Hi,

Looking to buy a L322 (or maybe RRS) and it will mostly cover 2miles each way to station and approx 40 miles at weekend with the odd 200 mile thrown in... Budget is approx 15k

Thinking about a 4.4 (2009+) diesel but would I have DPF issues? I assume so... And also the 3.6?

For this type of low mileage should I forget the diesels and just get a 4.2 or 5.0 SC?

Anyone run a diesel covering low milage? All advice appreciated. Need to shift a 2010 (facelift) TTS first so just getting an idea unless someone is up for a swap

My 4.4TDV8 has done that without complaint when I have used it for the station run.

I reckon I get one yellow DPF a year (and then have to go for a short 50mph+ run to clear it)

How stop/start/ solid trafficky is your two mile drive? - mine is not bad and I live in Bishop's Stortford in case it helps for comparison.

IMHO the DPF issues are overstated, some others may disagree - you do need to make sure you use the correct low ash oil (it has an L designations at the end of the oil description)

Red DPF lights are a pain just because you have to get a regen done which requires a code reader to be plugged in - I have only had one in four years of ownership and a mate with a garage set the regen up for me and sent me off to drive down the A120 - it cleared in about 12 mins.

Is your weekend mileage above 50mph? 2016 (L405) Autobiography in Black with Ivory - for ULEZ
2014 (L405) VSE in Black with Ivory
2011 (L322) VSE in Black with Ivory
2005 (3.2 V6) Porsche Cayenne in Black with Savanna
1999 (P38) VSE in Burgundy (?) with Sand

I’ll have had my 4.4 TDV8 3 years in Feb and by then I might have done 10k miles.

I try and go over 2500rpm at least once every journey and get the second turbo spinning....and the odd run of course.

That’s all I do.

 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

Unnecessary quote removed

Station run will be an easy 2mile, very little traffic so I would be surprised if stop at all. Yeah weekends will involve motorway so will easy get above 50mph.

Mine does not do a run every weekend, sometimes not even monthly - buy what you like but drive a 4.4 TDV8 - they are mightily impressive with the 8 speed box especially on the motorway - easy 30+ mpg and they aren't exactly aerodynamic  2016 (L405) Autobiography in Black with Ivory - for ULEZ
2014 (L405) VSE in Black with Ivory
2011 (L322) VSE in Black with Ivory
2005 (3.2 V6) Porsche Cayenne in Black with Savanna
1999 (P38) VSE in Burgundy (?) with Sand

So I had a similar choice to make a couple of months ago.

I was concerned about the reliability of the diesel models, when mostly doing short journeys.
I drove both and as soon as I did, my mind was immediately made up.

I bought a 5,0 2010 s/c fatty. And it's fantastic.

It's spectacularly thirsty, but I just don't care..

We've had our TDV8 (MY11) for two weeks short of the year. It's used for shopping runs, to the paper shop on miserable, can't be bothered to walk mornings and days out. About 7.5k miles.

So lots of fairly low speed, sometimes not fully warmed up runs with a trip to Scotland and to the south coast thrown in. There have been two Yellow DPF lights, one a week after we bought her and one two weeks ago. Both cleared after 5 miles at 50+mph. Passed the MOT last week with emissions so low the tester wouldn't print the result??? We're not overly concerned about fuel costs but average is about 30 mpg depending on journey trypes.

Many members say buy any FF on condition, known faults done and service history. Lot's of info and assistance about on here, dig in.

But do try both before buying, either way you will enjoy having an FF. Not driven an S/C yet, but the TDV8 goes like stink if you want it to. Cheers
Richard

(there are no such things as an ordinary FullFat, an ordinary cat or too many tools)
2011 TDV8 Vogue Santorini Black
Gap IIDBT

get a petrol.

petrol is better for your needs.

however I would never buy a diesel car - I've never owned one and they won't exist soon - so I never will!

I had a similar decision to yours recently. I went for a 4.2 SC and I’m really happy with it. I’d just come from a diesel and would have had another but reading the forum just seemed like there were a lot of questions from diesel owners but very few from SC owners by comparison.

Not an exact science I know but it did wordy me.

I also have concerns about how a diesel operates. Many seem overly complicated, often in the pursuit of lower emissions rather than reliability though. This puts me off. I haven’t looked too far into the design of L322 diesels but my experience comes from working on other types of diesels.

Petrol or diesel?

In your case petrol is probably the sensible way to go, you don’t get the best consumption from the diesel on short town runs to the on paper advantage will be negligible anyway at that sort of mileage. I would however advise driving them both as the grunt of the 4.4 is pretty impressive, but then again so is the 4.2 and 5.0.......

There isn’t much wrong with the newer diesels. It’s that we are moving towards electric, and there just isn’t a poitical place for them. Modern diesels are very clean, but are complex bits of kit. That said so are small turbo petrol cars!

There is a bias towards problems with diesels on here, but if you did a survey of how many diesel owners there are vs petrol, you would find a bias that way too, so there are going to be more diesel complaints. Many of the overall problems are not engine related in any case. Most are from other systems and bits of the car. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

I thought that DPFs were not fitted until 2011. I am sure my 2010 L322 3.6 TDV8 did not have a DPF. If so, with a budget of £15,000 the OP need not buy an L322 with a DPF and thus avoid the problem