Thread: Would appreciate people's advise (L322 & P38)

I think if you are on a limited budget, an L322 is not the car for you

Even if you get it cheap (let's say you get one for $20K) a few repairs here and there will send you bankrpupt, expecially if you are not doing the spanner work yourself.

They are complicated beasts and even though they can be quite reliable (ours has been - just needed 2 new front airbags at 140K Kms) they can be expensive to fix.

Thought about a late 90's Disco at all? They are similar to a RR classic but you can get the brilliant TDi 300 engine and you can get a manual....

Having owned a P38a in the past and and now owning two L322 Range Rovers I'll give you my 2 cents worth.

Overall handling driveability - The L322 initially had far too much German input into its design. My later 2007 L322 has had much of that designed out and is better balanced but the P38a is still the better performer. The rear wheel steering is just one of the designs aspects that was not carried over into the L322.

Tyres - P38a tyre life about double compared to L322 and far more choice for AT uses.

Engines - The L322 wins as it is available with diesel choices

Cabin comfort - L322 wins for HVH but the P38a wins for seat comfort.

Prices - P38a but then don't forget to factor in a diagnostic tool (HawkEye for $600) plus you must be a bush mechanic to even contemplate owning an old truck like the P38a.

Guys
Here's what I am seeing and I can only refer to "pet-rol" models!

The P38 was the last of the easy repair trucks like the D2.
The L322 and its successors are much more complicated and costly to repair.

For me running a specialist LR repair shop for the last 20 years we have seen with regular succession each model from the Classic through to the D2 phase out come in and go every 5 tears or so for repairs once the truck has fallen out of dealer capture.

All predecessors had the usual niggling faults like oil leaks, head gaskets, silly electrical faults an suspension issues, to name a few! Frankly these have been great revenue earners for Independent shops like mine.

Now the rules have changed!
The L322 and the LR2/3 and all their successors are much more reliable for sure and do not present their owners with the same level of niggle faults as the older models were plagued with.

This means that owners tend to neglect the service intervals until major defects occur.
Over heated 4.4 engines, sludged and gelled up engine oiling systems, cam chain tensioner failures all resulting in very big repair bills to name a few.

In "zee ulden days" an in shop full engine overhaul for a D2/P38 would come out at about $4000US. The same for the 4.4 is likely to be $15000.
A factory exchange engine unit is currently $15300 at the retail end.

The suspension on all LR3, and L322 & successor models are less than robust as predecessors and the fluid lower arm bushes are prone to failure at about 80K miles. Resulting on a loud clunking on braking you need special tools to drop the arm on the hoist and press in replacements. The job retails out at about $1000 for this exercise including an LR scanner lock down of the suspension system and alignment.
This is a must to avoid high tyre wear and expensive replacements.

Some of the other eye openers are premature failure of the air suspension and compressors, steering column ECUs going for $2200, expensive headlamp modules @ $1000 a pop; well you get it the list goes on!

This is the trend nowadays, its not that the car is bad, far from it. Its just that cars are getting more complex and need expert dedicated attention if they are to run for periods past the dealer support periods.

I can't comment on Oz retail sakles but here in the US a good 2006 rangie will go for a $26 K asking price, but if a potential customer has that amount of readies he's more likely to plonk it down on a new one, so selling a L322 2004 to 2006 is likely to have a hit factor with the actual sale price.
Dennis
zedcars

Thanks for that info Dennis,

I'm still leaning towards the L322 at the moment there is one local to me 02 with 170,000 km up for $26k will try and get a look at it soon.