1990 Land Rover Range Rover County review from North America

Our truck came from New York, so it was a complete rust bucket underneath when it arrived. Given that Range Rovers use all-aluminum body panels to make them rust-proof, I was astounded that the entire bottom was steel with no undercoating at all.

Alternators are way too weak for the job, and so the diodes burn out every year, and the alternator has to be replaced. If you have the electric windshield defogger going (Yes, it has minuscule wires inside the glass for quick defogging.), the rear window defogger going, the windshield wipers and the heater blower and the head lights, and then turn on the fog lights... that's the end of your alternator. And on any bad weather day or night, its not unlikely that you'd run all of those at the same time.

Radiator went out at 142,000 miles. That's not so terrible, but the cost of replacing it is -- US$1,100 just for the part. (About 3x the price of a Ford radiator.)

ABS brake system began to fail at 140k.

Air conditioner failed sometime before I bought it.

Cruise control was broken before I got it.

The engine has a tapping lifter and uses a little oil, though it doesn't blow smoke, but it does heat the catalytic converter up enough to warm the inside of the truck. Otherwise the engine still runs fairly strong and the transmission and transfer case are strong. Rest of the drive train seems all right.

Love solid-truck experience of Range

Rovers built in the 90's. Those built

later are too car like with plastic-covered bumpers and low-profile

tires. No one would take them seriously

off road; but the 90's vehicles have all

the creature comforts inside the cabin

of luxury sedan, yet they're 100% truck on the outside.

The four-wheel drive system is better

than any I've used. None of the binding you get with some 4x4s when you turn hard. None of the wheel spin that you get with many posi-traction systems before the posi-traction kicks in. I've scaled steep rocks with sloped sandy spots, and the wheels didn't spin an inch when one hit sand.

But beware of maintenance!