2008 Range Rover Autobiography - 4.2 Supercharged Petrol. (Any Experience?).

[Pudsey]

Good Morning, Afternoon, Evening,

Not sure what is wrong with me, but I keep coming back to old Range Rovers.

Guess I am just getting old, but with the roads getting ever worse I am really hankering after some affordable comfort.

Are my thoughts misjudged?

Seen one I like its at 123k miles, full history, money spent on maintenance, 4 owners. 

What do we think any good or best avoided at all costs?

Many Thanks

Edited April 2, 2021 by Pudsey
Missed out ‘old’ ha... (see edit history)

[Annabella]

Ask Dnk I guess.

[Tyson]

11 minutes ago, Annabella said:

Ask Dnk I guess.

Dnk has a classic RR so not sure their is much of a comparison to draw. I think they do have reliability issues, my friends dad had a diesel one, he had suspension and gearbox issues. He bought brand new so it was all covered under warranty but he never bought one again. Dealer was spot on though and he got a Jag XK as a courtesy car!

[mplavery]

3 hours ago, Pudsey said:

Good Morning, Afternoon, Evening,

Not sure what is wrong with me, but I keep coming back to old Range Rovers.

Guess I am just getting old, but with the roads getting ever worse I am really hankering after some affordable comfort.

Are my thoughts misjudged?

Seen one I like its at 123k miles, full history, money spent on maintenance, 4 owners. 

What do we think any good or best avoided at all costs?

Many Thanks

I done some GoPro footage of the supra yesterday and though I actually haven’t drove the car for a few years .. it was HARD WORK driving it feeling every bump, sitting in a tight bucket seat and steering with wide wheels 

Got back into my Jag and it was like driving on a cloud .. it was bliss  

Saying that you just can’t beat the punch the Supra gives lol

 

Ive always liked RR but I also know that can be costly with repairs, not great MPG and high tax brackets ...

I think that it’s one of those cars people moan about costs but will always own one as they do what they do so well 

 

[Pudsey]

3 hours ago, Annabella said:

Ask Dnk I guess.

Yes, aware Dnk restored an older one, will certainly have an idea on build quality.

3 hours ago, Tyson said:

Dnk has a classic RR so not sure their is much of a comparison to draw. I think they do have reliability issues, my friends dad had a diesel one, he had suspension and gearbox issues. He bought brand new so it was all covered under warranty but he never bought one again. Dealer was spot on though and he got a Jag XK as a courtesy car!

Yes, you do read a lot of that from people who have had issues.

Um gearbox and suspension doesn’t sound great does it.

Glad to hear the Dealer did the right thing by them though, but never to return doesn’t sound good either does it.

3 hours ago, mplavery said:

I done some GoPro footage of the supra yesterday and though I actually haven’t drove the car for a few years .. it was HARD WORK driving it feeling every bump, sitting in a tight bucket seat and steering with wide wheels 

Got back into my Jag and it was like driving on a cloud .. it was bliss  

Saying that you just can’t beat the punch the Supra gives lol

 

Ive always liked RR but I also know that can be costly with repairs, not great MPG and high tax brackets ...

I think that it’s one of those cars people moan about costs but will always own one as they do what they do so well 

 

Ha yeah, you fully get my drift becoming horrible driving about, dodging every bump, hole, canyon in most cases.

Definitely, not looking for a nightmare.

Called about the one I have seen, very nice gentleman.

He owned it for 18 months, and spent North of 4 thousand pounds on brake lines, brakes, servicing etc.

I think it will have to remain a pipe dream sadly.

Must stop looking at Autotrader.

(NB: The car is provisionally sold pending MOT pass next Tuesday, and collection Thursday.

Obviously, not meant to be this one).

Edited April 2, 2021 by Pudsey
NB: Added. (see edit history)

[Tyson]

8 hours ago, Pudsey said:

Yes, aware Dnk restored an older one, will certainly have an idea on build quality.

Yes, you do read a lot of that from people who have had issues.

Um gearbox and suspension doesn’t sound great does it.

Glad to hear the Dealer did the right thing by them though, but never to return doesn’t sound good either does it.

Ha yeah, you fully get my drift becoming horrible driving about, dodging every bump, hole, canyon in most cases.

Definitely, not looking for a nightmare.

Called about the one I have seen, very nice gentleman.

He owned it for 18 months, and spent North of 4 thousand pounds on brake lines, brakes, servicing etc.

I think it will have to remain a pipe dream sadly.

Must stop looking at Autotrader.

(NB: The car is provisionally sold pending MOT pass next Tuesday, and collection Thursday.

Obviously, not meant to be this one).

The suspension sits lower when parked to make it easier getting in and out, however his looked like a pimp my ride special rolling around on the deck when it didn’t reset to normal height. He also couldn’t get along with the noise of the Diesel engine, didn’t like the fact that it sounded like someone had chucked a load of knives and forks in a washing machine every time he put his foot down.

[Pudsey]

9 minutes ago, Tyson said:

The suspension sits lower when parked to make it easier getting in and out, however his looked like a pimp my ride special rolling around on the deck when it didn’t reset to normal height. He also couldn’t get along with the noise of the Diesel engine, didn’t like the fact that it sounded like someone had chucked a load of knives and forks in a washing machine every time he put his foot down.

Ha Christ just as well this one Sold.

Feeling like I dodged a real bullet only a few comments in.

I think I will save and invest into a nice single setup instead, but not before my standard turbos give up the ghost.

Must resist temptations, and appreciate what I already have.

[SupraAyf]

15 hours ago, Pudsey said:

Good Morning, Afternoon, Evening,

Not sure what is wrong with me, but I keep coming back to old Range Rovers.

Guess I am just getting old, but with the roads getting ever worse I am really hankering after some affordable comfort.

Are my thoughts misjudged?

Seen one I like its at 123k miles, full history, money spent on maintenance, 4 owners. 

What do we think any good or best avoided at all costs?

Many Thanks

Hi Mate,

I had one but it's a few years now since we sold it on.

All in all it was a lovely car and relatively low maintenance too with most major parts being easily available.

MPG is something you need to keep an eye on though. On the rare occasion I would 'floor it' up a hill then I would see a 0.5mpg reading on the fuel computer.

The air suspension is relatively good for reliability but the compressor or the air cylinder can sometimes go tits-up and cause an issue. These parts were once mighty expensive to replace but now you can get reproductions for a fraction of the cost - and if you're handy with a spanner then it becomes very cost effective to run.

The engine on ours seemed solid and we had no issues whatsoever and the only problem with the Auto box was that of a plastic washer link on the box selector which wore out and this alone stopped the box from electing the gear.  Land Rover were going to charge me over £500 to collect the truck and fix it but instead I changed the washer myself (a very easy job) for the price of a 50p washer and 10 squirts of WD40.

The motto of the last paragraph is just be careful where you get it maintained and serviced.

Check for rust on the rear (very common) and also on the lower door edges as they do suffer in these areas. Also, check for off-road damage too as some do get ragged.

Otherwise no issues at all apart from a constant loss to my bank account when we filled up at the petrol station.  

Hope it helps,

All the best,

Andrew

[Pudsey]

17 minutes ago, SupraAyf said:

Hi Mate,

I had one but it's a few years now since we sold it on.

All in all it was a lovely car and relatively low maintenance too with most major parts being easily available.

MPG is something you need to keep an eye on though. On the rare occasion I would 'floor it' up a hill then I would see a 0.5mpg reading on the fuel computer.

The air suspension is relatively good for reliability but the compressor or the air cylinder can sometimes go tits-up and cause an issue. These parts were once mighty expensive to replace but now you can get reproductions for a fraction of the cost - and if you're handy with a spanner then it becomes very cost effective to run.

The engine on ours seemed solid and we had no issues whatsoever and the only problem with the Auto box was that of a plastic washer link on the box selector which wore out and this alone stopped the box from electing the gear.  Land Rover were going to charge me over £500 to collect the truck and fix it but instead I changed the washer myself (a very easy job) for the price of a 50p washer and 10 squirts of WD40.

The motto of the last paragraph is just be careful where you get it maintained and serviced.

Check for rust on the rear (very common) and also on the lower door edges as they do suffer in these areas. Also, check for off-road damage too as some do get ragged.

Otherwise no issues at all apart from a constant loss to my bank account when we filled up at the petrol station.  

Hope it helps,

All the best,

Andrew

Cheers Andrew,

Some sincerely appreciated feedback there, top man indeed.

I was up for fuel cost to have the supercharged v8, but I imagine it would start to wear thin after a while.

 

[AC93]

I had an 08 plate Sport, 3.6 TDV8 HST.. sounded amazing and the comfort is incredible. One of those few cars I could throw a double mattress in the back, get to work in the snow and give it a wash and use it as wedding car. 

Alternator was £550 from a local 4x4 garage (luckily warranty covered) 

Suspension had issues, needed a compressor and level sensors. 

Tyres aren't cheap!

Cost £120 to fill the tank with VPower.

Interior is quite dated but simple and easy to use. Would I get another? Probably not but they do get under your skin, I've been on ATrader looking at the 2011/2012 4.4 TDV8s ha. But a more sensible choice would be an Audi Avant quattrooo

 

Get a warranty if you can, if not just have a float in the bank ready for repairs! They are lovely when they work, but if you get a lemon its like an achievement getting to your destination without a warning light coming on 

[rider]

I bought a TDV8 2008 over 3 years ago at 141k miles with no service history unseen from an eBay auction. I always expected it to break down so I had two dailies, the RR and a Mercedes 220cdi. That way, I was covered for when the RR broke down. Only it never did. So I got rid of the Merc a couple of months ago and now the 152k mile RR is my only daily driver. 

I like to think the reason it hasn't broken down is the preventative steps I took, nothing special I do it with every car I buy irrespective of what the paperwork says. I changed all the oils, everything - 2 difs, transfer box, gearbox and engine. I changed all filters. I changed all brake discs, pads and rear callipers. The German ZF gearbox in the RR is the known weak link, so as part of the oil change I also did the filter and while there changed all the solenoids and the mechatronic seals. I reset everything so the gearbox would do its adaptive learning from my driving style. Finally, I changed all the budget tyres (who fits budget tyres to a RR?) with Pirelli all season tyres, not cheap £160 a corner. So, all in I threw over £1,500 at the car in oil and bits and its not missed a beat.

Things to look out for on a L322 Range Rover is the gearbox, does it change quickly, quietly and smoothly? The engine is fine except it needs to come out if you want to do much to it. Oil changes are a faff as there are two drain bolts on the big diesel. The air filter screws lose their heads and getting replacements is expensive not to mention it makes getting to the cleaner element difficult. The tailgate rusts on the lower lip. The electronic entertainment, Bluetooth, sat nav and radio/tv units are all located on the rear nearside behind a drop down inspection panel. Its all expensive gear and they are prone to get wet from water leaking in through the side window. Damp units are a potentially very expensive replacement cost to sort so always check they have the later RR bodge of a plastic sheet wall behind the units and that they are dry.  The air compressors die every 10 years or so, just wear out. So always worthwhile checking when this was last replaced. The EGR valves are a timebomb waiting to fail. They last about 100k miles then give up and this can then lead to all sorts of engine issues so again check when these were last replaced. The air suspension units do die from old age and in the old days people would just replace them with springs and gas struts. I don't know why because reconditioned or even new units aren't that expensive. 

The things I love about the RR. Its so comfortable its like riding around in your favourite armchair while supping your favourite hot drink in you living room. The sound system is good and even the diesel cars are quiet. Its fast enough with almost 300bhp on the TDV8 3.6 that I have. I really like that it tells you when it needs a service, my car hasn't been serviced for 20 months and its still happy running along probably because it's only done 4,000 miles since I last serviced it. 

The things I don't like about the RR are the high road tax which is why I can't wait to replace it with the later SDV8 L405 sometime. Its not very economical either, does around 22mpg tootling around and 29mpg on a run. Another reason why I'm impatient to replace it with the later, more economical SDV8.

When I decided to only have one daily driver, looking at the Merc or the RR to go, it wasn't even a contest.

[Pudsey]

Just now, AC93 said:

I had an 08 plate Sport, 3.6 TDV8 HST.. sounded amazing and the comfort is incredible. One of those few cars I could throw a double mattress in the back, get to work in the snow and give it a wash and use it as wedding car. 

Alternator was £550 from a local 4x4 garage (luckily warranty covered) 

Suspension had issues, needed a compressor and level sensors. 

Tyres aren't cheap!

Cost £120 to fill the tank with VPower.

Interior is quite dated but simple and easy to use. Would I get another? Probably not but they do get under your skin, I've been on ATrader looking at the 2011/2012 4.4 TDV8s ha. But a more sensible choice would be an Audi Avant quattrooo

 

Get a warranty if you can, if not just have a float in the bank ready for repairs! They are lovely when they work, but if you get a lemon its like an achievement getting to your destination without a warning light coming on 

Cheers AC93,

Great summary on your personal experience, certainly valued by me thanks.

I have to say your last statement did make me laugh 

[Pudsey]

Just now, rider said:

I bought a TDV8 2008 over 3 years ago at 141k miles with no service history unseen from an eBay auction. I always expected it to break down so I had two dailies, the RR and a Mercedes 220cdi. That way, I was covered for when the RR broke down. Only it never did. So I got rid of the Merc a couple of months ago and now the 152k mile RR is my only daily driver. 

I like to think the reason it hasn't broken down is the preventative steps I took, nothing special I do it with every car I buy irrespective of what the paperwork says. I changed all the oils, everything - 2 difs, transfer box, gearbox and engine. I changed all filters. I changed all brake discs, pads and rear callipers. The German ZF gearbox in the RR is the known weak link, so as part of the oil change I also did the filter and while there changed all the solenoids and the mechatronic seals. I reset everything so the gearbox would do its adaptive learning from my driving style. Finally, I changed all the budget tyres (who fits budget tyres to a RR?) with Pirelli all season tyres, not cheap £160 a corner. So, all in I threw over £1,500 at the car in oil and bits and its not missed a beat.

Things to look out for on a L322 Range Rover is the gearbox, does it change quickly, quietly and smoothly? The engine is fine except it needs to come out if you want to do much to it. Oil changes are a faff as there are two drain bolts on the big diesel. The air filter screws lose their heads and getting replacements is expensive not to mention it makes getting to the cleaner element difficult. The tailgate rusts on the lower lip. The electronic entertainment, Bluetooth, sat nav and radio/tv units are all located on the rear nearside behind a drop down inspection panel. Its all expensive gear and they are prone to get wet from water leaking in through the side window. Damp units are a potentially very expensive replacement cost to sort so always check they have the later RR bodge of a plastic sheet wall behind the units and that they are dry.  The air compressors die every 10 years or so, just wear out. So always worthwhile checking when this was last replaced. The EGR valves are a timebomb waiting to fail. They last about 100k miles then give up and this can then lead to all sorts of engine issues so again check when these were last replaced. The air suspension units do die from old age and in the old days people would just replace them with springs and gas struts. I don't know why because reconditioned or even new units aren't that expensive. 

The things I love about the RR. Its so comfortable its like riding around in your favourite armchair while supping your favourite hot drink in you living room. The sound system is good and even the diesel cars are quiet. Its fast enough with almost 300bhp on the TDV8 3.6 that I have. I really like that it tells you when it needs a service, my car hasn't been serviced for 20 months and its still happy running along probably because it's only done 4,000 miles since I last serviced it. 

The things I don't like about the RR are the high road tax which is why I can't wait to replace it with the later SDV8 L405 sometime. Its not very economical either, does around 22mpg tootling around and 29mpg on a run. Another reason why I'm impatient to replace it with the later, more economical SDV8.

When I decided to only have one daily driver, looking at the Merc or the RR to go, it wasn't even a contest.

Super read Rider, many thanks for your time.

Covered a great deal of what can and does go wrong, and like you I am very particular with servicing and 'u'sing decent fluids and parts.

Half the time if you look after things, they do tend to look after you back, granted you can come unstuck occasionally. 

I think I will continue to keep an eye out, as until I have had one the itch wont be scratched i seem to feel.

Many Thanks 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Pudsey
Missed a letter out ha, words jumbled up. Bloody auto correct. (see edit history)

[Dnk]

I think the price they can be bought for says it all !

This makes them very tempting and if I had a £10k to burn I'd probably buy one 

Good luck 

Edited April 5, 2021 by Dnk (see edit history)