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Thread: Early impressions - L322 2008 TDV8 ownership

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
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    Early impressions - L322 2008 TDV8 ownership

    After 2 weeks of ownership and a 500kms kms under my belt I thought I'd provide a few highlights, which may be of interest to potential owners of this model. As broader context, this is my first RR though I own a few other cars and have lots of experience with the quirks of problematic (but enjoyable) vehicle ownership. Everything below is purely based on my early experience and I respect that others’ experience and opinions may differ significantly to mine.

    Why did I buy a 2008 (MY09) 3.6 TDV8?
    My decision on the L322 was both practical and emotional. From a combination of research and test driving I worked out that the 07-09 TDV8 was in a sweet spot for me across several variables: purchase price, luxury, practicality, reliability, running cost etc. I was put off by the 5 speed gearboxes of the earlier L322's, not so much the reliability question but more the drivability and gearing in every day driving conditions, and the later models from MY10-12 command a significant jump in price that for me was not justified for my intended use. I’m sure others will think differently, as there appear to be great examples to be found across the entire L322 range.

    Price, history and condition
    My 2008 vehicle was purchased for $25.5k with 95,000kms, and is the base model Vogue. It had one owner, a full history, and presented in excellent cosmetic condition. Advertised prices for L322's seem to fluctuate wildly and in my case it was a matter of being patient over many months for the right one to come up. Other than regular servicing, during its life it had a suspension sensor replaced, brakes, and alternator. It has not had the major gearbox service done, was due an annual service, the control arm bushes were quite soft though still roadworthy and the existing tyres were a bit rubbish. It still has the original turbo hoses. I have now replaced the tyres (more of that below) and the rest is being attended to in the coming weeks. From what I understand my list is quite typical of items on this model of L322 that should be planned and budget for. Other than the detailed pre-purchase inspection (a must unless you are super handy and knowledgeable with these cars) it also passed my critically important "first 5 minutes of inspection test" where you can tell very quickly from appearance, service history and discussion with the owner, whether to you should continue with the viewing or simply walk away. In my humble opinion this is why one owner private sale vehicles with all paperwork are usually worth paying a premium for.

    In the cabin
    I just love the open, spacious feel of the L322 and the amazing vision of the road ahead and around you. It feels like an antidote to the borderline claustrophobic tendencies of many new cars. But this is not just about size and volume of interior space. Other cars that meet this open, spacious feel where you can see and sense everything around you, but are much smaller, are the W124 Mercedes coupe and the G series Porsche 911, to name a few. The design and dimensions of the L322 let you can see the corners of the car, and this is giving a confidence to manoeuvre with ease in city traffic that I was not expecting. Yes, this car is very heavy, but it does not feel too big. The size and positioning of the A pillars also helps. I am fussy about interior quality and the cabin in the 'basic spec' TDV8 is excellent, from the chunky buttons, switches, dials, plastics and seats – everything seems to wear very well for a 10-year old car. Based on other examples I have seen I also wonder whether the seat materials in the basic spec car are better-wearing over time than in the Luxury and Autobiography models, but I'm happy to be corrected if this is not the case. The access height button is very handy. The analogue clock is a nice touch though I don’t get the logic of where it is positioned. The steering wheel controls are logically placed and very usable. The stereo is really good but yes the navigation and central control interface is dated.

    On the Road
    I think the engine & gearbox combination of this model is brilliant. The car always seems to be in the right gear for what you want it to do. This is a far cry from many current era vehicles that have had their gearbox settings determined by marketing departments that favour a sluggish and unresponsive driving experience in order to publish a competitive fuel consumption figure, which in the real world is never realised anyway! So this car feels very responsive to throttle inputs, and the torque makes it very drivable and gutsy, despite a humble 0-100 time. My base model car has the standard 19-inch wheels. I have replaced the Khumo Solus tyres that were on the car. I don’t know whether it was the quality of the tyre or whether it was because they were close to end of life, but they felt very under-steer-ish, particularly in the wet. I have gone for a set of the new spec Continental UC6 SUV tyres (designed for road only use) and the difference in handling is extraordinary: much sharper turn-in, significantly reduced body roll, and probably the quietest set of tyres I have ever had on a car. The ride does feel firm-ish at low city speeds, but given the handling and stability benefits I’m fine with that. Given their sticky spec I’m only expecting about 30,000kms from these tyres. I have also been surprised by the lack of wind noise at 110km/h on the highway. As a long-distance cruiser, this car would be amazing.

    Ownership costs?
    It’s too early to tell but the budget needs to be there for the expected things with this model (gearbox service, control arms, air suspension, EGR valves later on, general gremlins etc). Fuel consumption has been as expected in congested stop-start driving at 15.5l/100km and a little better than expected on the highway with 8.5l/100km. My logic on the likely high ownership costs of this car is that it is more than balanced out by the huge value for money on outright purchase costs, and I think this is true for most if not all L322 models.

    Overall
    A happy experience so far and no nasty surprises in the first 500kms. I’m sure that time will come! If I was to sum up why the L322 is a distinctive car, to my mind it's because it has a clear purpose and was designed very well to meet that purpose. It doesn’t pretend to be something that it’s not - like SUVs that pretend to be sports cars, or sports cars trying to be luxury cars - if you see it in that light, find a good one, and go in with eyes wide open about maintenance requirements, you’re likely to have a very enjoyable ownership experience.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Gymea
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    Nice job Brisvegas.
    Glad you are loving the car.
    I’m ready to go back to a nice set of road tyres also but maybe Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV instead.
    One other thing to really inspect is the front airbags.
    I think in general they last around the 10 year mark before the rubber perishes.
    Not so much the rear because the bend radius of the rears is a lot wider.
    I had to replace mine in the last year.
    I’ve had my car since 67000kms and have almost hit 167000 now.
    I do love it!

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