Range Rover MKIII Serious Off-Road?

[01001010]

Appearance-wise...I think the MKIIIs are truly a work of art. In my eyes, they are the BEST LOOKING Rangies ever created!

[Ferrarislave]

The 4.6 V8 was an underpowered POS.... It was not all that reliable either. The BMW M62 is a great engine with a GREAT track record. BMW used the engine up until 2005 in the 540i, 740i/IL, 545i, 745i/LI, x5 4.4, and the 645i. As for the transmissions, I had yet to hear of a transmission on the MKIII failing. My friend takes his MKIII off-road to the deserts of Moab (far from any sort of mechanical support) on regular occasions and has 0 issues. I know 3-4 people off the top of my head with relatively high mileage 2003 MKIII's, by high mileage I am speaking of 50-90k. Sure there are MKIII's with plenty of problems, but for the most part they are reliable and just as worthy of serious off-road as any other RR. If you base your opinions of technical forums, and shops then sure that will make any vehicle look un-reliable, because that is where problems and unreliability are discussed and fixed. When you say it is a great truck, but not as good as the new one what do you mean? I hope you don't mean that plastic lunch box the RRS. Enough with the MKIII flames, someone post some picutres of theirs getting dirty!

[Rover Nick]

Originally Posted by Ferrarislave

IMO the old Rovers were nothing special. My dad drove a 2002 4.0SE and was unimpressed. The car was a sloush, and it's realiability wasn't all that great. The 2002 4.6HSE was nice, had a nice interior etc.. But it was unpowerd, and unrealible. When BMW teamed up with LR they created the 2003+ to present MKIII and it has been a dream come true for them. The LR3, while not my type at all is also a big improvement over th eprevious gen discovery.

Its stange to hear someone praising the new ones, and not liking the old ones. Also, if you think the 4.0 is underpowered, than you've never driven the old RRC's, now thats slow. Anyhow I really do love my Classic even if it's not very fast. Its also keeps the cops happy.

[Rover Nick]

Originally Posted by Muddy Oval

I wouldn't touch one of the BMW era RR's with someone else's 10 foot pole

Dude, thats harsh

[Muddy Oval]

I'd take the new 4.4RR over the older Bimmer 4.4RR. Funny thing is that I HAD a 750iL and it had NO end of problems. Talk about an expensive driveway ornament. The guy I sold it to ended up selling it for parts because the cost to fix the engine when it finally went bad was more than the plummeting book value of the car.
All year RR's are nice... the P38's sure had some issues, but when working properly ANY year RR is nice. To claim the Bimmer era ones as better than the newer ones is kinda silly. Claiming that Land Rover techs can't work on the Bimmer engine because it's so fancy is just arrogant.

[Roverlady]

Ishill...Tell your wife she is a lucky woman! And her name is Suzi?! Damn, I'm Susannah. As much as I love my Disco I and my husband's RRC, I'd really like to have a 2003-2006 RR.



I'm not sure if I think they are the best looking RR ever, I really like the Classics and the P38s....but on the interior....they probably win the award.

I do like the RRSport though, and I don't think it's that much more 'cheap' looking than anything out there. I really think the interior of the LR3 looks cheaper.

All in all, if I had hte money, I'd buy the RR. But the RRsport would be my second choice, especially that G4 one with mud tires, etc!!!

[Ferrarislave]

What is the new 4.4RR? Are you referring to the Range Rover Sport (it uses a 4.2L Jaguar V8)? The old Bimmer 4.4RR = 2003-2005 MKIII? The only thing BMW developed on that vehicle is the interior, engine, and transmission. Everything else is third party... The MKIII now uses the Jaguar 4.2L V8 which is more efficent, and makes more power.

I had a 2001 740I sport, and a E34 540i, both of which used the BMW 4.4 engine, and both vehicles had absolutely 0 problems. I currently own a 2005 E60 525i which is a 2.5, I am trading it in for a E63 M6 as soon as they hit US shores. The old RR's where IMO nothing special, the P38 was nice, I loved it. But it was underpowered, and reliability was not great, its design was also dated. The MKIII is the best vehicle LR has ever had, and most likely will ever have. The RRS is a totally Americanized cookie cutter type budget vehicle to make money for Ford, nothing else. Material quality, design, and price reflect that. It is sad, but I am still grateful that LR decided to keep the MKIII, for now at least. It has been my favorite since the day I seen it in 2002. The design still gives me the same feeling it did when I first laid eyes on it. No other vehicle has done that, next to the Ferrari 355.

[Muddy Oval]

The normally aspirated RR is a 4.4 and the supercharged is a 4.2.

[01001010]

Ok, so let me get this straight...who's creation is the new RR...NOT RRS...but the RR (the one with the starting price at 70K)???

[ish]

Man...you're a real charmer steve with the personal attacks,
Lets just list them for fun:
According to you I am the following,
Assinine, Arrogant, and due to your advanced studies I use my RR to Define myself......hmmmmmmmmm

I wasn't using logic, I was presenting my experience. You can only read what you already believe. Go back and read my posts. I never claimed the 05 was better than the 06, as a matter of fact I specifically EXEMPTED it, in addition I did not say the techs were stupid, I was pointing out that people are comfortable with what they used to "a BMW tech would feel right at home", and that people don't like change.

Finally, I have to share a little secret with you.........the reason there is grape jelly and strawberry jelly in this world is because some people don't like grape and some don't like strawberry. I don't really give a flying F whether a tech or a parts guy likes working on my truck, I love it, and I loved my Discos even when they were in the shop. If my RR ever becomes a problem I'll trade it in on a new one, ya know why?.......Because I can. Is that arrogant?...lol

[Ferrarislave]

exactly ishill05. I think many people have some sort of hate towards the RR because they can't afford it. Like I said I know 5 people with RR's, most of them 2003's which were bought June of 2002 with 80k+ miles and they have had 0 problems. I am looking forward to a trouble free ownership with my 2006.

Let's see more pics Lshill05

Here are some of my favorite MKIII pics...

[ish]

Oh by the way, I would never use my Range Rover to define myself.......Thats what the Porsche is for!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Muddy Oval]

It has nothing to do with affording it- My wife chose her G4 Disco over anything on the lot when we went to order the RRS I thought she'd want. The "people don't like it because they can't afford it" thing comes up quite often if people don't like their Range Rover. Usually from people with long term loans on them.
Re-read your own posts, you're trying to change the context after the fact but you certainly did imply with Fred Flintstone comments etc that the BMW version was somehow more advanced etc.and that LR techs can't understand the Bimmer engine- which is no real engineering accomplishment.
The RR can't do expedition style offroading and the thread was about that before it became about how you think BMW revolutionized RR's. Sure, it can do the dealer test tracks, it can do mild "hobby" style stuff on pre-made trails. Yes, it is capable when they are fully operational. You can't so much as lose a $27 brake switch without disabling all the traction control, ABS, locking diffs (if you have 'em) and even the height control of the air suspension. The new air suspensions are better than ever, but still leave MANY of them on bump-stops when offroaded hard. One dealer outing recently left four customer Range Rovers disabled and needing recovery and towing.
It's not that it's a bad vehicle, it's not. But it's not really a truck anymore. Discos, Series trucks, RR Classics, Jeep Wranglers all can be limped home off a trail if something breaks. It doesn't make them better, but it does make them more appropriate for difficult or unsupported offroading. When a dealer tech posts that they have lots of problems, you then imply that he can't understand it because it's too modern.
You own a notoriously problematic vehicle and haven't had any problems. I hope it continues for you and I hope you enjoy every minute of your Range Rover. I just found your assertions and comments towards Land Rover techs to be condescending.

[Ferrarislave]

I never said anything about LR techs understanding the bimmer engine. BMW did make the RR 100x better then it previously was. It looks better, the fit and finish is better, and it performs better both on and off-road. No stock LR is extremely capable, neither is any Jeep. You need to modify a vehicle to do any serious expedition style off-roading. Lift, Bumper, Axles, Winch, Lockers etc... The MKIII with custom bumpers, sliders, MTR's, and 3" lift I think would be the ultimate blend of capability and luxury. I really don't enjoy off-road in some stripped wrangler with metal floors and rattles. I prefer to have my heated steering wheel, heated seats, navigation system and other goodies with me when I am off-road.

[Badger1]

Originally Posted by Ferrarislave

I never said anything about LR techs understanding the bimmer engine. BMW did make the RR 100x better then it previously was. It looks better, the fit and finish is better, and it performs better both on and off-road. No stock LR is extremely capable, neither is any Jeep. You need to modify a vehicle to do any serious expedition style off-roading. Lift, Bumper, Axles, Winch, Lockers etc... The MKIII with custom bumpers, sliders, MTR's, and 3" lift I think would be the ultimate blend of capability and luxury. I really don't enjoy off-road in some stripped wrangler with metal floors and rattles. I prefer to have my heated steering wheel, heated seats, navigation system and other goodies with me when I am off-road.

Ferrarislave, nice comment about the people not liking RRs because they can't afford them.........that was great........ha, ha! You ever have someone tell you, that you talk with a paper a**hole?

Before throwing money at a truck to make it "capable" offroad..........the best accessory is actually spending time learning how to drive it offroad.
BMW didn't MAKE the RR better, BMWs money did! Who gives a crap, buy one for yourself and make you OWN opinions on what sort of truck it is!

This thread is starting to go a little south, lets all sit back and breath...........are we all better now? Good.

Can't we all just get along?