People regularly call us nuts for continuing to buy and drive old Land Rover SUVs, but we’re here to prove that despite their reputation for costly maintenance and repairs, they’re actually super capable and relatively reliable. To prove it, the guys headed to Tombstone Hill. Located deep in the Rocky Mountains above Boulder, Colorado at 9,000 feet, the hill features a challengingly steep hill climb over loose rock. Add four inches of fresh snow, and the run becomes even more treacherous.
“Cheap”: 2017 Range Rover LWB
Roman found this luxurious six-year-old Range Rover with the supercharged V8 and long wheelbase locally for $45,000. That’s not “cheap” by most peoples’ definition, but considering it was $122K new…it’s actually quite a deal. The 500-hp engine, four-corner adjustable air suspension, low-range transfer case, and Land Rover’s legendary traction control system made short work of the hill. A fresh set of Falken Wildpeak AT Trail tires helped matters considerably. Plus, Roman used the “Nathan Method” for off-roading, another way of saying “momentum is your friend.” But Roman makes the case that Range Rovers are off-roading stallions that aren’t going to explode once you take them on dirt, rock, sand, snow, etc. They’re designed and built for this stuff.
Cheaper: 2006 Land Rover LR3
TFL found this LR3 at a dealer auction for $4,567. It had some cosmetic damage and some weird title shenanigans in its history, but otherwise, it’s been a gem of a find. This is despite being powered by the same Ford V6 found in millions of Ford Explorers from that era. Still, the LR3 has impressive off-road chops: four-corner air adjustable air suspension, Land Rover’s first terrain management system, and a transfer case. Tommy’s since added a slight lift, BF Goodrich KO2 AT tires, a winch, and rock sliders.
For the hill climb, Tommy switched the terrain management system to Rain, Mud, and Snow. That made short work of the easy side of the climb. On the rocky side, he found that switching to Rock Crawl mode stopped the wheels from spinning and allowed him to roll right up and over the rocks. Lesson learned; Wherever there are rocks to drive over, use Rock Crawl.
Cheapest: 2000 Land Rover Discovery 2
Kase bought his Disco 2 for $3,000 as a project build. So far, he’s added a 4-inch lift with new springs, shocks, and bigger 33-inch Falken Wildpeak tires. In 4-Low, the Disco’s old-school traction control system wasn’t up to the task. Kase had to use steady momentum to clear the hill. But the Disco 2 did it without a sweat. Next up for Kase is swapping the notorious 4.0-liter V8 with a more powerful and reliable GM LS V8 crate engine.
See how each Rover handled our high-altitude, snow-packed trail climb in the video below:
