Has anybody ventured into their local LR dealers lately? I'm looking for a FL2 and was hoping to buy used approved. I live in the east midlands so went to Statstones, Sturgess and Marshalls. I was shocked at how poor the stock for sale is. Most high mileage for age with dents, scrapes, scuffs, virtually bold tyres and generally sales exec motorway mile munchers. As a guide, most car supermarkets sell this type of car (pile them high, sell them cheap) but I was suprised main dealers do the same. Has land rover always been this way?? Is the after sales service as bad as their used cars and the smug that sell them??? Has anyone else had a similar experience??

I could have written your piece myself. Exactly my experience which is why I went for a new one using Drive the Deal. Residuals are high, probably due to two harsh winters, but the complacency of the dealers was very suprising - get a new one the deals are much better.

Many thanks for the reply-thought it was me-or rather they tried to convince me it was me! "You are not buying new sir-what do you expect for nearly £20K?" etc etc Has anyone tried to trade theirs in to see what they are paying out in part ex? If it's got 4 good tyres, no parking damage, the seats are without rips and it's not been to the moon and back I'd demand more than they offer-if they refuse I'll buy it!!

Labradorslave wrote:

Has anybody ventured into their local LR dealers lately? I'm looking for a FL2 and was hoping to buy used approved. I live in the east midlands so went to Statstones, Sturgess and Marshalls. I was shocked at how poor the stock for sale is. Most high mileage for age with dents, scrapes, scuffs, virtually bold tyres and generally sales exec motorway mile munchers. As a guide, most car supermarkets sell this type of car (pile them high, sell them cheap) but I was suprised main dealers do the same. Has land rover always been this way?? Is the after sales service as bad as their used cars and the smug that sell them??? Has anyone else had a similar experience??

That was a good price-what mileage had it done?. I've set a budget of around the £18-20K mark. The best value buys are the year old ex LR staff cars. The problem I have though is that I don't want DPF which rules out everything from 2010 onwards. I have had two diesels with DPF. The first no problems at all the second (vauxhall signum-not as bad as everybody says!!) I had from 6 months old and was a nightmare when it hit 50k. £1500 to put right and it has left me feeling the £50 you save on car tax for having DPF and stop/start is not worth the potential big bill down the line. I do a fair few short journeys (5 miles) and live and work in the country so rarely do motorway journeys. In truth I could get by without a FL2 but having driven one I'm hooked! One of the sales staff said they had problems with the DPF on their demonstrator and had a few come back with problems so for me, I dont think it would be the sensible buy. Thanks for your feedback though.

Beware low mileage, high spec, silver Freelanders sold as "staff cars" or "Land Rover Management Vehicles", or whatever else they choose to call them, it could easily be the disposal of hard worked Land Rover Experience vehicles.

In fact, it's worth being wary of anything labeled as "Management Vehicle" from any manufacturer; it leaves you to, quite reasonably, assume that it's been registered by the manufacturer for their senior staff to use as personal transport. However, it can equally mean that the car was registered to the manufacturer and then susequently "Managed" by them; in this situation, a rental company will then lease it from the "Managing" manufacturer and then hire it out to anyone with a pulse!

Think of it this way: if you see ****-Rent-a-Car as the original owner, you might run a mile but, if it's referred to as a Ford / Vauxhall / Citroen / Land Rover etc "Ex Management Vehicle" that sounds so much more acceptable!

Of course, it might be genuine, but make sure you know for sure...

Last edited by Tigger on 2nd Jun 2011 5:16 am. Edited 1 time in total

I don't think it's confined just to Land Rover tbh.

Dealers in general seem to have some very ropey stock in cosmetic terms. I can only assume that it's a combination of them dealing with vehicles every day so building up a sort of "immunity" to what you or I would expect for £20k, combined with the average punter not being fussy.

I was looking at FL2's in around January/February time and settled on a new one because I simply couldn't find a used vehicle that didn't have issue that would bug me - several dealers pretty much admitted that they didn't have to be fussy because with the recent winter people were, apparently, coming in off the street happy to buy pretty much anything that they had to sell them.

there must be loads of ex Landrover Experience cars being sold through the dealer network as low mileage staff cars.........................BEWARE !!

Iain

Labradorslave wrote:

Has anybody ventured into their local LR dealers lately? I'm looking for a FL2 and was hoping to buy used approved. I live in the east midlands so went to Statstones, Sturgess and Marshalls. I was shocked at how poor the stock for sale is. Most high mileage for age with dents, scrapes, scuffs, virtually bold tyres and generally sales exec motorway mile munchers. As a guide, most car supermarkets sell this type of car (pile them high, sell them cheap) but I was suprised main dealers do the same. Has land rover always been this way?? Is the after sales service as bad as their used cars and the smug that sell them??? Has anyone else had a similar experience??

Have you checked the For Sale section on the forum there is a tidy one here at a good price the mileage may be higher than you would like.

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic8943.html

I found this when I was looking, hence why I decided to keep the one we have. Sturgess Leicester's stock was terrible. Freelander 2 HSE Lux 2013MY - Barolo Black with Ivory Leather. Alpine DVD - Privacy -Evoque 20" Dynamic Wheels and more to come.........

Tigger wrote:

Beware low mileage, high spec, silver Freelanders sold as "staff cars" or "Land Rover Management Vehicles", or whatever else they choose to call them, it could easily be the disposal of hard worked Land Rover Experience vehicles.

In fact, it's worth being wary of anything labeled as "Management Vehicle" from any manufacturer; it leaves you to, quite reasonably, assume that it's been registered by the manufacturer for their senior staff to use as transport. However, it can equally mean that the car was registered to the manufacturer and then "Managed" by them, where a rental company leases it from the "Managing" manufacturer and then hires it out to anyone with a pulse

Think of it this way, if you see ****-Rent-a-Car as the original owner, you might run a mile. But, if it's referred to as a Ford / Vauxhall / Citroen / Land Rover etc "Ex Management Vehicle" that sounds so much better!

Of course, it might be genuine, but make sure you know for sure...

Executive Valeter wrote:

Tigger wrote:

Beware low mileage, high spec, silver Freelanders sold as "staff cars" or "Land Rover Management Vehicles", or whatever else they choose to call them, it could easily be the disposal of hard worked Land Rover Experience vehicles.

In fact, it's worth being wary of anything labeled as "Management Vehicle" from any manufacturer; it leaves you to, quite reasonably, assume that it's been registered by the manufacturer for their senior staff to use as transport. However, it can equally mean that the car was registered to the manufacturer and then "Managed" by them, where a rental company leases it from the "Managing" manufacturer and then hires it out to anyone with a pulse

Think of it this way, if you see ****-Rent-a-Car as the original owner, you might run a mile. But, if it's referred to as a Ford / Vauxhall / Citroen / Land Rover etc "Ex Management Vehicle" that sounds so much better!

Of course, it might be genuine, but make sure you know for sure...

Very usefull information there! Be carefull.

Labradorslave wrote:

Has anybody ventured into their local LR dealers lately? I'm looking for a FL2 and was hoping to buy used approved. I live in the east midlands so went to Statstones, Sturgess and Marshalls. I was shocked at how poor the stock for sale is. Most high mileage for age with dents, scrapes, scuffs, virtually bold tyres and generally sales exec motorway mile munchers. As a guide, most car supermarkets sell this type of car (pile them high, sell them cheap) but I was suprised main dealers do the same. Has land rover always been this way?? Is the after sales service as bad as their used cars and the smug that sell them??? Has anyone else had a similar experience??

I was offered a deal on on what I think was an LR management car. But the car did have a private registration. Was I wrong? do the ex Landrover Experience cars have private plates?

None of the Land Rover Experience cars that I've seen had private plates. They are, however, all silver and top of the range.