After the 'death' of my 6 month old SDV6, I have been give an SDV8 L494 loan car.

The difference is very noticeable and...in my opinion...not in a good way...

The SDV8 in Dynamic Mode behaves differently to the SDV6...it is noticeably heavier, it really doesn't corner as well. The steering is also vaguer. In 'Auto' mode, the SDV8 wallows in a way our L405 does...albeit not quite so much.

The SDV8 is also much louder and, IMO, less refined than the SDV6 - the gear changes can be felt and, to be honest, it feels an old engine (which it is at 6 years old by modern standards).

Roll on my new SDV6...

Would you say your L405 is as rough (assuming it's SDV8 L405 you have)

Yes it's the same. The SDV6 is by far the better engine IMO - quieter, smoother, refinement. If they had the SDV6 in the L405, I would have picked that.

One flaw in the SDV6 is that flat spot pulling away from junctions and roundabouts. The SDV8 doesn't have that.

I thought the L405 was available with the SDv6 and is also recommended as being the best version of the L405 by most of the motoring press.

EDIT, I've just looked at the LR website and I see that the L405 gets a lower powered TDv6 with "only" 258hp and 600Nm of toque, the version that RRS gets only goes into the Hyrbid version of the L405, which at £103,000. Seems very hard to justify spending on the base model L405 just to get a heap of extra weight to be able to travel 1 mile in electric mode........ 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 Mon Mar 21 2016 8:10am. Edited 2 times in total

It's available with the TDV6 which only has one turbo. It's quite a bit less powerful than the SDV6.

Autobiography, yes I posted a correction to my post as you were posting your comment.
I always thought that my old 3.6TDv8 RRS was the best car I have ever owned, better even than both the FFRR's I had. The SDv6 L494 is even better, as you say smoother running, more economical, quieter and sooooooo much oomph when you want to use it. 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