CJMCG

Wow, again, thanks Doc, thanks Gaurav! As before, I am still waiting for the go ahead with car purchase. My company is playing around with visas and residency, so, I am going to have to wait a bit. I love refering back to Docs very helpful and very descriptive, insightful replies! Am a bit of a perol head and love dicussing the in's and out's of all these models! I have another two to throw into the mix, but, please understan, that I am still aiming for the RR-S V8, but, do have to justify it with the wife. She does see the likes of the RR-S bing dwarfed by Yukons, Armada's and Patrols-on-balloon-tyres, and keeps asking me why I would insist on a lower-to-the-ground Brit-mobile when you can have a massive tank like the aforementioned. The other ones that didn't make it onto the initial list (simply because I forgot! Nothing to do with the vehicles...) were the Hummer H2 and Toyota Fortuner. Now, my inital thoughts are (and please correct as appropriate... this means you Doc - lol!) that the Hummer is a fun-toy, 7/10 score for offroad despite its appearance/reputation, 7/10 for interior quality/space, 1/10 for service support/parts/costs of maintenance. Oh, and 2/10 for bing able to fit anywhere, but 10/10 for imposing brutality. The Fortuner, only really mentioned here because it is everywhere, seems to be a Prado designed for the Indian market specfically, and totters round with the same (lame?) 2.7VVTi wheeze-bag engine found in everything from Hilux donkey-carts to FUSO Buses! Seems small, weak, cheap, low-rent and common, BUT, it has some serious ground clearance! Also noted that the UAE Police use Nissan X-Terra's... Interesting! So, the challenge is on, the gauntlet pounded on the dusty ground - HOW do we justify running and owning the RR-S out here? Its lower to the ground than many others (X-Terra, Prado, Pathfinder,etc), its more expensive to service than others (vs. Nissan, Toyota, etc) [unless youre Gaurav! ;o) ], its is slower than some others (Cayenne's, X5 4.4iS, M-Class AMG, etc), has less space than some others (Yukons, Armada's, Landcruiser V8's). So, let's hear it for the Brit-Pack! What makes the RR and RR-S the ones to go for?

Wow. Thank you both - very kind. As you can tell, I have been absent a wee bit - finding a house has somehow become more important that landing a Landie. Don't ask me how... Although the RR-Sport is what I am most interested in, and if possible, a V8-Supercharged variant, is there anything else, LR/RR or otherwise, which should be considered? I know it is a bit of an open question, but, I am no stranger to the Middle East, and with the local's obsession with all things LandCruiser! Does anyone have an opinion on, say, the Toureg (European-pricey option?), the Armada (giant Jap option), the Pajero (tried and trusted Jap faithful - yawn) or the Prado (baby LandCruiser after liposuction...)... I am looking beyond purchase price, and adding concerns of a) performance, comfort/image (wife!), c) off-road ability (some would be nice!), d) servicing, part, labour costs. The other realm I was looking into was that of the Yank-Tank Option. GMC Yukon, Chevy Tahoe or Ford Expedition... I would love to hear some stories/ideas or experiences? I certainly don't think I would have the 'pocket' deep enough for a full-on RangeRover, hence the interest in the Sport. Also, the Discovery (aka LR4?) seems scarce here and unappreciated? Is there a reason for that? Can I also ask the average servicing cost of the Sport/Sport SC? I have heard reasonble stories and nightmare horrors! Much much appreciated, and it was nice to arrive in Dubai, amidst the hectic set-up period, and have a nice few replies on here, so, thank you!

Dear All, Hope all is well for all the LR fans in the UAE! I will soon be coming to Dubai, and am very pleased to see that it is possible to get hold of a used RR Sport for reasonable money! My concern then shifts to the servicing and parts/labour charges. I am comng from the UK, but, have spent the majority of my life in the Middle East, and so, am used to the differences between the EU and Middle East in terms of costs and services. I am hoping that the decent cost of purchasing such a vehicle as the RR-Sport would be matched by similar low cost of maintenance and servicing/parts? If someone could offer some insight, then that would be great! Thank you! If it helps, I am looking at a 2006-7 Range Rover Sport V8. All the best! CJMCG