Hi all, new to the forum and been wanting to get a RRS for quite a few years now. Having worked 40 miles from home i held off buying one due to running costs but my new job is only 8 miles from home so fuel isnt as crucial as before. What can i say, i love the look of the range rovers having experience driving alot of cars in its class (brother owns a 4.8l X5), i have to say i prefer the RRS by far.

Bringing me onto the main reason for starting the thread, is there a definitive buying guide on here anywhere as i cant seem to find one. i've done my research into the RRS and probably for my budget (12k ) im leaning towards buying like an 06 and doing an autobiography conversion. (dads a wizard auto electrician and we know dozens of good mechanics to sort out any issues/ common faults although ive been told the electric system is a pain to work with)

im tempted to go for the 2.7 TDV6 - im not expecting anything miraculous regarding MPG but i dont want to be stung too hard on running costs. i do about 180 miles a week which is 90% 30-40 mph roads.

any thoughts?

thanks

For that sort of money you will get a '55' or '06' plate with around 100k miles on it. Factor in belts and pump if its not got documented evidence. In my opinion, a full dealer service history is a must at this age. Current - 2020 Range Rover Sport P400e
Gone - 2014 Range Rover Sport HSE SDV6
Gone - 2017 Audi A8 Sport
Gone - 2007 Range Rover Sport HSE TDV8 - Great car.

I think that your budget is too low to buy anything very nice, it will probably need some work done at that age and mileage.

Silly question, have you driven a 2.7 TDV6 back to back with your brother's X5 4.8i? The big Bimmeris a lot of fun to punt around and quick, the 2.7 TDV6 is lethargic by comparison if not in absolute terms.

Have a really good look at lots before you buy.

My current car is a 1.9tdi A4 100BHP model so anything should be faster than that lol ive lived through the phase of wanting speed. i've seen a few 4.4 LPG converted darting about, my brothers X5 is LPG converted and he hasnt noticed a loss of power.

minor repairs shouldnt be an issue providing they're not dealer only fixes

Have you thought about a 4.2 S/C. At that sort of mileage fuel costs won't be too onerous and it'll have significantly more poke. You'll probably find a slightly better deal too as people seem to be scared of them because of fuel and insurance costs. The engine seems to be reliable - more known issues with the 2.7 and 3.6 TDs than the 4.2.

I'd put money in to buying the best you can rather than chucking money at a "conversion". If you can afford a grand or two more on the initial buy, rather than spending it on bolt on bits later, then you'll increase the pool of potential purchases. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Insurance isnt an issue at all because i have my own traders which is soon to be unrestricted

I have thought about a big petrol engine but i'm not sure what the resale value would be like on a 4.2 S/C as well as the day to day MPG. Are there any major known issues with the 4.2 engine? my brothers 4.8 NA engine guzzles fuel but luckily was previously LPG converted so it doesn't burn a hole in his wallet. i used to get 22mpg from an old 1.8 astra back when i was a student. i cant imagine anything lower than that lol

If you are spending 12k and keeping it for 2 or 3 years, I would t worry about resale. At your 10k miles per year on a 100k mile car, after 3 years it will be worth not much more than banger money anyway, petrol or diesel.

RRSTDV8 wrote:

Have you thought about a 4.2 S/C. At that sort of mileage fuel costs won't be too onerous and it'll have significantly more poke. You'll probably find a slightly better deal too as people seem to be scared of them because of fuel and insurance costs. The engine seems to be reliable - more known issues with the 2.7 and 3.6 TDs than the 4.2.

I'd put money in to buying the best you can rather than chucking money at a "conversion". If you can afford a grand or two more on the initial buy, rather than spending it on bolt on bits later, then you'll increase the pool of potential purchases.

I take it not all repairs have to go through the dealers? I've been told the electrics can be quite complex but as for the mechanical side, could a good non-dealer garage sort out the stuff? don't particularly fancy spending 500 on wear and tear issues lol

No, you can use a decent indie to do any of the jobs that a dealership can do.

harrygh60: my OSF half shaft was about £250 fitted +VAT at an indie. Luckily most of my bingo card has been covered by warranty up till now.  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

4.2 SC is a brilliant engine and it very rarely goes wrong. It does like a drink though and will average 13-15 mpg.

What mileage do these engines start giving you major issue? obviously taking into account that if serviced properly you'll extend the lifespan but as a rule of thumb?

And the ones that do go wrong tend to do so with no previous signs of trouble. When my turbos went it was mid way through my daily commute and I was doing nothing I hadn't done a hundred times before on the same route. Pulled out of a junction and asked for acceleration only to be met with a reluctance to do so. Pulled over and saw/smelled the smoke. Moments before it had been running perfectly. This is in a vehicle that has been serviced on the money all the way along and has had stuff done as and when it needed doing.

To coin a phrase: happens. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed