Having spent several weeks looking around the internet, forums and such Like, really getting cold feet in the whole FFRR ownership thing.

It pretty much seems inevitable that once I have spent anything from 17k to 22k on either a 322 or 405 I will be forking out several more £££ when it all goes pear shaped. I have never spent so much time deciding on my next car. The car I had last year was an Audi A6 Avant Bitdi. Epic. Just bought it after a week or so deciding that it had to have the 313bhp engine, and that was it.........

I have also looked at Discovery 4s MY 2015 > WOW a large breakdown bill waiting to happen......

So maybe I might search for an Audi A6 Allroad this time, (with the 313bhp engine and 8 speed box). The only difference compared to what I had last year is that it will have air suspension.

Thats the mild off roading in various campsites sorted then, without the fear that each time I get in (FFRR) there are warning lights and gongs all over the place!!!

Or should I just stop whinging and just bite the bullet?

Steve

just stop whinging and just bite the bullet

Bite the bullet Take your time looking at various cars and get one that's been looked after well, such as members cars for sale on this site. Once you drive one and get used to it you will be hooked. There are some members who have had to spend tidy sums on their FFRR's and would still not swap their cars for anything else.

When looked after properly many RR's are quite reliable, we all have friends who have had horror stories with other well known brands. Yes some of us on this site may be 'slightly biased' but we are here because we love these cars, 'warts an all' so to speak.
Remember that a lot of people on here post threads about problems, but don't post about good times, ie my FBH that works perfectly at nearly 17 years old, and that was after the FBH not being tried for 5 years

edit: sorry marchy, was writing my reply when yours came in. same theme though.

on my 4th FFRR now. Will be buried in mine when the time comes.

first one P38. (enough said)
2nd was 7 yr old (2002 TD6) bought unseen from an auction with 75,000 miles - Fault free for whole of ownership. sold to mate with 113,000 miles. Best one ever.
3rd - 2003 4.4 Petrol V8 - bought from this forum at 8 yrs old. Impeccable except water pump failure x 2 (poor parts, not the car's fault. Mileage 189,000
4th - 2011 TDV8 bought off eBay with 83,000 miles. now 122,000. Had it over 5 years now. Best yet in terms of engine and refinement. One major failure: inlet manifold (LR poor quality part). total spent on repairs, suspension parts etc c.£3000 total (£600/yr).

the key to buying is find a good one, check it out properly and buy off the forum if you can. All cars are so technical with electronic sensors everywhere, they can all go wrong (BMY/Porsche/Audi/VW/Merc). Horror stories abound on all manufacturer forums.

My motto has become “buy the car you want and move on with your life”

I too, over the years, spent way tooooo long researching and pondering. Drives me mad now and I won’t do it anymore. Due diligence yes, obsessive late-night internet trawling and forum diving, no.

I think a lot of FF owners own them because they have a certain passion for them. Buying without that passion and focusing on the horror stories and costs will only end in dissatisfaction.

Approaching 5 years of FF Westie ownership. Sublime. I look after her and so far she’s never let me down or proven any less reliable than other cars I own and have owned previously. Apart from…

Our 2007 MX-5 maintenance / renovation has cost more than the 3 x FFs I’ve had…combined in 5/6 years. Absolute horror story. 2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster - Baltic Blue, Jet interior
1997 P38 2.5 DSE auto & 1998 P38 2.5 DT Manual
1988 Vogue 3.5 EFI - Manual, gone.
2004 Volvo C70 2.0T convertible, had since new.
2007 Mazda MX-5 2.0 Sport Roadster/Coupé, had since new.
2024 Mini Cooper S cabrio, JCW kit, 2.0, DCT auto

No apologies needed Dolphinboy, we will all have to badger EOD Steve in to having a few test drives then he's done for, he will be hooked.

Sssshhhhhh just don't mention the average FFRR members level of OCD

Just go and buy a Toyota, you will be much happier.....  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Hi all,

Some great comments about this, thank you all very much indeed. I was curious as to why there appears to be more lower mileage 322s out there in comparison to the younger 405s??? Does seem odd, I would expect older cars to have more mileage?

Anyway I keep (re) convincing myself that any other car other than a FFRR will not scratch the itch that I have. Ive always wanted one. Back in 1993 I was very close to buying a classic, though as we know it wasn't called that back then.

So I am about a month away from going beyond the research to actually putting my current car on Autotrader and will actually be in a position to test drive some 322/405 and see where it takes me. I did drive a 322 about 6 weeks ago. The specific car was overpriced and scruffy (imho) but I did feel oh soooo cool behind the wheel, and very high up which was awesome.......
Steve

Hi Steve, my tuppence as a relatively new FFRR owner (almost 1 year in now) is that coming from a Disco3 I was well aware of all the LR/RR reliability grumbles we have all heard, as owners or not! As has been said, as you would any other car - do your research, test drive a few and narrow down what specifically you’re after ie spec / engine / colours etc… I bought a higher mileage 2012 4.4TDV8 and my thinking was that to some extent given the higher mileage some (most?) of the one-off issues would need to have been taken care of to get the mileage maybe!!! All else will now be the usual ongoing consumables that every car has, but with the added bonus of the RR premium in cost of repairs and/or parts… if you’re willing and able to DIY this place is invaluable in knowledge and experience. Having a contingency fund ongoing is definitely advisory, as well as a GAP IID tool to diagnose / clear faults, and also do a little modifying… hard to think I’d now move to something else, unless just purely for a change. Cheers, Steven.

2012 Vogue 4.4 TDV8.

Thanks grayst01.....

Well I have the £££ to spend on it come what may. I am certainly willing to get some preventative maintenance done thats for sure.

I am hopeless with car mechanics, but I have a very reputable indy about 500 yards away, and Rimmer brothers main UK store is next door to them, so that should cover most bases I think?

Steve

Difficult one....

I'm a well known Audi nut. I may have one or two (or six) Audi's with a combined value exceeding that of several new Range Rovers!

The absolute best drive of my life was in a rather special Audi. The single most exhilarating and fastest drive of my life (on the public highway) was in an Audi Estate.....

However, my L322 4.4 TDV8 is the only vehicle which I would opt to keep IF I was compelled by law to have just one vehicle. The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom

Last edited by JMC on 11th Apr 2023 10:14pm. Edited 1 time in total

If you want to come and drive a 405 away from the pressure of a dealer then pop up, your not far away...  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Thanks Pete that is very kind, where are you based?

Steve

Near Brough.... 10 mins north side of the bridge... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Steve
I read the reviews, I watched the videos on YouTube. There are lots of horror stories out there about how a Range Rover will break the bank and your heart. Lots of those stories centre on older, cheaper vehicles with patchy service history. I guess any 10 year old car such as a Mercedes ML, a BMW X5, an Audi Q7 etc will all have their issues.

Like you I wanted to drive what is described as the most capable luxury off roader in the world, so I did my research and purchased a 2012 Westminster with 54k miles and a good history. Will it cost money to own? Of course it will but 3 months in and all good so far. I'm going to continue the maintenance and upkeep with so e preventative work such as diff oil changes and gearbox oil change etc, and a check over for bushes etc before MoT in August.

Would I recommend the L322? Absolutely, I love it. Its very different from my M5 but the comfort and quality as well as practicality and rugged style are obvious. I believe the L322 is the pinnacle of the balance between luxury and agricultural usability.
Why else would her Majestty have retained hers in favour of a newer model, also Jeremy Clarkson among others. And of course the number of committed owners is evident on this forum and the number of specialists selling parts to keep yours going.

Get on board, regret it at times when all isnt well, but love it most of the time. Oh, and find a good local specialist to care for it. Just my early thoughts.