So, my 20 Year old, beautiful Mercedes W140 S500 set alight !. Mrs. Teemyob wanting to replace her ageing Tiny Audi, we want to reduce the family fleet.

Mrs. Teemyob Fancies a Toyota Vellfire 7 / 8 Seat Import.

I was thinking 2012 Range Rover Vogue, having decided against the Discovery 4.

BUT!

Almost everyone, apart from a couple of owners, have told me to steer clear, pardon the Pun. Plagued with unreliability and huge running Costs. A friend and her late husband have always had Range Rovers, only one bad one. She currently has a New Aluminium Vogue, as does another friend. He has just bought a brand new Range Topper. But theirs are under Manufacturers Warranty!.

Buyer Beware?
Who Has One?

Well I can't comment on the long term reliability of the model as this is my first and I have only put on about 2K miles in the last couple of weeks since owner her. I will say that I researched a lot of different SUVs, I kept coming back to the L322 FFRR. I just love the styling, and I am a sucker for European luxury / performance vehicles and the 2011 Autobiography checked all the right boxes. I decided I didn't mind the maintenance and was able to find a one owner with maintenance history.

You find, if you haven't already, the consensus on this and other forums is the buy the newest model with the best maintenance his your budget will allow. At this point, we love ours and only time will tell if we made the wrong choice, but our hearts tell us we found the vehicle we want for the long term.

I say find the right one and pull the trigger! 2011 Range Rover Autobiography
Stornoway Grey
Storm/Jet Seats
Center Console Storm
IP/Topper Jet
Grand Black Lacquer Finisher

Well you could buy a dull box.

But you're used to your S-class and a 2012 RR can be bought for exceptionally low money nowadays.

Join the club my friend, you'll not look back. And you'll be driving like a king.

That Hellfire thing looks absolutely horrible. Just think about that sat on your drive.

Life's not worth dull cars, the question is, are you handy with spanners?

. Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

I’ve run a few LR products (see below) and clocked up around 35-40,000 miles a year in them over the last 8 years, yet I’m much more used to hearing stories on unreliability than experiencing them first hand.

Yes, people have had problems, some very annoying examples, none of which have been helped by the variable quality of dealers that plague nearly all manufacturers. I’ve experienced two problems myself within those 300,000 miles. In addition, infotainment software on newer cars is usually still being run in Beta format, long after launch!

However, along with the media and social media driven expectations of unreliability, comes a certain amount of self fulfilling prophecy, with some pretty minor stuff getting blown out of all proportion and getting lots of publicity. Also, these aren’t cheap cars to either buy new, or keep in top of the maintenance of; the combination of greatly depreciated second hand buying prices and people buying them and expecting Mondeo maintenance costs is going to lead to some pretty neglected used cars.

Buy one with a small number of owners, a properly documented service history and with mileage low enough to make buying a decent warranty at a sensible cost realistic. Then find yourself a decent, trusted, specialist and keep on top of it. If you can’t do that, within a budget that you’re comfortable with, buy something else. If you can, these are brilliant cars But, don’t just take my word for it, ask some of these people:

https://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic47597-195.html

Beware though, when you get used to driving one, everything else seems a bit in comparison and there’s no going back to a generic “car” after that

PS: What made you decide against the Disco 4?

Quote:

Beware though, when you get used to driving one, everything else seems a bit Censored in comparison and there’s no going back to a generic “car” after that Rolling Eyes

+1 with the above posters.

We've had ours for just over 18 months and have thoroughly enjoyed the car (11 TDV8 4.4) and don't think we would go anywhere else now. People's perception of unreliability are probably honed by forums such as this where we post our problems and others pitch in to help out, it seeming to be one long list of faults. Looked at a little closer and I feel it's often the same problems expressed in different ways by follks who may well enjoy the task of maintaining things themselves. There are plenty of good independents around if you prefer work done for you at a far more reasonable rate than main dealers at up to and beyond £150 per hour.

Find few for sale within your budget and have a good test run in several. Include both the diesel and Supercharged models. You'll not find them lacking on comfort, performance or toys. A top notch service history is most essential and a full check of ALL the electric gadgets by you before purchase is too.

Only then go and test a Vellfire. Although I've not driven one, I do wonder if it's based on the van of a similar size, so you could use it for the tip run, (sorry carrying extra family members).  Cheers
Richard

(there are no such things as an ordinary FullFat, an ordinary cat or too many tools)
2011 TDV8 Vogue Santorini Black
Gap IIDBT

Thanks Folks.

I am handy with Spanners. Having half re-built the A/C system on my S-class, prior to its end. That and the same on a old Previa. Taking away the rotten condenser, radiator and replacing two belts on a very idiosyncratic motor.

But also, my neighbour has a Specialist Jaguar/Range Rover Garage, employing my friend on the same road. One runs a RR Sport, the Other a Disco 4.

Great. No reason not to go for it

Sounds like Land Rover heaven over there.

Take your wife on a test drive. She'll be sold in 5.
 Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Unreliable pieces of crap...allways in the garage, one problem after another....yet when you look in the car adds for an 8 or 9 year old FFRR, be it petrol or derv, the first thing that strikes you is most of them are well past the 100,000 mile mark !!! No idea how people manage to clock up that sort of mileage in an unreliable car...

Im approaching one year of ownership with my 2012 4.4 TDV8. Compared to my VW Touareg that I had previously the quality of the Range Rover is abysmal, components used eg fasteners rusting, brake pipes - corroding absolutely no excuse for this shoddy quality on this very premium priced vehicle. That said, it's a lovely place to be, has amazing presence wherever it goes etc.

I'm not sure what direction I will head in the future, for sure the Range Rover will take some beating.

AJG BMW i3 Electric Car
2012 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8 (now gone)
2006 VW Touareg 3.0 TDi V6

This might help

 .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

DaveK wrote:

Unreliable pieces of crap...allways in the garage, one problem after another....yet when you look in the car adds for an 8 or 9 year old FFRR, be it petrol or derv, the first thing that strikes you is most of them are well past the 100,000 mile mark !!! No idea how people manage to clock up that sort of mileage in an unreliable car...

Had my 2011 VSE for 18 months , did about 50k miles and it was faultless, paintwork was like new , i did get the seats re dyed but they really didnt need it. Maintenance and preventative maintenance is the key. Plenty of OEM parts available without paying ridiculous main dealer prices. I only.sold mine because i got a great price and a L405 AB came up at the right money with lowish miles.

I have owned over 50 cars and driven hundreds more, very little comes close to a Range Rover and unless i have a dramatic change in circumstances i will always have one. Buy one and enjoy.

Just my pennies worth but the last of the L322 with the 4.4 tdv8 amd 8 speed box are the epitome of a range rover 👍 2015 4.4 AB
GSXR 1000 K5
R1 1998

Brian Considine wrote:

DaveK wrote:

Unreliable pieces of crap...allways in the garage, one problem after another....yet when you look in the car adds for an 8 or 9 year old FFRR, be it petrol or derv, the first thing that strikes you is most of them are well past the 100,000 mile mark !!! No idea how people manage to clock up that sort of mileage in an unreliable car...

So, if you dislike them that much what are you doing here then ?

Typical sweeping statement without facts to back it up.

(Unless, of course it's a wind up).