mat777
Member Since: 06 Apr 2015
Location: Nantwich/Liverpool
Posts: 139
 
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Hi all,
Up until about 2 months ago, I was the happy owner of a TD5 Discovery 2 that I bought as a stock daily, and which has slowly morphed into a mean dual-purpose commuter and off roader. However, I get the impressions that the PO got out just in time, as I have had just about every single well known D2 fault occur on me in the space of our time together. Ironically, it's probably one of the most sorted ones out there now, but in my eyes now I can't stand the sight of it any more, and it has to go.
So, what to replace it with? I wanted something more modern, more dependable, but still fulfilling the same criteria of being large, luxurious and capable of hauling itself and trailers/other vehicles off of wet showgrounds and out of deep mud.
I came within a hair of buying genuine G4 Discovery 3 - however, at literally the 11th hour, an HPI check revealed a very large amount of outstanding finance - I ran away. Then I thought, why restrict myself to a Diesel? Given the predicted backlash in tax etc that is coming, plus all the expensive complications of a mdoern diesel engine such as DPFs, injectors etc,. why the hell not go for a V8 on LPG?
I even wavered slightly from my devotion to the green oval. I was dead set on buying a 2009 Dodge Ram 5.7 Hemi spotted on ebay. However, this led to a huge argument with the parents, as I still live at home. They said I was being totally stupid, that such an enormous vehicle was stupid (actually, a Ram 1500 isnt any bigger than a new Cayenne/Q7/FFRR, but never mind), and that I could park it somewhere else if I bought one.
Having lost that argument, my attention turned to an L322 Range Rover. Even if I hadnt ruled out diesel, the early TD6 is, from what I've heard, a bit slow and not blessed with the world's most reliable gearbox.
A TDV8 would have been nice, but they were out of my price range.
So, a V8 Range Rover then, but an earlier 4.4 then with the bombproof M62 as I knew the Jaguar engines do not like LPG. I had already experienced this engine in a friend's X5, and knew it was a good'un.
Thus began the search for the newest 4.4 on LPG that I could find for sale. I soon stumbled across one very special vehicle in particular - a 2005 Vogue V8 with the Luxury Pack and a colour-coded interior (apparently not something reserved only for the Autobiography as I had previously thought?).
I was previously unaware of this, but I now know the interior of the FFRR was updated with the Jaguar/Ford fibreoptic-based touch screen infonav system a year before the external facelift that brought the new Jaguar engines. By chance, I'd stumbled across one of the few petrol L322s with the M62 V8, but the new Jaguar infotainment.
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First impressions are that it is a truly superb vehicle for near-silent motorway wafting, but I definitely noticed the increased width on my narrow country lanes - its like helming a supertanker! It doesnt look wider than my D2 from outside, but from inside it feels much, much more vast. I suspect a lot of that is due to the better packaging of the engine in the monocoque body?
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As said, I already knew good things about the engine but wow, what effortless performance (I managed to get 30-70 in about 4 seconds, when experimenting with the tiptronic manual mode) and WHAT A NOISE!!! Many, many smiles per gallon, yet with the Stag LPG system it's costing less per mile to run than the diesel Disco - about 14.7 mpg on gas with my lead foot, or 30mpg on Diesel allowing for the roughly half price ratio.
Another impression is, as expected, how much more comfy the air suspension is over my broken country roads than the beam axled coil setup on the Disco. Thee downside however, is that this is definitely a wallowy old hector, whereas the Disco could be hustled through bends to a certain extent. But then, this isnt a vehicle for hooning at all, rather it is made to waft imperiously whilst looking down on other motorists 
Yesterday was spent giving it a damn good clean both inside and outside. The previous owner has several kids and large dogs, and boy did it show once I'd set to work with some carpet shampoo and a hoover. Lego and crumbs seemed to abound in the space underneath the back seats when I folded them down!
This is a "during" shot of one of the cleaner bits of carpet from inside.... 
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Happily, it is lovely and sparkling clean now, after 4 hours, 2 cans of shampoo, a pack of wet wipes and a lot of hoovering!
Next job is a new set of boots - I was told when buying it that it could do with 4 new tyres, and closer inspection showed that the fronts are on the wear bars with the rears not far behind. This gives me a very good excuse to whack some nice all terrain tyres on to replace the road rubber currently on it. There doesn't seem to be a lot available in 255/55/19, but the current favourite idea is a set of Grabber ATs, closely followed by the Cooper Zeon LTZ (which have a worse fuel economy rating despite a less aggressive tread?!). I dont particularly want to trade down a wheel size to 18" as I'm not a fan of any of the styles in that size, but I dont want to trade up as I want a thick sidewall to cope with the atrocious roads out here in the countryside.
Anyway, here's to many happy miles to come in the king of luxury barges!
If anyone is wondering why the vehicle is called Windsor, it was a suggestion from a friend of mine after they observed that the L322 is much like the Royal family - regal, refined and oh so British, but with German blood in it :rolllaugh:
Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  NW060
"Red Shed" - 1982 Series 3 88" County Station Wagon
"Spirit of Great Britain" - Rolls Royce Meteor V12 engine
ZG875 - Westland Sea King (cockpit section)
"Carly Rae Jeepsen" - 2006 Jeep Commander 5.7 Hemi
"Pride Of The Road" - 1/4-scale Marshall traction engine - sold
"Georgina" - 2000 Discovery 2 TD5 ES - sold
"Windsor" - 2005 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 - dead
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7th Apr 2015 4:04am
