this all works out.

 

This is the first vehicle we bought in which there was no price haggling. Dealer was not selling at discount at this time...period. WE were able to get $2500 off with X-Plan...and no security deposit with the lease (hedging our bets in case it screws up).

 

Am disappointed with the DVD options so far (dealer suggested company quoting $2300 for two rear seat headrest units), No sattelite radio and the phone hook-up not available yet. What are others doing about sattelite radio? Have seen some of the chat about DVD and bluetooth on here. Any other comments?

 

My wife and I love the comments here and the info sharing. Keep it up. We will as well.

 

300 miles into day 3...no stalling yet!

oferli

Had my new LR3 (V6 Diesel) for 4 weeks, 2500 k"m the only real problem is 2 flat tires during an off-road trip. Those Goodyear HP "18 are not good for off-road.

 

btn

"also since i got car back last fri. computer shows I'm only avg. 7 mpg, that's strange??? before service for air bag sensor i was proud of my 12 mpg. "

 

I just got my car back as well. As I previously said they were checking for stalling. They claimed they took 2 long road test and did not duplicate the problem. Turns out the 2 tests totaled 14 miles! Avg MPG was 7.5 and avg speed was 6.5mph! Either they did the 14 miles in traffic (in which it would have been hard to duplicate the problem) or they had the car running while it was stationary...

outrageous

Maybe they drove it around their off-road course.

teldoc

Oferli, that picture is AWESOME! Thank you for posting it. My wife would kill me if I took her baby off road. Such is the life of an SUV in the suburbs of America.

 

~2,000 miles = zero defects or issues

 

Be well!

michaelwillems

So, how do we all measure the 35 degrees of angle that is acceptable for the LR3?

fidhleir

>So, how do we all measure the 35 degrees of angle that is acceptable for the LR3?

 

Usually there's an audible signal when you exceed the maximum angle.....from the driver's mouth! Alternatively, you can just follow a vehicle with a maximum angle of 34 degrees. :-)

travelinman

I picked up my fully-loaded LR3 SE in Dallas on Saturday and drove it back to LA this weekend. 1400+ miles. Fantastic vehicle, and absolutely no regrets. Spent most of the time on cruise control between 70-75mph (didn't push it). Averaged 18.5 MPG. Took it to work this morning (42 miles, mostly freeway, some standard LA traffic). 18.6 MPG. Gas mileage much better than I expected. Seems like the optimum MPG comes around 65 miles per hour.

 

Navigation is great, but I need to figure out all the voice commands. It kept "misinterpreting" me, and would show things I didn't want shown, or change the view settings. But that's my issue, I'm sure.

 

It is just such a solid driving vehicle, and very quiet. Certainly no stalling issues.

sontob

I put in a full review of the LR3 a month ago at the consumer review section, however, it has yet to be included in the site.

 

I am wondering if reviews are being screened? I hope that is not the case as that would be a major credibility issue, which Edmunds prides itself on.

 

Also, I have noticed the LR3 has won several prestigious awards over the last several months including the Motor Trend SUV of the year. But these awards have not been mentioned on the Edmunds website where awards for the car are listed. Is there any reason why?

stever

Consumer reviews are screened (for profanity, etc.). There's a notice at the submission page about it.

 

I understand that posting some of the reviews is behind a bit due to some bugs, and the IT people have been swamped fixing site performance issues from the Inside Line roll out.

 

Edmunds has its own awards, so I don't know if a lot of effort is made to write about awards from other car sites/mags.

 

Steve, Host

tidester

It's possible there have been delays related to our system upgrades over the past month. (I notice the last posted user review of the LR3 was dated 12/14.)

 

See About Consumer Ratings and Review for conditions regarding the factors considered in posting a review.

 

Drop a note to me or my cohost, Steve, if your review doesn't show up in the next few days.

 

tidester, host

tidester

Steve types faster than I do! ;-)

 

tidester, host

stever

lol, that's because I skipped looking for the Ratings link ;-)

 

Steve, Host

stwsam

please send pics. i have an hse and warn winch and tray from 2002 RR. hoping to fit up brackets and go without buying the whole 9 yards.

 

Regars, Todd

toddwilfong @earthlink.net

ypshan

Range Rover has a backup camera, one would think we should be able to use the same kit and setup to make it work for LR3.

sontob

Thanks for the reply's- Steve and Tidester- they were helpful.

 

I while let you know if my review is not up in the next few days.

 

Sontob

mp19fan

>>Fairly well loaded with Nav., HIDs, 3rd row seats, cold weather package, etc.. Dealership was very willing to cut a deal and very accommodating in general. << Nice options. I would probably choose identical, plus rear HVAC.How good was the deal? Will be considering taking the plunge in the next few months and would appreciate pricing parameters. Thanks.

jk3

Have about 1300 miles on our LR3 and getting a bad case of buyer's remorse. The car is my wife's vehicle (daily driver) and it just went back to the dealer to repair a few minor things and a few major things. Sometimes the passenger window would not roll down. Sometimes when you accelerated from a stop the engine would just rev. like it was in neutral and then slam into gear. Also, the doors would unlock themselves. She had told me about the doors and I just figured that she accidentally unlocked them. Finally the unlocking problem duplicated itself when I was able to confirm. Now the major, she called me yesterday and asked me to pick her up because the car wouldn't start. I go over to the shopping center and sure enough I couldn't get it to start. Checked all the obvious things (plenty of gas, strong battery, etc.) but it would not start. Dealer towed the car today to the shop and thankfully the doors stayed locked overnight in the shopping center parking lot. Dealer has no idea about why it wouldn't start. They are still trying to figure that one out and then address the other issues. I really like the vehicle, but now I am worried that the first year bugs still need to be worked out. She previously had a Disco and we didn't have any problems with it so I wasn't too worried about the LR3. Now I am very worried. Hopefully they can resolve these issues quickly.

boboker

My LR3 HSE has an annoying vibration that started at about 500 miles. Now it has only 2000 miles and I may get rid of it. I have read about the vibration when the vehicle is cold, that is the only time mine does not vibrate. When the car is in gear and I am at a full stop the thing vibrates. I can feel it in my legs, the seat, the steering wheel and the center console. I sat in another LR3 at the dealer and there was a slight vibration, normal to me and no big deal. The vibration I have is more like a cell phone or something- rapid & constant. I have taken it to the dealer twice, the service manager felt the vibration, but has no clue, he updated the software but it made no difference. The only way to stop it is to put it in neutral whenever I come to a stop. I love the LR3 I have had no other problems except really bad gas mileage (12.5 per gallon) on easy hwy/city driving. Anyone else have any vibration problems? Thanks, I would appreciated any recommendations.

costaricafan

Would everyone that has bought that car, agree that it came with the alarm system that includes glass breakage and an inside intrustion module of some sort?

 

My dealer is telling me that they think was an option and my car does not have it...

 

Website and sticker indicate Peremiter alarm included.

 

Feedback please?

nwx

**>>Fairly well loaded with Nav., HIDs, 3rd row seats, cold weather package, etc.. Dealership was very willing to cut a deal and very accommodating in general. << Nice options. I would probably choose identical, plus rear HVAC.How good was the deal? Will be considering taking the plunge in the next few months and would appreciate pricing parameters. Thanks.**

 

Out of respect for the dealership (and for the fact that we haven't taken delivery yet) I can't tell you the exact details...yet. My advice, when dealing on an SE that's either on the lot or en route, is to aim for the sweet spot right between invoice and sticker.

michaelwillems

Sometimes when you accelerated from a stop the engine would just rev. like it was in neutral and then slam into gear.

 

Mine does that too. I have heard this reported by rather a lot of users, too.

yogidoc

if i read all these reviews i would have never purchached the LR3 this year ; sounds like a horror show out there; my car is being picked on mon.(second round , same problem) , the latest theory is to install a new air bag on passenger side. Can't figure out why my computer says i'm getting 6.2 mpg, something is not right and i'm curious what service will come up with; hope i'm NOT into another electrical problem???????????

sort of ridiculous for a vehicle over 50k

doctrix

Just thought I should post a quick note once again stating how much I love this vehicle and that I have had NO significant issues. Mine drives great, has great power, no vibration, no stalling issues, no electrical problems.

 

I feel for those that have had problems, but I would hope there is not an impression out there that the LR3 has inherent design or production problems that affect each vehicle.

threeputt

Me too! Had it a few weeks and only about 700 miles, but so far absolutely flawless. My heart goes out to all with issues, but hopefully they'll get straightened out for you quickly.

teldoc

Readers and potential buyers need to remember that only a fraction of LR3 owners ever bother to come to a forum like this. If they do, there are generally two reasons:

 

1) they are enthusiasts who look at LR3 ownership as much as a club/hobby as they do owning an SUV

------or

2) they have a problem and are looking for others with the same issue to search for help.

 

If there are 4,000 LR3s on the road (a guess, I have no clue) I'd bet maybe 400 owners ever make it to this site. And maybe only 80 every bother logging in. If 20 people have had a certain problem, it then seems like a 25% have issues and scare others away from a great vehicle when in reality, the real number would be .5%. For a brand new machine, a number like that seems reasonable.

gw123

As was mentioned later, I believe Edmunds only lists the awards they bestow on a vehicle, not what other magazines bestow. I doubt that Car & Driver spends much real estate in their magazine to highlight that Motor Trend likes the LR3.

 

Our LR3 is currently in the shop. We did get a loaner. The vehicle has stalled 7 times - all at the same stop sign. Perhaps we sould drive a different route to get home.

 

Other than the stalling, I really do like the LR3. It is very solid and stable. The ride is great and the interior configuration is the best.

 

Now if they can stop the stalling, we'll have a great SUV!

bjsbenz

Coming up on 700 miles on my SE and WE LOVE THIS TRUCK!!!! We live on Long Island and it was unbelievable in the Blizzard last weekend. NOT ONE ISSUE (still wish it had 8-way power seats) with any of the aforementioned problems.

 Anyone who is considering between the LR3 and any of the other options (GX,XC,X5,MDX) this vehicle is the best all round driving SUV out there...it's solid as a rock!

mutthead52

One appreciates the need of those who have invested 50K in a vehicle with historically poor resale value to remain upbeat about their purchase. But many people DO consult these forums for pre-purchase research (not just post-purchase help with problems), and frankness about the real status of each vehicle is a great service to all, including the heartfelt expressions of buyer's remorse.

The purpose--the only valid purpose, IMHO--of buying a LR is full-time reliability. That is what the plethora of special features is for: absolute reliability of safe mobility in all situations and terrains. It either fulfills this mission or it doesn't, and it does it CONSISTENTLY across the vehicle line or it doesn't. Nice ride, good looks, uniqueness in the neighborhood,etc., are beside the point. The LR3 held such promise, but is a failure (at this point) and must be avoided for those for whom reliability of safe mobility in all conditions is the issue. IMHO, Teldoc, the number of problems is neither reasonable nor acceptable. I'm waiting til next year (there are still no other competitive options--that's not in question), and hoping LR realizes what people need from it, and starts to put that first. If everyone buys now and plays the stalling lottery, neither LR nor its dealers will get the message. Right now, they certainly don't get it, and they appear in no hurry to start to.

teldoc

I agree with your premise. My points are:

 

1) objects in the mirror are larger than they appear (this forum will make issues seem more frequent than they actually are)

----and

2) anytime you screw together 50,000 parts there is going to be a learning curve.

 

See the Airbus A320, Space Shuttle, GX470 or anything for more details.

gx or lr3

Thanks to you all for your input on my decision. I managed to find an LR3 HSE in Zambezi / Charcoal with the rear seat option, tow package and I forget what else. A leasing company had tied it up so I approached them on it and drove it away yesterday afternoon. I'm too busy to really drive it and fiddle with it until the weekend, suffice to say I'm excited and happy with my choice so far.

 

Time to change my user ID...

 

Tom

Vancouver, BC

sontob

With any purchase involving safety of oneself or others -as in a vehicle purchase- the ideal is to have zero reliability issues and complete assurance of safety.

 

However, human error is inevitable even with a billion dollar state of the art platform and decades of experience building a particular machine. Therefore, there is an unfortunate learning curve involved in any human process, which is at the expense of the customer in this case.

 

With that said, in order to illicit a well-informed decision one must involve critical thinking to help make the best decison possible for that person - that is, analyzing the risk versus reward, which I believe Edmunds forums does assist with even with the small sample size-one defective LR3 is still one defective LR3 and questions must be asked and answered.

 

For those more riskier people the reward of a new state of the art SUV outweighs the apparent risk of purchasing a potentially defective automobile. This is a brand new, top to bottom inside and out vehicle-there will be more reliability problems based on that fact alone-there is no way around it.

 

I have about 2000 miles on my fully loaded SE7 and only have great things to say about it- not one problem at all (knock on wood). It is an amazing piece of machinery!

 

However, when I purchased it I knew I was taking a risk. If the tax incentive of accelerated tax depreciation did not end in 2004 I would of waited until next year for the kinks to be worked out.

 

At this time it looks like lady luck was on my side.

grommet

mutthead52 posted: "The LR held such promise, but is a failure (at this point)

 

And you are basing this on what? A few posts in this forum? We've had zero problems, but I'm not going to rant about that. This forum is not an effective sample size. We really won't know about initial quality until, well, next year after all the evil researchers are done.

 

My only complaints so far have to do with product management decisions (missing features, etc.) and Land Rover's amazing miscommunication skills.

 

Yes, there is an excellent chance I'll have greater than average issues that will need to worked with my service department... but such is life with a brand new first year vehicle. So far, I haven't seen it.

travelinman

"The purpose--the only valid purpose, IMHO--of buying a LR is full-time reliability."

 

That's an absurd blanket generalization that is IMPOSSIBLE to attain. "Full-time reliability" -- there is no such thing in a mechanical vehicle. And quite frankly, people buy Land Rovers for MANY MANY different reasons, and most of us would appreciate not having those reasons lumped into "valid" and "non-valid".

gw123

My wife picked up the LR3 from service (to fix the stalling problem). Took the LR3 in with almost a full tank of gas. It was returned with less than a half tank.

 

I obvioulsy called the dealer to complain. They said bring in back in an they will fill the tank (or send them a receipt and they will cut a check).

 

What I dislike is the fact that we have to do anything at all to fix something that never should have happened in the first place!

 

Anybody know what the dollar limit is on theft before it's considered a felony?

ksccts

Or maybe the techs just overlooked it. You know there is such a thing as an honest mistake. Everyone isn't out to get you!