RE: PH Buying Guide: Range Rover (L322)

RE: PH Buying Guide: Range Rover (L322)

Author
Discussion

johnxjsc1985

15,948 posts

164 months

Tuesday 24th July 2018
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had mine for 15 months now struggled with an EAS problem but it just caused a lockout and it was perfectly ok to drive.
The drive is really something else and for the money its worth the risk.

Equus

16,901 posts

101 months

Tuesday 24th July 2018
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Hoyleyboyley said:
Am looking at autobiography / westminsters much like yours but am put off by the horror stories?

Has it burst into flames?
Mine is now over 150K miles, 75K of which have been in my hands.

Sum total of problems:
  • Corroded brake lines (I live at the coast, and it is occasionally called upon to ford saltwater, so I can hardly criticise it for that)
  • The rear washer non-return valve failed. £2.50, off Ebay.
  • A stone got jammed between the propshaft and the bodyshell, causing the most godawful intermittent graunching noise.
  • Reversing camera sometimes works perfectly, sometimes doesn't work at all. I suspect a bad connection (possibly my fault from when I did the rear washer valve, but since I never use the camera, anyway, I haven't got round to investigating).
I'm genuinely struggling to decide on something to replace it. I never usually get the same make/model twice in a row, and anyway I can't bring myself to spend £30K on updating to a younger version of the same car, with less mileage, when it's still driving so well... so I'll probably end up running it to 200K miles+

Hoyleyboyley

5 posts

96 months

Tuesday 24th July 2018
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Many thanks.

Test drove a 3.6 which was v nice, but if the 4.4 TD is better still then that seems like a no brainer!

hadaporsche

47 posts

99 months

Wednesday 25th July 2018
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Hi I've had three of these L322s over the years, pre enjoyed with a good few miles on. One thing to shoot for is miles done on the motorway not in town. Items to consider for maintenance, front suspension, air suspension bags, air suspension compressor, front discs and pads. Protection of the turbos is a must, check the oil and the service history. 3.6s blow black / blue smoke if the intercooler rubber pipes crack and leak air. Some of the magna transfer cases have weak bearings and make a wheel bearing noise, its not as hard as it sounds to change these bearings once the case is out. Auto boxes sometimes have issues too. Mine have never stopped moving forward, just needed maintenance.

CAPP0

19,588 posts

203 months

Wednesday 25th July 2018
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Equus said:
Hoyleyboyley said:
Am looking at autobiography / westminsters much like yours but am put off by the horror stories?

Has it burst into flames?
Mine is now over 150K miles, 75K of which have been in my hands.

Sum total of problems:
  • Corroded brake lines (I live at the coast, and it is occasionally called upon to ford saltwater, so I can hardly criticise it for that)
  • The rear washer non-return valve failed. £2.50, off Ebay.
  • A stone got jammed between the propshaft and the bodyshell, causing the most godawful intermittent graunching noise.
  • Reversing camera sometimes works perfectly, sometimes doesn't work at all. I suspect a bad connection (possibly my fault from when I did the rear washer valve, but since I never use the camera, anyway, I haven't got round to investigating).
I'm genuinely struggling to decide on something to replace it. I never usually get the same make/model twice in a row, and anyway I can't bring myself to spend £30K on updating to a younger version of the same car, with less mileage, when it's still driving so well... so I'll probably end up running it to 200K miles+
I reached exactly the same conclusion a few weeks ago now. I've taken mine from 40k to 105k, with a different but similarly-short & minor list of issues to those above. Mine is the AJV8 petrol (non-S/C) which is apparently less common than other variants. Whilst it's looking a little tired now, it's still as reliable, comfortable, capable, and suited to my needs as it was on day 1, and as you say, I can;t see the point in shelling out for a newer version until I have to.

Our annual mileage has probably dropped to about 5-6k now, so on that basis I reckon it's got another 6-8 years in it yet at least. It's worth three parts of bugger all anyway. And if I discipline myself enough to put away the cash I'd spend on another, or on a lease deal, then once this one finally turns up it's toes, I'll probably go for a current-shape RRS. Or a spectacularly low-mileage L322 or even another P38!

Timbuktu

1,953 posts

155 months

Wednesday 25th July 2018
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Hoyleyboyley said:
Timbuktu - how is it ?

Am looking at autobiography / westminsters much like yours but am put off by the horror stories?

Has it burst into flames?
It's great thanks!

Bought on 44,000 miles and now on 61,000 - I've actually done the same number of miles in it in a year and a half that I have in my M3 in nearly three years.

I've done four European trips in luxury, Le Mans, twice to the ring and once to the Alps. It tows my track car and the horse box like a dream.

It hasn't burst in to flames but I have spent a few grand on it. It's needed a wheel bearing, all brake pads, two new suspension air bags, and some front suspension control arms.

Of course it would have been much cheaper for me to buy a Japanese pick up or 4x4 but I'm glad I didn't.

People say don't run them without a warranty but it depends if you want to pay a lot for potentially nothing, or just pay to fix it when it breaks.

I don't know if you're bothered about the rear E-diff, I think that all the Autobiography models have them but not all Westminsters, you can check if you have the VIN number as most people won't have a clue what you're on about if you ask. I chose mine by getting the VIN numbers of ones I was interested in and putting it in to a website (can't remember which one there are a few).

Again a lot of people will say it's not worth having but that's up to you, I am sure it helped in the snow/ice and on sand where I drive quite often.

A friend has a 2007 non facelift version and it all the buttons inside look ancient whereas mine still looks pretty modern.

trowelhead

1,867 posts

121 months

Sunday 1st August 2021
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Watching Clarkson's Farm has reignited my desire for an L322...

Tye Green

651 posts

109 months

Sunday 1st August 2021
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trowelhead said:
Watching Clarkson's Farm has reignited my desire for an L322...
and reignited this thread!

I had an l322 for 8 years and it was the best mainstream car I've owned. can't think what to replace it with

trowelhead

1,867 posts

121 months

Sunday 1st August 2021
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Tye Green said:
trowelhead said:
Watching Clarkson's Farm has reignited my desire for an L322...
and reignited this thread!

I had an l322 for 8 years and it was the best mainstream car I've owned. can't think what to replace it with
Do you still have it?

I honestly look at a later model L322 and think what else could beat that for the money. I have a newer shape RRS but still love these.

The stories on here are generally pretty positive in terms of reliability

Familymad

664 posts

217 months

Wednesday 19th April 2023
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I am having bad 322 thoughts again. £15-20k buys the best out there…

mr_spock

3,341 posts

215 months

Wednesday 19th April 2023
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Familymad said:
I am having bad 322 thoughts again. £15-20k buys the best out there…
And you’ll still be doing suspension, steering column lock solenoid, cooling system (4.4) or timing chain guides and tensioners (SC), air suspension, rear washer pump and all the other stuff.

C70R

17,596 posts

104 months

Wednesday 19th April 2023
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Familymad said:
I am having bad 322 thoughts again. £15-20k buys the best out there…
I read this and re-read it several times when I was looking for an L322. Then I bought a Discovery V8 instead.

Patrick Bateman

12,184 posts

174 months

Wednesday 19th April 2023
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mr_spock said:
And you’ll still be doing suspension, steering column lock solenoid, cooling system (4.4) or timing chain guides and tensioners (SC), air suspension, rear washer pump and all the other stuff.
I take it that's in relation to the 5 litre Jaguar engine?

jw673

139 posts

116 months

Wednesday 19th April 2023
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A timely video, from a few months ago: Real World Running Costs. First year with a Range Rover L322 4.4 TDV8.

and a playlist of their experience to date with the L322 (16 videos covering purchase/(not)rejection/etc): Range Rover Vogue 4.4 TDV8.

mr_spock

3,341 posts

215 months

Saturday 22nd April 2023
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Patrick Bateman said:
mr_spock said:
And you’ll still be doing suspension, steering column lock solenoid, cooling system (4.4) or timing chain guides and tensioners (SC), air suspension, rear washer pump and all the other stuff.
I take it that's in relation to the 5 litre Jaguar engine?
Yes. SC = Supercharged.