Ok don't think me an utter , as I know there was some really solid advice on here about *not* buying from Saxtons - however I went back to see the Tonga Green 2005 4.4 RR at Saxtons last week.

I was brutally honest with the salesman, and told him I'd been given good advice to steer clear of them from various owners clubs, and asked him why he thought that would be (my inner journalist isn’t shy). He claimed they moved around 100 cars a month, and with that huge turnover unfortunately some people would be unhappy. He admitted at the weekends customer parking is limited, and that with only 6 salesman working, often people could be kept waiting longer than he would like. He agreed they weren’t a LR dealership, so when a customer demands floor mats, they are forced to find items from stock (rather than pay £130 from LR direct for items) and so he thought it unfair when customers then complained that items were not new.

To be honest, I thought he made a good case for himself, and was nothing other than polite and attentive (though I did make an effort to go mid-week, when I knew they would be quieter).

I think I could see where some of the comments originated whilst I was there, as I drove a few examples, and couldn’t believe how tatty some £25K RRs were, with paint peeling from interior parts, and in one example the all terrain toggles snapped off. I cant attest to all of their stock, just talking simply about the ones I sat in/drove, and the salesman maintained all these sorts of snags would be replaced before collection if bought.

However, the 2005 Tonga was immaculate. I could only find two small scuffs on the paintwork, the interior looked totally unused (which was remarkable for a 80K car). I dated the windows (Noddy will know what I’m on about) and they were factory originals. The car had one owner and full LRSH, bought and serviced from the same dealership all of its life - who I called and had them fax over all the receipts they had on file. They also confirmed the car had all recalls completed. I then spoke to a friend at HR Owen, and they faxed over the original bill of sale for me (£69,563).

The whine I had asked you guys about was a belt tensioner, which they have replaced. I also experienced a slight shudder under braking, after which they confirmed the discs were warped and were replacing them all round. I thought one tyre might have a slow puncture, which they are also now replacing.

So I bought it

I went into the dealership as if buying from a private seller, which I think is important to say, and I told them that I would be unhappy if their warranty turned out to be useless in the near future.

I have to say the buying process so far has been excellent, and I would recommend Saxtons if you know what you're looking for, and at. Certainly the level of stock allows for a huge scope of selection.

I completed all the tips from you guys, from checking the venture cam worked, to getting under the car and examining the boots for splits (great thing about buying a RR is you can get under it!)

So hopefully this won't allow any of you an 'I told you so' moment

I pick the car up next week!

Excellent news

Welcome to the fold ..... it can get a bit pricey tho...I'm on my third!  Land Rover Addict
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2009 5.0V8SC Autobiography
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2004 4.4V8 Vogue

Last edited by DMRR on 27th Apr 2010 11:36am. Edited 1 time in total

Great stuff, soulds like you've bagged a good'n. 2006 Mercedes CLS
1991 Retro-style Mini
But really finding it hard to fight the urge for a S/C...

Dealer pics of the car:

http://www.saxton4x4.com/car/saxton4x4-f0424ba0880cfad8/print

Tonga Green - 20" Radars - Ivory Leather Interior

What a fantastic looking Range Rover - Stunning in actual fact!

but then I would say that, wouldn't I !

Well Done Sir and WELCOME !

That's near identical to mine.

Good choice  2006 Mercedes CLS
1991 Retro-style Mini
But really finding it hard to fight the urge for a S/C...

very nice car! Congratulations on the buy!  2000 BMW M5, Avus Blue/LeMans Leather Interior
2006 Range Rover Westminster Java Black

I'd say that was a very good price too. Beautiful car, hope you're happy with it.

Dan 

Thanks lad - I did get a chunk of cash off, so I was really happy with the price in the end. Now I'm just hunting for mats (thank you ebay) and side steps (which I want to try and find for less than £250, any suggestions welcome).

Just got some mats from Mr TopMats on ebay. Quite impressed, thick carpet, coordinating trimmed edges and even the metal corners and fixings. All for around 50 quid. Much happy than paying the stealer £155 +vat!

I just picked up a set of genuine rubber ones for the front for £10 off ebay. Bargain I thought! 

I always kept 2 sets of mats for mine, rubber for winter and carpet for summer. Personally i'd only ever buy genuine LR ones, they fit and last better I think.

Out of interest, how much warranty did they throw in? Did you have to pay extra for it??

I'm shopping for a S/C myself at the mo and trying to avoid main dealers because of the cost. The only downside to that is the loss of the warranty......

Sounds like you did all the homework and got it right so congrats,

Great colour, I had a Tonga Green TD6 Vogue and loved it, privacy glass looks great with Tonga, here's what mine looked like in case you need inspiration

Click image to enlarge

I think it looks great and a fair price.
Well done. 15MY SDV8 Vogue SE

That's a really nice car. I'm sure you'll have loads of fun in that. The interior especially is a treat, if it is as unused as you say, you got a steal IMHO.