1996 Land Rover Range Rover HSE 4.6 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Great fun, but far too unreliable and expensive

Faults:

Not sure where to start, but in brief:

Engine, cam shaft, water pump, rear wheel hub, Air conditioning, heater fan, electric window, electric door mirrors, steering components, remote locking, washer jet motors and heated seats all failed and have had to be replaced at some point, not to mention numerous other niggly little problems and bad rust patches that you really wouldn't expect on a car costing the best part of £50,000.

Glad I didn't buy it new.

General Comments:

Despite having a 4.6 litre V8, the car feels slightly under-powered. It's pretty quick off the mark for such a big car, but feels sluggish at mid range speeds and when overtaking.

I had mine converted to LPG which made it quite an affordable car to run, although the servicing and maintenance make running a jumbo jet look more attractive - in my case £7000 in 18 months.

Corners about as well as a bowl of soup - but then I don't suppose it was designed to go round corners fast.

It's great for towing and inspires loads of confidence when it's snowing or icy.

Loads of space and very comfortable. The best bit is being perched about a foot higher than the average car - it gives you a great view. The only problem is that you tend to develop a bully boy driving attitude because practically no-one argues with you when it comes to cutting in, pulling out etc.

It's such a shame that the car is so unreliable, poorly manufactured and expensive to maintain. Hopefully the new BMW design will do the Range Rover badge more justice. When the price of the new model comes down to a sensible level I might consider it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd July, 2003

19th Dec 2004, 08:48

I have a 4.6 LPG HSE. It mis-fires, stops and doesn't start on occasion. The local dealer is £96 an hour and at a non approved local specialist a 48K mile service is about £850. Despite a full specialist service history new things go wrong each week. Random fault codes appear and disappear. That said I love it and if the LPG didn't run like a pig it would be cheap to fuel. It is unreliable, but a joy when its working which isn't often.

Not all the problems are LPG related and it is a 2K certified LPG conversion. My advice is if you buy a £60k car for 10-12k you still get £60k car running costs with no warranty.

17th Apr 2008, 05:47

I know exactly what you mean regarding the 'kick-down'; its beyond pathetic!! When trying to overtake, and kick-down is engaged, it almost drops 10kms. However I must say how much I love the vehicle; it's a HSE Vogue, which is definitely worth every penny, rides sweet, mechanically - only ever had 1 problem and you really do feel like the king of the road.

One downside is defiantly the gas - drinks it like a dehydrated camel, -all in all, a very nice SUV.

9th Jul 2008, 18:49

I just bought one from a used dealer, and I admit you do feel like the king of the road, and it is a looker! But the instrument panel is a bother when you don't have the manual! And don't get caught up in fooling with the air ride system if you don't have to! It's a mother to replace; around 2 grand.

It's a 1996 4.6 and I do love it, and I only get used tires cuz I don't drive crazy! But I LOVE IT YAHOOOOOOOO!!!

Make sure you do get a warranty cuz it comes in handy!

1st Sep 2008, 06:31

I can never understand people buying one of these vehicles cheap second hand and wondering why they cost so much to use. These cars were £50,000 new, and when you buy one for £2000 when it's 12 years old you can't help but expect problems. These vehicles are very complex and have thousands of parts which can go wrong, so if you buy one then that's the risk you take. If they were so reliable for the money, they would hold their value more and would cost much more to buy, as everybody would want one.

1996 Land Rover Range Rover 2.5 DSE 2.5 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Extremely happy

Faults:

The oil cooler leaked and had to be replaced.

The windscreen seals failed and caused a buffeting noise.

Air conditioner has played up, and has needed to be repaired twice.

Door bolts get loose when driving off road for a long period of time.

General Comments:

The car performs well enough, especially considering its s diesel. I will fit an aftermarket ECU to improve its performance by 25 percent though.

The engine is incredibly smooth, although not quick off the mark.

Off road ability is outstanding. I have owned several land rovers before, but this is the best off road by far. I also thoroughly recommend an automatic gearbox rather than manual, its way better both on and off road.

Diesel is a way better bet than petrol, especially over long distances as the range is way better and fuel economy bearable. 23 mpg around town.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th April, 2003

7th Apr 2009, 06:50

Where are you getting an after market ECU? I have a p38 Range Rover fitted with a 2.5 diesel BMW engine and I need an ECU for it.

Thank you.