2007 SE Buying Advice

[hookedon4wding]

Hi guys, another new member here looking for some used buying advice.

I currently have a 2007 NS Pajero and am looking to upgrade to something with a bit more refinement.

I'm keen on an '06-'08 SE 2.7l D3 and would like to know if there's anything I need to look out for. I will preferably buy from a dealer to get a used car warranty.

I have found one, a 2007 (MY06 upgrade) SE with only 16,000km on the clock. What was the MY06 upgrade? I presume this model has the air suspension?

We'd like to do some more touring with this vehicle (Cape York, Kimberley etc) as well as towing a camper trailer and occasionally a 19ft runabout.

Any advice would be very helpful as I'm only just starting to research these vehicles.

Cheers, Sam.

[DiscoSaffa]

Hi Sam

If you do a search through the forum I think you will find that this is one of the most popular topics, so there is a wealth of information out there already. People are generally apprehensive about buying Land Rovers, either as their 1st 4x4 or moving from another make. The D3, however, is an awesome vehicle and Land Rover have done a lot to fix what has resulted in the stigma attached to the brand as a result of the previous vehicles. You will not find a more capable off-roader, that is such a comfortable daily drive and long distance tourer…. In short there is nothing like it on the market for the money.

To answer a few of your questions though, the D3 TDV6 is a great towing vehicle so you are unlikely to be disappointed.

An 07 with only 16000 kms on the clock seems to be too good to be true. It implies it was not used as a daily driver, which is not necessarily a good thing, so if it were me, I would be looking for a full dealer service record, this tends to get forgotten in low mileage vehicles where services are based on time rather the distance travelled (this has warranty implications). Also I believe there were some factory recalls on the vehicle (TDV6 in particular had one on the brakes) so look for evidence that these have been carried out.

The other issue with a low mileage 4x4 is that they have often been used for what they are intended, ie off road and touring. This is a double edged sword, generally those of us that buy these vehicles for this reason, tend to look after them, but the daily soccer run is not as hard on a vehicle as dedicated touring/towing or 4x4 work. I am not sure where you are, but someone here will be able to tell you of an independent garage near you that will check the vehicle over for you. On this point, this is always a good idea anyway with a Land Rover, and the willingness of the current owner or dealer to allow this is another good indication of the vehicle’s condition.

Otherwise there isn’t a long list of what to look out for on the D3 like there would be if you were buying a DI or DII, but there are some issues and like I say, trawl through the forum and you will find plenty of answers and concerns.

Good luck!

[hookedon4wding]

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

I was informed that the 16000km '07 vehicle was sold last night. Oh well.

I'm located in Mornington, VIC so if any knows of a good workshop that specialises in Landrovers, that'd be great. I'd love to have a chat to them too before buying.

Thanks again.

Cheers, Sam.

[DiscoSaffa]

D3s seem to move quickly these days..... it would seem the rest of the world is catching up with what us LROs have known all along...... :)