Have chosen the spec...talked prices to LR UK dealers....am about to order. But I am very, very worried about buying a new L405 SDV8, given all the appalling stories I hear about quality, reliability and after-sales dealer/spares support. So, do I part with £84,000 or am I asking for trouble?

All I see on Twitter and forums are about breakdowns and bits falling off.

Apologies if this is a re-occurring question on his forum. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Go for it, nothing to worry about.

I have had mine since May 2015 and i haven't had any major problems. Just a few niggles which were sorted under warranty.

IMO there is no other 4x4 out there which comes close to the L405 in terms of comfort, luxury & the driving experience. 2014 SDV8 Autobiography

Gone: 2012 RRS SDV6 HSE, 2007 RRS TDV6 HSE

Thanks JasM. Can I also ask what real-world MPG you get from your SFV8?

Go and buy your car if you want a really great car. Sure there are stories about unreliability and some of our members have had disappointments but lets not forget there are very many more happy owners.

I'm on my second L405 and personally haven't had any issues that was the cars fault. It's important that before you purchase you get yourself a good dealer. I can see that you are located near to a dealer that I've used myself. I did have a small issue with one of the salesmen there but in fairness the Sales Manager David McHugh has been top notch, so personally I think that's important.

Next thing, if you are purchasing new is to be aware that the face-lift will likely arrive in August/September, so factor that into your plans too as it may impact a little on used prices and if it concerns you buy nearly new to soften any bump that may occur.

Lastly, make sure that you test drive the V8 and the V6 because they are both first class units and you may be surprised by just how well they both get down the road.

There's loads more we can talk about but certainly don't be put off by some bad stories as I've had plenty other prestige makes and none are impervious to faults. Good Luck

Only had mine since September but everything has been fine from day one, no niggles whatsoever and a real world mpg of 28.4. Agueroooooooooo. 93-20
I swear you will never see anything like this ever again....watch it..drink it in.

spennie39 wrote:

Thanks JasM. Can I also ask what real-world MPG you get from your SFV8?

Average MPG is around about 28 MPG which is a mixture of short and long journeys and around town MPG tends to be in the low 20's. The best I have managed is 38 MPG driving sensibility but usually on a long journey I achieve between 30-35 MPG depending on traffic, weather etc.

However my L405 does not have stop/start function which yours will have so you should expect to achieve better MPG figures. 2014 SDV8 Autobiography

Gone: 2012 RRS SDV6 HSE, 2007 RRS TDV6 HSE

Having taken delivery of three different new Land Rover top-spec product lines in the last 12 months, including one by SVO, I have come to now believe there will always be 'snagging' with a LR product fresh from Solihull. Each of the three has had dealer visits within a couple of weeks of delivery to address things which shouldn't pass QC. Admittedly, the L405 was the worst and from March-May 2015 had around 6 weeks off the road in total. However, LR compensated me heavily for this.

There is no other car like it and you will not be disappointed. However, I would seriously consider the TDV6. I so wish they did the SDV6 in the L405 because I have it in my L494 and much prefer the refinement to the SDV8 in my L405 which by comparison is much more diesel-like, loud and not as smooth gear changes. Performance difference is also about 0.2 seconds.

I think the performance difference is a bit wider than 0.2s as the L405 only gets the lowly v6 255 HP as opposed to the 306HP SDV6 offered in the RRS.

Stupid move IMO. If they had offered the 306 HP SDV6 in the L405 I would have seriously considered one. 2014 SDV8 Autobiography

Gone: 2012 RRS SDV6 HSE, 2007 RRS TDV6 HSE

There's around 80bhp more in the V8 but it weighs an extra 250KG. The V8 is faster and rolls a little less but the V6 is more refined and it's less than a second in the 0-60mph. That's why I bought another V6 after trying the V8.

That said I too would welcome the SDV6 but the LR would struggle to sell the V8 at the premium they currently do.

All very useful tips thank you - and I think you've tipped me in the balance to go ahead and buy (albeit with my eyes wide open). Will definitely try the V6 first. Thanks again.

Had first new L405 in April '14..SDV8 ...... replaced in Sept '15 with new V8 SC.... Only minor issue with gesture tailgate in second (resolved myself). No other concerns...(dealer offered new Evoque at virtually trade price, which daughter ordered, in comp) But didn't have issues with the previous 4 X L322's !!

Stop worrying and buy it. You won't regret it, I haven't: over 2 years of faultless driving and still a pleasure. As others have said try the V6 too. If you are worried about fuel consumption the V6 is definitely the one to go for (I am getting 40mpg) but that's not the only reason: JLR's chief engineer Mike Cross reckoned it was the best one for handling because of the lighter weight (and I speak as the owner of 11 litres worth of other V8s, not a fuel saving bunny..) Norman

Current LR: L405 Vogue TDV6 (MY 2014) Aintree Green/ Ivory interior
Past LR: L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 (2002); Discovery series1 V8 (1995)

Just driving steady but not bad for such a big car

Yes it will go wrong. If you buy it assuming that then you can't be disappointed. If you look online, you will find a disproportionate number of complaints - people join forums and go to Twitter to moan not to praise.

Mine has had one bad hair day in 18 months (an exhaust sensor went wrong).

I get around 28-30mpg.

Basilfawlty wrote:

That said I too would welcome the SDV6 but the LR would struggle to sell the V8 at the premium they currently do.