Anybody own a Land Rover LR4?

[lizzyann]

So my DH and I went to look at the Land Rover dealership today and we originally had our hearts set on a Range Rover Sport but they are just too small. We have a DS and we are hoping to expand our family really soon. We started looking at the LR4's because they have more cargo space, can fit 7 adults, 4 wheel drive (which we need here in the Northeast), and we can most likely get a brand new one for our budget vs. a used RR sport. So I was just curious if anybody owns one and wants to offer their review! Thanks!

 

[AnneinGA]

Lizzy, I have an LR3 (which was turned into the LR4 last year). We love it. I have two boys, 13 and a daughter who just turned four. I can't tell you how many diapers we changed on the tailgate. The storage is great - lots of cupholders and places to store baby stuff too. Car seats are easy and the height makes it great - plus the fact that you can raise or lower the vehicle is fab. It is the perfect family vehicle - strong and sure and it is solid as a rock. It is perfect for our family and the only warning I will give you - it's heavy so 1) it guzzles gas and 2) that bad boy chews up brakes. If you get one, put michelins on it instead of goodyears (they last longer) and just be prepared that every other service interval it's about $500. One other thing - we added the running boards so that Sophie (4) could climb in rather than us having to lift her in, and that was a good move too.

It's my work vehicle as well, it's a 2007 and it's got almost 85K miles. In another year or so I'll be getting another one. If you have any questions I can answer, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[lulu]

Not exactly on point, but I love my LR2.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I have one. Love it.

Which trim line are you looking at? The HSE LUX is great, if you can afford it it's the way to go. Things like the center console cooler are just plain fun and surprising practical. I love the heated steering wheel, heated windshield...all of those things are perfect of the winter months. The fact that you can set the driving for the particular weather is also one of my favorites. When we got snowed in with the blizzard before the roads were cleared, I just flipped the car into snow/grass/gravel and was able to make it to the CVS.

The seats are comfortable...not the most luxe you'll find in the price range, but doable. And the room...OMG, don't even get me started. You can fit ANYTHING inside that beast. I've hauled workbenches, console tables, couches! I mean, you name it and it fits. It's the next best thing to owning a panel van. The 3rd row seats are stadium style, so it's comfortable, even away in the back!

On the down side, yes, it's a gas monger. Premium and a V8. Ick. Its because of that fact my husband bought me another smaller SUV (the SRX) because I was filling up twice a week at almost $70.00 a pop. I drive mostly city, so it wasn't economical at all--such a waste. But if we're going on a road trip or driving highway miles, it's fine. This is something to consider because gas is rumored to be jumping up to $5.00 a gal this summer.

I have had problems with mine. Because of the all glass roof, the drainage tubes can get clogged with junk...leaves or whatever else that gets sucked in. You have to unclog them either yourself or thru the dealership. It's not hard to do, but you MUST do it. Otherwise, the water backs up and will leak into the car...yes, that happened. My car flooded one day. Very scary. But it was a fairly easy fix. This isn't covered under your warranty because it's "plastic"...so be aware. You'll know when it's time because your car will "gurgle"...very strange.

Overall it's a great car. Not perfect, but pretty darn close. The oil changes and routine stuff is expensive, oil changes are around if not more than $100 each time. Also, LR doesn't hold their value like other cars do...I've been told its very normal for a LR owner to "upside down" on their car if they are doing payments...so, pay as much as you can afford upfront.

 

[lizzyann]

Lizzy, I have an LR3 (which was turned into the LR4 last year). We love it. I have two boys, 13 and a daughter who just turned four. I can't tell you how many diapers we changed on the tailgate. The storage is great - lots of cupholders and places to store baby stuff too. Car seats are easy and the height makes it great - plus the fact that you can raise or lower the vehicle is fab. It is the perfect family vehicle - strong and sure and it is solid as a rock. It is perfect for our family and the only warning I will give you - it's heavy so 1) it guzzles gas and 2) that bad boy chews up brakes. If you get one, put michelins on it instead of goodyears (they last longer) and just be prepared that every other service interval it's about $500. One other thing - we added the running boards so that Sophie (4) could climb in rather than us having to lift her in, and that was a good move too.

It's my work vehicle as well, it's a 2007 and it's got almost 85K miles. In another year or so I'll be getting another one. If you have any questions I can answer, don't hesitate to ask.

Anne, thanks so much for posting! This is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to hear. I truly love the styling of the Range Rover Sport but the more we looked at it I just don't think it is going to work for us with all of the toddler/baby stuff you know? And I love the option that the LR4 has for 7 seats. The tailgate is awesome! I like how it isn't a hatchback. Literally, the only negative thing I have against the LR4 is the styling with the way the tailend is squared off vs. the Range Rover which has the sportier angle in the back. But that squared offness gives it that extra space for storage, so I do get that.

When we buy new I will have a 4 year/50000 mile warranty, but Land Rover doesn't offer any maintenance plans so I will have to pay for those like you said. Did you buy yours new in 2007? I didn't ask too many questions at the dealership on how much the maintenances cost so thank you for letting me know. He said that I will need to get a service every 15000 miles. So you are saying every other one is roughly $500 then right? How much are the other ones roughly $200 or so? And have you had to pay anything else out of your pocket since owning yours? I imagine I'd have to replace brakes at some point. So those would probably be costly. If you wouldn't mind sharing how much any other things/brakes/etc have cost you I would appreciate it. I am a huge planner!!

Also, I'm not sure where you are located but have you driven yours in the snow? If so, how did it handle? I am in Massachusetts so we get a lot of snow and my driveway is STEEP! Right now we have a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee which we love, does great in the snow, and we are keeping. We will be trading in our BMW 330xi which is TERRIBLE in the snow. We debated on getting an X5 because we do love BMW's but it is AWD and we really need four wheel drive. The other truck we are considering is the Mercedes GL450 because it is also 4 wheel drive but I don't know if I am a Mercedes kinda girl. We'll see!

Oh, good point about the running boards! DId you add them after you purchased your LR4 or were they already on it when you bought it?

Sorry this is so long winded! I really appreciate your help Anne!

 

[lizzyann]

Not exactly on point, but I love my LR2.

lulu, thanks for letting me know that you do enjoy your Land Rover!!! What year is yours?

 

[lizzyann]

I have one. Love it.

Which trim line are you looking at? The HSE LUX is great, if you can afford it it's the way to go. Things like the center console cooler are just plain fun and surprising practical. I love the heated steering wheel, heated windshield...all of those things are perfect of the winter months. The fact that you can set the driving for the particular weather is also one of my favorites. When we got snowed in with the blizzard before the roads were cleared, I just flipped the car into snow/grass/gravel and was able to make it to the CVS.

The seats are comfortable...not the most luxe you'll find in the price range, but doable. And the room...OMG, don't even get me started. You can fit ANYTHING inside that beast. I've hauled workbenches, console tables, couches! I mean, you name it and it fits. It's the next best thing to owning a panel van. The 3rd row seats are stadium style, so it's comfortable, even away in the back!

On the down side, yes, it's a gas monger. Premium and a V8. Ick. Its because of that fact my husband bought me another smaller SUV (the SRX) because I was filling up twice a week at almost $70.00 a pop. I drive mostly city, so it wasn't economical at all--such a waste. But if we're going on a road trip or driving highway miles, it's fine. This is something to consider because gas is rumored to be jumping up to $5.00 a gal this summer.

I have had problems with mine. Because of the all glass roof, the drainage tubes can get clogged with junk...leaves or whatever else that gets sucked in. You have to unclog them either yourself or thru the dealership. It's not hard to do, but you MUST do it. Otherwise, the water backs up and will leak into the car...yes, that happened. My car flooded one day. Very scary. But it was a fairly easy fix. This isn't covered under your warranty because it's "plastic"...so be aware. You'll know when it's time because your car will "gurgle"...very strange.

Overall it's a great car. Not perfect, but pretty darn close. The oil changes and routine stuff is expensive, oil changes are around if not more than $100 each time. Also, LR doesn't hold their value like other cars do...I've been told its very normal for a LR owner to "upside down" on their car if they are doing payments...so, pay as much as you can afford upfront.

Italia, wow! Thanks for all of this info! Here's my thing on the LR4 - I love that it is big, but I also hate that it is big! I love the storage, but hate that it will guzzle gas. I am a SAHM and my DH works from home. We do take some long trips for vacations and when my DH travels for work, but for the most part I use the car doing day to day activities with my DS. There are 2 things that we NEED from our new SUV purchase - plenty of room for a young family of 4, and it needs to be reliable and AWESOME in the snow! Our driveway is steep! My BMW 330xi can't make it up the driveway when it snows. The SRX is a Cadillac right? How does it do in the snow? Is it 4wd or AWD? We also are considering the Mercedes truck and the Audi Q7, but the Q7 is awd and I'm not a big fan. It is a gorgeous car but I worry we'll just end up not using it in the winter you know? Any advice/thoughts?

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Italia, wow! Thanks for all of this info! Here's my thing on the LR4 - I love that it is big, but I also hate that it is big! I love the storage, but hate that it will guzzle gas. I am a SAHM and my DH works from home. We do take some long trips for vacations and when my DH travels for work, but for the most part I use the car doing day to day activities with my DS. There are 2 things that we NEED from our new SUV purchase - plenty of room for a young family of 4, and it needs to be reliable and AWESOME in the snow! Our driveway is steep! My BMW 330xi can't make it up the driveway when it snows. The SRX is a Cadillac right? How does it do in the snow? Is it 4wd or AWD? We also are considering the Mercedes truck and the Audi Q7, but the Q7 is awd and I'm not a big fan. It is a gorgeous car but I worry we'll just end up not using it in the winter you know? Any advice/thoughts?[/quote]

In the winter, you'll never beat it. My husband just asked what I was posting about and I told him it was about the LR4...he asked if I had told you about how we park in the winter. HAHA, no I haven't. After the blizzard there were MOUNDS of snow...like big mounds. We were able to drive up on them to park if nothing else was available. No problem. We scaled those snow mountains like they were nothing.

The SRX isn't a snow car. I have the AWD, but it's nothing worth having if you're looking at a car that can really handle in the winter months. Okay, so maybe I'm spoiled...I'm sure other SRX owners would shake their heads at me. But I do have a LR4...I don't even need to tempt the fates by taking chances with anything but my beast. It's so low to the ground I'm sure I'd rip the front end off in no time.

I looked at most of the cars you listed when we bought the supplementary SRX. If it wasn't for the sole purpose of saving gas, I would have bought another LR4--pointless, but it's my favorite. The LR just does things other cars don't. Ask around about a heated windshield at the dealerships watch the reactions..."oh, no, car's don't have that". Most of the crossovers, like the Audi or the Volvo or Caddy or even a Lexus are AWD. Most companies have done away with true-blue SUV's. But, for the point of being honest, the 4WD vs AWD doesn't matter so much as the terrane selection for me. I'm a girl driver, I don't like the scary weather or scary roads...and I feel pretty confident when I'm driving the exactly right gear for the exact weather.

If you don't want the gas guzzler...then run don't walk from LR. It does drink gas and that's nothing you can avoid. Owning it is really expensive. Like REALLY EXPENSIVE. If you get the car, buy the extended warranty. The car is SO advanced, and I'm not overstating that either, things do go wrong and it's nothing that generally an easy fix. The car protects itself. Like once, my suspension went out. Why you ask? Let me tell you, because something with the battery was going on. Apparently the lower suspension protected the car from stalling out...so, it just stopped raising up. So weird. But that's the thing with the car...you'll visually have one problem and then you'll take it in and the dealership will tell you that's only a symptom, protecting you from the bigger problem. Amazing, really. I once had a countdown start up in the car...still have no idea what that was for.

You said you like the Jeep, well, it was just redesigned including a lot of the features the LR has...take a look at it.

 

[AnneinGA]

Lizzy,
Service is every 7500 mioles, which is really nice. Since I drive the wheels off of mine I was out of warranty in about 18 months. On the service costs, every other one is a whopper, budget $500 each. I have replaced brakes twice (front and back) and one set of tires. (That's why I say Michelins not Goodyears, they're too soft for the weight of the car). I did buy it new in 2007; the entire audio system stopped four weeks in, and it was replaced promptly with no issue under warranty. I have two other quirky issues with the windows (if I have all the power window buttons pulled up the right passenger window will stop rolling up) and on the steering wheel every once in a while the up volume button will change the radio station (!) more annoying, but not regular so I can't replicate. As Italia said, it is a technical car, so there are some quirks that you have to be ready for.

I'm in Atlanta, and this year the snow has been crazy and we don't plow, but I have never felt safer in a vehicle, especially with the terrain response selector, which you can select for ice/snow, gravel, sand, mud, etc., It changes the differential and really locks the vehicle down so that it is even more stable.

As for being upside down, If you're going to have the car more than three years, I think you're OK. I've seen them level off at about $20K in value after three/four years. I am waiting to pay mine off before trading only to get the payments down.

We've gone north to VA and south to FL. It is a great road trip vehicle, and because ours is a blended family, sometimes there's one child (our daughter together), sometimes two or three (my son or my hubby's). The third row is great for teenagers and has separate AUX inputs so they can listen to their own audio, and the car goes easily from a three-passenger to a five-passenger.

And boy does it haul stuff! And one more thing, even tho' it's a big vehicle, it's turning radius is not too much worse than a Honda Accord, so I can pull that baby into just about any parking space. Some other "neat" stuff - the Naviagation is touch-screen (other brands are not) which I really like, and since it's a British name, the programming can be set to have a British voice or an American one (I leave mine on the Brit) and the language is fun - a "slip"road (instead of an access ramp), the bonnet, tyres, etc.

 

[lizzyann]

Italia, thanks for the info. The gas mileage does scare me a little but the more we think about it, we don't drive all that often. I mostly go to play dates with my son, the grocery store, the gym, the library, and to my families house which is only about 25 mins away. My main thing is that right now we have a lovely BMW sitting in our garage all year due to the fact that there isn't enough room now that we have a DS, we can't get it up the driveway in the snow, and the potholes in the spring have given us so many flat tires due to the fact that they are run flats and I hate them. When you said you park your LR4 on snow piles I was like "yah, this is our car!" I would just hate to spend the $$ on a luxury crossover SUV like the Audi or the Cadillac and then not drive it in the winter you know? We do love our Jeep and we plan on keeping it for a long while. We like having one workhorse kind of truck and one luxury vehicle. I wish there was another true SUV that was awesome in the snow, was a luxury vehicle, but was better on gas mileage, but so far the LR4 is our only option! And it is a great option for sure! But I wish I had another vehicle to at least compare it to you know?

 

[lizzyann]

Anne, I am in love with the terrain selection option. I know this thing will rock in the snow! How are you finding your gas mileage? We do plan on doing a trade in and putting quite a bit down in cash if not paying the rest in full in cash. I would prefer not to have a loan but we'll see where our price ends up at. Do you remember roughly how much your brake jobs have cost to replace?

 

[Italiahaircolor]

When I fill up the tank, I register right around 268 miles till empty...when my husband is driving and fills up, he registers around 311. We drive differently and apparently it makes a big difference with the car. For what you drive, more along the lines of the city style, you'll probably get closer to what I do. It's really not that great. Especially when you're looking at what your pay per gallon.

As far as being a true luxury SUV...on that, I'm not sure. Yeah, it's a Land Rover...but it's really more truck than luxury. It drives like a truck, you'll feel your bumps. It's really not the soft, luxurious ride that you'd hope $70k would buy you. I guess because of the name it's automatically lumped into the higher end class of cars, but it's a purposeful truck. Now, the inside...yep, that's pretty sweet. I mean, if there was a check list of all the impressive stuff you get with your LR, you'd be hard pressed to match it in any other car.

 

[lulu]

Lizzy, I have an 08 LR2 and I love it. I don't typically keep a car more than 2 years, but I think I'm just going to drive it til it's dead.
I get 23 mpg but do little freeway driving.

 

[AnneinGA]

Lizzy, I agree with Italia. I am not really sure I would call it a "luxury" car, if you compare it to a BMW or a Mercedes or something. I think its features are so thoughtful and they're adequate without being overdone. I have the HSE edition, which has everything but the in-seat DVD. It has a console fridge, which rocks for four cans of soda or water and a candy bar on a long trip. It has lumbar support, and heated seats in the front and second row; The glass roof means there's always light in the cabin. I guess what I'd say is that it's not a Jimmy Choo, it's like an LL Bean boot that does everything you need it to, and you're not afraid to take it out in the weather. And, I'll add, it's my work vehicle and I have clients in it regularly - and it's always just right.

 

[lizzyann]

Thanks Ladies! I appreciate all of your input. It seems as the consensus is that it is a great family truck with luxury amenities, does great in the snow, and has a ton of storage. Downside is the gas mileage. Upside is that the new price is well within my budget. If I went with a more expensive higher end SUV like the BMW or Range Rover Sport I would gain a sportier look, have better gas mileage, but would pay more, have less storage and room, be not as good in the snow, and be tighter with a growing family. I feel like the positives outweigh the negatives and it sounds like my DH and I are going to go with the LR4 (we'll see if I still say that when gas is $5/gallon ) We are going to try to negotiate for a new one on the lot. We will be coming with a nice amount of cash which should be a nice bargaining tool and I am going to stress that with gas prices raising they are going to want to move these off of their lots ASAP. Did you feel like they negotiated much with you or was their not much room? I also feel that I need to go with function over style at this point. However, having said that I do think it is a nice looking truck. I love the front end. The only thing I don't care for is that squared part in the back, but it is functional. I do think that lighter exterior colors exaggerate that part more so we are leaning towards black exterior. Anne and Italia, what color exteriors and interiors do you have? Any recommendations? We are in debate over the interior color because I'm not sure if the tan or the black will wear better and with young children there will be messes for sure! So any insight in that would be great. The top of the line HSE LUX leather is very nice and supple but I almost felt that the regular HSE leather seemed a bit more durable. Anne, did you have them add the running board for you or was it already on the truck when you bought it? I'm wondering how much it will run us. Let me know what you think!!! Thanks again!!

Lulu 23mpg isn't too bad for city driving! Do you live in a climate where you get a lot of snow? How does your LR2 do in it?

 

[megumic]

This thread makes me weepy! I had a Land Rover Discovery in HS and College and sold it when I moved to NYC and regret it terribly! Ugh. It was the BEST car for just about everything! DH wants another one right about now...they are just so so so great (despite the gas expenses...) We will hopefully get another one in the future. Good luck with your decision!

PS - I should add that they are very very safe. Generally, they don't flip, but my brother watched his buddy's Discovery flip 5 times and everyone wearing a seat belt walked away without a scratch. Sadly, one passenger was not buckled in and it was fatal.

 

[AnneinGA]

Lizzy, Mine is buckingham blue (dark navy) with alpaca (light beige) interior. It has worn very well. I would not go with a dark interior just because of the heat in the summer. I found that in 2007 there was not much room for negotiation, but it may be different now, and I had to pay for the add-ons, which were the running boards, roof rails, and door guards. I did the carpet mats, but next time I'll get the rubber ones, and go ahead and get one for the cargo area. Plants & dirt and all

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I have the Zermatt Silver with the ebony (black) interior. Yes, it's hot in the summer--but the AC cools it down super quick...but (and I'm not kidding when I say this) it looks brand new inside. Now, with that said, I'm a neat freak...and I am sure with ample amounts of trashing this wouldn't be the case, but mine still looks awesome. The colors are awesome, I love almost every single one...but I wouldn't buy black, I mean the up charge on color is just stupid IMO.

Yes, the LUX has a very plush interior, I enjoy it. Lovely, really. The HSE has a more durable interior. With a kid, I'd probably lean towards the HSE if you have any doubts. I think you can buy after market covers for the seats, which is an idea.

As far as negotiating goes...I asked my husband, because he bought mine without me knowing as a surprise. He said they were very, very firm. He commented that it was the toughest negotiation on a car he ever had. In the end, they came down just the amount of TTR. But, I should also mention that he ordered mine, it wasn't on the lot and that very well could have made the difference. As far as trying to hard ball them on gas prices...I would probably skip that. The thing is and if you visit any LR forums you'll see, Land Rover is a highly sought after "name"...people will always, always buy them just so they can have a "land rover" --gas prices be damned. The dealership knows that the cars will sell because the people that buy them can generally afford the price of gas...if that makes sense. I guess it's sort of a status symbol thing, even with a "lowly" LR4 which is more truck that the Range Rover line.

 

[lizzyann]

Lizzy, Mine is buckingham blue (dark navy) with alpaca (light beige) interior. It has worn very well. I would not go with a dark interior just because of the heat in the summer. I found that in 2007 there was not much room for negotiation, but it may be different now, and I had to pay for the add-ons, which were the running boards, roof rails, and door guards. I did the carpet mats, but next time I'll get the rubber ones, and go ahead and get one for the cargo area. Plants & dirt and all

Anne, my DH already said he wants the rubber mats and one for the cargo. I will ask about them when we go there next time. I love that combo of the dark exterior with the light interior. We are leaning towards Black color exterior with the Almond interior. But if we happen to like one on the lot that has all of the necessities we want but with a black interior we will probably go with it. Did you order your LR3 or did you buy it new on the lot? I think I'll have more negotiating power if I buy off the lot. But if they don't have what we want we will have to order. Thanks for all of your help!

 

[lizzyann]

I have the Zermatt Silver with the ebony (black) interior. Yes, it's hot in the summer--but the AC cools it down super quick...but (and I'm not kidding when I say this) it looks brand new inside. Now, with that said, I'm a neat freak...and I am sure with ample amounts of trashing this wouldn't be the case, but mine still looks awesome. The colors are awesome, I love almost every single one...but I wouldn't buy black, I mean the up charge on color is just stupid IMO.

Yes, the LUX has a very plush interior, I enjoy it. Lovely, really. The HSE has a more durable interior. With a kid, I'd probably lean towards the HSE if you have any doubts. I think you can buy after market covers for the seats, which is an idea.

As far as negotiating goes...I asked my husband, because he bought mine without me knowing as a surprise. He said they were very, very firm. He commented that it was the toughest negotiation on a car he ever had. In the end, they came down just the amount of TTR. But, I should also mention that he ordered mine, it wasn't on the lot and that very well could have made the difference. As far as trying to hard ball them on gas prices...I would probably skip that. The thing is and if you visit any LR forums you'll see, Land Rover is a highly sought after "name"...people will always, always buy them just so they can have a "land rover" --gas prices be damned. The dealership knows that the cars will sell because the people that buy them can generally afford the price of gas...if that makes sense. I guess it's sort of a status symbol thing, even with a "lowly" LR4 which is more truck that the Range Rover line.

Italia, I totally hear you on the upcharge due to color! It is craaazy! We also like the Zermatt silver as well as the black and they have both on the lot. So we shall see. Thanks for your help asking your DH regarding negotiating power. I think you should always negotiate but I didn't want to low ball them and seem as though I am cheapening the car you know? So thank you for letting me know your thoughts. I plan on asking for a bottom line price of what the sticker cost is. So basically try to get them to come down equal to the TTR like you mentioned. I think it is a fair request. We will be trading in our BMW so I am hoping to get a decent trade in value and that will reduce my taxable portion. Did your DH do a trade in when he bought your LR4?

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Let me see if I can explain this right since I had no knowledge anything was going on...

About 15 months before I bought my LR, I bought a Mazda CX-9 brand new off the lot. I had a lot of problems and it was inevitable that my little crossover was going to have to go. We went to the auto show and I saw the LR, loved it and really wanted it, but I had just bought a new car so I figured it wasn't in my future. My husband took notes and a few months later surprised me, in the driveway, with my new truck.

Here is how it all happened. Yes, we had a trade. But when you order a car, you keep your current car until you take delivery of the new one. My husband took my Mazda to the dealership, got his trade in price and did all the paper work for the order. He then left with my Mazda. I was still in the dark. The night my LR came in, he took my Mazda, went to the dealership and finalized everything.

Now, heres the thing. My husband is nothing if not diligent. He did not let them work the price of my car against the cost of the new one. He made them work it as if it was two separate transactions. Dealerships can work numbers any which way they want...more for the trade, higher price of the car you're buying and all of that. He did a lot of research and found out what my car was really worth. He cinched up that end before he started negotiating on the LR.

I'd say we got a great trade in value for my car...I won't give you numbers, but I will say we lost only about 12k from purchase price to trade in.

Another thing my husband wanted me to mention was that LR tends to be sticklers on their prices simply because the lack of dealerships competing for your business. This is two fold with the new model. There aren't a ton of them on the streets, and unless you're getting a demo, there isn't a used market to speak of (late 2009 was the first time the 2010 model made it to the sales floor). In addition to the rarity, the dealerships themselves are few and far between. They aren't like GMC or Ford where you may have 10 dealerships within a 40 mile radius. This works to their advantage because where else can you go really? It's not like you can hop on down a few stop lights and find another one. Also, most people tend to order their LR's. Or, at least that's what I've found. I mean, think about it, I don't know your dealership obviously, but mine is across the street from Toyota...Toyota has, I kid you not, probably well over a thousand cars on their lot...LR mades has 10 tops. This also cuts down on the wiggle room because it isn't as if the dealer feels pressed to move it--of course since you're buying OTL that doesn't apply...but certainly made the difference in our case.

I'd go in with your game face on. Pull comps and research what others have paid in your area for what you're looking at...I'd tell you what we paid, but I'm not into posting that sort of information on this forum any longer. I will say, however, that with the LUX listed at around 58k most people on the LR forum leave paying right around 56k.

 

[lizzyann]

Italia, thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it. And your DH is so sweet to do that for you. I am very excited to get one you have no idea! My Dh and I like the fact that there are very few on the road. It is something different.

Right now on the dealers lot there are 5 - 2011 LR4's. Three of them are demo's (one of which we are considering). The other two are not demo's (one of which we are considering). The non demo is not LUX and they are asking $58k. It does have the built in DVD player. The Demo is LUX, no DVD player and they are asking $54000. It will have roughly 3k miles on it if we buy the demo. We are leaning towards the demo at this point but we need to go back in and look again. We had our DS with us the first time there and it wasn't easy to really focus you know? LOL! Do you think there is more wiggle room with the demo? I think your husbands strategy of negotiating the trade in first is a great idea. We've done our research. The first trade in offer came in super low and I showed the sales associate the range of both what I am seeing them resale for and what the average trade in value range is based on condition. We shall see. I'm hoping to firm everything up by end of March. How long did your LR4 take to get built when your DH ordered it for you?

 

[Italiahaircolor]

If the demo is everything you want, then thats a great deal. I've never bought a demo before so I wouldn't know anything about negotiating on them.

DH said it was around 12-15 weeks. He remembers it feeling like a very long time. He ordered my car in March and it didn't arrive until July.

Also, remember with trade in value, the market fluctuates a lot depending on the time of year. If you're trading in an SUV, it's best to do so in the Fall when the bad weather is coming, if you're trading in a sporty convertible, spring is better for the obvious reasons. The market sets the price.

You might want to try a car superstore, like Carmax. In the past, I've always gotten a trade in estimate from them, even if I didn't sell it to them. They are pretty straight forward and they have a wide range grasp on the market--unlike specialized dealers. But, honestly, don't sell outside of the dealer you're buying from even if you have to take less. If you sell to a private party or secondary location, you pay tax on the whole car whereas if you sell to the dealer you're buying from you only pay tax on the difference. This is a pretty good way to think about it honestly. Lets say Carmax offered you 20k for your car, and LR offered you 18k. Okay, we're talking a couple grand and that feels like a lot. But before you just say "lets go to Carmax," figure out what the taxed would be. If it's more than 2k, stay put.

 

[AnneinGA]

Lizzy, They found the combo of color interior/exterior on an inbound shipment, so again, not much wiggle room.

I will say that I love buying cars and beating up sales guys, and a $4K discount for a 3,000 mile demo is NOT ENOUGH. The car has already lost some of its value and should be discounted more significantly. If I were going to choose between those two options, I'd choose the new one, even though the demo has the greater package. Just me, though.

 

[lizzyann]

If the demo is everything you want, then thats a great deal. I've never bought a demo before so I wouldn't know anything about negotiating on them.

DH said it was around 12-15 weeks. He remembers it feeling like a very long time. He ordered my car in March and it didn't arrive until July.

Also, remember with trade in value, the market fluctuates a lot depending on the time of year. If you're trading in an SUV, it's best to do so in the Fall when the bad weather is coming, if you're trading in a sporty convertible, spring is better for the obvious reasons. The market sets the price.

You might want to try a car superstore, like Carmax. In the past, I've always gotten a trade in estimate from them, even if I didn't sell it to them. They are pretty straight forward and they have a wide range grasp on the market--unlike specialized dealers. But, honestly, don't sell outside of the dealer you're buying from even if you have to take less. If you sell to a private party or secondary location, you pay tax on the whole car whereas if you sell to the dealer you're buying from you only pay tax on the difference. This is a pretty good way to think about it honestly. Lets say Carmax offered you 20k for your car, and LR offered you 18k. Okay, we're talking a couple grand and that feels like a lot. But before you just say "lets go to Carmax," figure out what the taxed would be. If it's more than 2k, stay put.

Thanks again for all of your help and your DH's help on this. I don't think we want to order one as we really want to trade in the car sooner than later and get a larger truck so I am hoping one of them on the lot will work for us. To your point, good news is that Spring is coming and our car is sporty so I think that will be good for us in the trade. One of the guys who works with my DH said he might be interested in buying our car so I need to crunch the numbers and weigh in the tax implications due to not trading and see what price we'd offer it to him for. I'll keep you posted. I'm hoping to wrap this up by end of this month.

 

[lizzyann]

Lizzy, They found the combo of color interior/exterior on an inbound shipment, so again, not much wiggle room.

I will say that I love buying cars and beating up sales guys, and a $4K discount for a 3,000 mile demo is NOT ENOUGH. The car has already lost some of its value and should be discounted more significantly. If I were going to choose between those two options, I'd choose the new one, even though the demo has the greater package. Just me, though.

Anne, I also love a good negotiation. I was a buyer before becoming a SAHM so I generally do the negotiating, not my hubby! I also agree that $4K is not quite enough of a discount. So I am going to push for more and see where it goes. Thanks so much! I'll keep you posted!!

 

[lizzyann]

Hi Anne and Italia! I just wanted to give you guys an update on my LR4 quest! We brought one home on Saturday and we are in love! We ended up purchasing an LR4 HSE demo (non lux). But it had a lot of add on amenities that we really liked including the xenon lights, the climate comfort package with the heated windshield, steering wheel, front and back seats. It also had the Vision Assist with the 5 cameras and a roof rack. We originally thought we wanted black but when we got there we saw the white and fell in love!! The interior is the tan color and it is beautiful, so open and spacious. It came with all of the heavy duty mats including the cargo mat for the back which was a plus and we saved almost $7000 off of the sticker price so I felt good about that! I am still getting used to all of the bells and whistles. My son loves the window above his head and is constantly staring up and looking out it at the sky! I just wanted to thank you ladies for all your help and info! I really appreciate it!