Range Rover V8 Supercharged: Spotted
SUVs don't get much plusher than a 'charged V8 Range Rover - which makes this £11k one look like a bargain!
Who dares buy a used V8 Range Rover? A car that comes brimmed with technology, leather and V8 goodness ought to be steal at just £11k. But the complexity of the L322 is considered roughly equivalent to that of the International Space Station - and twice as likely to breakdown. We'll admit there's a lot that can go wrong, but if you think an £11k Rangey is going to automatically blight you with £11k running costs, think again.
To justify taking a punt on a used Range Rover with a 4.2-litre engine, you have to truly understand what you're buying into. It must be thought of as several vehicles in one: a luxury cruiser, a high-powered road machine and, most obviously, an excellent off-roader. Especially when it comes in plush Vogue SE format with badges that say supercharged on the exterior. It's every bit the £70k car it was when new.
Now, we're not saying it's going to be as affordable to maintain as an £11k Fiesta. For starters, it weighs as much as a bungalow, so it will never be cheap on fuel. Land Rover claimed 17mpg combined when the V8 launched in 2005, which is bad enough. But we all know that if you buy a supercharged V8 Range Rover, you're going to want to hear the rumble of its muscular motor, so you can minus a few miles per gallon from the claimed figure straight away. Floor it and the 405hp Range Rover can hit 62mph in 7.1 seconds - and the fuel gauge will visibly drop in front of your eyes.
The motor is, however, generally considered reliable, even after 100,000 miles - so long as it's been well maintained. Full service history is therefore a must - and something our car thankfully comes with - as is confirmation that all work's been covered by a main dealer or specialist at regular intervals. Our car ticks both of those boxes.
It's impossible to know the state of an L322's air suspension without going for a test drive, which is something you'll want to do because when the system fails, it can be very costly to repair. A common fault is a dead pump that's been worked overtime by a system leak. Change the pump but don't fix the leak and guess what happens. Clue: it's expensive.
Still, if you find one in perfect working order - while still wearing a slashed sticker price - you could be onto a winner. One very much like today's Spotted is potentially what you're looking for; one that still looks the business from the outside and boasts an interior with no visible signs of wear (not to mention a functioning sat nav). One that's been cherished as a proper slab of British beef, in other words. Find it and you'll be instantly reminded of all the reasons why the Range Rover was considered a much-loved institution long before 2012. You just need to have faith. And maybe a pinch of luck.
SPECIFICATION - RANGE ROVER VOGUE SE V8 SUPERCHARGED
Engine: 4,197cc, V8
Transmission: 6-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Power(hp): 405@5,750rpm
Torque(lb ft): 420@3,500rpm
MPG: 17
CO2: 376g/km
First registered: 2005
Recorded mileage: 77,000
Price new: £73,000
Yours for: £10,995
See the original advert here.
An awful lot of them are rotten underneath, rotten to the point of needing to have been put in the bin 12 months earlier.
And the 4.2 engine is a very good engine when looked after, as the article says, but they are borderline f
ked in a lot of these cars because they have not been looked after. Huge numbers of these cars have clearly been kept outside from new and never really looked after beyond the mandatory servicing requirements. Zero attention to cleaning the underside to slow down the rot etc. And as soon as they are onto their third/fourth owner after the conventional set of three year cycles the servicing comes to an end and they really do get runnin a shoestring budget and that’s when the engine gets damaged.
These are definitely cars that have been set upon by champagne lifestyle, beer money budget folk. Obviously this is hardly uncommon among luxury vehicles but the danger with Rangies is that they can be bulled up so easily to look infinitely better than they really are.
These wagons fall dangerously into the Katie Price zone. You know that they are old but at a distance they don’t look as old or worn out as you might think but risk taking a closer look and it’s a horror show of dodgy tricks and bodges with an undercarriage so aged and ruined even Wayne Rooney would have second thoughts.
The flip side is that all these absolute dogs drag values down across the board and that means that the good ones are trading much cheaper than they really deserve and that there is an endless supply of replacement parts from all the scrappers.
Never has the need to buy smart been so relevant. The average buyer is going to get utterly rinsed like the pissed lad at Ascot who thinks he is pulling a Hurley but wakes up to what’s left of a Jordan smeared absolutely everywhere and costing a fortune to dispose of.
But the buyer who educated themselves properly as what to look for and is prepared to look at a dozen polished turds will end up with an extremely good and enjoyable wagon.
I bought a very tidy looking late model P38 years back. No rot, air suspension all fine, everything worked, low mileage, FSH. Still had something minor go wrong regularly, usually minor, and nothing that could have been identified with a long inspection or test drive. .
Its all about servicing & maintenance - just like any car, its just that when an example falls into the wrong hands (ie thinking they can run it on a Ford Focus budget) the issues occur.
& yes the MPG is generally 18mpg during normal driving- but there are far less problems on these engines than the diesels (no turbos to worry about for a start) & the earlier BMW lumps & they are cheaper to service.
They also make a LOVELY noise when wound up.
A mate bought a 04 Td6 Vogue cheap to fix up.
Ended up having to get subframes on it as well as some other bits.
He was going to sell it on as otherwise it was a nice clean car.
So he’s bought it a private plate and is keeping it.
Lovely cars but they are as DA has superbly put.
In the cheap end of the market and run with people who can’t afford them.
It made one understand the term 'off roader', as it was always off the road. Unfortunatley this wasn't on brown muddy stuff, but in the local specialists garage.
Common issues he encountered were electrical (re-occurring issues with water ingress that got to the electrics in the rear 1/4), brakes, gearbox having a mind of its own (despite having the oil and filter replaced, and even after a re-build) and the bill always seemed to be starting with a '2' and having four numbers after it.
Always remember his partner recounting to me how well it pulled their twin-axle caravan and that her husband repeatedly told her that it did 22mpg whilst towing. And she believed him....
A friend of mine has an L322 but chose the diesel (ok, it has its own issues) as at least it does double the miles to every gallon. And he has a Defender 110, a Series 2 and a series 3 to fall back on.
They do need loving and get ansty when neglected. You cannot skimp on servicing and care, which, as DA says, is what a lot of the Council house brigade are doing now.
They're like a big dog, need loving and lots of exercise over various terrain. But don't forget to hose it off after that long walk in the countryside.
It's needed a new battery and some suspension bushes. Otherwise it hasn't missed a beat. It spends most of its time negotiating the varied terrain of SW London roads, but has done trips to Belgium and the Alps. Great car. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to get another one.
V8 - Tick
Supercharged Tick
Both ticks = Heaven
We decided on the Supercharged as it was the best engine. So much kit and has been reliable since we bought it. As long as you maintain it properly you will be fine and the supercharger whine is addictive. We only run it on Super Unleaded and we get around 14.5mpg general driving in the hills of Sheffield. Its a big 4x4. There isnt any point in trying to make it economical. Next on list is the 5.0 Supercharged.
1. Posters that actually own a Supercharged Range Rover from this period and appear very happy with their car.
2. Posters that haven't owned one but are convinced it's a horrific money pit and rust bucket based on their 'friend' or similar owning one.
Interesting.
I bought a BMW instead
1. Posters that actually own a Supercharged Range Rover from this period and appear very happy with their car.
2. Posters that haven't owned one but are convinced it's a horrific money pit and rust bucket based on their 'friend' or similar owning one.
Interesting.
I've never owned a car at this level but any car I've owned, the lower depreciation as it gets older is off set by the increased potential for a big bill - try & run one like a nearly new Fiesta and you'll have a world of problems.
1. Posters that actually own a Supercharged Range Rover from this period and appear very happy with their car.
2. Posters that haven't owned one but are convinced it's a horrific money pit and rust bucket based on their 'friend' or similar owning one.
Interesting.
I bought a RR from a guy who had really looked after it. I really looked after it (1000 per year min on top of servicing) and have had a great 4 years with it.
The quality of design and manufacturing of components on LR vehicles is poor. That leads to things wearing or failing over a short period of time that does not fit with the perceived brand image of durability and luxury which ends up proving disappointing.
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