I've dreamed of owning an L322 since 2003 when I purchased my first new car (2003 Freelander Mk1 TD4 Serengeti).

I only owned my Freelander for 9 months. Lost a tonne of cash selling it and had a few electrical issues during my short time of ownership.

Nevertheless, it was around that time I fell in love with the L322, but I could never dream of affording one until now when purchase prices are within my means, however the age old question of reliability and running costs on a 12+ year old FFRR loom large in my head and household.

I currently drive a steady family wagon (1.6tdi Nissan Qashqai) (100k+ miles) but it's time for a change.

My current choices are:

Sensible Head option = trade in QQ for a 4 year old BMW X3 (45k miles) (£26k)

Crazy Heart option = trade in QQ for a 2011 4.4 tdv8 Vogue SE (80k miles) (£17k)

Head in clouds option = Buy the RR and keep the QQ in the garage as a back up)

Fourth option = buy an even older/cheaper 4.4 petrol V8 for weekends only

FFRR prices have plummeted in the last year. A TDV8 is now great value. IF they have a good service history reliability can be good but you need to stay on top of the maintenance. This is identical to the car I bought 18 months ago….. except £10k cheaper:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276106560281 TDV8 4.4 2012

Thanks Ramblin Man.

Crazy Heart option = trade in QQ for a 2011 4.4 tdv8 Vogue SE (80k miles) But not at £17K!! pay £12-14 for an exceptional one.

4.4 TDV8 all day long. Excellent value for money. Had mine nearly 8 years. Longest I’ve ever had a car.

Not sure I’d want any other car unless it was a total opposite.

I’d have a drive of a few…

 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

Dolphinboy wrote:

Crazy Heart option = trade in QQ for a 2011 4.4 tdv8 Vogue SE (80k miles) But not at £17K!! pay £12-14 for an exceptional one.

Personally I’d avoid the Vogue Centre

Mark Eatons in Belper sells a few good ones
Also Full Fat 4x4 in the Midlands

Both on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/mark.eatons

https://www.facebook.com/FullFat4x4 2011 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE Buckingham Blue with Ivory and clear glass = "Rory"
New Defender D300 90 on order so "Rory" will be going to a new home....!
1974 Series 3 Lightweight = "Millie"
My preferred specialist: www.glenrands.co.uk
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Also, put a Wanted post in the appropriate section on here  2011 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE Buckingham Blue with Ivory and clear glass = "Rory"
New Defender D300 90 on order so "Rory" will be going to a new home....!
1974 Series 3 Lightweight = "Millie"
My preferred specialist: www.glenrands.co.uk
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Buy sensibly and keep on top of any maintenance, they really aren't anywhere near as bad as their reputation. Yes, they are relatively expensive to run, but so is any 12 odd year old £80K car. Make sure it has a rock solid service history (usually a mix of MD early in life and reputable indy later), has a good MOT history (you don't want to see it failing every year for simple stuff that isn't being sorted) and, this is personal, low ownership count (lemons get traded on quickly and consequently have high ownership count).

4.4TdV8 all day long, we've got two and they are magnificent! Drives:
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue - Stornoway Grey
2010 FFRR TdV8 Vogue SE - Zermatt Silver
1998 BMW E36 M3 GTII

Just remember this was an £80k plus car when new. People that buy this level of car are comfortable in spending the maintenance costs of an £80k car. Now that £80k car is worth say £10k but the maintenance costs have stayed the same or probably increased.

Supercar pricetag when new, supercar maintenance costs throughout it's life. It has an incredible ability to bleed your wallet and more dry.

Been there, done that, not going back but I had to get it out of my system (twice), LOL. BMW i3 Electric Car
2012 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8 (now gone)
2006 VW Touareg 3.0 TDi V6

DrRob wrote:

Personally I’d avoid the Vogue Centre

Mark Eatons in Belper sells a few good ones
Also Full Fat 4x4 in the Midlands

Both on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/mark.eatons

https://www.facebook.com/FullFat4x4

Amazing! Thank you. This is why forums like FFRR are so helpful.

Finding specialists like these without insider knowledge is never straight forward.

Thanks again.

X3 great choice……but……it’ll still have anomalies like any other car & you’ll hear horror stories about faults they have or not. They need maintenance just like a Range Rover. More importantly, when you open the front door or garage door the first thing you’re going to say to yourself is “it’s lovely…….but it ain’t a Range Rover”.

4.4TDV8 I have one & love it to bits. I came from an X5 (05) & spent more on the RR in the first year than I spent on the X5 in five years! That was mainly down to my mates 2 post lift won’t take the RR & also he didn’t want to work on the RR. I’ve used the same LR Indy for 4 years now. Oil cooler replacement, starter motor replacement, full oil change on everything, 4 Pirelli’s etc etc. Now she’s ‘sorted’ it’s no more reliable or unreliable than any other car, you keep on top of her & she’ll be fine.
I don’t do many miles, 5k pa, but try & use her on long runs plus towing a race trailer & caravan (what she was bought for) helps give her a long run.

Older V8 petrol……great idea, you can buy them from £3k (older BMW V to £10k (supercharged V & as you say, use for weekends etc, expect high teens in mpg at best, but still very useable. There’s a lovely one on this site funnily enough.

Vogue Centre mainly buy from auctions. I bought mine as a returned PCP car from Barclays, up at Manchester Manheim auctions, it was down to me & ‘someone else’ which I think was the Vogue Centre. They put a hefty margin on any car as do most dealers.
If you want a RR I would urge you to look on here, either a ‘wanted’ advert or keep your eyes peeled, buying from this forum virtually guarantees you a decent honest car from a decent honest person.
Prices have plummeted, I bought mine over 4 years ago for £14k & up until 6-8 months ago would probably get back circa £12k-£13k…..now £10k so prices have dropped.

Whatever you get will need money spending on maintenance, as long as you do this, she’ll be fine.

Just re-read this, jeeeez that’s a long ramble…..sorry!🙈 2012 Orkney Grey Westminster 4.4TDV8 with Ivory interior.........nice!
BMW R1200GS
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Just one Montesa now, 349 White Wonder
Austin A40 Farina MK2
1975 Morris Marina 1.8TC

AJGalaxy2012 wrote:

Just remember this was an £80k plus car when new. People that buy this level of car are comfortable in spending the maintenance costs of an £80k car. Now that £80k car is worth say £10k but the maintenance costs have stayed the same or probably increased.

Supercar pricetag when new, supercar maintenance costs throughout it's life. It has an incredible ability to bleed your wallet and more dry.

Been there, done that, not going back but I had to get it out of my system (twice), LOL.

Fox889 wrote:

Just re-read this, jeeeez that’s a long ramble…..sorry!🙈

Really appreciate the advice Fox889.

Looking at the age and interior/exterior spec of yours (2012 Orkney Grey Westminster 4.4TDV8 with Ivory interior).............. do you want to sell?!

If I did…..what would I get?
L405, at present, doesn’t do it for me, although I have seen some colours that really suit the L405.
There’s nothing out there that does it for me to be honest.
The L322 is such a classic shape & wallows in her own self importance that she’ll be with me for a while.
If I changed, then it’s wallet open wide to keep up with maintenance & preventative maintenance to get her o the level I am at the moment 🤣

Good luck with the search, one will be along soon. 2012 Orkney Grey Westminster 4.4TDV8 with Ivory interior.........nice!
BMW R1200GS
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Just one Montesa now, 349 White Wonder
Austin A40 Farina MK2
1975 Morris Marina 1.8TC