Hi. I hope you can help me.

I am looking to purchase a 2005 sport diesel and may look at one tomorrow.


I have just found out that it is an SE rather than an HSE.

Could you tell me what the differences are please?


I am looking for one with a beige leather interior. I notice some have a very light leather (what Jaguar would call ivory). Was this an option?

And if you could point me in the direction of any common faults (or buyers guide thread) that I should look out for tomorrow that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

For the buyers guide, the following link will bring it up for you:

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/gallery/albums/us...uide~0.pdf

And if you look in the brochure below it gives all the specs (it can take a few seconds to open).

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/gallery/albums/us...ochure.pdf

Hope this helps.
Russ.

Oh, & welcome to the forum.  I'm in the shed, I'll be back in the real world in a minute.

Thank you very much.

Do you have archived brochures ? That one is for the newer model

No, sorry. It's one I downloaded off the internet, and found when I bought my car, and as I was only looking at later models I didn't bother with the earlier ones.

The brochure only lists the V8 models unfortunately. The link below is an excel spreadsheet that shows what was standard equipment on the 2010 models however.

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/gallery/albums/us...282%29.xls

Russ. I'm in the shed, I'll be back in the real world in a minute.

As it's a 2005 SE (I had one too) then if it has wheels/ tyres bigger than 19" walk away, to fit 20" wheels to a 2005 SE a heavy duty steering rack had to be fitted and this didn't become standard ubtil 2007MY so check that it has had the uprated sterring arck fitted. There are plenty of threads on the forum that tell you how to differentiate if the owner doesn't know.
Other spec differences to the HSE:
No Sat Nav, it was an optional extra/ factory fitted option on SE's
The seats are only leather faced not all leather
No cooler box in the centre cubby box
No bluetooth / handsfree system unless fitted as an optional extra
Car came with 18" wheels standard, should also have a full side alloy spare to match, 19" was an option
HSE had optional Dynamic Pack but that wasn't available on SE's
There should be a 6 disc CD player with a cassette for the CD's under the front passenger seat
Ask to see the car put into low ratio and check that the transfer system operates (on cars that have never been properly used usually it is seized up and can be an expensive repair) There is an indicator light on the dash of a mountain peak with LOW on it that indicates that the low range has engaged OK, check it also disengages! The whole operation is almost silent, any strnge/ loud noises then it has problems. Suggest you check this carefully even if you aren't intending to use the car offroad. The linkage is electro mechanical and not difficult to repair. Early on in RRS life there were one or two cars that had an issue with the plastic linkage in the gear selector check that there is no slop or slack in the gear stick. There was never a manual option for RRS so there aren't any manuals around............ if you are looking at one then it may be a rebuilt P38A Range Rover!
IIRC Front Fog lights were standard, additional driving lights were an option.
Regarding the leather there was a shade called Alpacca, it is slightly darker than the Ivory that was an upgrade to premium leather.

If it has a cloth seat bolsters with leather centre panels then it isn't an SE, it will be an S and they were pretty rare cars.
I have almost all the sales brouchures for the launch cars and through to 2011MY and I have the dealershiip product guide for salesmen from pre-launch if you would like scans of them

My SE with the S/C grille and black badges....... in Giverny Green with body coloured side intakes

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Thanks very much Tim.

I wish I had joined sooner.

Useful into about the steering rack. This one has "2010 alloys"

I would want bluetooth really and that active suspension sounds great (if available in 2005). I assume it prevents roll.

I thought it was the basic "sport" which didn't have fog lights.

Both SE's I am looking at have them.

Yes fogs were standard, I looked in my gallery and in the 2005 spec brochure to see if I had them and have updated the post and added some photos! The Dynamic Pack didn't make a huge difference to the rolling, it wasn't hugely high tech but it allowed you to go up to 20" wheels as it also included the uprated steering rack as well as the hydraulically activated antiroll bars. It was only an option on HSE's from launch but may have been available on SE's later. The S/C had a still better system that could disengage the anti roll bars offroad for additional wheel articualtion.
TBH take one without the handsfree/ BT and get a Parrott system fitted, that's what I did, much much cheaper than adding the factory system that had problems with handling anything other than a Nokia 6110! I'm not even sure that you can retrofit the LR system now as it was hard wired to a cradle under the cubby box lid. If you find one wioth that then check that the BT has been upgraded to work with modern mobiles otherwise you will need to get a new module fitted easily done by some of the freelance techs who post on the forum.

BTW if you find a 4.4V8 SE snap it up, they are extremely rare, like only a handful were ever made, most were HSE's and even then they are not too common either!! It got the i5 mpg from the V8S/C but not the go................. 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 Sep 18 2015 3:51pm. Edited 1 time in total

Thanks for the info.

Does the bluetooth not work with an iPhone 5 ?

iPhone wasn't invented then! It will work if it has the replacement BT module fitted 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

Any clues as to which ones had the brembo front brakes ?

Dynamic response & Front Brembos came fitted as standard on the TDV8, and the TDV6 HSE from 2007 until 2009. 2014 L405 SDV8 RR Autobiography

2012 RRS SDV6 HSE -Orkney Grey with A/B bodykit - Now Gone
2007 RRS TDV6 HSE - Zermatt Silver - Gone

Also the Supercharged V8 had Brembos from day one, if you are not doing big miles and the RRS is a runabout then you could possibly get an early 4.2V8 S/C for similar money to a 2.7SE now and you would get the full on handling pack, 20" wheels as standard, Bluetooth as standard, Hamman Kardon surround sound audio, possibly RSE which was an optional extra, perforated leather sports seats, adaptive cruise and an awful lot more ooooooomph and also a lot less mpg.................. and it would probably have a heap less miles on it 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

Thanks for the info Tim.

Yes I would appreciate it if you could scan the 2005 specs and options and I can then have a good study.

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/fact...tate-2005/ In Spain - 2018 F Pace - Frightened away from the Sports due to crank failures
Gone - A couple of RRS, A couple of Disco's. However thinking of another Sport.

Had a look at a 2005 HSE today.

Not as tidy as I would have liked.

I was told it had had a new suspension pump and receipt was present for one.


I pressed the suspension up button. and the front certainly went up. Compressor didn't seam to stop.

Pressed it down to normal and again compressor didn't seam to stop. Noise from rears.

How would I have selected low ratio mode (as per the buyers guide). Is that the round knob ?


Do the diesels have an engine ecu light? or just the glow plug light ?


Thanks