Hi everyone

Having blown up a non-green oval vehicle (after successfully also managed to bring several such vehicles to the end of their working life) my wife now believes me when I say that its not just Land Rovers that eventually fall to bits. So, I may be permitted once again to buy a Range Rover!

I'm looking at one at the moment which has a relatively low mileage (4.4Tdv8) but appears not to have been used for several years. I have some questions over ownership (because its had several owner changes but the owner claims to have owned it for a long time) but more concerning to me is that it is currently SORN and so couldn't be test driven. It's only done minimal miles (less than 500 p/a) over the last 4-5 years although it has sailed through an MOT every year.

I'm pretty well accustomed as to what to look for on L322s, but the inability to give it a proper road test does worry me a bit.

Thoughts?

It sounds a bit dodgy to me.....

Is it being actively offered for sale, or did you stumble across it ? If it's being advertised, then I'd assume that they're hiding behind a SORN to avoid a test drive

It's advertised on AutoTrader for all to see.

Perhaps. I could see reasons why it might not have been driven for a few years but kept MOT'd. There are also ways to (legally) test drive even though SORN, so may still go to take a look. It's a few hours from me though, so I have others to prioritise.

I bought mine with 170K Km and she was off the road for 5 years. Being free of rust and having had a new gearbox from the main dealer fitted, were the deciding factors along with the price. So I would check condition and history. If the price is also one you're comfortable with, then why not. The lower the price the more you can put up with on maintenance. Good luck

Thanks for the input chaps.

I went ahead with a different vehicle - a 2011.5 model year 4.4tdv8 in Nara Bronze. 78k miles.

It's going to be a bit of a project (some of it toning down some of the "tastful additions" the previous owner made to it) but it's a good RR for the price paid.

That’s an interesting one. A 4.4 TDV8 with low mileage and a decent MOT history sounds tempting, but the lack of regular use and the fact it’s SORN would make me cautious too.

A few things to think about:

1. Long periods of inactivity can be just as hard on a car as high mileage. Seals, gaskets, air suspension, and electronics don’t like sitting unused. Even if it’s passing MOTs, that doesn’t prove much about how it behaves under load.
2. Ownership history is worth digging into. Multiple changes on the V5 in a short period can sometimes mean people are flipping it without properly sorting the issues.
3. No road test is the big red flag for me. You can’t really judge gearbox behavior, suspension knocks, turbo response, or overheating risks without driving it. If the seller isn’t willing to put it on the road (even temporarily insured and taxed), that might tell you something.

If you’re serious, maybe suggest they get it road legal for a test, at their cost. Otherwise, I’d treat it as a gamble — price needs to reflect that risk.