1986 Land Rover Range Rover std review from Australia and New Zealand
"Great compromise between a shopping buggy and a 4x4 with some design faults"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Noisy bearing in transfer case at 200000. Gearbox and transfere case received general overhaul.
Broken piston ring at 220000. When stripped engine was found to be in excellent condition. Fault was probably caused by running on LPG.
Only other things to go wrong have been minor faults due to normal wear such as water pump, alternator and some minor oil leaks.
General comments?
The 3.5 is very smooth and a strong performer at higher revs, but lacks torque at low revs. Gennie headers rectified that.
The ventilation is poor so the air conditioning comes on early on hot days.
The transmission is light and smooth to use, but the transfer case whine is annoying.
Despite Range Rover's reputation for reliability this vehicle has taken us all over Australia through some of the most harshest and remote terrain on this planet and done it in absolute comfort with complete reliability.
It's off road ability is excellent as it has gone up tracks with ease that Landcruisers gave up on.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1995 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 91000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 320000 kilometres |
| Previous car | BMW 7 Series |
| Date of Entry | 7th January, 2003 |