- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.4DT, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
NA
- Fuel
NA
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
NA
- Ancap Safety
NA
1990 Range Rover Classic review: Used car guide
Home, home on the Rangie
For: Classy looks, comfortable ride and a highly respected image. Off-road ability beyond the dreams of most owners. Long-travel, supple suspension.
Against: Expensive to buy and can be costly to maintain. Build quality problems show in many minor areas. Reliability not up to standards of Japanese rivals.
Verdict: Exudes class and looks great when picking up the kids. But big questions remain over quality.
Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)
First there was the World War II Jeep. Then, in 1948, Britain's Land Rover joined the American Army's favourite vehicle as a rugged four-wheel-drive workhorse.
Moves from those basic 4WDs to family vehicles that could handle rough terrain were slow at first. Jeep made a station wagon version of its machine - but the arrival of Range Rover in 1970 changed the 4WD scene for ever.
Many rival manufacturers tried but just couldn't come up with anything that approached the Rangie for comfort, luxury, and sheer presence. For many years it reigned as a status symbol in the classier suburbs of cities around the world.
The Range Rover always has been superb in that environment, but it is even better off-road.
Supple, long travel suspension with coil springs, rather than heavy and less flexible leaf springs as used by rivals, ensured that the badge was often seen where others feared to tread.
Not that many owners ever discovered the fact - it showed up only in magazines' off-road comparison tests. Many macho off-roaders refused - then and now - to acknowledge that a luxury vehicle could outperform their more rugged machines in the rough.
But the Range Rover's soft and flexible ride enables it to tiptoe over humps and bumps that bounced its rivals clear off the road.
In recent years, the gap has closed. Buyers looking for comfortable 4WD machines that will carry the family around town and into the bush have a wide range from which to choose. Range Rovers, though, have continued to improve and still can hold their own in Double Bay or on wild mountain trails.
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There are drawbacks. They are neither cheap to buy nor to maintain and despite those improvements over the years, Rangies still suffer from quality problems.
Design shortcomings have mostly been weeded out, such as the underfloor fuel pump exposed to dust, mud and water, and from which the wires could be torn by sticks and stones flung up by large, churning wheels.
But Range Rovers, like Jaguars, still find ways to break down that are unknown in, for example, most Japanese vehicles.
In 1990, the long-standing 3.5-litre V8 engine was replaced by a much stronger 3.9-litre, giving the car the performance it was beginning to lack against rivals.
A 2.4-litre turbo diesel was briefly available - but buyers shunned it, as the noisy rattling at idle didn't fit the image of the car.
Transmission options were a five-speed manual gearbox and a four-speed automatic. City dwellers found the latter more attractive; the few who used their Rangies off-road favoured the manual shift.
The base model cost about $73,000 in 1990, dropped to $67,400 a year later, but then rose again to almost $82,000 by its final year. At the top of the range, the Vogue SLE four-door automatic wagon started at $103,000.
Now, second-hand prices range from about $17,000 for the earliest 3.9 wagon to $44,000 for the last of the 3.9 Vogue SEs.
Such a drop in value indicates a wariness by second-hand buyers, but is good news for those who aspire to what is an extraordinary combination of comfort and sure-footedness.
Range Rovers sit tall on the road and have considerable body roll compared to a normal car, but they handle surprisingly well and the full-time four-wheel-drive is a safety factor in wet and slippery conditions.
Reliability can be a headache, but it applies mainly to niggling things rather than major mechanical failures.
And experienced Range Rover mechanics with specialist workshops know what the common faults are and how to fix them - so customarily they won't return.
In fact, buying a Range Rover directly through such a company is not a bad idea. Next best is to find one that has been regularly serviced by such people. At the very least, try to have an expert on the marque check out your proposed purchase before you buy.
What to look for
Engine
Check for smooth running and any signs of poor servicing. Also look for oil smoke from the exhaust and oil leaks.
Interior
Look for broken and missing items inside the vehicle. This is not unusual in Range Rovers and can indicate how well the vehicle has been looked after.
Body noises
Try to drive the car over some rough roads and listen for body squeaks or rattles that testify to the amount of hard work it has done.