Hi,

in our wait for the new L460 (EV or a more practical PHEV version) coming 2023 (?), we're looking for a pre owned L405. Ideally a 2017 AB model with standard glass. Pre owned facelift L405 models are most often of the P400e model, and we didn't like how the battery impacted the boot.... That's why we're still driving our timeless and versatile 2007 L322, but we could replace it with a 2015-2017 TDV6 / SDV8 AB model. 2017 = sweet spot, I think.

The challenge is: We don't want privacy glass! (My wife is an Architect, and I agree with her that standard glass makes the floating roof more elegant with a more timeless appearance overall than with privacy glass. But of course, this is our personal, subjective preference!)

Almost all pre owned 2015-17 models for sale here in our domestic market are with privacy glass. And my standing search query for a MY17 L405 AB from Germany (https://www.mobile.de) seems to indicate that our no-privacy-glass preference isn't particular common in the Germany market either...

We've however found a 2015 L405 (at £70') we might buy - if we could have replaced the privacy glass with normal, clear glass for that car. Do you think that is possible & economical realistic? Replace rear door windows, windows behind the C pillar and the tailgate window? How much would such a replacement cost?

As a footnote: - Yes, I know that the benefit of buying a new car is that one can specify it 100% to personal preferences. But a new L405 3.0 D AB would cost around £220' (due to taxation), and that's a bit too much, knowing that the new MLA platform - and hence the new L460 PHEV variant with lower taxation - will have the batteries in the floor.
- An alternative for us just now is to replace our Mini Cooper S Convertible with the new Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo 4. The Taycan CT doesn't cost more here in Norway than in Germany or the UK ==> an inexpensive supercar! However, the Taycan CT cannot replace the versatility of our fullfat, but it can give us some good driving experiences until we can replace both the CT + the L322 with a new L460!

Last edited by Eirik34 on 9th May 2021 11:04am. Edited 2 times in total

Why does it have to be an AB? You'll find an SE without Privacy I would have thought. I always buy SE's 'cos I wouldn't use the extra stuff on an AB which costs £20k+ extra.  All LR cars from 1984
2021.5 Vogue SE D300 Carpathian Grey
2018 Vogue SE British Racing Green GONE

It doesn't have to be an AB, but we've not found many others without privacy glass either. Do you know if replacing the windows is a huge and costly job?

I honestly don't know but Craig on this forum might. Why don't you send him a pm  All LR cars from 1984
2021.5 Vogue SE D300 Carpathian Grey
2018 Vogue SE British Racing Green GONE

It’s not a difficult job for a good fitter - if you weren’t in Norway, I could recommend someone…

You should check whether it's factory fitted glass or after market film.

There's plenty that had film applied afterwards & that is fairly straightforward to remove.

I haven't seen any pre owned L405 here in Norway with after market tinting of the windows - all have the factory installed privacy glass. But if it isn't a huge & costly job to replace, it opens up for more possibilities

Until my current car, all my RRs had standard glass, and I would not have bought one with tinted windows. My current one however was pre-registered, otherwise acceptable spec and at an acceptable price. I decided I would live with the privacy glass and it has rather grown on me, it does offer advantages that offset the dilution of the floating roof effect, especially with a grey car.

Why not ask the local LR dealer to price up replacement of the tinted glass with clear and see whether it is worthwhile? It will be hard to find a car without tints, as hardly any are built that way, and Q also whether if you come to sell it, you would find it harder without the tints or the price would be lower? Again the dealer could maybe advise on trade-in values. Once you know the cost you could see whether, like me, you could live with the tints, knowing that if you could not then it would be possible to change. Only Range Rovers since 1988

Thanks CS, the car we're looking at is sold from a Used Car Dealer in another city (370 miles away...), not a LR dealer. That's why I recon they don't have any ideas of how and how much such a window replacement wold be. It's a very limited market for used L405 here - only a handful MY15-17 L405 listed nationwide currently.

I'll ask the dealer about a window replacement! If that turns out to be difficult (and since we're so "picky" wrt colours and features), I might just have to live with waiting for a practical PHEV L460 with lower (but still high) taxation, and buy a relatively inexpensive Taycan Cross Turismo as a 2'nd car in the mean time...

why not get one with privacy glass and contrast colour the roof ....paint or wrap? ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Interesting suggestion, Stan, but I would rather have one without the tinted windows.

Buy a white one. Then the white roof floats above the black windows!!

Most auto glazing companies can supply replacement windows at a better price than the main dealer. Worth calling and asking for a price to supply and fit for the tailgate and rear quarter glass...that is where I would start. Keep the privacy glass and sell online to recoup some of the money. 2021 L405 Vogue D300
2016 L405 Vogue 3.0TDV6 (Sold)

Thanks for good advice. Had a phone call today with the seller/dealer. He said that a replacement of the windows would be quite expensive, and more or less recommended me to wait to a preowned L405 that better suited our requirements would come for sale. It turned out that this L405 already have had 3 owners, been driven all-over-the-country, so I think I just have to wait a bit more...
Or:
Really tempting to go for a new Taycan CT while waiting for the L460, and use that for joy and pure driving experience journeys, but still use the L322 as our versatile vehicle - until trading both for a new L460? You only live once