So I went and test drove an SDV6 L494 the other day - a 2019 model at a main dealer so I could get an idea of what a very-nearly-new car should drive like (very nicely!) and avail myself of the free tea & coffee on offer.. Sytner LR in Northampton has to be the fanciest (and largest) dealership I've ever set foot in..

Anyway, having read the PH buying guide (https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-buying-guides/range-rover-sport-l494--ph-used-buying-guide/45057) it seems that the common things to look for are basically the same a the L320, and of course the SDV6 still occasionally disconnects a few cylinders from the gearbox by way of shearing the crank in half.. anything else to look out for?

They only had two SDV6 and two SVRs in stock to drive and, much as I would love one, the budget wouldn't stretch to an SVR - not that new, anyway! - but I'm wary of buying a modern diesel with a DPF when most of the time it's only knocking around town with a weekly trip to Peterborough (~80 miles each way but mostly 50-60 limit single carriageway).. so any thoughts on the petrol options, coming from an old TDV8? 2014 BMW 530d Touring, 2006 BMW 650i, 2018 Mini Cooper S

I've had my P400 for close to 3 years now and its brilliant. Tim
RRS sold and replaced with a Skoda Kodiaq after appalling RR Dealer experience and LR inability to supply new cars in any sort of reasonable time frame..

Hello,

I would go for the 3 litre diesel personally, I do like that engine, even with the bad rep for the crank issue, as long as it is serviced as it should be and driven to average mileage or above with a bit of wellie every now and then you should be fine, that said though, I always have a decent warranty in place just in case.

On our 4th SDV6 since 2014 and can't fault them to be honest, all of them have been moved on with around 60 to 90k on the clock and all have been running perfectly and never had any major issues with them, the odd fault like selector button failure but nothing major.

I have though, never bought new, always around 18 months old and with average to slighly above average mileage, my logic is that with mileage around the average region there is a good chance that it has not spent weeks and weeks in the dealerships being repaired and it has been used on a regular basis so hopefully will be issue free once i get hold of it. I know with these motors that is probably flawed logic but it has worked for me so far in avoiding anything major going wrong.

Currently selling on a 2015 HSE Dynamic SDv6 and to be honest I think it drives detter than the 18 plate Autobiography SDv6 I currently drive around in. 2023 D350 FIRST EDITION, SANTORINI WITH CLOUD/EBONY
2024 DEFENDER D250 110 HSE APACHE
2009 2.7 TDV6 HSE SANTORINI BLACK


GONE
2020 RRS P400e AUTOGRAPHY
2018 3.0 SDV6 AUTOBIOGRAPHY, CARPATHIAN GREY, SANTORINI PAN ROOF, IVORY INTERIOR. Now gone but will be missed, Cracking motor.
2015 3.0 SDv6 HSE DYNAMIC CORRIS
2014 3.0 SDV6 HSE FUJI WHITE CONTRAST SANTORINI PAN ROOF.
Evoque 2.2 d Pure Tech Auto
P38 4.0 HSE
Disco 2.5 d XS

Cheers both - I am probably worrying unnecessarily about the DPF (after all, I do put in a weekly longer commute, and I never had a problem on my DPF-equipped Ranger); and I don't really worry about the crank issue .. but would get a warranty

It'll be a few months before I change cars I think - there's a wedding to get out of the way first, and I live in hope that my mum (who is now reliant on us for shopping etc after my dad's passing) might decide to do the sensible thing and move closer, and maybe obviate the need for a large four-door car!

... maybe.

It was an absolutely lovely drive, though, I have to say! Absolutely lovely. 2014 BMW 530d Touring, 2006 BMW 650i, 2018 Mini Cooper S

I have always bought ex-company cars 3 to 4 years old with high mileages. Let someone else take the severe financial pain of depreciation.
They were always serviced to the letter and any niggles already sorted out. I used to put another 100k or so on them in about 4 years and found that overall cost of ownership was way below what a newer model would cost, mainly down to a much lower depreciation. Very few mechanical issues and I'm not one to care about number plate snobbery.
Since I changed job, I now work from home so mileage is way down, meaning I can easily afford to run the RRS, my first and best vehicle to date. One or two short trips a week and usually a 300-400 round trip once a month. Its never missed a beat.
Dont be afraid of high mileages, the engine should be the least of your worries, in my experience most faults have been electrical.
Diesel for me every time until I'm banned/taxed off the road. RRS HSE Dynamic SDV6 2014

Nemo mortalium omnibus horus sapit

I had the SDV6 and, worried we won’t have much time left for such decisions, swapped to a V8 supercharged petrol in Jan this year. Both same age and otherwise pretty much identical. I got both remapped by DMS too…very worthwhile.

If you can stomach the fuel bills, the V8 is simply in a different league of performance (and grins!) at every speed than the SDV6. It’s an amazingly characterful V8 and the car looks basically identical to the standard SDV6 - I find the SVR looks OTT for me.

I averaged 32 MPG in the diesel and 23 in the petrol if that helps your decision-making.

When I looked at the overall costs of ownership, at 8k miles a year, it really wasn’t a major extra cost relative to others.

Hope this helps!

Matt 2014 L494 V8 s/c Autobiography Dynamic

My must haves were glass roof, fixed or opening, and heated steering wheel. Joined the X5 45e club
1994 Defender 90 300 tdi

For me the glass roof is actually the opposite - but that's because I know they have a habit of leaking (not necessarily on the L494)! Though they do make the cabin seem significantly more roomy..

Punkawallah wrote:

I averaged 32 MPG in the diesel and 23 in the petrol if that helps your decision-making.

Considering only high 20s from the TDV8, that makes running costs seem practically affordable! And like you, I have that "time is running out" feeling as well.. I really should finish the kit car (with its 7.6L V8 ) before we can't buy petrol anymore.

Wedding in September and then I can start properly looking.. that said, Sytner were meant to be calling me to discuss finance on Monday and that didn't happen(!).. 2014 BMW 530d Touring, 2006 BMW 650i, 2018 Mini Cooper S

I have to agree on the time running out which is why I got 2015 Sport 4.4. It might be the last time I can get something beefy before woke takes over. 2016 Range Rover Sport SDV6 autobiography (MY17)
2017 Range Rover Velar First Edition SDV6
2015 Range Rover Sport Autobiography 4.4
2012 Range Rover Sport SDV6 HSE Luxury Black

Grimble wrote:

I have always bought ex-company cars 3 to 4 years old with high mileages. Let someone else take the severe financial pain of depreciation.
They were always serviced to the letter and any niggles already sorted out. I used to put another 100k or so on them in about 4 years and found that overall cost of ownership was way below what a newer model would cost, mainly down to a much lower depreciation. Very few mechanical issues and I'm not one to care about number plate snobbery.
Since I changed job, I now work from home so mileage is way down, meaning I can easily afford to run the RRS, my first and best vehicle to date. One or two short trips a week and usually a 300-400 round trip once a month. Its never missed a beat.
Dont be afraid of high mileages, the engine should be the least of your worries, in my experience most faults have been electrical.
Diesel for me every time until I'm banned/taxed off the road.

Valuable points. thanks mate