Anyone able to give some indication to their real world average mpg for these two engines?

I know places like Wiki claim the TDV8 is only 18.1mpg, but that seems ludicrously low considering what the 3.0 TDV6 and 4.4TDV8 manage. I have couple of friends with L322 4.4 TDV8's and a family member with an L405.

Please let me know what you are getting.

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Bit of background for why I'm asking.

I've been umming and arrrrring for ages about getting another vehicle. But have been undecided. But I'm now ready to make a move and prices seem so much better than they where just 24 months ago.

I currently have, well way too many vehicles according to my other half although the plan here is to have a nice 4/5 seater 4 door vehicle to use to go away in, go out to dinner and maybe make more use of day to day.

My current vehicle for this is a 4.6 P38a Range Rover, which I love.... but is a complete and utter sod to own at times, like failing to evenmake it to is MoT this year!

I'm not saying I'll fully get rid of the p38, but may park it up for a bit and focus efforts on something else.

So I'm going to buy an L320 Range Rover Sport. Ideally not a black one as I don't like black cars, which sadly seems to be about 90% of the ones for sale. Silver & white wouldn't be my choice either. And I much prefer lighter coloured interiors. But I may end up having to be less picky on these things. Lower mileage and most importantly condition will be my key deciders.

There are only 2 engine options I'm considering. A 3.6TDV8 (such a shame they never fitted the 4.4 TDV8). Or a 5.0 litre facelift supercharged model.

My p38 goes pretty well, despite only having 214 claimed Bhp. But the RRS in either guise should be a step up.

While MPG is not the overriding factor either. I'm curious to know what I should really expect from the L320. My 4.6 does in the region of 13-15mpg overall average in its current guise. Which really does hurt the wallet. So I don't use it as much as I'd like too.

The brutal reality is, the better the mpg, the more I'll get to use it.

I'd guess the 3.6 should be better on fuel than the 5.0? But by how much is the question?

My heart really wants the Supercharged model with over 500bhp. But they are still more money to buy than the 3.6 by a reasonable percentage difference. And I'm sure a remapped 3.6 would probably go more than good enough if I engage my head to think about it. My only reservation being, that if the 3.6 is hardly any different on fuel. Then apart from the initial outlay I won't be gaining anything, just leaving 200+bhp on the table....


Any other gotcha's I should be looking out for with these?

Last edited by 300bhp/ton on Fri Nov 15 2024 4:52pm. Edited 1 time in total

I have had both the TDV8 (4years) and 5.0L S/C (11years). The TDV8 averaged overall about 24/25 mpg.
the 5.0L S/C around 15/16 mpg. Don't believe a word the lie-o-meter says on the dash and I'm sure someone will come on and say, but my 5.0L L320 averages thirty to the gallon, which is bull****. I also had the 4.6L P38 which was worse than the S/C on mpg.

Cheers
Col

I have a 2007 TDV8 around 22 is my average ,long trip solo 30 mpg when towing our 26 foot twin axle caravan usually 20 mpg worst when towing was 17 mpg.

The best I'd ever achieved from my TDV8 was 26mpg on a run. High teens was what was normally shown on the dash


Best achievement from the 5.0 was 22mpg on a decent run.
Usually showing low-mid teens on a daily basis

Cold weather has killed it so far this year. I'm down to 9.2mpg on my commute to work

I average about 11L/100km (26mpg) in my 2008 TDV8 , with down to 8 (35mpg) on freeway and up to 17 (17mpg) with spirited driving. Pete
2008 L320 TDV8
2022 Hilux Rugged-X

I used to average, over all driving, about 23mpg in my TDV8. I tend to "make use of the available performance as required" so I'm sure a gentle right foot would see upper 20s mpg.

In terms of performance, a 5.0 is going to be way better, obviously, but the old TDV8 pulls well low down and does a good job of moving 2.5t down the road.

The 4.4TDV8 would have been a hoot in the L320, that's for sure, although I don't know how heavy it is compared to the 3.6 - that was a big lump already so adding more mass at the front would have made the suspension's life even harder. The 3.6 had to be adjusted to make it fit - the turbos are lower than they are in the FFRR and the oil system for them had to be changed which might be a cause for the turbo issue known in the 3.6 (albeit not a certainty, as it can be kept at bay by letting the engine idle for a minute before turning off, and ensuring correct oil changes are done.

Not had a 5.0 so can't comment about that one. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Typically 23mpg from my tdv8, running around doing short journeys and using all the power. Got 28mpg on a run to the alps, but never see that day to day. It drops a lot towing. Generally 14-16mpg with 3 ton on the back, but it accelerates the same as without having a trailer.

Just got a 5.0sc l494 (lighter than the l320). Haven’t yet managed to get it into the 20s, high teens seems normal.

The l320 tdv8 is a big step up from the p38, much better handling, much better gearbox, the engine is a gem. I absolutely love mine. However the ride quality is awful, there’s a few features missing (interior lights in the back, full closure, one touch windows in the back) and they’re not cheap to maintain. Service history is key, half the 15k oil service interval and the turbos might last past 120k, otherwise assume it will need turbos but 120k. Suspension gets through a lot of bushes/ball joints/drop links. ACE pipes corrode. Inlet manifolds split. Assume every bill includes the word ‘thousand’.

In the real world with mixed use, my 5.0 S/C returns 18/19 mpg. (UK gallons). 20-22 on a long boring motorway. Tyres have an effect though. Winter tyres drop it 1-2 mpg. If I do a lot of town driving, rush hour type, it can be truly single figures which is why I have a Golf for that. Cheers,

Stuart.
RRS 2012 HSE 5.0 S/C Zermatt Silver.
RRS 2005 4.2 S/C First Edition Rimini Red- Gone but not forgotten
Defender 2005 TD5 XS Black - Gone
Freelander 2006 HSE Blue - Gone

I went from a 4.2 SC to a 3.6 TDV8. My Indy who had about 20 cars a week through his premises says the 3.6 TDV8 is the best engine JLR ever produced.

I get over 30mpg on a run - 65-70 mph and keeping it sensible.

Much prefer the TDV8 to the 4.2 as I’m not scared to use it. Plenty of torque, really decent acceleration and just top car all round.

Stornoway Grey is a beautiful colour, really classy.

Agree with you on preferring light interiors to dark, however, I have a black interior and it works really well.

Go for the facelift L320 - a much nicer place to be than the older model.

Thanks all. This all confirms my thoughts, the TDV8 is going to be 20+ mpg pretty much all of time and possibility of being quite a bit better. While the 5.0 SC is a firmly sub 20mpg overall average.

The only thing I need to do is make sure I don't go and test drive a 5.0 SC Not that there are many locally for sale anyway.

Hopefully going to look at a TDV8 next week (work permitting). Although it looks a little over priced. But should give a good ballpark of what I'm looking at.

When you do a test drive get a clear stretch of road and floor it. Check the rear view mirror for a plume of black smoke.

It’s a good indicator of a cracked manifold (plastic part) and can get a bit pricey, unless you go for aftermarket.

Mine’s being dne as we speak. I was advised it was egr o rings (which were leaking), but it appears that they were masking a very small manifold crack as well.

All doable at a good Indy and probably a couple of months’ lease cost of a boring car to put right.