Range Rover V8 (L322): Spotted
Want to play at being lord of the manor while not sitting on a vast inheritance?
Need proof? Take a look at this one. If my maths is correct, this £4,999 example is 10 per cent of what it retailed for in 2002. And this isn't the glacia-slow 3.0 Td6, it's the same 4.4-litre V8 that was used in a contemporary BMW X5. Why do they share the same engine? Well, BMW had a lot of input in the development of the L322 Range Rover (£1 billion as was reported at the time) because they owned Land Rover.
But, back to the Range Rover, and the L322 to give this car its proper model code. It shared only its name with the previous P38 version, and featured fully independent air suspension, a monocoque construction, brake assist and the ability to switch between high and low-range gears on the move. It was a technological tour de force.
Now, I am not going to tell you that Range Rover ownership will be trouble free, because it won't. It was a complicated, expensive vehicle; it's now a complicated, affordable vehicle. When things inevitably do go wrong, they'll be expensive to rectify. I imagine that the clamshell bonnet of this car is there not just to give you a clear view of where the front corners of the car are, but also offer a great leaning post for L322 owners to share breakdown stories whilst out on a country shoot or polo event.
SPECIFICATION - RANGE ROVER 4.4 V8 HSE
Engine: 4,398cc, V8
Transmission: 5-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 285
Torque (lb ft): 324
MPG: 22.4
CO2: 389g/km
First registered: 2002
Recorded mileage: 79,000
Price new: £50,000
Yours for: £4,990
See the original advert here.
We had a cayenne turbo before which was as economical, better to drive, cheaper to run, service, more luxurious inside and far better off-road.
The range over was too heavy (like being in a ship on the bends) and felt like they had dipped into the bad bmw parts bin.
The Range Rover had constant electrical problems, suspension failures. Coolant sensor, horn playing up, radio display, ac was chronic oh and you’d have to make the indicator noise as sometimes it would stop making it so you’d not know if you were indicating or not ! This was a main dealer approved 4 year old car ?!!!
To sum up they are great if you want to portray a country squire image and don’t mind paying £60,000 car plus bills for something worth apparently now £4.8k.
We now have the new cayenne turbo. To say it’s epic is an understatement for a massive Chelsea tractor.
I’ve tested and owned a lot of 4x4 vehicles and my favourites are the cayenne turbo or the absolute jewel in the crown of getting st done and always having your back the pajero / shogun.
Then I wonder whether it's just the triumph of the "german engineering" marketing that makes me so concerned. After all almost every Audi I've owned has robbed my wallet at some point (A8 4.2V8, UR quattro, S6, A6 +8 others) with only the RS6 not (mainly because I sold it very quickly!)
They now can look a bit naff with so many of the later ones around as well, this looks ok, could perhaps look like wealthy folk who have kept it around for years, rather than a retired bloke called Roy who tries to make it look super posh with his initials on the back, gold badges etc.
My next purchase could be a difficult toss-up between one of these and a late P38 - both will need 'tinkering' to keep them happy (what LR product doesn't) but when they're working they are excellent things to waft around in.
The only issue with these is that they've become affordable to the point where Gazza on the council estate buys one for a couple of grand and tries to run it on a shoestring - there are a lot of dog-eared examples out there that have a list of avoidable issues due to long-term neglect. That would be true of any high-end luxury barge costing £50K+ when new.
I shall remain silent on the subject of Porsche Cayennes / off-roading to avoid needlessly offended the easily offended. Aren't they only driven by orange women?
Mine had beige leather and I wasn’t that struck with the colour to be honest. The plastics, in beige, looked a bit more “plasticky” than the same items in black interiors.
Other than that, my only gripes about the truck was that the SatNav was pretty prehistoric and it would struggle to see over 22mpg.
On balance, it was a truly lovely truck.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff