i have had a 2011 l322 for 4years and I love it. I've spent a few quid on it maintaining the usual, oil cooler, brake pipes AC condenser and a few other things and an oil change every 5000 miles. However now in a position to upgrade to a later model say 2017/18 4.4 but not too many around in my area or price range at the minute but there seem to be enough 3 ltr models around. To be honest my current Fatty is becoming a bit " rickety" in the ride experience and I suspect some suspension problems afoot especially as MOT due soon.

Really I'm looking for opinions from you guys who have had experience of both models, 4.4 and 3ltr, in regards to comparing comfort ride, power experience and reliability
All contributions very welcome. RR owner

No experience of 405, but doesn’t the 4.4 have the cornering anti roll system and the 3.0 not? More than happy to be corrected.

 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

@MJD you are correct.

I have heard from 3L owners that it is a great engine, fast and responsive enough and good economy (handling may be slightly better as no large 4.4L lump up front to steer.) However the anti-roll in the 4.4L is impressive and am really pleased with my 4.4L 405.

There have been concerns with the 3L going 'pop' with oil starvation to the crank.

Just as an aside, I had a 24 reg sport on loan recently and it had the 3L (300 BHP) in line ingenium engine. It was really fast, smooth, quiet and great gearbox. so if you can afford it, maybe get a 405 with 3L inline ingenium engine instead?

Food for thought  RR owner

Stick with what you’ve got
I brought a 2019 4.4 as an upgrade….
Had it 8 months and hated it. Bland, knocked banged, and drove like any other big suv. Have you driven one??
And then there’s the regen issues and the Range Rover electronic lottery you play every morning. It was a nightmare, even my useless main dealer told me I’d brought the wrong car….. and they sold it us. Lost £8k in as many months, but pleased to be shot…..

Now back in a L322

The sdv6 still has issues with the chocolate crank, and feels underpowered by comparison. And I certainly wouldn’t be buying an ingenium engine….. stressed. Even buying through LR assured dealer you still have issues, and headaches!

OP: There’s far too much heresay, even here on what should be a “better informed” forum.
The 3L engines outnumber the 4.4 by 5:1, and the 5L engine by 10:1, so the “failure” figures are disproportionately skewed, there is no difference in reliability IMHO, neglect by previous owners is the worst culprit, irrespective of engine type. As far as the ARC system is concerned, if it’s not there, it can’t fail and land you with a four figure sum to fix? (Same goes for higher-spec models and roof drain failures). Depends how you drive, but any fullfat is no sports car, is it? (Aren’t the higher-powered models more likely to attract owners who don’t drive Miss Daisy?) Get what you want, but don’t take anyones opinion here as any kind of guarantee. Get a full RAC inspection, or better an independent RR expert if you can find one. Get an engine oil sample analysis if possible, or at least request this, and note the sellers’ reaction. It’s a lottery to be honest, but there are signs a vehicle has been well cared for, so learn those, and hopefully lessen your risk. V6 Vogue - “Less is More” - less to go wrong!

Guess I should continue to seek a 4.4 for reliability. Ive seen one or two within my price range that have lowish miles and good history but they are mainly over 100 miles away which is not bad in itself but if something goes wrong I'd rather have to deal more local.

Thanks for these inputs. RR owner

Sdv6 chocolate crank was how I ended up in the L322

Couldn’t agree more about buying what you want, and yes we are now in an age where there is a plethora of unregulated mis information.

I was giving my experience, which is what the OP asked for ??

Regen issues are well known, with our LR approved 1 owner 45,000 miles SDV8, we found that a 60 mile each way commute, 3 times a week wasn’t enough, and oil changes were requested every 2500 miles. This was A road driving with a 10 min blast on dual carriageway…… LR had it back numerous times, through there used warranty…… eventually saying we’d brought the wrong car …… Which I totally agree with

Never had an issue in 5 years with the TDV8….. and the drive is far superior …..

Edited to add….. we also electrical issues, which could have added to the regen issues. It could just have also been a Friday afternoon car …… who knows, the new owner loves it…. And he’s broken down twice !!
I would add it’s not just limited to LR… every marque has issues

Hi, I too bought the 4.4sdv8 albeit in an RRS simply because I was reading so much about the crankshaft failure in 3.0d...
Currently in process of changing to FFRR l405 3.0d
Hopefully collecting it this week.

Sorry, a bit off topic. I’m casually looking at L494 and L405, ideally SC V8. Why are you looking to move from RRS? Is it that bad? Should I only look at 405?

 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

Hi mjdronfield, sorry I maybe came across that the 4.4sdv8 RRS was bad..... It's not, it's an amazing jeep with loads of power and handles well considering the weight of it. Mine is an autobiography dynamic and has never missed a beat, fuel economy is surprisingly good..... The thing is I came from X5's and wanted more comfort and although this is comfortable to a degree it's still trying to be both (as in a luxury jeep but also a sports car) and that's where the problem lies for me anyway. The V8 diesel is definitely suited for long motorway journeys (I've done a few 400 mile + trips and it just eats the miles with 38mpg returned).... Thing is most of my journeys are shorter and on B roads hence why I wanted more comfort. When I drove the l405 3.0 the power difference is very noticeable but anything else will be at the start tbh. I would look at what you're normal journeys are and then decide how you want to travel on them.... And drive both RRS and full fat with both engines if possible. I currently change my oil every 5k in V8 to try to combat the oil dilution issue and tbh I will be continuing to do so in the V6 when I get it. Crankshaft issue in v6 is a lottery, one I'm looking at has 54k on it, 1 owner and been changed every 7k on average but who knows. V8's aren't without they're issues either same as all cars. Take your time, do your homework on what you need, then like the rest of us just throw it all out the window and buy what you want and enjoy it...

I’m on my 3rd V8 Diesel - every one of them has been faultless - absolutely no issues at all. They handle as though they are on rails, and the performance is astonishing. Plus they are exceptional on fuel for such a large vehicle. 2021 L405 Vogue SE 4.4 V8 DIESEL ~ #17

I too have been looking, even though my pick up does everything I need , and would probably settle on the 3.0. Only reason being I object to the £700+ a year road tax on the 4.4 where as the 3.0 is around half that. Not that I can't afford the £700 a year - I just don't like the govt bending me over more than they already do!

Can I just add a few words of wisdom, gained at great expense, the biggest single failing with JLR engines is the 20k service interval. I have a dead 76k 2.0 diesel product that has just given up and now requires a new engine.. just as JLR has suffered an attack from the East

The biggest single failing was the oil, which is totally knackered by half the distance it is supposed to cover and I will be adopting a more normal 7k oil change if / when I get the car back.

Yes the V6 can suffer crank failure, but I have been led to believe, it is a failure at the harmonic damper end of the crank and could be caused by the quality of the oil, rather than starvation... Lets face it, if you're trying to lube your engine with a mixture of exhaust soot and diesel, something has to give.

Also I'm led to believe that V6 failure is almost unheard of in cars that don't tow... So if your driving style is 0-flatout or you drag a gin place about get the bigger engine! Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

I agree, get the right tools for the job, like I said in my previous post the V8 is amazing and relentless but just not suitable for my current needs.... I'm collecting my L405 tomorrow sometime and although I'm excited and pleased to be getting it I will definitely miss the grunt.