(first posted 12/7/2017) If I were the kind of person who wrote my thoughts down in a journal, my experience with this 2008 Land Rover LR3 would go something like this:
“It was a feeling of satisfaction I had never felt before — sitting all high and mighty up in the thrones of this leviathan, leaning my torso into the inboard armrest with my left hand firmly grasping the wheel and my right elbow resting on the armrest, near vertical as I finessed my ring-clad ring finger around my thumb in a circular motion, reveling in all my empowered glory. I felt bougie, I felt posh, I felt as if I were somehow better than everyone else riding below me in their “SU-wanna be” crossovers…”
Okay, maybe I’m getting a little full of myself here, especially considering the Land Rover I’m referring to is not a new Range Rover but a decade old, beater-status LR3. But have you ever driven a car so different from your personal tastes in vehicles and been immensely shocked by how much you liked it?
My previous experience with Land Rovers was very limited, and I can’t say that I’ve ever even driven one of the various pre-owned ones we’ve had at South Shore BMW-MINI off the lot before. It’s not like many people trade in large three-row SUVs for MINIs either, though we do get one every now and then.
As it happens however, previous clients of mine who had traded their 2009 Saab 9-3 in for a brand-new MINI Cooper S Clubman All4 back in June reached out to me about replacing their other aging vehicle, a 2008 Land Rover LR3. When they were getting the Clubman, they mentioned that they did plan on replacing the LR3, which they no longer needed as their kids were all older, with something smaller, and specifically a new or gently-used BMW 3 Series. When I informed them that I was able to sell them any pre-owned BMW we have, they said they would like to work with me again, as they’d rarely received the same level of respect that I’d given them from other dealers in the past.
I actually ran into the wife one day at the gym back in September, and she informed me that they were planning on doing something in November. Sure enough, mid-November they came in and I sold them a like-new 2017 BMW 320i xDrive that had been traded in with just 1,300 miles on it for different 320 with some specific option this one was missing.
With a tick over 102,000 miles on the odometer, apart from the cracked passenger’s rear-view mirror, this ’08 LR3 appeared in good cosmetic and mechanical condition to my non-mechanical eye. I knew this couple took good care of their vehicles and kept up with major maintenance, and when my friend Adam informed me was interested in buying it to keep as a second vehicle at his parent’s house up in Maine, I arranged to take this otherwise wholesale trade-in home for a weekend to show him and have a little fun of my own with it.
Based on my two days and some 250 miles driving it, this Land Rover, while not perfect, seemed surprisingly sound on a mechanical level, something which is no doubt a reflection of its caring owners who lovingly maintained it. The engine ran smooth whether driving or idling, with no knocking, harshness, or any concerning noises. The transmission shifted silky through its six forward gears, and rather shockingly, the height-adjustable air suspension worked.
This LR3 had also recently been treated to new tires, which were properly aligned for a polished ride and accurate sense of direction. Even at highway speeds, there was little to no vibration felt from the steering column. Steering provided excellent feedback, and most notably, a very tight turning radius for such a large vehicle. Brakes were nearing the end of their life, but I never felt unsure as long as I gave the pedal a firm kick.
Unfortunately, upon running it through the shop after I returned it, the Land Rover’s mechanical health went from alright to concerning. As anyone could anticipate from an aging Land Rover the code scan summary revealed 35 fault codes detected across 15 systems, ranging from three cylinder misfire detections to invalid data received from transmission control module to lost communication with tire pressure monitor module. Inflictions also shared by Importamation’s LR4, the information screen kept reading “bonnet open”, even though it clearly wasn’t, and the alarm liked to go off within minutes of locking to car.
Additionally, it was reading catalyst system efficiency below threshold, a.k.a. a new catalytic converter was needed. Its brakes were in far more dire need of replacement than even I imagined, and following about 12 hours or so in South Shore MINI’s level parking lot (versus my inclined driveway), it became clear by its droopy nose that the front air suspension was failing. At least the heated seats worked superbly, as did the bumping 14-speaker Harman-Kardon stereo.
Regardless of all its maladies, the overall driving experience of the LR3 came as rather a delightful surprise. Most large SUVs I’ve driven over the years handle terribly, providing an incredibly vague “good luck everybody” driving experience that I can only describe as school bus-like in nature. The LR3, however proved remarkably agile, gliding down the road with precise confidence and unwavering grace.
It cornered remarkably well for such a tall vehicle, provided a supple yet not floaty ride fit for Queen Elizabeth, and ate up all the bumps and potholes for breakfast, all while keeping road and wind noise to a minimal. While our off-road experience with it was limited to a few dirt roads (and a tree stump in our friends’ driveway), the LR3 expectedly soaked them up like a camel at a watering hole.
Although its Jaguar-sourced 4.4-liter V8 is factory rated at 300 horsepower and 315 lb-ft torque, tipping the scales at around 5,400 pounds and only operating on 5 of its 8 cylinders, this LR3 was by no means a sprinter. Of course, sprinting is not what the LR3 is intended for. A similar-vintage Jaguar XF or XK with the 300 horsepower/310 lb-ft 4.2L version of this engine is better suited for that. In spite of this, the LR3 still had acceptable get-up-and-go when needed, effortlessly cruising down the highway doing 70 mph at low-rpms.
Sitting behind the wheel of the LR3 gives you a sense of empowerment that few other vehicles can match. There’s just something about being that high off the ground, sitting very upright in its leather-clad thrones of dignity that I very much find a guilty pleasure. It’s not my preference for a daily driver, but I totally understand why so many people find large SUVs like this so appealing.
Additionally, the beltlines are low and the glass area is large, making for excellent all-around visibility and the sense that you are not sitting in a cave, as is the case with most modern SUVs/CUVs. When it comes to large vehicles, this is how it should be! But let’s talk more about those seats, or “thrones” as I more appropriately called them. Offering eight-way power adjustments plus power lumbar support, the Land Rover’s thrones provide maximum comfort and support in what I’d describe as a natural seating position.
Furthermore, the inboard front armrests are a talking point of their own. Once a common feature in many cars from the Dodge Caravan to the BMW 5 Series to the first generation Toyota Highlander I owned, they’re an overlooked comfort feature which is now rarely offered by any other brand than Land Rover. Especially as one who likes to drive with just my left hand in the 12-o’clock position and right hand on the armrest, having an armrest precisely at elbow level was a savory experience.
(The requisite parking on the stump at Zach and Tim’s)
And indeed, “savory” is how I would sum up my experience with the LR3. I totally could see myself owning a similar type vehicle at some point, certainly not in the near future, but maybe down the line. Needless to say, despite my friend Adam’s continued interest in it, I talked him out of it. Any older Land Rover is a high-risk investment, and buying this one would just be unwise.
I enjoyed the article, as you covered everything I’ve ever heard regarding Land Rover ownership. From the “above the crowd of mere mortals” feeling, thru the wonderful (for the genre) driving dynamics, and finally ending in the mechanical nightmare that all Land Rovers are supposed to be.
You’ve managed to keep every stereotype about the brand intact. Congratulations.
” and only operating on 5 of its 8 cylinders”
I’m assuming that’s just a bit of humor, because that’s not quite how misfire codes work 🙂
If you were running on 5/8 cylinders, we would be reading something quite different in the driving impressions lol Namely a flashing CEL and an awfully running motor with stumbling and a severe loss of power.
I really liked this piece. It frankly reinforces why I so strongly prefer SUVs as my own rides of choice. In fact I’m doing double-duty right now as I have a 2003 Pilot (okay, crossover) and a ’96 4Runner in the stable currently. My own “unicorn” that I seem to constantly be chasing is a clean gen III (01-06) Montero Limited, which is quite Land Rover-esque in that it also has and independent rear suspension and handles much more competently on-road than more classically layed out BOF/solid rear axle rigs. They’re all beaten on and starting to rust here in the Midwest it seems. Instead, I’ve set my sights on basically a newer version of the “offroad ready but on-road competent” Japanese SUV, the redesigned Armada that rides on the global Patrol platform. BOF, IRS.
I also share your appreciation for seat-mounted armrests. I’ve never experienced a center console armrest that matched a chair mounted one for comfort or positioning.
Haha yes indeed. 🙂 As I said earlier, the engine felt pretty smooth running, with no harshness or knocking. I am willing to bet however that output was nowhere near what it originally was, as it often happens over time.
What about an Expedition or Navigator for the BOF/IRS combo? I’d avoid the last BOF Explorer as the transmission is rather weak.
I distinctly remember the LR3 having a LRA; I remember being amused that it’s cheaper ford developed sibling the Explorer had IRS but the Land Rover did not.
Gml LR3 is most definitely IRS.
Bruce I personally am not a Ford SUV fan of that whole era in terms of quality (starting with the IRS Explorers of 2002), and think that their IRS packaging is really quite poor from a ground clearance/offroad perspective, relative to Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Land Rover. Having said that, the ’15-’16 Ecoboost Expeditions certainly offer a strong value as 1-2 year old used examples in XLT trim in terms of the amount of vehicle you get for the money.
Have you ever actually looked under an Explorer or Expedition with the IRS, they have very good ground clearance in the rear axle area with the diff mounted quite high. Sure overall the vehicles don’t have class leading ground clearance, since that was not their mission, but it certainly isn’t due to the IRS.
Scoutdude I most certainly have, hence my comment in the first place.
I’m talking specifically the shape and low-hanging nature of those rear control arms on the IRS. IMO the others do a tidier time of shaping/tucking them up higher and less prone to dragging on obstacles. Yes of course the diff itself is higher than a comparable live axle truck, as is the case for all of these IRS rigs.
Yeah chances are those miss codes are all from the same cyl with the intermittent coil and that it is also the source of the cat efficiency code. I picked up my F250 cheap because of a CEL that showed 5 codes. The state mechanic and said to send it to surplus early because of all of those codes, which included a cat efficiency one.
I replaced the one coil, in the parking lot, cleared the codes and none of them came back.
I would also bet that in addition to there being one fix for many if not all of the engine codes that there are also other fixes that will resolve more than one code.
Not saying I’d want to jump into this just that many times a single fault can cause a lot of codes, some that may seem unrelated to many people.
Great article. My family has had an LR3 since 2010, we got ours with 30k on it now up to 160k. Been on countless off road trips and ski trips to CO…great memories. I also can’t remember every issue it’s ever had…LOL. It’s a long list but it’s worth it. It’s like a rowdy puppy, you just can’t help but love it even though it dumped coolant all over your driveway or begins stalling in the Eisenhower tunnel.
The vague “Good Luck, everybody” driving experience – please forgive me, but I have to start using this phrase in my everyday automotive conversations. Perfection that ranks right up there with Joe Dennis’ “full rabbit”. 🙂
I tend to like big vehicles and always have, but they are even better when they have a touch of nimble to them. So I would probably like this, if not for the reputation for high maintenance.
Two manual-transmission-and-clutch codes in what’s clearly an automatic? Did they put the wrong ECU in at the factory or is it the transfer case?
I believe it is referring to the “sport” manual shift mode from the automatic transmission.
Sometimes they only have one module that does double duty so codes can show up because of that. For example our 2002 F150 is a base model with hand crank windows, so it will spit out codes for a open circuit on the auto one touch down relay, and an open circuit on the retained accessory power relay. At first I thought that it did have the incorrect GEM but once I weaseled my phone up in there and got a shot of the part number I found that it is the correct one. For some reason Ford has just one for the manual shift on the fly 4×4 while they have one for the electronic shift on the fly 4×4 w/ or w/o power windows.
That is not the first time I’ve seen codes for features that weren’t present on the particular vehicle in question.
I know a guy that owns a Land Rover. The list of problems that he’s had is longer than I would care to type. He will tell anyone that he can corner, what a great vehicle it is. I have no doubt that if the badge on it said Buick or Chrysler, he’d shit all over it. I just don’t get it.
How true! A friend of mine just had to have a Land Rover and bought one out of warranty as it was a good deal at a local LR dealer. Status and image was very important to her. Not a month later she was into a $3000.00 repair. Then she got total cold feet on the LR and unloaded it at a huge loss, and leased a GM Enclave. Hey, I like the looks of these too and the British-ness. I don’t know how objectively anyone can say these are great cars on any level with a straight face.
I’m not sure what you are on about with inboard folding armrests. The Caravan still has them, I am pretty sure they are still there on the Pacifica and all the other minivans I can think of.
I know for certain that bucket seat Sprinters and Metris vans have them (mine does), as, I am quite sure, their Full size Ford, Chevy, Ram and Nissan competitors.
Why they have been done away with on sedans and SUVs in favor of console mounted ones, I dunno. I liked the fold up seat mounted armrests on my /8, W116, W123s and W124.
Having such a throne, chair height, high up seating position I can certainly appreciate. I love it. I really like how when I am using cruise control, I can simply rest my feet flat on the floor, a 90 degreeish bend at my knees.
My Ram Promaster van has one, but on the driver’s seat only.
Even the little Fiat 500e comes equipped with inboard folding armrests.
What kind of mileage did you get?
The first four generations of CR-V have armrests; one of the few compact CUVs I can think of off the top of my head that does. The new fifth-gen doesn’t. If you’re lucky, the console is at a decent height for resting elbows while still securely gripping the steering wheel. My sister’s Sportage is not so fortunate.
And so begins the seduction of another committed urban warrior by the dark side of the force…
The comfy throne like seating, the lazy shifting automatic even though you know it has fifty stored fault codes, the I-Don’t-Care-About-A-Totally-Level-Cut-Treestump-As-I-Can-Just-Put-It-In-Four-Low-While-You-Hold-My-Beer, and on and on. Then next summer when you want to go to the Cape with your three best bros for a week it won’t seem so outlandish to just rent a Suburban (for all the “stuff”, dontchaknow), and then BAM! two more years down the road you’ll have a Hybrid Toyota Highlander in the garage ’cause you now care about the environment but also want that smooth boulevard ride and the power liftgate to easier load that case of Gray Goose from BevMo and will glance over at your significant other and quietly think “what the hell happened to me?”
Ah, the Discovery and all its successors in the US have always been so wonderfully styled, both inside and out, and always seem like such a good deal on the surface. The smells, the sounds, the visuals, and especially the marketing, it’s all wonderful, you wonder why can’t every/anyone else do it like this, it seems so effortless. But why can’t they just merge with Toyota or Honda or someone to just use the best parts of both..Argh! Glad you got to enjoy it without involving a flatbed, very nice write-up, Brendan.
This made me laugh out loud at my desk 🙂
Well-said Jim!
Well said!!
Plus it’s happened to me: got seduced by a buddy’s Jeep with its versatility and ease of use, and am now on a steady Grand Cherokee diet after years of Honda and BMW cars.
You describe the considerable appeal of these very well. You likewise do a responsible job of not selling it to me by pointing to the Christmas tree of codes and saggy knees, because these do tempt. There is an irrational appeal to the idea of looking down upon those in their steerage-class machines through ones floor-to-ceiling windows. Why, at 2.7 tonnes even without the horse float one could mount a minor pleb and properly plead ignorance.
But someone explain to me, why are these and Range Rovers universally known across the net and within the car trade for being such crap? Attractive, good to pilot crap, but crap nonetheless? It’s a modern manufacturing facility, so why is the quality like that of some 1970’s Morris? Are there still Bolshie shop stewards from that era still sabotaging the product, revenge on Mrs Thatcher? I s’pose they’d be 90 by now, but what else?
I drove one of these, same model year, with the diesel engine back in 2010 when my daughter was a newbie. I thoroughly enjoyed the driving experience, but when all those bells and whistles start acting up, you’d better have some deep pockets to sort them out. A Land Rover specialist once told me the Defender was the most reliable of the lot, probably because it was the most basic model – as you go up the price range they get more troublesome.
With a few ownership experiences with Asian brands in my recent automotive history, I have developed a complete allergy to reliability and durability issues. I simply cannot tolerate all the maintenance/repair issues associated with these vehicles.
One thing about scan codes is there are current codes and historical codes. It’s always worthwhile to clear all the codes then drive the vehicle a while and then do another scan to see which codes persist.
“I’ve also had a strong aversion to the brand ever since I visited a local Land Rover dealer two years ago to check out the Evoque, and was told by the snooty salesperson before even any introduction that the Evoque was out of my price range and that I would need to come back with my “parent” and have them be able to submit proof of property ownership in the state of Massachusetts if I wanted to even test drive one. Big Mistake!”
Classic error, judging the book by the cover.
Back in the early 70’s I had an uncle who decided he was going to buy a new Cadillac. This old man uncle was a little, uh, eccentric. Only wore overalls, rarely shoes, bathed once a week on Saturday night to be clean for church, spoke with a thick southern accent, never went past third grade.
And did I mention he was a millionaire? Clever real estate investments.
Anyways, he shows up at the Caddy dealer looking and smelling like usual, they try to send him away. Won’t even talk to him. Until he dumps his paper bag of cold hard cash on the table, that got their attention. And got him his new Cadillac.
“Never judge a book buy its cover”
That is in fact the words of advice from one of the veteran BMW salespeople at my dealer, Bob C., who was in fact one of the very first people I met at the dealer.
Upon saying this, he told me the story of when he was selling Cadillacs in the late-1980s. A guy with long hair, ripped jeans, and a tee shirt walks in and none of the other salespeople even get up from their desks. Bob decided to go greet him, and the guy bought an Allante from him right on the spot!
I can confidently say I never let any judgements I may make about any potential customer get in the way of how I treat them and how I conduct myself.
I’ve quickly learned, it is usually the people who walk in and don’t seem like they are serious about buying a car that are among the quickest, easiest sales.
Judging a potential customer on how they look is what we call “plate glassing”. A surefire way to lose a sale. If they’re on the lot, treat them all like buyers.
A friend is an aircraft broker. He says you’d think people in the market for airplanes are all high-class, sophisticated, debonair types. Nothing could be further from the truth, he says.
The LR3 (or Discovery in English) was truly a high point for modern Land Rover, albeit about a ton too heavy, thanks to the immense chassis underneath it all. A very impressive combination of truly staggering off-road capability and class leading design truly let it catch up close to the Range Rover in all but absolute status.
I don’t really go for SUVs, as I have no off-road or boat towing lifestyle activities, but if I did , this would be the car for me, in a subtle metallic and nicely optioned. A 4.4litre V8 makes little sense in the UK though – a 3.0 litre V6 diesel does all you need.
Land Rover products are definitely a high and mighty chariot of choice on the North Shore of Chicago. I think the vast majority of them are leased, however, which is wise given their poor reputation for reliability and high maintenance costs. I would not want to be a second owner on any of them, including a nearly 10-year-old LR3, no matter how well maintained. So I think you did your friend Adam right by steering him away from this one…. though I must admit, that purely based on the pics, it looks like a sweet ride.
“I felt as if I were somehow better than everyone else riding below me in their “SU-wanna be” crossovers….” Right up until that very first electronic glitch!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Nice vehicles but when I look at them, I see Nissan XTerra.
“But have you ever driven a car so different from your personal tastes in vehicles and been immensely shocked by how much you liked it?”
Good observation, and yes. I’ll have something on that next week.
“I see Nissan Xterra”… right, the actually dependable, and every bit as capable, real SUV that the LR3 would have been in a perfect world. We have 5 of them in the nuclear family and personally own 2 of them, 1 with 200k miles and still running like new. like most automotive concepts, t took the Japanese to do it right, and while not as hoity-toity as a LR, we abhor status-seeking snobbish car owners anyway, while it still has a look that exemplifies the incredibly capable machine that it is in any environment. When our low-mile one wears out, we expect to be going electric in any event. Meantime, we’ll never go back to a car.
Functionally similar offroad, but there is an absolute world of difference in how an Xterra and LR Discovery III go down the road. Namely, the Xterra is an absolute brute, rear end shuddering and skipping over expansion joints on the highway. I test drove a Pro-4X and loved the thing on surface streets, but on the highway it gave up a lot in ride and comfort to my 23 year old 4Runner (5 link coil sprung rear end versus the Xterra’s leaf sprung axle). The Xterra’s other shortcoming was the too-small interior: rear seat can’t take a rear facing car seat without severly cramping front occupants, rear cargo area is missing about a 8 inches of length. Having said all that, if I ever let go of my 4Runner, a stick shift Xterra would be high on the list.
The Pro-4X is a dedicated off-road specialist with a different rear (Dana 44), harder Bilsteins and spring rates, a locking center, etc, and it does ride harder but it steers and handles super. The regular models are slightly softer and more suited to on-road. We have one of each and both are great for their intended use. The Pro 4 is at least as good off-road as any LR, with 1/10 the trouble. Not enough snob appeal for some, however they just flat out work. We had a Trooper (still in the family actually at 230k) and big Monteros as well, all were great, but the X is the greatest.
Great read. These vehicles would not be my ride of choice, but I would love to borrow one for a few days for exactly the reasons pointed out. A friend of ours bought a ‘99 Range Rover in 2009 and was quite smitten with it, though we shook our heads for different reasons also pointed out in your article. It was in decent enough shape and ran well, but the air suspension (among other things) started giving him problems and after a while he parked it in his back yard. He ended up selling it as a parts vehicle. Still, though, I’d love to drive a well-kept example just for the experience but I would rather buy Japanese for reliability.
Seat mounted arm rests, my 03 C5 Citroen has them as does the 2017 Kenworth Im driving at night, I like em, especially when driving for fourteen hours per shift.
I always wanted a Land Rover, specifically a Range Rover, and it seemed used units were priced somewhat reasonably. I thank my lucky stars I never had the opportunity to purchase one. I’ve never driven a Land Rover, but have taken a quick spin in a few Range Rovers that have come in as trades at the Chevy dealership. They certainly drive silky, but when approaching moderate mileage, they can become moneypits. Fact is, there is nothing with a European nameplate worth crap after 75k miles. We wholesale them all, with exceptions for standard shifts. I had a laugh with the used car director over whether I should wholesale a nice looking 2005 Jetta. “2005? Heck, a 2015 model would be questionable! You had to ask?”
If someone wants a high riding, capable SUV, luxuriously appointed with enough gravitas to pull up to the country club in, a Tahoe, Suburban, or even an Expedition is the only way to go. In fact, some of my rich friends carry on pissing contests about their high mileage Chevys and Fords. One close friend, who is a millionaire several times over, drives a 2003 Tahoe with 260k miles. He’s had the driver’s seat reupholstered, and has recently rebuilt the front end, the truck has a few blemishes here and there, but is an awesome 20 footer. He has no plans to buy a new one. My attorney drives a 2001 Excursion with well over 350k miles. Another sweet 20 footer. He keeps talking about a new one, but really wants another diesel, which isn’t offered anymore. I told him a pickup with s topper is his only choice. Granted, there is a company downstate that does diesel conversions, but they are incredibly expensive. Their primary clients are the FBI and the Secret Seevice. Organizations that spread other people’s money.
But back to the Land Rover. The story doesn’t surprise me at all. Like I said, most European makes are crap. Beautiful, silky smooth crap. Only an option if your trade cycle is a short one, or for a lease. They’re for high income people with more money than brains, in my opinion.
“They’re for income people with more money than brains, in my opinion.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. There’s nothing more expensive that a cheap (or any used, for that matter) Land Rover… or Jaguar, BMW, Benz, Audi, VW …
I’d tend towards the camp that sees SUV’s & their fellow travellers as urban scourges, but I have rented pickup trucks a few times over the past decade for large dump runs. The experience of sitting high up and feeling virtually invulnerable to the surrounding ‘rabble’ was disturbingly positive.
Going from a LR to a BMW of any type may not be an improvement as far as reliability and longevity is concerned. I very much like this type of vehicle and they are well suited to rural Vermont. However their Japanese “clone”, the Nissan xTerra, is imo superior in virtually every respect except as a status symbol, with 5 of them in the family in the past (and 3 presently, one with 210k miles) we can report they are an excellent all-purpose vehicle. We love them and are hoping Nissan will see fit to bring them back, if not and we stick with a gas engine there’s a Toyota Land Cruiser or 4Runner in our future.
Late ’90s and first decade of the 2000s, I found very specific elements of body work and interiors, began to receive extra levels of manufacturer design development, and attention to aesthetics. I personally like to call it ’boutique design touches’. More design details and style, added to elements like the dashboard and headlight assembly and nose in general, as seen on this Land Rover. More sophisticated and interesting detailing. I personally liked this refinement myself, with my design background. Lent more of a concept car appearance to production cars. Of course, car makers charged more for this extra levels of styling refinement.
Even though I’m a Brit and love the design of these and other Land Rover/Range Rover products, when my wife wanted to replace her Volvo XC60 T6 a few years ago I ruled out these and Jag products due to reliability concerns. As said above, BMWs seem to be not much better (a friend has had two recent X5s, both of which blew their motors) and quality of my brand new 2022 Mercedes E Class AMG was so bad I returned it after two weeks. Lexus and Audi styling was not to her taste and Grand Chetrokees (we loved ours in the USA) are only available as Diesels in the UK, which madame ruled out, leaving the Cayenne as the only choice, but “everyone here has one of those!” was her response. So, wth the British, German, Japanese and US products out of the running there was only one logical solution. That’s right – Italian! With a twin turbo Ferrari motor to get to the dog park, school, or shops that bit faster than the other yummy mummies. So a Maserati Levante it had to be…
It has surprisingly good construction quality – perhaps not quite up to Porsche standards, but not far off, looks great with its long hood/cab back proportions in its special option paint and silk(!) interior and has not had any problems yet, although servicing is a pain as the are nearest dealers to us are over an hour away. It even works off road, only limited by it’s 21″ wheel/tire combo. Trunk space is limited by the fast rear window and it likes a drink, but provides a different driving experience to the others (being very rear biased and quite “pointy”). Oh, and it sounds spectacular when in sport mode.
If one is looking for a special driving experience in an SUV, these have it. I think Brendan would approve.
Most importantly, my better half loves it…
“When I informed them that I was able to sell them any pre-owned BMW we have, they said they would like to work with me again, as they’d rarely received the same level of respect that I’d given them from other dealers in the past.”
Color me naive, at least dealing with dealers, except for the parts dept, but there are dealers who won’t sell cars to people? Excepting stereotyping people who they don’t think can afford them. Aren’t the dealers in the business of selling cars? They pick and choose what to who?
Back onto Land Rovers it seems sometimes stereotypes do apply, re reliability. I was kind of sort of thinking about one a few years back and a friend who is waaaaaay into them pretty much told me to run far, run fast and don’t even think about one. He reveres them but is a service writer in an independent shop.
I believe the selling distinction arises from the dealership being “South Shore BMW-Mini”, and that Brendan is a Mini salesman. As such he likely can’t sell new BMWs, but he is able to sell any used vehicle on the lot regardless of make.
The allure of the SUV is that they are so… useful. Carrying stuff, carrying people, towing trailers, all while being extremely comfortable. Sure, you won’t be carving canyon roads like in a Miata, but you’ll drive those same roads with your family on vacation with all the gear stowed in the back. Maybe even towing your boat to the lake. That’s a different kind of fun. The ideal situation would be an SUV and a smaller sporty car for solo commuting and back road excursions. But I guarantee that you’ll find yourself taking the SUV out more than you had intended. I couldn’t comment on off roading, but they are also great for inclement weather. You don’t have to buy the biggest model, just get one that fits your needs.
“I can confidently say I never let any judgements I may make about any potential customer get in the way of how I treat them and how I conduct myself.
I’ve quickly learned, it is usually the people who walk in and don’t seem like they are serious about buying a car that are among the quickest, easiest sales.”
Absolutely TRUE! I found the same long, long ago when I $old Oldsmobiles. I wrote several deals that made good gro$$e$ despite the initial “look” of the prospect. If you don’t talk to a person and find out what they want….you will NEVER close a deal! 🙂 Plus, always be polite and be interested in what the prospect wants; not what you want!! DFO
Very true! I gave a colleague a ride to a Porsche dealership to pick up his rather ratty 928 one Saturday back in the’90s. I was a youngish dude, unshaven, in jeans and t-shirt, covered in dust and clay as I had been working that morning and we turned up in my old Mini. The very picture of “can’t afford one of our products”.
They treated me seriously when I asked about technical details and placing a deposit on the upcoming Boxster.
I was so impressed that I not only drove Porsches for many years, but ended up working at Style Porsche.
The dealer experience is the tip of the arrow to either create customer loyalty, or have people swear off a particular manufacturer for life.