An Honest Review of a Beater Car
Rusty, dinged, and well worn are all words that describe my car. 20 years of heavy usage doing anything from off-roading to mall runs with my mom, the Range Rover has seen it all. As one of the least popular model years, it is often mistaken for an old Jeep. The P38A style was what came right before the redesign that is probably what you think of when you hear the name “Range Rover”. Unpopular, overused, and unreliable, the reality of living with this automobile is actually more genial and charming than one might think when living with a 20 year old luxury SUV.
The first thing you do when you step inside is you notice the plush yet supportive captain chairs that provide a lofty view ahead of you. Just a few small cracks in the leather and a little bit of wear on the left edge of the seat. Despite all the years of use, they have help up very well. You also notice the incredibly unobstructed field of vision when looking out of the windshield. Massive windows on either side and thin A-pillars makes seeing your surroundings effortless. As your fingers wrap around the steering wheel, you notice that this, too, is made of leather. Once upon a time it probably felt just as voluptuous as the seats and other surfaces. Now, however, it feels like someone took a sanding belt to the surface and went to town until all that was left was a crumbling and cracking wheel. It is actually deteriorating so much that driving on hot summer days results in the steering wheel staining your hands the deep grey/black color of the leather surface.
When it was new in 1999, the SUV had many features that were revolutionary at the time. Satellite navigation, 6 disc CD changer, adjustable height suspension, 11 speaker Harman Kardon sound system, just to name a few. But how have these features held up in the past decades? Out of those features, only the speakers still function, albeit with only 4 out of the 11 speakers. The air suspension eventually failed, resulting in the front of the car sagging as if it was bowing down to its master.
The 4.6 liter Bosch V8 under the hood also proved to be an issue at times. With the turn of the key, the engine coughs and rumbles to life, followed by a whining noise that is caused by a bad water pump. This engine loves to overheat. It’s favorite activity is getting its hoses tangled with the serpentine belt, which sprays coolant and water all over the engine bay and makes the temperature shoot into the red. This does not happen frequently, but often enough that it makes you question whether or not the car is trying to kill itself. Luckily, when it is not acting up, the engine provides a healthy blend of initial torque and an “adequate” 222 horsepower that will waft you to a top speed of 114 MPH. It isn’t fast by any means, but just quick enough to keep up with traffic and provide that oomph you might need when you are trying to get off the line in a hurry.
With all these issues, and considering the car has 214,000 miles, the transmission works beautifully. A simple 4 speed auto with overdrive that is so smooth to this day, it is almost unnoticeable even when putting the pedal to the metal. Despite all the years of use and abuse, this car will still, for the most part, go and do whatever it is told. Need to drive through a pond? No problem. Going uphill in the rain and mud? Simple. Need to push your friends minivan up a steep snowy traverse (which is another story entirely)? Easy. It may have lost all the functionality of the bells and whistles that made it special back in the day, but when it comes down to everyday use, the Range Rover is a tank. I am confident and incredibly comfortable in any sort of weather mother nature throws at me. I do not recommend buying such a heavily depreciating car, nor do I recommend buying a new Range Rover. But if you do, even through the turbulent times, you see why they are so sought after, and I guarantee you will fall in love with it.
