I've been lucky enough to own every model of Land Rover with the exception of the FL, Evoque (some would argue that this isn't a real LR) and a L494 Sport. Might be a bit harsh but if they leave me at the side of the road, its fixed and sold. My D2 was a moneypit, the 2 L405's I've owned from new have been dogs, everything else apart from routine servicing and tyres has been brilliant.

You can get equally bad cars from other manufacturers, the difference with LR is how their customer service and dealers react and this sadly is where LR shoot themselves in the foot.

I have just started a new career as a writer of thrillers (in the old school sense), and this unfair rep of Range Rover's whilst other brands get away with much worse behavior has annoyed me so much over the years that I have made the hero car in the books a Range Rover.

It features realistically in the story, helping the team of investigators overcome a tricky situation. It is relied on by the hero and his team and is reliable, practical, and a vital team member and helps at a key moment in saving lives. It can do everything in real life it does in the book and it has been done properly so no-one can pick holes in it. I will make sure it continues to feature throughout all 12 books.

I have chosen the RR with the most unfair reputation, the P38; but still it is a step in the right direction of righting this wrong or writing this wrong!

People are now buying and reading a book where a Range Rover is treated fairly and properly and acknowledged for the capable, able, decent cars they are! 2011 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 TDV8
2003 VW Golf V6 4motion
2001 Range Rover Vogue 4.6
1982 Range Rover in VOGUE
1990 Range Rover Vogue SE
2007 Audi A6 Avant Le Mans Quattro S-Line 3.0 TDI
2007 Skoda Ovtavia 2.0 TDI L&K
2007 GSX-R 750 K7

Range Rovers are just like any other brand, there’s gooduns and baduns.

I once owned a 1992 LSE Classic that took me all over Europe when it was 20+ years old, sometimes covering over 3k miles in a fortnight and it never missed a beat.

Where as my 2015 L405 was so troublesome I didn’t trust it to the end of the road

Not getting good reports on these L405's

Don’t let it put you off.

IMO there is no nicer place to be in the motoring world than an L405.

The hardest part is finding a good one, and let’s face it you can research as much as you like but in the end it boils down to how it was screwed together at the factory and that just boils down to luck. A warranty mitigates the financial cost but that doesn’t help when you’re supposed to be in Manchester for 1400 and it’s now 1415 and you’re stuck on the hard shoulder of the M6

Having driven an L405, 2016 my autobiography SDV8. And my Late 2012 L322, I can’t really feel is worth the extra expenditure at the moment. I even feel the ride on the L322 is better than the 405 ?

Have to say the Land Rover approved garage service is way below BMW. Every time I phone services Stratstone Cardiff- no picks up the phone.

interesting article in Wales online of a chap who has left his RR and 2 caravans on the stratstone site saying don’t buy a RR as they don’t honour their warranty. He has plastered these words on the car and the caravans. I am still waiting 5 weeks for a new oil sensor, I suppose I am lucky I have a courtesy car. Not good mind. Even with me the service manager said it was up to me if I wanted to drive when the oil dilution service light went on. Only after pressing did they recommend not driving the car and leave at the show room.

Have you tried the dealer up in Three Cocks in Brecon?

Thanks for that. I am seriously going to go to them.

I've had no REAL problems with my 2012 4.4 westy for the three and a half years since becoming the custodian. The only gripes and hiccups have been when using LR RR 'main dealers' and 'specialists' and having set-backs soon after using them. MY experience with these has led me (can't speak for everyone of course) to believe they don't know what they're doing for the better part, or simply don't give a monkeys, just so long as they can shaft you for as much cash as they possibly can. A grease monkey (who knows what they are - they could be wheelie bins for all I know) at one 'specialist' branch clearly didn't even know that the bonnet had a service mode/position, as he tried to convince me (3-years ago now) how DIFFICULT it was/is to remove and or change a battery... as the limited space (outside fully open bonnet service position) meant you had to drag the thing out!!! On pointing out the devices for full service bonnet position - he walked off in a huff, never to be seen again. All I'd wondered was why it had taken them 4-days to change a battery.
And they don't even seem to know how to clear the 'service required' alert pop-up...
They tried and failed and charged me several times to clear three repeating alert messages - which after 3-years of them failing took a general mobile guy I happened across a few minutes to spot, clear, and sort.
Lots of head scratching at main dealers and specialists also - or maybe they all have nits?

/\ I’ve had a great experience with independent specialists, but imo it is only worth going to one that has made the investment in the correct diagnostic equipment. 4x4 Development near Droitwich has about £130k worth of it, including original P38 diagnostic kit which is wrapped in cotton wool!

Thinking about the first post regarding peoples negative thinking about Range Rovers, I use mine for the my grand daughter's school run, I sometimes use a small car park ( 30 to 35 cars ) near the school that is always jam packed and tight to navigate in / out.

I have had several negative comments from other parents / grand parents ( But not nasty comments, jokes about size of the car / reliability etc ) However, when the cap park is full, I can raise the suspension and climb onto a 'one car' space on a rough grassy patch in the corner of the car park, with very high kerb stones. No other drivers attempt this and then the comments tend to be mostly positive, once people see what RR's are capable of, quite a few seem to change their views

As more people change their viewpoint, I wonder if JLR will pay me for some of my PR work