Rover owners perceived value

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Author Message   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:46 am:    A short time ago I had some battery issues with my 2-year old Interstate battery in my RR. My charger would not bring up to full charge with 2 days of charging set at 15 amps. So I called the local Interstate outlet and they said to bring it in. They kept it on their charger for 4 days and brought it up to full for no cost to me and it's been fine ever since. Here's my point, when speaking to them I found myself referring to my RR as "My truck with the V-8". I sub-consciously did not want to admit I had a Land Rover for fear of being nailed for a new battery or at least charged for the time spent charging it up. My Rover is no big deal, it's a 92'with high mileage but it has an excellent exterior, new tires and it looks nice (sorta like me minus the tires). Obviously it's not a big-ticket truck to those who know Rovers. However I find there's a perceived value from many non-Rover people that because it's a Land Rover that the owner must have a load of cash, which I don't. Have any of you come across the same thing at gas stations, non-Rover shops or the local grocery store ect.? What's funny is I have a couple of LR t-shirts and hats and those also gain attention. I've had great conversations with total strangers concerning their past Rovers or present because they saw my Rover apparel. Those experiences I truly enjoy.   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 12:54 pm:    Ya similar experiences here. I'm like you; I do fine for myself but not loaded by any means. I bought my D1 used and didn't pay very much for it at all but everyone sees that it's a LR and think I "make too much" or some other BS like that. Those who are interested in them like to ask me questions and talk about them and more so when they find out I take mine off-roading (after they get over their initial shock of that fact). Others are a little more prickly. In the city I live in, there aren't a lot of LR on the road so when you see one, you notice it and most of the owners are older people. I'm probably one of the youngest clients they have but I don't think it's unreasonable for someone my age to have one...just most of the clients are older people. Used they're not that costly, just people think they are. The dealer even said they'd like to expand their clientel to younger age groups but there's a perception out there that these trucks are unaffordable. It's just a perception people have. LR has never really tried to change that upper class image though but maybe the G4 Challenge might. But I do refer to my Disco as "my truck" just so that people don't get the wrong impression or some kind of preconceived impression.   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 01:12 pm:    Ditto. When I bought my '99 D1 I got a ton of comments from co-workers, my boss, and my neighbors about how I must make to much. Certainly not the case. The part that kills me is my neighbor who has a new Escalade, a Viper, and a Avalanche (he doesn't quite fit in the neighborhood). He made a comment about how Land Rovers are so expensive. Whatever. I paid more for my wife's used 2001 Grand Caravan (with little to no options). Todd   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 01:25 pm:    Todd- I have to ask, how did your town/city get the name "Snohomish". Sorry but that's one funny name! S-   Paul Grant (Paulgrant) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 04:54 pm:    I have a 1985 gre market Range Rover that has flat grey paint and more than its share of trail scares. I pulled up in front of a bar one night and this guy who had had a little too much to drink started yelling "nice $50K car dude!" I paid $4500 for it! Oh well. When I owned a brand new 1994 LWB years ago, the comments never stopped. I think people are way too involved with counting other people's money. I also feel, sadly, that people really love being identified and classified by their possessions.   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 05:53 pm:    everyone thinks they are worth big buck except the people buying them rd   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 06:44 pm:    Snowman - Heck if I know. Welcome to Washington State. Land of strange named cities (Native American). You can also visit great destinations such as. Skykomish La Push Chewelah Ephrata Hoquiam Wapato Klickitat - it's fun to say... Tokeland - hmm... what do they do with their spare time? Humptulips - one of my personal favorites. Todd   Robert Sublett (Rubisco98) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 06:52 pm:    I am always getting comments on my '96 D1, people thinking that it must have cost a fortune. Then I buy my wife a 99 D2. Now we're a two rover family and people really just think that I'm making a killing. Always get comments. Had one guy tell me one day that he thought that they were so ugly and couldn't see why anyone would spend that much money on one of "those things". He had a Toyota 4-runner and I told him that he paid over twice of his yota than I did for my Rover. People just can't fathom these things being cheap.. well, cheap to purchase, expensive to maintain.. Oh well. RS   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:13 pm:    You guys should really try going to college with a 98 D1, let me tell you there are some fun stigmas that get attached to all that......   Paul D. Morgan (V22guy) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:53 pm:    Hey Todd, Don't forget my home town of Chehalis. But getting back to the thread......When I came back home from a year in Philly; My Neighbors freaked when they saw the Pig. Because when I left, there was nothing on it. So I hear it all the time, "Have you seen what Paul has done to his Land Rover? It's even got scratches and stuff?" All I do is laugh   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 07:57 pm:    carter , that stigma wouln't be , small dick, big expensive car would it? rd   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:06 pm:    It really get a kick out of it when someone says something negative about LR's, knowing full well you own one, just to try and prove a point. Someone actually said to me one time, "You know with all that money you spent on that truck of yours, you could have bought a house." Funny thing is that you really don't have this with any other brand out there. But you also occassionally get the funny question. Bunch of young kids were outside the video store when I pulled up and one of them says to me, "Hey, cool dude. That's one of them Jurassic Park trucks, isn't it??" I just laughed and said sure figuring if he can't tell the difference between an Exlorer and a Disco, I wasn't going to try and correct him.   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:06 pm:    I think it is more that people are inclined to think I am a BIG dick because I own a truck that costs less than their brand new accords and explorers, funny how it is only the people who don't actually know me that are always saying shit.   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:08 pm:    ROTFLMAO...that was funny Rob! Well Carter???   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:09 pm:    Ooops, you replied already.   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:10 pm:    Probably piss them off more if you're one of them smarty pants type guys too.   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:12 pm:    I think he was talking about this Alan,   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:26 pm:    AHAHAHAAAAA!! Damn you're quick with the mouse. Where do you get all this weird stuff from??? Oh yea...you're the deviant with the porn....   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 08:30 pm:    He he, thats not my creation...... It origianated from talk of Gregs new tires making his disco look like a monster truck   Tony D (Nhrover) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 09:33 pm:    hey guys this is a little off topic but i found this pic i should share -Tony   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 09:39 pm:    this one give me wood! http://www.skytoprover.com/images/oddities/sheep3.jpg   Tony D (Nhrover) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 09:58 pm:    Rob....you are supposed to get wood over the truck not the sheep. I think? Right?   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 10:05 pm:    oh' i didnt even see the sheep.... ;) rd   Peter Carey (Pcarey) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 10:24 pm:    So Tony, you got wool wood from that picture?   Carter Simcoe (Carter) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 10:30 pm:    I don't know about the rest of you deviants but this is what gives me wood:   Peter Carey (Pcarey) Posted on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 - 10:51 pm:    What?? A lowered Chevy Quad Cab with a tire on the hood?   KJ Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 12:03 am:    Jesus, and I dare to add to this thread? Next thing you know I'll be on John Lee's Morons and Deviants list, or whatever that was, LOL! Rob, you make me laugh. I swear to god, I thought the sheep were rocks. Tony, what a great sign! Carter, well, you know ;) Only today, as I was getting my back fixed by my well-to-do Chiropractor (a car buff by his own admission), we got onto the subject of his new Jeep. He'd had one in the past and didn't like it, go figure buying a second. ANYway, he said he'd have looked at the Rover but he "didn't want to spend that much money." Now, he must not have been paying attention when I bought mine, because at the time he questioned me carefully about the cost, among other things. He paid as much for his new Jeep as I did my Disco. Perhaps the folklore about the price overcomes one-on-one conversation, I don't know. I also got into a very nice conversation with a young hottie-boy a couple weeks ago who stopped me because I was wearing the only LR apparel I have, a denim overshirt. Dammit, my mother was with me, and she REALLY thought he was hot, LOL! Anyway, he was truly interested in buying a used Disco, so we had a little chat about it. I gave him the DiscoWeb wisdom in about 200 words. Though I know so little myself, it was nice to talk with someone else who wasn't afraid to ask and be enthused about our little patch of vehicular joy. Did I mention he was hot? LOL! Karen, making friends   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 12:50 am:    Karen - I take it you're going to wear your denim shirt more often??   KJ Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 01:00 am:    Alan, I can't. My mother stole it. LOL! Karen   Sus (Susannah) Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 09:29 am:    Paul, You're from Chehalis? One of my best friends from college lives and grew up there!!! Her dad is a veterinarian. I spent a week with them on their farm out there in 2001...it's a nice little spot! Karen, Perhaps I need to buy a LR shirt now!! I did run into a cutie when I was in PA..he and HIS mom were looking at travel books b/c he is planning a trip to Australia. I, of course, was looking for the honeymoon. We start chatting about camping, etc...I told him to rent a rover and camp in it for a week. The discussions turns to LR and turns out he drives a 95 Disco as well...he then asks me if I actually "use mine or just drive it around for groceries." OH BOY-he had no idea who he was talking to (granted, I was traveling for work and driving a Ford Escape, or I would have SHOWN him how to use it!)!!!!!! So, I emparted upon him my shared DiscoWeb knowledge and left him feeling a little ashamed! You never know where these bookstore conversations will go. He's the second person I've run into that asked me about Rovers. Oh, and I thought the sheep were rocks too!!   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 10:46 am:    ladies,, that's what i neep saying, i thought the sheep were rocks myself. i hope you advised the would be travler to goto fraiser island for some camping and offroading. i have no land rover duds maybe that's what i'm doing wrong. ;) rd   KJ Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 10:56 am:    Looking to meet some hottie-boys, are you Rob? Karen   Jeremy Hamilton Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 12:12 pm:    Karen, I'm a hottie-rover-boy, but I'm very happily taken. Too bad for you. Maybe we could have a secret Rover love. Hehehehehe.   gp (Garrett) Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 12:54 pm:    oh man rob. watch out. you know how those older ladies are!! they are persistant and always get what they want. haha. i am sure if you ask nicely your folks can get you those spandex LR stretch ski pants you were asking me about. or was that the mesh tank top you were hoping to see under the tree?   Glenn Guinto (Glenn) Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 01:01 pm:    Karen, ONLY your LR denim shirt? Damn, where I come from they usually wear something else with that... like pants or a skirt. That hottie got lucky I guess...hehehe -glenn   KJ Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 02:06 pm:    Uh-oh, was it my punctuation Jeremy? Actually, I was asking Rob if that's what HE was looking for ;) I'm happily taken, too, but, you know how we "older ladies" are.....according to some around here..... Hey Rob, just for you: http://www.britishpacific.com/daily_special.html Glenn, you gutter troll, you need a good spanking. By Rob, LOL! gp, you REALLY should meet my mom. No kidding, she's HOT and ALWAYS gets her man-boy! Karen   Jeremy Hamilton Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 02:47 pm:    I get it now. It's all in good fun anyways. I just had to read it differently.   Peter Carey (Pcarey) Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 02:54 pm:    Hay Rob, hook up with Karen's mom, she has a shirt for ya. And Karen, how on Earth did your mom get the damn Damnit? Quote: Dammit, my mother was with me, and she REALLY thought he was hot, LOL! pwc   TPH (Snowman) Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 11:17 pm:    It's truly amazing what happens to my posts. I am not saying un-enjoyable, just...well interesting. S-   KJ Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 11:27 pm:    Peter, My mom earned the "dammit" for a couple of reasons. I mean, how well do *you* flirt in front of your MOM???? LOL! And then there was the embarassing story telling she was doing later....flattering, but embarassing at the same time. Dayum, those boys were cute.....and so is my mom! Karen, Happy remembrance does not cheating make!   KJ Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 11:29 pm:    Snowie, They say to go with your strengths in life, and that's just what we do! Karen   Jason D Gustavson (Gustavsonj) Posted on Thursday, December 12, 2002 - 11:38 pm:    snowman and the college dude. imagane the day i showed up to my first day at a brand new high school when my brand new 98 rr was about 1 month old. I was labeled as a drug dealer by the staff then later realized I was just a really spoiled 16 year old. But i bought my own d1 at 19 years old and all my superiors think my parents paid for it when they didnt i did and paid like only 13k like an average price for a car for someone my age but i still cant really say anything because my parents dished out a ton for my first vehicle. jason   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 01:10 am:    Karen are you trying to set your mom up??   Peter Carey (Pcarey) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 01:28 am:    Karen, I meant to say, How did your Mom get the *name* damnit. Oh well. Another failed attempt at humor. pwc   Pugsly (Pugsly) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 01:59 am:    My god, if we can't tell the difference between sheep and rocks... I mean, how do you know when to engage CDL? Should I use chains with sheep? I'm _so_ confused.   KJ Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 11:23 am:    LOL, Peter. Sorry, I was too thick to get it! Alan, trust me, my mom needs NO help getting male attention. She's a babe, all the way. Some day I hope to look that good..... Karen   Rob Davison (Pokerob) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 12:09 pm:    yeah, this is getting creepy. i need to get some land rover socks and hang out with people my age before i get seduced by karen's mother. rd   gp (Garrett) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 12:23 pm:    now that's creepy. rob seducing someone?   KJ Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 05:05 pm:    ...and only in his socks, too..... Karen   Ramsay (3toedsloth) Posted on Friday, December 13, 2002 - 11:59 pm:    All I'm saying is I'm pretty sure I lost my virginity because I drove a purty Land Rover. Also, my current girlfriend noticed my truck and sought out its owner. (It's not as bad as it sounds.) Now, if I could just get it to leak money instead of fluids... Shamelessly vain, JR   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2002 - 01:18 am:    Hey JR, Does your girlfriend know you're a boozin', cigarette smoking squirrel??   Ramsay (3toedsloth) Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 - 08:44 pm:    Alan, That's one of those things that's pretty hard to hide. Sincerely hoarding nuts, Camels and Bourbon, JR   Jeremy Hamilton Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 11:49 am:    I actually just stopped by the Nissan dealership here while I was getting a tire put on my D1. I went to check out the new Z. The salesman wasn't terribly interested in me until he found out that I own a Rover. Once I told him that he was the most polite and helpful person he could be. He took me inside to look at the showroom model so I could sit in it and "fall in love" with it. He also told me that it would be a great car to drive on the road I live on(a windy, mountain road), which would be fun. I guess he thought I'm made of money because I drive a Rover. I can barely afford my used D1 never mind a new sports car.   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 12:29 pm:    Jeremy, kinda sad isn't it, that salesman do that? Samething happened to me at a Volvo dealership. Didn't pay a lot of attention to me until they asked me what I currently drive, then they told me everythign I wanted to know about S60.   Jeremy Hamilton Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 12:49 pm:    It didn't help that I was wearing a flannel shirt, jeans, and an old dirty hat. So, I didn't get much attention from the salesman because I didn't "look rich". But my truck proves that I must be because all Rovers are expensive. Stupid S.O.B. If I was in the market for one of those cars I certainly would not have bought it from that dealership. They would double the price because I'm "rich" and I can afford it.   ema Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 01:00 pm:    I'm sure the Z has some kind of market adjustment surcharge tacked onto it. Most of the dealerships around here tack "adjustments" to hot cars. Heck, the local Nissan dealer had a $3,000 adjustment on the 3.5L Pathfinders when they first arrived. The Honda S2000 had a $10,000 adjustment when they came out. Actually, I found Volvo, Land Rover, and Saturn to be some of the nicest dealerships to deal with. Alan--if you have any questions about the S60, let me know. I had one until I bought the Rover. -ema   Sus (Susannah) Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 01:10 pm:    Well, you just never know about dealerships. I stopped at the LR Dealer in Asheville, NC to look at the new Discos. Thinking they would be pretty cool b/c I drove up in my D1...I had been there once before when I still drove an Explorer... They never looked twice at me. I walked around the dealership, went in the showroom to check out the Freelander, etc. Not even a hello. There was a family in there that drove up in an old 4-runner and they were all over them like flies. I was pretty pissed off after that...I won't ever buy from them!   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 01:12 pm:    Jeremy - LOL...ya that would probably throw them off. A friend of mine who used to work at a Toyota dealership said a guy who bought a 4Runner went into the dealership in jeans, an old jean jacket, hat and unshaven for days. They made the deal with him but dropped the price way down because they thought he had no money but they wanted the sale. When he showed up to pay/pick up the truck, he arrived shaven, 3 piece suite and in a porsche...paid cash. Should have seen the look on the salesman. ema - how did you like the S60? When I was looking at them, I thought the backseat was almost just token seats. There was so little room back there I thought only little kids and small dogs could fit. Did you have the big engine package? How was it to drive on a day to day basis? How was it's fuel mileage compared to other cars in it's class? I actually ended up with a LR because I had such crappy experiences with all the Nissan dealerships where I lived. The LR guy was really nice and very helpful but not very pushy.   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 01:14 pm:    Sus - ya I don't get that sometimes. It's like hot and cold with some dealerships. Sometimes they're really nice to you and other times, you might as well be invisible.   Sus (Susannah) Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 01:22 pm:    I agree. I must admit, the LR Cary (NC) dealership is awesome. I went in there 3 different times to look at used Discos before I bought mine, and they never changed their attitude towards me. Very nice, helpful, interested, etc. Unfortunately, I bought my car somewhere else, but I'd go to them for a new one!   ema Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 01:33 pm:    Alan, I really enjoyed my S60, but found that it was a little small for my needs. I'm an avid hiker and mountain biker, so depending on the activity I either transport a large dog or bikes. Took the S60 camping a couple times and found that I needed more ground clearance to get to certain campgrounds. I had the 2.4T model which is the light pressure turbo. There was a high-performance engine (T5), but I decided against it because I felt that most of the power came at higher rpms. I thought the 2.4T was the best compromise between power, fuel economy, and insurance premiums. A co-worker who bought the normally aspirated model regretted not getting one of the stronger engine. Fuel mileage was extraordinary. In city, I average about 24 mpg. If I was driving on the highway, I got close to 30 mpg (doing 70-75 mph). There were times when I got 500 miles out of one tank of gas. Day to day driving was alright. In heavy stop-and-go driving, I thought the S60 was lacking. The engine and automatic transmission just wasn't responsive and made driving a chore. Volvo changed the engine management software in the '02 models and it made a world of a difference. (If you read some of the Volvo boards, you'll find some '01 owners complaining of the same thing.) On the highway, the S60 was a dream. I easily drove 16 hours per day and arrived at the destination feeling well-rested. Volvo seats are to die for. I have never been in another car that offered such nice seats. In terms of reliability, I had one of the early build S60s. The only issue I experienced was where the trunk lid would not latch shut. The latch was replaced by the dealership. If the budget allows for it some day, I would love to keep both an S60 and Disco. They are both terrific cars with their own respective strengths and weaknesses. -ema   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 01:59 pm:    Sus - I've been very happy with my dealership, with the exception of parts being a bit more costly but that's part of owning a LR. All I can say was that LR's gain was Nissan's loss. The last Nissan dealer I was at, I got such crappy service from them that I complained about it to the Sales Manager and 30 minutes later bought a Disco...so I guess in a way, Nissan did me a favor. I did have an old 89 Pathfinder before and really liked it so thought I'd stick with Nissan's but after the kind of customer service I got from the sales guy, I decided to go else where...just so happened that a LR dealer was nearby. Thanks ema. I'd like to get a second vehicle for daily driving so been thinking about the S60. But it sounds like it might be a touch on the small side as far as cargo, I might look at the S40 instead. Know anything about them? I know that them and Mazda worked on the S40 together but that's about it.   ema Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 02:13 pm:    Alan, Sure, I looked at the S40/V40 when they first came out (1999 or so). The S40/V40 was a collaboration between Volvo and Mitsubishi. It's not a bad car, but due for redesign in the next year or so. (Also, if cargo space is an issue I don't think the S40 is much of an improvement over the S60.) Have you considered the V70? It is a S60 with the fanny pack. I drove a V70 Cross-Country several times as a loaner and really liked it. Built on the same platform, with the same engines and interior design. All that being said, I still get a big smile every time I drive the Disco. Good luck, -ema   Alan Yim (Alan) Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 02:42 pm:    ema - I know what you mean. I love driving my Disco but on a day to day basis, sometimes it's not all that practical so hence my looking for a daily driver type vehicle. We'll see. I'm not in a huge hurray as I work from home most of the week but if I come across a good deal or soemthing. Thanks for the info.