Then if you find a TDv8 HSE or TDv8 or S/C HST you will get Dynamic Response as standard - same with the Supercharged engines but not all 2.7’s or 3.0ltrs have it - on the 2.7 HSE you have to open the bonnet and there will be an additional filler cap at the front of the engine bay for the hydraulic fluid in that system, not sure about 2010 onwards. On L494 HSE Dynamic it is standard as it is on the Autobiography - it was an option on the L494 SE which will have the optional OnRoad/Offroad pack to have it so you will also have the transfer box and full Terrain Responce system on that model as part of that pack. i’m Also not sure if the 2005-2008MY 4.4V8 petrol engine had the trick system. BTW I have most of the sales brochures from pre-launch in 2005 through to 2014, misssing some, but if you need to verify specs and options I can scan them and email - they are big files and some had to be split into 2 files. I work overseas a lot but can get them to you when I get home if you are in no hurry. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

The TDv8 HSE or, if possibly, a S/C are the only 2 I am really interested in at the moment. A huge amount of information and help on the site helps negate the worry of thinking that "big bangs equate to big bucks"; which seem to be a RRS owners lot.

I would like to take you up on the offer of any files you have electronically. If you want to PM me when you are in a position to send some, I will PM my email address - if that is OK? It is very much appreciated and spotting a tarted "wrong un" before shaking on a deal will be very helpful.

Sportie wrote:

Thanks again Tim.

I do have my heart set on a V8 Sport at the moment but I just wanted to know. If there is one thing I dislike with driving it is a lot of body roll - unless it is a Citroen Ami/Dolly/2CV. I don't want to start a trip in the front seat and finish it sitting in the rear .

Apart from the wait for me to be able to get rid of the lease car and get a RRS, the other big issues at the moment are; growing list bits (mats, possible tyres, possible battery, IIDTool, full service and gearbox flush etc.) and purchase price creep - I started at £10k to £12k and and now looking often at £14k to £16k .

sportie if you get the super charged the permagrin they bring is well worth it mine is a second car which i also tow my tin tent with and when i drive it after driving my little megane the feeling is grinning from ear to ear

V8 petrol would be great but would I be able to push the pedal down? It will be down to the lap of the Gods when I am ready to pull the trigger.

I don't have a ten tent but could tow my pushbikes or motorbikes at speed I do know the ear to ear grin - I get that when I ride the Ducati to work - I have a Scrambler Full Throttle that has a great exhaust howl albeit different to a V8.

Sportie, we will all have different experiences but for what it’s worth my purchase of a 2008 TDV8 would have been a minor disaster if it hadn’t been for my warranty company. They’ve been very fair so far and I renewed for another 2 years with them last June. So far, it’s cost me £950 in warranty fees ans theyv3 paid out over £2500 in claims. This on a car which has even now only done 72000 and was previously regularly serviced by a main dealer.

The moral: whatever you go for Check everything you can during visits to the seller, and get a good warranty as well Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

I think the roly poly of the FFRR is exaggerated slightly, it will feel like that compared to a sport which is planted at all speeds. One thing in the FFRR's favour is that it has that waftabillity which the sport lacks. It really depends on your preference. I personally have a heavy foot and love a twisty road, I also love surprising the hot hatch brigade so the SC sport is my nirvana.

Eaters - A warranty is on the list but I am not dismissing a private sale at the right combo of condition/history/spec/price. Many moons ago I used to work for, what was then, the biggest vehicle warranty company in Europe. It has taught me that I don't want a small indie self delivered warranty with a £500 max payout.

I was looking on the tinterweb last night, one caught my eye - at top money. I had a quick look at the MOT status at the .gov site and the last MOT activity showed it failed on a few things and it had an advisory for a damp suspension before passing a re-test - but the pass still showed the advisory.


Hamtheman - My preference is for a little twistie fun. I am lucky with my commute, I may as well take advantage of it .

With this forum, and its very helpful crew, tickling my RRS taste buds to within an inch of their lives I decided to have a close look at a RRS in the flesh for the first time. I had to pop into town on the way to work and saw that a local dealer had a few for sale. I thought I would stop off and have a look at a couple of them. Hopefully my ramblings here may help a buyer of the future as much as I have been helped by the more experienced on here already.

The dealer had a 2005 and a 2008, both with high mileages and V6’s so it was just going to be a look. I concentrated on the 2008 one. The first thing is the sheer size of the beast. I have a Grand Picasso which, on paper, is not a lot smaller than the RRS. It felt like the RRS could eat the Picasso.

A quick look at the outside surprised me as the car had 122k miles on it but the bodywork was in great condition generally. The car looked as though it had been parked on its high suspension setting (Is that possible?) so I could have a good look at the struts and linkages – looks expensive to fix. A look at the tyres, which were all mismatched and different wear levels, introduced me to many far eastern makes I had never heard of. I didn’t want to look at the ratings etc. as I had no intentions of buying – it didn’t say “loved” or “no expense spared” to me.

The dealership had just opened so I asked the guy for the keys. The fob buttons were showing extreme wear (I know these can be renewed via a guy on the forum). A quick click and the car was unlocked (Is there an option to manually unlock the car with the key?) I climbed in and the first impression was that the bonnet seems to go on for miles. The car felt very dark inside (no sunroof and black leather). There seemed to be lots of general wear; the steering wheel was looking shabby; the driver’s door internal door handle looked as though one, or more, of the previous owners had worn a lot of chunkie rings as they had worn the silver of the plastic pull part and; the wheel locking key was on the dashboard. Again, not a lot of signs of love here.

Out of the front and into the back. The front seats were pushed far back and the drivers reclined a long way. Maybe a big, confident, previous owner? The rear windows were darkly tinted; I am not talking about privacy glass back from the B pillar here I am talking about hard to see out of the car dark. This may fit with the big guy position of the seat and the ring wear on the driver’s door handle. It may have also explained why the interior of the car was dark when I sat in the drivers seat. Was there a theme emerging here?

There was an owner’s manual in the car but I didn’t delve into it, I had seen enough. I looked the car up and gave the keys back to the salesman. I said I was looking for something less tired.

In conclusion, it may be hard to spot all bad ones but it isn’t hard to spot some bad ones. At a price of just under £8k it may be sitting on the dealers forecourt a while. As a potential buyer, it does indicate to me that whilst you may not like shelling out for servicing, consumables and repairs, when you come to sell It will make all of the difference.

Even after this foray I am still going to be in the market for a RRS. This is despite the fact I could lease an Evoque or Discovery Sport as a salary sacrifice from work for decent money and not have any worries.

My introduction to RRS ownership continues.

Factory privacy glass isn’t the normal tint it is Limo tint so very very dark, it is easy to tell if the car has factory fitted or after market film - the OEM factory privacy glass doesn’t show any air lines around the antennae wires, it is blackened glass with the antenna bonded to it - aftermarket film gos over the top of the wires and is very obvious close up. I recently queried with my mini dealer if their demo really had the claimed “privacy” glass as it was hardly tinted at all - LR’s tint on Discovery 3 /4 and 5 is so heavy that it can be difficult to tell the Commercial version from the car version! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Last edited by Tim in Scotland on Fri Jan 12 2018 2:50pm. Edited 1 time in total

Sportie wrote:

The dealership had just opened so I asked the guy for the keys. The fob buttons were showing extreme wear (I know these can be renewed via a guy on the forum). A quick click and the car was unlocked (Is there an option to manually unlock the car with the key?)

Morning all!

I was in Waitrose car park on Sunday, pointed out a RRS to the better half. She replied that she thought I wanted "a proper one" (She doesn't drive BTW), my heart sank. I am now going to show her a RRS vs a FF and she what she says. I might be off to the FF forum before I get a car

She's very observant for someone who doesn't drive!

Are you sure your weren't showing her an Evoke?

Even I have trouble telling some FF and RRS apart  Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

Ouch

Especially front on the only difference between L405 FFRR and L494 RRS is the slightly lower bonnet height of the RRS and the lower height of the front screen, otherwise they are hard to tell apart.
IMHO The interior of an L322 FFRR is nicer than the interior of the same age RRS, even in lowest spec Vogue but the RRS you will find has slightly firmer ride and the FFRR, while very comfortable, has a less cosseting front cabin - the seats in particular are wide and slippery and don’t encourage sporty driving on twisty roads. But if you just want to waft then NOTHING on earth beats a FFRR unless you spend huge amounts of money. Having said that you could drive either car the length of the UK in complete comfort and get out at the other end of the trip unstressed and without aches and pains. FFRR makes you feel even more “lord of everything you survey” too. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Panic might be over. The better half was looking at a L494 RRS and I was looking at a Facelift L320 RRS.

She likes boxy; it may explain why we are together .