"braking" .... "LCA" are the same.... but ok whatever LOL
Also:
I've had a 2013 LR4 HSE loaner for a week at a time....liked it yes, but not enough to merit $30-$40k differential at the time. My new control arms have better ball joints than factory lr4, my new Bilstien 4600 series dampers are better than LR4 factory, my EBC brakes, even being smaller to fit 17" wheels, brake just as effortlessly as before so very little practical differences exist other than the engine and transmission.
And yes, it is in fact the transmission that is the issue not holding high gears, not the motor LOL The lr3 motor has plenty of torque to do so.
Enjoy the lr4 though... they are certainly nice.
Whatever LR did to the early LR3 LCAs it worked because the later ones (LR4+) do not wear like the early ones. Never had a problem with the ball joints rather the hydro bushings would crap the bed early and often. On the LR3 the alignment was always going out of spec (due to bushing settling/degradation?) but not so in the new stuff. This is what gave the 3 the reputation for chewing up tires quickly. The geometry was changed (Range Rover Sport specs) in the LR4 which gives a much better road feel although the quicker steering ratio may be a drawback offroad.
The brakes were definitely improved and up sized on the LR4. AS you know this is why OEM LR3 18" wheels will not fit on the LR4 as they do not clear the larger calipers. Again an improvement for the road but a PITA if looking for 18" rubber. Adding quality aftermarket stuff makes the braking even better.
Transmission I believe is the same LR3/LR4 . With the LR3 the transmission was constantly dropping out of sixth when travelling 80 mph+. With the LR4 the extra torque and HP reduced that to just once in awhile. Again nothing wrong with the 3 and less money for maintenance, just don't be in a hurry and plan your 2 lane highway passes carefully. The 4.4 is quieter an smoother than the 5.0L.