pinebluffvariant

Advert below and picture attached. I drove it today and it drives smoothly and handles well with no telltale creaking or banging. Overall it is in very good condition and I really like it and you can tell owner has not spared any expense and really taken care of it.

Anyone got any experience with Range Rovers? Does this look like a good buy?

It does not have a service book. According to the owner it has registered servicing from a dealer upto 60k miles (I will check this). From 90k miles owards he has reciepts for services but nothing in between. Several cars I have gone to see do not have service books or service history compared to pretty much most cars in the UK, is this normal in the UAE for used cars?

Also I am going with him to the Bank on Sat to pay off the finance he owes. Are there any precautions I can take to ensure I do not get had?

RANGE ROVER 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
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Make: Land Rover
Model: Range Rover
Body Type:
Year: 2001
Price: 45,000
Date: Mar 20, 08
Description:

RANGE ROVER HSE 30th Anniversary EditionRANGE ROVER HSE 30th Anniversary Edition

mod.2001. golden met.,112KM,full options, navi, sunroof, tcs etc.very good condition, every 5000km serviced by 4x4 garage, european owned, more photos upon request

many new parts just recently fitted: complete new suspension system ( fully new metal springs with all brakets etc.fitted by 4x4 garage agency,no more worrying problems with the air suspension, completely new brakes(discs,pads)fitted ,new front tires, new battery. worth about 10.000AED. All invoices available.All works on the car have been done by 4x4 garage.Really beautiful and pleasant car to drive.

Confucius

No comment...Buyer beware...
Used cars are always a lottery...

Madam Medusa

i presume there's nothing like the AA here who will check cars for you...?
i know, i know, it's bound to be a stupid question...

MM, xx

pinebluffvariant

Oh and it is 42k dirhams. Do you know someone who I can take with me to have it checked out?

Lottery? Are you talking about used cars generally or just in the UAE? Is there a danger of illegally adjusted mileage around here?

Confucius

Noone I know,sorry...
I was referring to used cars generally, and the mileage tampering is anywhere...
Word on the street is that there's an R32 for sale,used,at Al Nabooda on SZR...

pinebluffvariant

Thanks for the input. I have the feeling the price difference of the R32 will not be substantial enough to justify not getting it brand new. Was considering a R32 but now am in the mood for a bigger car especially after seeing the Range Rover. It has a very homely feel to it, which is good in case I want to catch a nap in a traffic jam.

Confucius

RR's,especially the older generations,don't have a very good reputation of reliability...

pinebluffvariant

Really? I don't want to be spending too much money on maintenance on top of servicing. What things should I be looking out for?

According to Wikipedia the biggest problems have been the air suspension which has been replaced with springs. There can't be much else that can go right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_Range_Rover

Confucius

Back in the day, I heard many stories about the ECU or some other main processor in the engine...At the time,8-9 years ago,it was costing USD4,000 only for the part...
In any case, have a look at the service history...Maybe there would be some telltales of recurring problems if any...

pinebluffvariant

Thanks for the replies. The last owner in one year spent pretty much that on maintenance. It is a point of concern, not sure what to do, I really like it and haven't seen anything else I like....will muse over it, thanks for the help.

Confucius

Was it maintenance or fixing worn parts or defects? That should be your concern...Small parts usually get worn after 100K,it's normal on all cars...If you can,check if the same part,other than brake pads/discs, was changed more than once...

pinebluffvariant

The only defect supposedly was the suspension. The rest was the usual battery and brakes. Thanks for the tip, I will try to find the info.

Reading through forums now on RRs. They depreciate like bricks, but still the general perception seems that you get a lot of car for your money at this age even if you have to pay for upkeep.

I am noting down all the things I am going to be checking on the car (from forums) and will take it through as much testing as I can when I next see it. There is a quite a big following of RR owners out there, despite all the well-known problems, people still seem to like them.

Eeyore

Range Rovers are notorious money pits. One of the reasons why they're so popular here is that dishdashes buy them brand-new on very-long-term finance and them swap them for a new one when the free servicing period runs out, leaving some other mug to pick up the typical RR servicing charges (easily around 7000 dhs even for something quite basic; owning a RR seems to mark you out as someone who can be fleeced).

A friend who has a 3-year-old second-hand one has had nothing but problems with it, including a gearbox rebuild which cost her over 20,000 dhs. It looks nice inside and out though.

RRs certainly make you feel a bit pampered and special, but they're bloody awful for reliability and I personally don't like the way they drive; they've got all the poise of a beached whale. If you want a luxury 4x4, I'd go for a Lexus or a Merc - you get all the toys and far fewer of the problems.

Blue Cat

I agree with you Eeyore, a few of my friends have had them and couldn't get rid of them quick enough. It is old Pine and you might struggle getting fully comp insurance too

Inselaffen

dont think you can get Comp insurance on any car over 5 years old.