I’ve got a 5.0 Supercharged in my XFR and it’s a nice smooth, quiet engine when driven quietly and goes like stink when you give it some.

My 4.2 SC is much the same, silky smooth and quiet when pottering along, nice little bit of noise at mid throttle and lots of noise with supercharger whine when pushing it. The 5.0’s have a revised intake so there’s zero supercharger whine on them.

The 5.0 is a noisier engine from outside the car as it uses direct injection rather then port injection like the 4.4/4.2 V8 Petrols. It’s not noticeably noisier inside the car though.

LR have never admitted there’s an issue with the chains so it’d be an expensive job. I believe most specialists charge £3-4K to do them. There’s a lot of labour involved. I can confirm this for sure as I’m in the process of doing them on my 4.2 just now.

The 5.0 has 25% more power then the 4.2 and I believe the official figure is that it uses something like 13% less fuel or thereabouts.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Only reason I say is because when I looked at a Westminster, it did not have cooled seats... unless it was incorrectly badged/advertised/an early one.

Your safe bet is Vogue = heated seats only
Vogue SE / Autobiography = Heated and cooled seats
Westminster = check (maybe early ones didn't?) But also have rear reclining seats 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

HSE? Think that spec stopped about 2005 or 6…..

I posted the spec sheets of the 2011 cars in the Wiki…

https://www.fullfatrr.com/gallery/albums/u...0specs.pdf

 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

Thanks Gary, David and Full-Fat-Lance for your contributions, all of your detailed knowledge is helpful and I feel like I'm finally starting to narrow things down.

So, it looks like I'm potentially going to have to sacrifice the most comfortable earlier seats, in favour of either the 4.4 TDV8 or 5.0 Petrol (unless I find Weegie's car to be quiet at time of test drive).

The trouble is, my 2007 L322, 4.4 Jaguar Petrol V8 which I drive daily and have owned for 8 years now, is almost completely silent at idle and on the move, so the question is, will I be able to cope with any kind of diesel sound.

This therefore may only leave me with the 5.0 option, or alternatively I stick with my 4.4 V8 petrol and keep the thing going, but it's developing issues now, and at 110k miles, I realise it won't last forever. So, do I try and find a low milage one now while they still exist - After all, they won't be making anymore L322's and they're the perfect car for our two 80kg dogs (the roof is too low for them to fit in our L405).

Just going back to David's comments about the 5.0 - £3-£4k at a specialist sounds like a lot!! But I guess you'd know if you're going through it. Out of interest, is it cheaper if you do the correction before there's an issue?

Also, if you have it corrected, can the problem recur, or is the fix an "actual correction" to prevent it happening again?

Finally, David, money no object, would you take the 5.0 FFRR with the same engine as in your XFR, or the 4.4 TDV8?

Many thanks to all once again

mjdronfield wrote:

HSE? Think that spec stopped about 2005 or 6…..

I posted the spec sheets of the 2011 cars in the Wiki…

https://www.fullfatrr.com/gallery/albums/u...0specs.pdf

Quote:

Finally, David, money no object, would you take the 5.0 FFRR with the same engine as in your XFR, or the 4.4 TDV8?

Now that’s just cruel!

They’re very different cars.

The petrol is silky smooth, sounds nice when giving it some, goes like stink and drinks like a fish if you exercise the loud pedal!

The diesel is very torquey, takes off well due to all the low down torque, the 8 speed gearbox is a masterpiece and it’ll do 35mpg on a run if you’re nice to it.

When my SC was off the road last year whilst I was changing the gearbox we took the TDV8 to a wedding in Sheffield from Glasgow. At no point on that trip did I miss the Supercharged. The only time you know the TDV8 is a diesel is at idle really. It doesn’t sound like a diesel when pushing on and still has a great turn of speed when you need to pass people.

If my Dad was ever changing his car I’d have it in a heart beat. There’s nothing that I really dislike about the diesel, there’s a lot of things I love about it.

The 5.0 engine in the XFR is superb though. The way it takes off when you use the loud pedal, the way it pulls all around the rev range, and with it being Supercharged there is no turbo lag at all.

If I could only have one car, it would be a Supercharged Range Rover. If I was keeping a petrol car and looking for a more modern Range Rover I’d likely have a TDV8. Primarily as you don’t need to stop as often for fuel as when on a long trip with the trailer or caravan you fill the Supercharged RR twice as often as the TDV8. We did Glasgow - Cardiff and back in 24hrs in the TDV8 towing an 18ft Ifor Williams trailer in 2019, we left home with a full tank and that took 2 fuel stops. In the SC that would have been 4 stops on top of leaving home full. Although the cost isn’t an issue, stopping 4 times in a day would get irritating.

Out of interest, what work does your 4.4 need? Having just replaced every bush and balljoint on my 4.2SC, If you love the car and know it’s history I’d be tempted to stick with it and have the work done.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Thanks for the detailed reply David, theres' some really good points you make there.

To be honest, there's not a huge amount needs doing on my current L322.....

There's a rear rubber door seal needs replacing, a squeak from rear o/s (may be rear brake pads), the rear camera no longer works, parking sensors work intermittently, the rear wiper motor is leaking, there's a bit of rust on the wheel arches and tailgate, and more recently, somehow a transmission pipe has begun weeping fluid!

On top of that, if I keep it, it could ideally do with a partial or full respray, as some paint lacquer is missing, then there's the bits of rust, all on a 110k miles, 15 year old car.

I wouldn't part with it, but the question is, do I look to get a newer one to take my wife and I and the dogs to Italy, and to give another 8 years plus of L322 motoring.

In many ways there’s a lot less to go wrong with yours then there is on a more modern one.

Could be the transmission oil cooler, a rusty transmission oil cooler pipe or something as simple as an o-ring on the side of the gearbox. None of which are big jobs if you catch them before they let the box run short of fluid.

Wiper motor will be the seal inside it. Thats a couple of quid for a fix if you follow Alan’s guide on here, hundreds of pounds if you don’t

Rear view cameras are around 100 quid from Powerful UK.

Rear discs and pads aren’t bad.

If you were closer I’d offer you a hand as everything on your list I’ve done in the last 12 months!

I was in the same dilemma as you with my 2007 4.2 SC. I bought it last year for £2,500. I realised after 12 months I was always going to have a Range Rover so spent a long time looking around for a 5.0SC that I fancied. In the end, I’ve replaced both diffs, 4 wheel bearings, refurbished the calipers, new brakes, wheels refurbished, new tyres, and just as I was finishing off I’ve found the timing was out.

I’ve spent a fortune on it but I now know the car is going to be perfect rather then potentially buying someone else’s problems in a newer car. 110k miles isn’t really a high mileage these days on a 15 year old car, Sandy has 200k on his 2007 Supercharged and is still adding 30k a year I believe.

If I were you and liked the car I had, I’d spend the money on making it what you want rather then buying something newer as it may have other issues that require sorting. Modern diesels have DPF’s, EGR’s, Turbo’s, etc. that can and do cause problems.

I’ve never driven a 4.4 Naturally Aspirated AJV8 engined car but remember reading that they are sublimely smooth and quiet. I doubt you’d get that in anything else.

Edit - I’ve read that the later L322’s can be more susceptible to corrosion around the cills and rear arches so check any that you’re looking at carefully.

David. 2002 4.6 Vogue SE - Alveston Red with Lightstone Leather
2007 Range Rover Supercharged in Java Black with Ivory Leather
2012 Range Rover 5.0 SC Autobiography in Indus Silver with Jet/Ivory Interior
2012 Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography in Baltic Blue with Sand Interior

Firstly, thank you very much for the info David and also for the very kind offer of help if you were nearer.

Your car sounds like a bargain at £2.5k, admittedly it sounds like you've spent quite a bit more on it, but as you say, at least you know al that work is now done.

I'm very grateful for your advice, and it's nice to know that these things are pretty standard issues and relatively low cost.

You've also probably got a very good point about newer cars potentially having more to go wrong. Plus even if they are significantly lower milage, I suppose it doesn't mean the previous owner has necessarily done everything when needed.

To be fair, money's been no object with my L322, up until 85,000 miles everything was done at the main dealers. If the car has ever needed anything at all, it's always been done - I just seem to have had a run of non-urgent things recently, like sensors, door seals and cameras, which have now become a short list when added to the more recent pressing stuff.

I think I'll take your advice and hang fire for now on buying a replacement, I'd always keep the current L322, so maybe I'm best to review the situation again once all work is completed.

Many thanks once again David for all your help and advice.

Best,

Allister

My 3.6 was in the garage every month for something, costing several hundred pounds a month, until I discovered the head gasket(s) was blown and I had no choice left but to send it to salvage auction.

I had a bit of trepidation about spending significantly more on the "same" car but newer but Ford re-engineered a lot of parts on these cars and made them 'work'. Sorry to any BMW era owners but they were a source of endless problems.

[I know Ford owned Land Rover by the time the L322 went into production but all the production lines, tooling, designs and patents were already made and until 2005, they continued producing the BMW designed car. After 2006, they replaced the troublesome engines and gearbox with their own lineup and the top priority re-designs (e.g. Air suspension)]

Yes there's more on the 4.4 TDV8s but I do also genuinely believe they are the best built L322s and aren't so comparable with older cars. Many of the old BMW era parts had been redesigned by Ford to new versions and, they'd started fitting things designed for the upcoming L405, such as the engines, gearbox, double glazing, digital dash, active body control etc.

Coming from a 3.6 to a 4.4, I think it's the best decision I could have made.

Good luck with the decision whether to stay or whether to upgrade. I absolutely do not regret my decision. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

Good morning Gary,

For now, I think I'm going to stick with what I've got.

I think it probably gives me the best mix of everything I want. As you point out yourself, being post 2006, my current L322 is a 2007MY with the 4.4 AJV8 naturally aspirated petrol engine and the 6 speed box which is pretty reliable. In fact, the car on the whole has been pretty good over the last 8 years of ownership.

Also, the engine is smooth, the cabin is quiet and the seats supremely comfortable.

Thank you once again for all you advice Gary

Stick with what you have is my advice - my 4.2 is on well over 200k I have owned it for 10 years and keep it well serviced. I use it daily and it is a 2007 with cooled seats and we do runs into Europe regularly and seats are fine
I budget 3k a year for servicing and repairs but do 20k ish miles a year.
If you spend half of what you were going to invest in a different car yours will be fantastic

Think that's what I'm going to do - Thanks Sandyt