Range Rover Sport (L320) | PH Used Buying Guide

Approaching its tenth birthday PH highlights all to look for on a used Range Rover Sport

Land Rover first teased a new model to join the L322 Range Rover in 2004 when it revealed the Range Stormer concept. This was a three-door show car, but it showed what the eventual L320 Sport would look like.

The Sport itself arrived in 2005 and carried on until the second generation version replaced it in 2013. Although badged as a Range Rover, the L320 Sport was based on a Land Rover Discovery chassis, shortened by some 14cm, and shared the Disco's 2.7-litre TDV6 turbodiesel engine at launch. There were also 4.4-litre normally aspirated and 4.2-litre supercharged engines, though the 4.4 V8 was very soon quietly dropped due to poor sales in the UK. However, a 3.6-litre TDV8 turbodiesel joined the range in 2006 and was arguably the pick of the line-up.

The Sport's only major revision came in late 2009 when Land Rover comprehensively upgraded the engine line-up. Out went the 2.7 TDV6 to be replaced by a much more powerful 3.0-litre unit, while the petrol V8s were now solely represented by the supercharged 5.0-litre motor. The TDV8 carried on unchanged.

For 2011, the TDV6 engine morphed into the SDV6 with 255hp, up from the 3.0 TDV6's 245hp, while emissions dropped from 243g/km to 230g/km. Much of this was down to the arrival of the same eight-speed gearbox used in the Discovery.

As the Sport developed during its life, it moved further away from its Discovery sister as Land Rover realised almost none of its Sport customers would ever take the car off-road. Even so, the Sport has always come with Terrain Response and Hill Descent Control should you ever wish to take it into the rough. Perhaps more importantly, the Sport shares the Discovery's superb towing ability, as witnessed by the number that pull trailers to track days and race weekends.

Thanks to its mix of engine options and everyday usefulness, as well as excellent comfort and decent though not Porsche Cayenne - worrying handling, the Sport is a sound choice as an all-round addition to any PistonHeads garage. With prices from around £9,000 for well cared for but high miles early examples, all the way to £55,000 for the last of the line models, the Sport offers something for most budgets.

ENGINE & GEARBOX

There are three diesel and four petrol engines on offer in the Range Rover Sport. The 4.4-litre normally aspirated V8 petrol is a rarity due to its short production span and there's little reason to choose it over the supercharged 4.2-litre unit. The same applies with the 5.0-litre V8s, where the normally aspirated unit give no significant fuel or running cost savings while delivering less performance, so you might as well go for the supercharged unit. However, both supercharged V8s love to drink and will rarely return more than 20mpg even when driven very gently.

This explains why the diesels are by far and away the most popular engine choices in the UK and across Europe. The 2.7 TDV6 is the most affordable in the used market and has 206hp coupled to 317lb ft of torque, which is ample for off-road work but the engine can feel sluggish off the mark. This feeling is amplified by the slow response of the six-speed automatic gearbox and is why many owners opt for an engine remap that can take power to around 240hp.

To address this shortcoming, Land Rover replaced the 2.7 TDV6 with the 3.0-litre unit in late 2009. The 3.0 TDV6 has 245hp and 442lb ft of torque to feel like a much stronger unit, plus it can offer 30mpg. The unit was improved to SDV6 specification in 2012 with 255hp, lower emissions of 230g/km and better fuel consumption of 32.1mpg versus the TDV6's 30.7mpg. Land Rover also gave the SDV6 an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox to replace the previous six-speed unit.

Yet the 3.6-litre TDV8 turbodiesel engine is perhaps the best of all worlds thanks to its 270hp and 472lb ft allied to a surprisingly free-revving motor. Its 25mpg economy is not quite as impressive as the 3.0 SDV6's, but it's a lot easier on the pocket than the petrol V8's thirst for fuel.

All of the engines are reliable, though the 2.7 V6 diesel does need its timing belt and pulleys replaced at seven years or 105,000 miles and this will set you back around £1,000. Failing to replace the timing belt risks ruining the engine if it lets go.

The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve on the V6s also needs to be replaced at 40,000-mile intervals to be on the safe side. This can also be blanked off with a specialist kit that costs about £30 and can help cure any slight hesitancy from the engine as it revs away from idle.

The petrol engines are fault-free, but consider replacing the electric water pump on these motors as a precaution as soon as you buy a car unless the seller can prove it's been done recently. A failed water pump will show up as an EMS warning light on the dash.

Range Rover Sports have a lot of electrics onboard, so expect to fit a new battery every couple of years to ward off gremlins. A new battery is around £300 from a specialist. Also look for a car that has been serviced on the dot every 15,000 miles and has a long list of dealer or specialist stamps.

The automatic gearboxes are generally reliable, but they can fail to engage Park even when the lever is pushed into place. If you're in the habit of using Park and not the handbrake, this can lead to the car rolling away, so be sure both Park and the handbrake work effectively.

Land Rover issued a recall for a leak from the front bearing of the fuel pump, but this was for earlier Sports and all should have been dealt with by now. If you're not sure, consult a Land Rover dealer with the chassis number to be certain.

CHASSIS

Like the Discovery it's based on, the Range Rover Sport has an 'integrated body frame' construction that saves weight over the traditional separate chassis design previously favoured by Land Rover. It doesn't mean compromising on off-road ability, though, as the Sport has air suspension that means it can be raised and lowered by up to 10cm. Along with an approach angle of 30 degrees, a 26-degree departure angle and ramp over of 160 degrees, it can cope with most off-road situations. It also has a wading depth of up to 700mm so that most standing water and streams present no worries.

Double wishbones are used front and rear for the suspension, with airbags in place of steel springs to allow the suspension to rise and drop. These airbags are diagonally cross-linked to offer the best traction off-road. There are no issues with the airbags for the Range Rover Sport, though you can expect to replace them due to age with early models as leaks can occur, which will be obvious in the car riding low on its suspension and refusing to lift up when the driver turns the Terrain Response button.

The suspension can also seize in one position due to a failed sensor, while the whole Body Control Module has been known to fail and requires a brand new one as secondhand parts are very difficult to pair with another car.

Again, the suspension needs careful attention when looking at a used Sport as the bushes lead a hard life due to the car's hefty kerbweight. Listen for any clonks or creaks and be wary of any car on non-standard larger wheels as they can increase wear considerably. If you have to replace the suspension bushes, have the car professionally four-wheel aligned as this can extend tyre life by as much as 50 per cent.

Standard wheels and tyres are the best bet for the Sport. Many cars will be on 20-inch alloy wheels but it's worth considering a drop to 19-inch wheels to improve the ride quality. If the wheels have balance weights attached on their inside faces, make sure they are not rubbing on any wires. Land Rover issued a recall for this problem earlier in the Sport's life, so all cars should be free from this problem. There was also a recall for oil possibly entering brake booster and reducing braking efficiency, but again this should have been dealt with. Fitting aftermarket 20-inch wheels to a car that has not had this size of alloy before requires a Damped Steering Rack to be fitted to maintain the original steering and suspension geometry.

Land Rover added an Adaptive Dynamics system to the Sport in 2009 to reduce understeer and it works with the Roll Stability Control to brake a wheel if it detects the car losing traction. Another addition was Trailer Assist to help cut the risk of the car and trailer getting into a weave. If the combination of car and trailer starts to snake, the system reduces engine power and can also apply the brakes. Also part of this revision to the Sport was a new Sand Launch Control to help with pulling away on soft surfaces.

The 2.7 TDV6 Sport was launched with 317mm front discs and 225mm rears, and all Sports come with ABS and traction control as standard.

BODYWORK

Unlike the latest Range Rover Sport that makes extensive use of aluminium, the first gen L320 Sport is predominantly made from steel. This means the original Sport is heavier than its successor, but the upside is it makes repairs to the body more affordable and easier. As with the other major changes to the Sport, the styling changes occurred in 2009 with revised bumpers, restyled grille and headlights with LED daytime running lights.

While the bodywork is very resistant to corrosion unless damaged in a collision, it's worth inspecting underneath the boot for the spare wheel cradle, which can become damaged if the car is used off-road or carelessly reversed. You should also look at the door and bonnet hinges for cracked or missing paint as a sign of repairs following an accident.

Other maladies to inspect on the Sport's body are door handles that don't work, usually caused by a failed electric motor jamming the door lock in the closed position. The parking sensors can stop working or give false warnings in wet weather and rust can appear on the trim that goes between the body and the window glass.

INTERIOR

The inside of the Range Rover Sport is a mix of high-end luxury and utilitarianism, much like the original Range Rover the Sport was aimed at emulating. This means rubber mats can often be found where you'd expect lush carpet and the centre console can be finished in more functional materials than the wood trim of some rivals.

However, don't be fooled into thinking the Sport is anything other than a luxury SUV in its cabin. Leather is standard and many new buyers will have upped the specification with plenty of optional extras. Extras to look out for and covet include heated seats and steering wheel, upgraded stereos and a boot liner should you need to carry dogs or dirty gear.

All of this equipment comes with a caveat, though, and that is to check every last button, switch and dial works properly. The heated seats can fail due to broken connections and the central locking mechanism goes wrong, but only costs around £100 to fix at an independent specialist. Check all of the 12-volt sockets work and don't be surprised when the heating takes longer than expected to warm up on diesel models. There was an early recall for the front seat belt buckle not properly retaining the clip, but this was soon sorted and should not be an issue with any car you look at.

Much more likely to be a problem for many buyers will be the antiquated satellite navigation system used in the L320 Sport. Its display screen is basic and the sat-nav itself can be slow-witted, so many owners rely on an aftermarket sat-nav or use their mobile phone's system.