RE: PH Buying Guide: Range Rover (L322)

RE: PH Buying Guide: Range Rover (L322)

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Discussion

TheAllSeeingPie

865 posts

135 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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16k miles in 10 months and mine and I love it. Got the exhaust change for something a bit more fruity to match the "Supercharged" badges on the car (standard 4.2 Supercharged engine is whisper quiet). It pulls like a freight train when you need it to, stops better than a car that size should stop and the things it can climb up are insane. Also bloody amazing what they can do on road tyres, but with mud tyres the only thing you have to worry about is scraping it on something!

Cotic

469 posts

152 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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666TUR said:
Lots of interesting stuff
Fair enough - but you should really match the trailerboard reg plate with the one on the car...

NGK210

2,932 posts

145 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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Also worth noting that the early versions lean like the Mary Rose through bends because they don't have the later models' active ARB gizmo.

Trommel

19,112 posts

259 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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NGK210 said:
Also worth noting that the early versions lean like the Mary Rose through bends because they don't have the later models' active ARB gizmo.
No L322 has any sort of active anti-roll (unless you count the adaptive dampers on the late cars).

Raph C

117 posts

237 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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I so wanted to buy an L322...

But for a £20k budget, you get such a better spec of Cayenne (and I still do not like how it looks really) that made it a no brainer.

I still want a Range Rover though!

TheAllSeeingPie

865 posts

135 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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Trommel said:
NGK210 said:
Also worth noting that the early versions lean like the Mary Rose through bends because they don't have the later models' active ARB gizmo.
No L322 has any sort of active anti-roll (unless you count the adaptive dampers on the late cars).
The 2007MY and Supercharged cars had stiffer suspension which overall had less travel but better breakover angles and off-road ability. The active ARB was on early Discos & Sports but got canned after a while. The 2010 onwards cars had an improvement with active suspension monitoring to try and adjust the stiffness to improve the already excellent ride.

If you want to drive these cars fast then it's worth noting that the suspension attempts not to adjust itself when going around corners to stop it unbalancing the car, which means if you get it leaned over it'll stay that way until the cornering is finished. If you get it to lock the sus before you're really leaned over you'll get faster corners out of it. Also if you're not affected by seasickness then just throw it round corners and the DSC will kick in before it rolls anyway (unless you do something really stupid). The sus also avoids height changes when you floor it from the lights, which is why you get that lovely "I'm trying to wheelie a 3 ton car" kinda stance when you boot it smile

edc

9,235 posts

251 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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02 plate cheap one here owned for a year and now on 150k+ miles. Its had a preventative gearbox oil change and a pair of airbags for the front suspension. It recently passed its MOT with no advisories. A couple of pixels are out on the dash but everything seems pretty well screwed together otherwise.

hman

7,487 posts

194 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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I always wanted one of these. however the BMW diesel units and ZF boxes plus air suspension problems totally turned me off this idea ( I have a BM diesel and am amazed it was allowed to have such short lived components).

Big shame as these are handsome cars with a great ride, expect residuals to plummet in a year as everyone gets used to the new shape RR and the problems with the older model really manifest in the 2nd hand market.

Trommel

19,112 posts

259 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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TheAllSeeingPie said:
The active ARB was on early Discos & Sports but got canned after a while
That's Dynamic Response, not fitted to the Discovery but standard on the Supercharged Sport.

hman said:
expect residuals to plummet in a year as everyone gets used to the new shape RR and the problems with the older model really manifest in the 2nd hand market.
They've had over a decade to do that - the only real impact of the L405 will be on the value of late L322s, which were discounted anyway.

Edited by Trommel on Friday 1st February 16:44

dubbs

1,588 posts

284 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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Had a 4.2S/C and it was superb. It's rare to get a bad one but they do exist just as they do for any car - only difference being this isn't just any car - even if you had one with only half the gizmos working it'd be better specced than most cars.

Awesome, and in S/C guise, an absolute bargain for those that don't do too many miles.

Now on a Discovery as needed the extra space - I find that even MORE superb but that's for another day...

hman

7,487 posts

194 months

Friday 1st February 2013
quotequote all
Trommel said:
They've had over a decade to do that - the only real impact of the L405 will be on the value of late L322s, which were discounted anyway.

Edited by Trommel on Friday 1st February 16:44
erm you have seen the prices of the l322 predecessor havent you?

and that had comparatively better reliability although it is an ugly sister..

I've been watching values of used l322 over the last 24 months and they've already started the rollercoaster meaning only one thing to happen now the L405 is here (as the band Aerosmith would sing) "gooooooiiiiiing down".

TheAllSeeingPie

865 posts

135 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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Trommel said:
TheAllSeeingPie said:
The active ARB was on early Discos & Sports but got canned after a while
That's Dynamic Response, not fitted to the Discovery but standard on the Supercharged Sport.
Actually I was thinking they were referring to Active Corner Enhancement which I think made its way into the Early Sports but was canned at some point.

TheAllSeeingPie

865 posts

135 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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Ok, did my homework, ACE got turned into DR for the Sport. I knew they were related somehow ...

Jem0911

4,415 posts

201 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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Best Car I've owned so far in a very long list by a very long way.

Angelis

2,329 posts

236 months

Friday 1st February 2013
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I love my 2003 range rover.

Stuck a 2010 bodykit, ipod connection and digital TV in it and now use it more and more. Plus it's an LPG version so save some ££ when filling up.

Only major problem was a new gearbox that cost nearly £3,000.

Still the best car I've ever owned.

It does everything. It's even been on the track at Brands Hatch at teh same time as an F1 car and an Enzo with me hanging out the back.

And it beat the Wilton house supercar convoy to the first stop and kept up with them all the way to Wiltshire!!! laugh





Edited by Angelis on Friday 1st February 22:54

grand cherokee

2,432 posts

199 months

Saturday 2nd February 2013
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the 2007 onwards stiffer 'anti roll bar' can be retrofitted - main dealers are reluctant but JE Engineering will do the job as i would assume any independent garage?

i've a 2005 4.4 V8 - in the first 6 months of ownership it cost me a lot of money - i thought the seller may have 'neglected' to tell me about faults but main dealer confirmed that NONE of my problems could have been known/anticipated - i'd just been unlucky

everything was sorted and since then (touch wood) its been fine apart from usual wear and tear items

well apart from one constant minor niggle - rear washer jet keeps getting blocked - had new washer bottle etc but still gets blocked/poor flow like an old man - lol!

everything works (again touch wood) - i do use it off road as well

i've had other Range Rovers inc one of the first P38's with air suspension - that car was an absolute nightmare - taken back by main dealer in the end

i've had plenty of 4 x 4's and i love this Range Rover - there is just something about the car/driving position/capability that i love

it has understated presence/class - at home in the mud or Sloane Square - you could say classless?

thinking about a 5.0l supercharged as next buy - mights consider the L405 after 18 months plus when the majority of problems have been field tested by first batch of owners and been modified/rectified

Steve_W

1,494 posts

177 months

Saturday 2nd February 2013
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Friend of ours has a 53 plate TDV6 with 75000 on the clock; it's wanted for nothing in its life service wise. Before Christmas he was talking of getting rid of it for a new one, we even chatted about me buying it to replace my OH's Freelander.

Spoke to him the other day to hear that just after new year the gearbox went - first quote was for over £4000; he's had it done by a local specialist for around £2500.

Still love the look of them, but that was a bit of an eye opener!

Trusty Steed

291 posts

194 months

Sunday 3rd February 2013
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Love mine, put some decent AT tyres on and it's as good as my Defender, an extended LR warranty is a must though in my opinion.

grand cherokee

2,432 posts

199 months

Sunday 3rd February 2013
quotequote all
Trusty Steed said:
Love mine, put some decent AT tyres on and it's as good as my Defender, an extended LR warranty is a must though in my opinion.
i'd disagree - put the monthly warranty payments in the bank - and use when needed

there are just far too many 'get out clauses' in any warranty scheme - and those were the words of a main dealer!

Trusty Steed

291 posts

194 months

Sunday 3rd February 2013
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grand cherokee said:
Trusty Steed said:
Love mine, put some decent AT tyres on and it's as good as my Defender, an extended LR warranty is a must though in my opinion.
i'd disagree - put the monthly warranty payments in the bank - and use when needed

there are just far too many 'get out clauses' in any warranty scheme - and those were the words of a main dealer!
And I disagree again - there are a few get out clauses, i agree there, but at £425 a year from my local Land Rover dealer, it's a no brainer to me!