18 Months with a cheap L322 TDV8 Range Rover
Discussion
In December I sold my Series 3 and my 2007 Range Rover Vogue 3.6TDV8. This post is just a short write up of what it's really like to live with a L322 Range Rover 3.6TDV8 at the lower end of the price range.
Mine was a 2007 Vogue in Buckingham Blue with the black leather and walnut trim. The only additions from stock were a supercharged grill/ side vents, colour coded mirror caps/door handles and a Westfalia Towbar.
I bought this one as the Turbos had been recently replaced and anyone who knows anything about the 3.6TDV8 will know that Turbo failure is very common and it's an expensive job as most of the front of the car has to come apart and the bills are anything from £3500-6000 depending on what Turbos you use and where you go for the work.
I am a big Land Rover fan and I’ve wanted an L322 for years. I’ve previously owned an early Discovery 3 HSE. Thread below
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
After the Discovery, I had a Nissan Cube followed by a Subaru Outback. The Cube and the outback were uncomfortable cars and I didn’t want that again.
Within two days, it became fairly clear why it was sold. Airbag light came on…I had this investigated by an Auto Electrician who said I needed the seat belt tensioner replaced. That repair lasted two months before the light came on again. Back to another Auto Electrician. Different repairs this time and that lasted approximately 6 months. They told me that if it came on again, the car would be a write off as no one would be able to fix the ECU.
Well….surprise surprise. The light came on again. Local garage removed the ECU and I sent it to a repair centre in Leicester. £290 later, ECU successfully repaired and light no longer present…However, the month before the CEL had come on. Garage plugged it in and said EGRs and quoted approximately 4-6 hours per side to replace as they were buried by the back of the manifolds. It actually drove fine with the light on.
TBH, I was more frustrated with Auto Electricians who had told me the car was write off and the ECU couldn’t be repaired.
Pros
Supremely comfortable and unlike nothing I have ever owned. The seats are simply the best that I have ever had in a car and I’ve owned a couple of Saabs.
Driving position is excellent. Great view of the bonnet and quite easy to manoeuvre as well due to the boxy shape
Interior fit and finish is leagues ahead of the Discovery 3 of the same era especially in terms of the dash switchgear and materials (Leather, door handles and dash)
The Engine. ‘Only’ 280bhp which isn’t much in terms for Range Rovers now, but it went really really well and made a great noise and has established my love for V8s
Cons
The design means all L322s will rust out the arches and sills eventually and my arches were going. Garage advised that they were recoverable, but behind the arches is foam and it traps moisture and they rust from the inside. Repairs are becoming quite common now and are around £1500 all in. Worth doing if you have a good example (green with beige interior and the 4.2 Supercharged)
Interior Storage
It really isn't that good. Door bins front and back are tiny
Cup holders are poor and not deep enough
Whilst the boot is massive, rear leg room isn't actually that great. You'll find more room in a Skoda Superb.
Infotainment
It was out of date in 2007 and even worse now. Very limited upgrade options too.
Indicator stalk movement is excessive. There also seems many turns lock to lock and that gets annoying.
Handling
They pitch and wallow like a dingy in a Force 3. They are bad. Made the OH a bit car sick in the back. However as a motorway cruiser they are simply superb.
Running Costs
VED is a chunky £675 and I usually did 21ish mpg to a tank. Got it up to 26 once with a few big runs. People claim they have got 36mpg with a remap but I think it's BS.
Had to replace a pair of Pirellis on the front and that was a hefty £450 for a pair.
I had it serviced once and that was £450 all in, but it's a V8 so requires a lot of oil. I should have supplied the filters though. Mine also had pads and drop links too which was another £350.
If I had kept it for another year I was looking at £2k for rear tyres and to fix the EGRs and I just wasn't willing to spend that especially given it wasn't ULEZ compliant and my inlaws live within the zone and we are only 10 miles away from it too.
The values really have taken a massive hit since ULEZ was introduced as pretty much all diesel L322s are not compliant.
A few pics of the L322 in service. Several trips to the tip as well as outings to Whipsnade Zoo and Centre Parcs.
Couldn't resist including a Diddly Squat snap. I recon Clarkson has done an awful lot for the value for Green L322s with the beige interior. They don't come up very often and the ones I have seen get snapped up very very quickly...depsite the issues.
If you've made it this far l you might be wandering what I have replaced it with.
I toyed with Cayenne Turbos, X5 V8s, L494 Range Rover Sports ,L405 Range Rovers, D4s and D5s.
D5s seem to be riddled with problems and I test drove a couple and they just don't seem to have the LR magic that D4 and L322 have.
OH really wanted me to get something that was ULEZ and petrol and because of our drive way it has to be high ground clearance.
This came up on Facebook Marketplace 20 minutes from my house and ticked many boxes. 2011 Range Rover 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography with 96k on the clock. Considerably cheaper than some older cars on Autotrader and eBay including one from a well know motoring writer....
To Do List
Boot liner
Replacement number plates (rear is standard size which is a sin for all Range Rovers)
New tyres all round
Smart repair on the tailgate
Roll up dog guard
Maybe LED interior lights
As others have said, once you've run a Range Rover, nothing else really matches it.
About two years ago, I drove down to Somerset to see a mate in my older L322 and proclaimed there and then that I loved the L322 so much I was going to sell both LRs and just buy a newer L322 and despite looking at loads of other stuff, that's exactly what I ended up doing.
Who knows what sort of issues I will encounter, but it's off to the Lake District in August for the family holiday so as long as it doesn't break down in that week I'll be happy
Have a good day everyone ??
Mine was a 2007 Vogue in Buckingham Blue with the black leather and walnut trim. The only additions from stock were a supercharged grill/ side vents, colour coded mirror caps/door handles and a Westfalia Towbar.
I bought this one as the Turbos had been recently replaced and anyone who knows anything about the 3.6TDV8 will know that Turbo failure is very common and it's an expensive job as most of the front of the car has to come apart and the bills are anything from £3500-6000 depending on what Turbos you use and where you go for the work.
I am a big Land Rover fan and I’ve wanted an L322 for years. I’ve previously owned an early Discovery 3 HSE. Thread below
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
After the Discovery, I had a Nissan Cube followed by a Subaru Outback. The Cube and the outback were uncomfortable cars and I didn’t want that again.
Within two days, it became fairly clear why it was sold. Airbag light came on…I had this investigated by an Auto Electrician who said I needed the seat belt tensioner replaced. That repair lasted two months before the light came on again. Back to another Auto Electrician. Different repairs this time and that lasted approximately 6 months. They told me that if it came on again, the car would be a write off as no one would be able to fix the ECU.
Well….surprise surprise. The light came on again. Local garage removed the ECU and I sent it to a repair centre in Leicester. £290 later, ECU successfully repaired and light no longer present…However, the month before the CEL had come on. Garage plugged it in and said EGRs and quoted approximately 4-6 hours per side to replace as they were buried by the back of the manifolds. It actually drove fine with the light on.
TBH, I was more frustrated with Auto Electricians who had told me the car was write off and the ECU couldn’t be repaired.
Pros
Supremely comfortable and unlike nothing I have ever owned. The seats are simply the best that I have ever had in a car and I’ve owned a couple of Saabs.
Driving position is excellent. Great view of the bonnet and quite easy to manoeuvre as well due to the boxy shape
Interior fit and finish is leagues ahead of the Discovery 3 of the same era especially in terms of the dash switchgear and materials (Leather, door handles and dash)
The Engine. ‘Only’ 280bhp which isn’t much in terms for Range Rovers now, but it went really really well and made a great noise and has established my love for V8s
Cons
The design means all L322s will rust out the arches and sills eventually and my arches were going. Garage advised that they were recoverable, but behind the arches is foam and it traps moisture and they rust from the inside. Repairs are becoming quite common now and are around £1500 all in. Worth doing if you have a good example (green with beige interior and the 4.2 Supercharged)
Interior Storage
It really isn't that good. Door bins front and back are tiny
Cup holders are poor and not deep enough
Whilst the boot is massive, rear leg room isn't actually that great. You'll find more room in a Skoda Superb.
Infotainment
It was out of date in 2007 and even worse now. Very limited upgrade options too.
Indicator stalk movement is excessive. There also seems many turns lock to lock and that gets annoying.
Handling
They pitch and wallow like a dingy in a Force 3. They are bad. Made the OH a bit car sick in the back. However as a motorway cruiser they are simply superb.
Running Costs
VED is a chunky £675 and I usually did 21ish mpg to a tank. Got it up to 26 once with a few big runs. People claim they have got 36mpg with a remap but I think it's BS.
Had to replace a pair of Pirellis on the front and that was a hefty £450 for a pair.
I had it serviced once and that was £450 all in, but it's a V8 so requires a lot of oil. I should have supplied the filters though. Mine also had pads and drop links too which was another £350.
If I had kept it for another year I was looking at £2k for rear tyres and to fix the EGRs and I just wasn't willing to spend that especially given it wasn't ULEZ compliant and my inlaws live within the zone and we are only 10 miles away from it too.
The values really have taken a massive hit since ULEZ was introduced as pretty much all diesel L322s are not compliant.
A few pics of the L322 in service. Several trips to the tip as well as outings to Whipsnade Zoo and Centre Parcs.
Couldn't resist including a Diddly Squat snap. I recon Clarkson has done an awful lot for the value for Green L322s with the beige interior. They don't come up very often and the ones I have seen get snapped up very very quickly...depsite the issues.
If you've made it this far l you might be wandering what I have replaced it with.
I toyed with Cayenne Turbos, X5 V8s, L494 Range Rover Sports ,L405 Range Rovers, D4s and D5s.
D5s seem to be riddled with problems and I test drove a couple and they just don't seem to have the LR magic that D4 and L322 have.
OH really wanted me to get something that was ULEZ and petrol and because of our drive way it has to be high ground clearance.
This came up on Facebook Marketplace 20 minutes from my house and ticked many boxes. 2011 Range Rover 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography with 96k on the clock. Considerably cheaper than some older cars on Autotrader and eBay including one from a well know motoring writer....
To Do List
Boot liner
Replacement number plates (rear is standard size which is a sin for all Range Rovers)
New tyres all round
Smart repair on the tailgate
Roll up dog guard
Maybe LED interior lights
As others have said, once you've run a Range Rover, nothing else really matches it.
About two years ago, I drove down to Somerset to see a mate in my older L322 and proclaimed there and then that I loved the L322 so much I was going to sell both LRs and just buy a newer L322 and despite looking at loads of other stuff, that's exactly what I ended up doing.
Who knows what sort of issues I will encounter, but it's off to the Lake District in August for the family holiday so as long as it doesn't break down in that week I'll be happy
Have a good day everyone ??
Edited by bakerstreet on Monday 12th February 15:51
Thanks for that - interesting read and your new 5.0S/C looks superb.
I can't help coming back to this bit, though:
Why do people think the TDV8 is so wonderful, exactly?!
I can't help coming back to this bit, though:
bakerstreet said:
Running Costs
VED is a chunky £675 and I usually did 21ish mpg to a tank. Got it up to 26 once with a few big runs. People claim they have got 36mpg with a remap but I think it's BS.
Had to replace a pair of Pirellis on the front and that was a hefty £450 for a pair.
Mine is the 4.2V8 supercharged petrol - 400bhp, £395 tax, it's ULEZ compliant, does 18mpg most of the time, two Michelins at the front were £519 and it doesn't need new turbos every six months.VED is a chunky £675 and I usually did 21ish mpg to a tank. Got it up to 26 once with a few big runs. People claim they have got 36mpg with a remap but I think it's BS.
Had to replace a pair of Pirellis on the front and that was a hefty £450 for a pair.
Why do people think the TDV8 is so wonderful, exactly?!
Deranged Rover said:
Mine is the 4.2V8 supercharged petrol - 400bhp, £395 tax, it's ULEZ compliant, does 18mpg most of the time, two Michelins at the front were £519 and it doesn't need new turbos every six months.
Why do people think the TDV8 is so wonderful, exactly?!
In some cases, I think people are delusional and the UK has a love affair with the diesel and many will still believe the age old adage of 'get the diesel, its cheaper to run' Why do people think the TDV8 is so wonderful, exactly?!
The estimate from my local Garage was £1400 to get and fix both EGRs. Turbos on the 3.6 are massively expensive to replace and then you have glow plugs, injectors and DPFs on the 4.4s. None of those like short journeys so my replacement had to be a petrol.
The bill for the Turbos on the 4.4 is car write off worthy. I've heard £6-7k and an engine out job, but the Turbos are more robust compared to the 3.6
The used market is not currently loving diesels at all, especially if you live close to the ULEZ zones.
However...
I'm now 750 miles into SCV8 ownership and putting my tin hat on here...
I think I preferred the 3.6 in my old blue RR.
Why, when you have over 230bhp more poweeerrrrrr!
Well, it comes down to how both engines deliver the power/Torque. The 5.0 really comes on song at 3000rpm and remember this mated to an aging 6sp box. The 3.6 just seemed to generate its lump of power and torque lower down in the rev range and I think it sounded better too.
Also, the 6Sp box just doesn't seem to be quick enough for something with so much grunt. Its one of those cars, where I am quite tempted tpo start using the paddles and I have never been one for paddles.
Last point to note is you really can't hear much of the Supercharger at all. I had an old 2002 Mini Copper S and you could certainly hear the Supercharger on that. Different type of car opf course.
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