Thanks for the info Zeb, the intention is to do as much homework and research as possible on whatever RR I buy, that's one of the reasons I've joined the forum ahead of purchasing the car. The knowledge and experience base on here is incredible so I'm scouring through and hoping to learn as much as possible prior to purchase day.

I know there's gonna be good and bad stories as always but a general gist of potential faults, pitfalls and recommendations gives me something to start with and hopefully arms me with what I'm gonna need to buy a decent RR...... fingers crossed.

Thanks again

I would recommend buying one off the forum...you have a better chance of it being well looked after and for the majority of issuea to have been rectified. My current one now has 153k miles on the clock and I would trust it to go anywhere...service history is all... alongside MOT history which can be very telling! Hope you find a good one..they are definitely out there!

At that price point I would be looking at a well looked after low mileage 4.2 Supercharged. They are rare but when I was looking I came across a couple that were immaculate.

It would even stretch to an early 5.0 but it will have covered a lot more miles, which shouldn’t necessarily put you off, there’s still well looked after examples out there.

Just be prepared for regular visits for petrol. Even covering low mileages you’ll be amazed how quickly a tank full is used up at 14mpg.

Off set by the grin factor on the odd occasion you have the chance to use the loud peddle on an open road
The power on offer from something akin to a small mobile home is nothing short of exceptional.

Good luck with your search and if/when you take the plunge into the world of the FF, when they’re working properly they really are a lovely place to be.

Is a 4.2 SC really worth it? 0-60 times about 0.4 seconds quicker than a 4.4 TDV8, how long do you spend accelerating at full throttle? add to that the horrific fuel consumption and the numbers game make it a no brainer. Sit on the motorway at the legal limit with 1400 rpm showing on the gauge but having 700 nm torque under your right foot really makes a difference. The 4.2 can pass most things on the road except a petrol station that where the diesel really comes into its own. The TDV8 is a great match, ideally suited to the car thats the size of a small cathedral yet still gives great performance and amazing economy. My TDV8 gives me over 30 mpg round town, high 30's on a journey, keep the speed below 60 and dont use the brakes gives you 43 mpg. IMHO it's a no brainer, TDV8 4.4 all the way. BMW i3 Electric Car
2012 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8 (now gone)
2006 VW Touareg 3.0 TDi V6

I agree, the TDV8 is an exceptional engine and matched with the 8 speed gearbox it offers an excellent drive.

But drive either the 4.2 or 5.0 supercharged and you will notice the difference. Not necessarily in 0 to 60 times but in the way it’s delivered, it is a totally different drive.

That obviously comes at a price regarding consumption. I’m only 2 months in on a petrol so probably a bit early for a consistent like for like. But generally my last one (diesel) would cost £90 to fill up and cover between 330 and 350 miles on a tank. The 5.0 costs £110 to fill up and covers between 250 and 270 on a tank. Both on similar journeys, so more expensive but not a deal breaker on my mileage.

My point was that when I was looking £10k seemed to buy an exceptional 4.2 supercharged and a not quite so exceptional TDV8. That might well have changed in the current diesel ‘bashing’ environment.

Can the 4.2 SC be sensibly retrofitted with LPG?

By "sensibly" I mean for the same/similar cost/complexity as for a normally aspirated V8, or do the Jag motors not play so well with LPG as the earlier BMWs maybe? "Gloria" 2002 L322 Voguish V8 LPG - carcass
"Jessica" 1996 Disco 1 300 TDi Auto
"Harriet" 1994 Disco 1 300 TDi Manual - Gone
"Daisy" 1992 Disco 1 200 TDi Manual - Gone

About 35k miles on my lpg conversion, some teething problems in the early days resolved with a better set of injectors, go to someone who knows what they're doing and you'll be ok

From memory I think the 4.2 is recommended to have a valve lube system fitted. LPG is a drier fuel and the valves can suffer premature damage if it’s not fitted. I don’t think is was needed on the BMW engine.

Yes definitely needs lube oil system on the 4.2

SS.Lyria wrote:

I agree, the TDV8 is an exceptional engine and matched with the 8 speed gearbox it offers an excellent drive.

But drive either the 4.2 or 5.0 supercharged and you will notice the difference. Not necessarily in 0 to 60 times but in the way it’s delivered, it is a totally different drive.

I thought the samme as you, 2nd car, 'I'll just use it for short runs" so economy doesn't matter. Problem is that once you drive it you want to use it ALL THE TIME cos it's a very big hoot

Hi,
I found myself in the same situation as yourself. I looked at the common failures and faults that seemed to pop up on here over a period of months. Dug through all the history etc., and it seemed to me that the car that popped up the least (possibly due to numbers on the road?) was the 4.2 S/C. I'd been on Jag forums too, as I originally fancied an older shaped XKR (Same engine) until my Mrs. decided that if I was having a new car she wanted a Merc, but that's another story! The 4.2 S/C seem to be widely regarded as pretty bulletproof. Yes fuel consumption is a little tedious after a while, but if you can wrap your head around that in advance, It would be my choice every time. I've had mine since last may, put about 9K miles on it, and the only thing I've got to complain about is an occasionally iffy fuel gauge. (There's an easy fix that I've not got round to yet.) I just drive it on the trip meter like I do my motorbike, and refill every 300 miles. Its brill. everything works, and I look after it the same way I've looked after all my cars. Regular services etc. It's my everyday car. Use it and look after it, and it should look after you if you find a good one. I also spoke to a local specialist that rated the 4.2 over the 5.0 for reliability reasons. There's not a lot in it you can feel in performance either. I've driven a mates 5.0 and if anything the ride on mine was taughter, and the brakes were a mile better. He'd also had a broken crank (!) on his that he'd had to replace at some point too.
Bear in mind that forums like this tend to highlight problems rather than reliability! Happy hunting!

Si.

The TdV8 is most certainly an exceptional vehicle. I liked the one we bought for my wife so much (she uses it for towing horses, and keeps horses in the boot by the look of it some times!) that I bought one for me. When I was looking I was going for low ownership (max 2 from new, lemons change hands quickly), good MOT history (both only have a single fail, one for headlight aim the other for a worn tyre and no carry over advisories, in fact the one I bought for me had never had an advisory) and a bullet proof service history. If you can get a wad of receipts as well so much the better. Mileage is less important if the history is good and car has obviously been looked after (the condition of the interior will tell you that). Finally, as has already been said, check for rust in the usual places.

So far both cars have been reliable. My wife's threw up the 'restricted performance' fault, but we've changed the 4 inlet hoses for new and that seems to have sorted it (one had soot on it, but couldn't see any splits, it may have been leaking arouind the seal, but peace of mind with 4 new ones fitted).

They are complex vehicles, so you can't expect perfect reliability after 10 odd years of use, but they're pretty good in my opinion compared with any of their competitors. Drives:
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue - Stornoway Grey
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue SE - Zermatt Silver
1998 BMW E36 M3 GTII

The answer is simple - do you follow your heart or follow your head? I have wanted a Range Rover since as long as I can remember. About two years ago I bought a 2012 MY 4.4 TdV8 Vogue - one owner, full service history and about 50,000 miles on the clock. I have had more issues with the DPF, sensors, rear shocks, oil cooler - the list goes on. I spend £1100 per year on a warranty. My last service with a very good indy cost me £1050. Would I buy another one? Probably not. Do I regret buying this one - definitely not. My biggest mistake was thinking the Range Rover was all about looks, prestige etc - wrong - it's all about the driving experience. That engine is superb. I regularly tow a 5m Brian James tri axel trailer with a load of oak beams - the Range Rover barely notices it!!!!! GO WITH YOUR HEART!