Hello.

I have been on and off this forum a few times researching a possible purchase of a 2007-2009 TDV8 so I thought it was about time i joined it and said hello.

I'm a german car man by nature and I currently own 5 classics ranging from a 1967 Porsche 912 to a BMW E34 touring to a Mercedes W124 Coupe.

I'm sure you're all well aware that the opinions around Range Rovers of all shapes and sizes seems to differ wildly when looking online, it (like many other subjects in the world today) is clearly a polarising subject!

However I have an itch that I am looking to scratch and I will be soon selling my fully restored BMW E30 and the W124 Coupe that I mentioned a moment ago. I just fancy a change and I am driving these two cars in particular less and less.

My brief is quite specific for one reason or another (in short I'm picky) - a pre-facelift Tonga Green TDV8 with clear windows, ideally with sand leather. NOT EASY TO FIND!

I tend to be very OEM focused down the the correct window sticker and original number plates (which often I have designed and made up), I prefer a more stately looking Range Rover over the blacked out windows and aftermarket grill look, each to their own however.

I know that a good service history is key with any car but seemingly more so with a FFRR, apart from the Turbo's, EGR valves, the air suspension and rust on the rear arches is there anything else I should look out for?

A question I have - does a well looked after car with 145k on the clock act as a better buy than a car with 90k on the clock with a less comprehensive history? Or should I aim only for a lower milage car with full history?

Recently I spotted a 2009 car with around 145k, it had it's turbos done at 131k, seemingly did big millage of 20k plus for a few years running which suggests a good portion of motorway miles and has decent history overall. Oh, and it's a special order brown - interesting.

I am in no rush and more often than not can spot if a car looks like it's been well looked after or not, but I am worried about the a Range Rover more than any other car (rightly or wrongly). I am fully aware there will be high servicing and maintenance costs - it's a £70k car after all.

Thanks


Kit

Last edited by KitTheRam on 29th Mar 2022 9:11pm. Edited 1 time in total

What's your budget? 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Ideally no more than £10k, but if the perfect car comes up maybe a touch more.

Hoping to spend under 10k however, need some money in the back pocket for the ‘issue fund’…

The problem with the 3.6 engines is that they are cheap to buy (within your budget) but when they go wrong it works out cheaper to but a 4.4 in the first place. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

I am not a fan of the updated look of the facelift cars but good advice that I’ll take on board.

Cheers

I'm also a German car fan and have a stable of Audi/Porsche, all of which are 4x4!

Had a 3.6 TDV8 Vogue from new for twelve years and, like you, didn't really want to go for a facelift. However, despite one or two small points which aren't worth getting bogged down with, I now wish I'd gone for the 4.4 earlier than last summer. So far, I've done 8k miles in the 4.4 and it's just a MUCH better engine/box than the 3.6, period. The front-end may not be quite as nice, but you don't see it when you're driving and the LED's make-up for it a bit!  The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom

That’s two votes for a 4.4 in quick succession! They start at a much higher price for a decent one and not sure my budget will go that far, £11k would be my absolute max.

As is so often pointed out by the Mrs, I don’t actually need another car!

(Note: she drives a Honda Civic that she got new in 2009 that has quite literally never gone wrong, something else she enjoys pointing out every time one of my cars has an issue)

I paid 28k for mine last summer. To be fair, it was a minter with only 42k miles.

If your budget is only 11k max, I'd suggest selling the beemer / merc and getting a decent late 4.4! They're crap compared to a classic Audi anyway!!  The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom

Driving wise I love my 1988 911 with the G50 box but possibly the best all rounder is my late e34 525i touring, everything you need in one car and the one out of them all that I never want to sell.

The L322 is just something I want to own for some unknown reason, the 07-09 cars have the best blend of a new and old look to my eye, especially in Tonga green. But it seems black and silver were the most popular spec’ed colours at the time if the classifieds are anything to go by. Don’t mind the dark blue mind.

Hopefully some stately home owner will soon decide to get rid of his or her impeccably looked after country spec’ed car, but doubt I’ll be that lucky!

Last edited by KitTheRam on 30th Mar 2022 2:18pm. Edited 1 time in total

I'll see your 525i Touring and raise you my '94 Audi/Porsche RS2!

However, despite my love for all things 'quattro', the L322 is simply the best vehicle I've ever owned. The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom

I trust it’s Nogaro Blue?

Yes the e34 Touring is no M5, but it’s got just enough of everything and doesn’t shout too loudly about it.

I have found that Range Rover opinions fall into two distinct camps, those who think it’s the best car in the world, and those who think it’s the worst.

RS2's were never made in Nogaro Blue as that colour didn't exist then.....

But I do have an RS Blau car and a Ragusa Green one too!

Like any car, there's good and bad L322's out there. The youngest is now approaching ten years old. I'm sorry to say that your £11k is only ever going to buy a car that won't quite be what you hope for. The only question is how bad it could possibly be. There's good cars out there, but your budget isn't high enough for them. The sad thing is that if you'll end-up spending a lot more that the initial outlay. The 3.6 turbos WILL fail and if your purchase hasn't given up it's go-faster bearings, it's gonna happen at some point and that's costing the best part of £4k unless you're a skilled mechanic.

Sell the W124 and get a decent 4.4 TDV8 L322. Unless, of course, it's a 500E!  The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom

That’s a good write up to avoid buying a range rover in the first place!

If I spend more I think I would go for something different in truth, a non diesel car that will cost less to run and hold its value better i imagine. German no doubt.

As mentioned in my first post, the brief is quite specific, and if that brief is fundamentally floored then I may have to reconsider the idea of an L322!

I’m not sure it’s fair to beat the 3.6 quite so much, I owned one for 5 years and also have a few friends who have been long term owners and they have all been great, one has over 200k on the original turbo’s. It was also pre DPF so one less thing to worry about if you are doing low miles. Maybe we had a good 3.6 example, but I also thought it drove and pulled really well!

I would buy a Tonga Green pre facelift in a heartbeat, I think there are a few of us keeping a eye out for them although I would go petrol I think

E30 and W124 are also on my very long list of cars I would love to own

I did obsess over servicing on the 3.6, twice a year and made sure both drain’s were removed which I doubt most garage’s would do.

I’d be more worried about rear arch / sill corrosion it was tough to find a good one 8 years ago!

Anything with a Land Rover badge on is a huge financial risk  Sold - Bell a 2015 MY16 Loire Blue Autobiography 4.4 SDV8
Previously George a 2007 MY07 Java Black VSE 3.6 TDV8
Previously a 04 MY04 Defender 90

Nothing wrong with a fully working 3.6. It's just the risks are greater for big repair costs than the 4.4 esp with a small budget. Given their age it's likley now no one sees economical sense in replacing the turbo's if they go as it puts them beyond economical repair. If the OP is not doing big miles they would be wise to look at the petrol engines. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)