Hi, just as i'm about to purchase a new to me L322 but with many different motor configuration's i would like to know from you forum members what's your thoughts on the different motors, diesel, petrol. I have a BMW 4.4 petrol at the moment but after reading many forums on the net have discovered that Ford and Jaguar have been involved in the build of the great L322, so if it's not too much trouble could i ask for some advice on the pros and cons on the different motors.

I appreciate anyone time in writing down some information for me to consider when it comes time to purchase.  2003 RR L322 4.4 ltr Auto Zambezi silver Custom paint

I’ve not had a Petrol L322, but….

TD6 - strong engine, bit unrefined now and underpowered, but reliable. Gearbox made of cheese.

BMW 4.4 - Smooth, but can suffer from oil leaks, collapsed hoses and timing chain guide issues… if I remember right.

Jag 4.4 - Nice and smooth. Not made for very long. Not as good on LPG as the BMW 4.4.

TDV8 3.6 - suffers from turbo/EGR issues which can stuff the engine.

Jag 4.2 SC - Strong engine. Not heard of that many issues.

TDV8 4.4 - cracking engine, torque monster. Oil cooler leaks main issue.

5.0 SC - Most powerful engine ever fitted to an RR at the time. Timing chain guides problematic.

Don’t think I’m a million miles off….

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

….and the 4.4 TDV8 is the only one with the excellent 8 speed gearbox….

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Thank you so much that give me a lot to think about.

i have seen a couple of 4.2 SC RR's here for sale at the moment about four 5lt RR's and a hand full of 3.6 lt's
And i do recall a few 4.4 TD RR's too so i have only 2 to pick from really. thx so far though 2003 RR L322 4.4 ltr Auto Zambezi silver Custom paint

4.4TDV8 with the 8 speed box is surprisingly good on fuel (high 30’s low 40’s on a good run) especially as it’s like a hippo without a diet sheet! 2012 Orkney Grey Westminster 4.4TDV8 with Ivory interior.........nice!
BMW R1200GS
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Just one Montesa now, 349 White Wonder
Austin A40 Farina MK2
1975 Morris Marina 1.8TC

I have the 4.4 TDV8 and it does everything I want it to do very well. It's no slouch when I want it to go, but boy, would I love to have the 5.0 supercharged, just to say I had one before the demise of the ICE.

There is also the 5.0 petrol without Supercharger available in some markets… not the UK though. Not seen that much about them on here. I know the US got them, in place of the diesel….

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

The 4.4 TDV8 is without doubt the best all-round engine and gearbox configuration. Top spec 4.4 TDV8s have 'double glazing' which makes a big difference. The active body control also makes a noticeable difference. The 8 speed box is fantastic.

Most issues with the 4.4 TDV8 are quite well known and well documented so, actually quite easy to diagnose and fix. Even better if you can find one with excellent history proving some or all of the below work has been done.

Usual things are:
- Oil cooler o-rings (£20 but in a good proportion of cases, the oil cooler is known to warp and will continue to cause problems so, it is good practice to replace the oil cooler at the same time)
- Donut hoses (£20 for some new ones. No garage time needed)
- Seal on charge hose to throttle body (can be bodged or £170 for a new part. No garage time needed)
- air con compressor (£350 for the part plus recharges)
- auxiliary belt (£30. No garage time needed. Good practice to also change the tensioner based on mileage)
- Cracked intake manifold (less common. £600. No garage time needed)



I'd debate the claimed fuel economy though! I think it's more reasonable to expect 27mpg around town, 34mpg on a run (in warm weather and summer mix diesel), 30-31mpg combined. Still very good compared to other large 4x4s and also new Range Rovers (I had a 2021 Range Rover Sport with the 3L diesel and it achieved exactly the same mpg as my 4.4 TDV8 does - the reason? Because the larger block operates around 300rpm lower in all gears for the same drive - so whilst the block can drink more fuel, the lower RPMs at which it operates mean it achieves pretty much exactly the same mpg as the 3L). That's driving normally, at the speed limits, with the occasional boot from the right foot, not like Miss Daisy.

It does mean however that the 4.4 TDV8s attract a noticeably higher price than the 3.6. And equally on L405s, the 4.4 SDV8 (same engine but with the turbo drain mod and a few minor changes) also attracts a higher price than the 3L. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

"Best" is subjective. It depends on what your priority is. For my money I think the sweet spot is the Jaguar 4.4. No VANOS woes of the BMW, no performance aspirations of the supercharged, no complications of the diesels, just reliable waftyness. Encourage alternative fuels, use all the petrol!
2012 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 TDV8
2006 Mercedes GL420 CDI
2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
2006 Jeep Commander 3.0 CDI with GDE HOT Tune
1997 Nissan Patrol 4.2 GRSE
1995 Vauxhall Monterey Diamond 3.2 v6
1994 Range Rover 4.2 LSE Beluga Black, Softdash, Brooklands Body Kit - Loved it!
1993 Range Rover 4.2 LSE ended up converted to 300tdi

"Best all-round" which would take into account performance, economy, reliability, refinement, upkeep, speed etc etc.

Let's not nitpick. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

Well thank you garyRR, Chrali, mjdronfield, kevinp, that give me an overall average on all engines and transmissions.

I suppose i'm looking for reliability more than power (power would be nice) but as I get older the boy racer has started to disappear from me. So a nice optioned RR with the reliability and service history will do me nicely.

After reading all the entries a think the 4.4 TD 8 speed wins hands down with a close second in the 4.4 lt Jaguar engine which i think would be hard to find in Aus.  2003 RR L322 4.4 ltr Auto Zambezi silver Custom paint

I'm promise I'm not trying to nit pick garry .Its just that I've got the "best all rounder" tdv8 with 8 speed and actually wish I went a different route. I think if I had my time again I would get myself a Jaguar engined 4.4. Encourage alternative fuels, use all the petrol!
2012 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 TDV8
2006 Mercedes GL420 CDI
2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
2006 Jeep Commander 3.0 CDI with GDE HOT Tune
1997 Nissan Patrol 4.2 GRSE
1995 Vauxhall Monterey Diamond 3.2 v6
1994 Range Rover 4.2 LSE Beluga Black, Softdash, Brooklands Body Kit - Loved it!
1993 Range Rover 4.2 LSE ended up converted to 300tdi

When you say jag 4.4lt this is a petrol yes? 2003 RR L322 4.4 ltr Auto Zambezi silver Custom paint

Yeah, replaced the engine you already have. Only made it for a year or so if I remember right, so pretty rare relatively.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

The first thing I would ask is, 'better for what?' which will narrow down the field. I note you ask about engines but you do need to consider the whole package. For me, the 'sweet spot' is a 3.6TDV8 in Vogue SE level.

I have driven later 4.4TDV8's in L322 & L405 extensively, some of the updates could tempt me, but IMO, on the LION platform, the originals are always more robust than the reworked later versions - 2.7 vs. 3.0 TDV6 & 3.6 vs. 4.4TDV8, in both cases, the latter versions are more 'fragile' - mostly in terms of peripherals, and mostly to meet EU notional emissions targets, there are also the suspension issues, either with the active damping or the corrosion causing the top wishbone ball joints to let go of the knuckle on the front of L405's

In terms of petrol engines, pretty much the same specification level but with the 5.0 supercharged engine would be my 'sweet spot'. Purely because 'why not?' if I were going down the petrol route. It's a while since I saw them regularly but there were no more troublesome than the 4.2 supercharged.

So yes, you asked about engines, but you need to look at the whole spec. level and package IMO