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SKRUFF
Member Since: 03 Sep 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 4
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| Considering buying a D3.... |
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I have been in a colleague's one a few times and it's a real joy to be in. I think they look fabulous too, but, I have always instantly dismissed owning one as I thought they would just be far too expensive to run.
It's surprised me to see how cheap some of them are going now, I thought tax was going to be more than £285 and the mpg would be less than mid 20s...
I can live with all that... - and I can live with a little more maintanance than I am used to with my current car - an ultra reliable Honda S2000.
My budget for a D3 is approx 11k. With a little left for contigency.
Obviously I am after one which is going to be reliable... - shall I save & up my budget further before buying?
Am I right to look at high milage newer examples over older lower milage ones?
I also half understand that a full service history is only a starting point.. and that there's a lot more to look for in a second hand D3... - is there a comprehensive buying guide out there I can look at so I know what I should be looking for?
What sort of maintance bills can I expect year on year to keep one of these running?
Any advice would be really great.... - I love the idea of owning one... but obviously I dont want to break the bank over it... 
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 3rd Sep 2014 9:56 pm |
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dubbs
Member Since: 18 Apr 2012
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 3626
  
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Hi and welcome to the forum 
I'd simply say this... Can you afford approximately £1200 a year running costs excluding fuel, tax and insurance?
If you're not wincing at that then you might just about do it. But be aware if anything big goes you could quite easily have a year costing you three times that.
If well maintained and you don't skip on preventative maintenance, you search hard to find the right one with good provenance then £1200 ish a year and you'll enjoy it.
Then... The mods start....  MY15 DIY Black Pack (Better than factory and half the price!)
Prospeed rock/tree sliders w/steps
HSE Winter wheels
TransK9 B24
Travall Cargo Guard
Hatchbag
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| 3rd Sep 2014 10:44 pm |
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SKRUFF
Member Since: 03 Sep 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 4
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Thanks for your reply and welcome!!
1.2k a year - I think I could live with  ... 3 x that, I cannot pretend that I would be seriously p*ssed off... - I have a bit of disposable income, but am not loaded (unforuntately)... - and I do have other things in my life I like to spend my money on 
It would be great to find a sorted one on this forum, I will keep my peepers out and keep reading up on these cars...
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| 3rd Sep 2014 10:56 pm |
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Narpy
Member Since: 18 Jul 2011
Location: Stockport
Posts: 7830
 
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| Re: Considering buying a D3.... |
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SKRUFF wrote:Obviously I am after one which is going to be reliable...
Well....................good luck with that. 
You're going to need deep pockets and probably use of a second car will be useful for when your D3 throws a paddy, and it will. 
I'd settle for £1200 per year, I spent more than that in the first 3 months.  Mods:
Front Fogs + Halos
FBH Remote Control
The 1st Ever RRS Modded Grill
Garmin Nuvi + D4 Surround + Reversing Camera.
D4 Steering Wheel.
Rear Boot Spoiler.
Twin Brake Lights.
Wing Mirror Indicator Repeaters.
Long Roof Rails
Make your own Narpy grill thread
I'm not scared, I'm outta here.
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| 3rd Sep 2014 11:00 pm |
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highlands
Member Since: 11 Jan 2010
Location: NW Highlands
Posts: 5095
 
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I reckon £1200 is about right, averaging out the big bills.
I did have an expensive last 12 months with the clutch going (at c.140k miles) but it's mostly wishbones, brakes and miscellaneous suspension components.
I had a steering rack go but that was a £100 s/h unit and 20 minutes DIY. Black 05 TDV6 HSE Auto
Grey 05 TDV6 HSE Auto (Gone)
54 TDV6 SE Man (killed by me  )
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| 3rd Sep 2014 11:04 pm |
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Iguana
Member Since: 14 Oct 2013
Location: 'Sunny' Zomerset
Posts: 9402
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Welcome along, got my D3 not quite 1 year ago and don't regret it at all
Although even though I knew it would cost me, I was very surprised by the cost I had to pay out - I'm a bit anal' so track everything, so £3258 on fixing bits (and insurance/Tax) and also quite a bit on upgrades (not really needed).
But.......if I knew then what I know now, then much of those costs would have been saved by identifying before purchase and getting garage to fix or reduce price......so MAKE sure you go through it with a fine tooth comb!
My cost per mile is running at 25p just on fuel costs and 45p when you add in the maintenance, running and fixing costs - my 57 plate Mondeo 2 litre diesel was running at 13p fuel and 21p total costs 
Not sure where you're located, but may be worth asking if an experienced forum member/owner could come and look at one with you
Finally, even though I spent all that money, don't regret any of it, love the beast Iggy/Ieuan
Current LR =
2015 RR Sport Autobiography
&
1992 Land Rover Defender Camper
- Gone but not forgotten:
MY10 D4 GS
MY05 Disco 3 'S'
MY14 FL2 HSE manual in Blue
MY15 Disco 4 HSE Lux in Santorini Black
MY08 Disco 3 SE manual in Buck Blue
1960 Series 2 88" (No idea why I sold it!)
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| 4th Sep 2014 8:07 am |
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ron3005
Member Since: 15 Mar 2010
Location: Feltham
Posts: 314
 
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Got to be honest I think we should just scrap them all considering all the comments that people give to anyone thinking of joining the D3 ownership. It's the same as any car get it inspected and make sure everything is ok . If you're spending thousands a year on repairers you bought a piece of scrap they are excellent cars you will never regret buying one
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| 4th Sep 2014 8:56 am |
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robo
Member Since: 30 Jul 2010
Location: solihull
Posts: 298
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Im virtually the same as Iguana,in 18 months I've spent £3800 on repairs and mods, more than any car I've owned, and all virtually done myself only small amount of labour rates,some days I hate it most I love it, just buy the very best you can afford, go over it with a fine toothcomb then do it again! they can be very expensive but with help on this forum and the great sponsors costs can be kept as low as possible, I've done most of the jobs myself, if you go down this route buy some good quality tools and heavy duty jacks etc good luck with your purchase they can be a pain but when all is right a joy to own and drive, the help and advice in this forum is priceless!!!! gone not forgotten 2 classics
gone forgotten 2 p38s
current d3 se 2006 td standard for now
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| 4th Sep 2014 8:59 am |
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Scarab
Member Since: 11 Jun 2011
Location: Hastings
Posts: 1283
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You'll love it so you definitely have to get one.
Had my current one about 8 months and so far it's cost me about £2,800 in bits but a warranty helped out with some of the others and so it's not a total cost.
However like others have said, if I'd have really known what I was looking for when buying it then I could have got the seller to fix/adjust the cost at the time of purchase. Driving a lot of them and doing intensive test drives is a good place to start.
Get as high a spec as possible (a HSE is a good place to start) and really genuinely ignore the mileage, just make sure it's been maintained well and you'll soon learn about the D3 "Permagrin" when driving.
It's different to the Permagrin with other cars, you're far more comfortable and know you can literally go anywhere you want. There's very few drivers out there that wont run out of capability way before the D3 does
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| 4th Sep 2014 9:51 am |
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Discogaz
Member Since: 17 Mar 2014
Location: Bracknell
Posts: 1399
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Don 't be too put off by this forum and the tales of woe.
Just try checking any Audi, volvo, BMW and Mercedes forum and you will have a similar tale.
These forums are for enthusiasts in their respective brand/models and everything that can possibly go wrong with any car will get a mention but if you look at the members, against total sales, the numbers are pretty small and there will be thousands of happy owners totally oblivious to the "potential" issues that our cars may or may not have.
As a LR owner for 15 years personally, I only got the bug in the final 3 years of owing my D2 as it was probably the most reliable car I had ever owned. Sure it let me down occasionally but before my son killed it, it had covered over 150k miles in my ownership.
My D3 is a keeper so I've had some underbody protection work done (Rustmaster) as the one big thing that will tip a car beyond economic repair is chassis rust. Not sure if there is the same problem with D3's that D2's had but I wasn't about to take a chance. I stick £100 a month into a separate account so that I've generally got the cash to keep the old girl well maintained and have a contingency for any suprises that may come along.
Advice given here is sound - get the best you can and take up the offer of help from some of the more experienced members here in giving any potential purchase the once over or better still - check out the for sale section as just about any purchase via this forum will be from a proper enthusiast and some here are particularly anal (good thing) about looking after and maintaining their cars so you will be buying a well sorted truck
Good luck and welcome to the dark side.
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| 4th Sep 2014 10:23 am |
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dubbs
Member Since: 18 Apr 2012
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 3626
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Completely concur with Discogaz.... I do similar and put money in premium bonds every month to build up a "bang" fund in case anything major goes wrong.
Everything else I cover as I would normal then if I'm luck enough to not have anything go bang then it'll help pay for the upgrade when the D3 is up for renewal.
I am however realistic.... so it'll more likely end up going on V8 brake upgrades and tuning probably the month before I need a new transfer case or diff...  MY15 DIY Black Pack (Better than factory and half the price!)
Prospeed rock/tree sliders w/steps
HSE Winter wheels
TransK9 B24
Travall Cargo Guard
Hatchbag
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| 5th Sep 2014 10:28 am |
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SuperEagles
Member Since: 15 Apr 2014
Location: Wales
Posts: 36
 
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I have had my 54 plate HSE for 4 years and I reckon it cost me less than £1,200 p.a. to keep on the road. Having said that, work for the MOT this year was £1,200 (brake discs, tyres and suspension bushes), but I hadn't done anything other than the alternator, brake pads, gearbox flush and new boots in previous years.
So thinking about it, about £1,200 a year sounds right!
I've just changed my other car for a brand new Panda for something completely different! Now the Disco is only used when the full tribe need transporting or by my wife to get to work. She had a flat this week but didn't notice and trashed the almost new tyre so that was another £130 down the drain. To top it off a bloke at her work tried to help her change the wheel and managed to wreck the spare wheel winch!!
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| 5th Sep 2014 1:26 pm |
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SKRUFF
Member Since: 03 Sep 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 4
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Thank you so much everyone.
Discogaz wrote:Don 't be too put off by this forum and the tales of woe.
Just try checking any Audi, volvo, BMW and Mercedes forum and you will have a similar tale.
These forums are for enthusiasts in their respective brand/models and everything that can possibly go wrong with any car will get a mention but if you look at the members, against total sales, the numbers are pretty small and there will be thousands of happy owners totally oblivious to the "potential" issues that our cars may or may not have.
As a LR owner for 15 years personally, I only got the bug in the final 3 years of owing my D2 as it was probably the most reliable car I had ever owned. Sure it let me down occasionally but before my son killed it, it had covered over 150k miles in my ownership.
My D3 is a keeper so I've had some underbody protection work done (Rustmaster) as the one big thing that will tip a car beyond economic repair is chassis rust. Not sure if there is the same problem with D3's that D2's had but I wasn't about to take a chance. I stick £100 a month into a separate account so that I've generally got the cash to keep the old girl well maintained and have a contingency for any suprises that may come along.
Advice given here is sound - get the best you can and take up the offer of help from some of the more experienced members here in giving any potential purchase the once over or better still - check out the for sale section as just about any purchase via this forum will be from a proper enthusiast and some here are particularly anal (good thing) about looking after and maintaining their cars so you will be buying a well sorted truck
Good luck and welcome to the dark side.
I must say, it is a little difficult not to be put off... I really cannot be doing with the hassle of being without a car for possibly weeks at a time, - and I would rather chuck the odd spare £500 at overpaying my mortgage rather than constantly replacing things....
I am still in a dilemma... - I had a look at the VW Toureg,.. but it seems they are difficult, can be unreliable and very expensive to keep going also... - surprises me being a VW..
Also, X5 - E70's are now coming in at 13k... - so that's another temptation...
I'll keep my eye on the ads here on this site... doesn't seem to be much available here at the moment
Thanks again everyone.
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| 16th Sep 2014 1:09 pm |
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Crost
Member Since: 29 Jan 2013
Location: Croston, Lancashire
Posts: 997
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Honestly, any car can cost you money. Just be practical.
The VW is tiny and mass produced nothing special at all. The X5 is again small on the inside and just as prone to go wrong. I looked at plenty before I bought mine and they all had faults.
I've had mine for 20 months now and yes its had faults but only what I'd expet for a car that now has 160k on the clock. But I own a fantastic car that took me to my wedding on the Saturday in style then green laned across Cumbria the day after! What other car can do that!!!
If you can learn the basics and hook up with one of the trusted sponsors (Flack is a God) when it gets out of your comfort zone then you will be OK. Not saying it will al be plain sailing but I own a premium motor for Ford prices. Live ebay and learn to be wise.
Oh and I smile every time I get in it... Tell me an X5/Toerag can do that Mark
Remember its only an obsession....
Mods:
Original Beanie Narpy Grill, Black lettering, De-Tango'ed, Side steps, Hids LEDs upgrade, Halo DRL, Smoked side repeaters, D4 Bluetooth upgrade, Flacks magic with the fault mate, Upgraded D4 compressor, ERG's blanked, Tints, D4 rear lights, Short rails & cross bars, LR Ladder. Reversing camera (needs activating!!)
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| 16th Sep 2014 1:44 pm |
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pghedges
Member Since: 14 Sep 2014
Location: Memphis TN
Posts: 6
  
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Bought my D3 one week ago, and could not be happier. Have already driven almost 2k miles.
I've lived with a Series IIa, an early 90's RR and a Disco II -all great vehicles with their own personalities. However, this LR3 is fantastic. Cannot tell you how impressed I am with it. Yes, it has some minor issues, but they are manageable. Get yourself a good code reader, decent tools and enjoy the learning experience by following this forum.
Land Rovers are not for everyone, but if you want a refined daily driver that has the capabilities to go just about anywhere, then look no further. Current Vehicles:
1964 Series IIa 88 soft top
2002 Discovery Series II
2006 LR3 SE
Previous Vehicles:
1994 Range Rover County
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| 23rd Sep 2014 2:21 am |
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