My New L405 Autobiography

I just bought a 2013 L405 Vogue with 42,000km on the clock to use for touring and towing, leaving the D4 for the really rough and scratchy stuff. Mine is a TDV6 but the power delivery is nothing like my D4, which has lag and flat spots etc. The Vogue engine is brilliant and with over 600kg less than my heavy, well optioned D4, it feels heaps more powerful.

Interestingly, it has more road noise than the D4 and more engine exhaust noise. For road noise it seems to be about half way between the D4 and my DS. The suspension and comfort is way better than the D4, even with 20 inch wheels. The 8 speed transmission instead of the 6 speed is fantastic.

It is just getting fitted out with a UHF radio, Tow Pro Elite trailer braking, Anderson plug running off the main battery and a dual battery system in the rear for other electrical loads, at Osborne Autospark today.

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Originally Posted by BobD

I just bought a 2013 L405 Vogue with 42,000km on the clock to use for touring and towing, leaving the D4 for the really rough and scratchy stuff. Mine is a TDV6 but the power delivery is nothing like my D4, which has lag and flat spots etc. The Vogue engine is brilliant and with over 600kg less than my heavy, well optioned D4, it feels heaps more powerful.

Interestingly, it has more road noise than the D4 and more engine exhaust noise. For road noise it seems to be about half way between the D4 and my DS. The suspension and comfort is way better than the D4, even with 20 inch wheels. The 8 speed transmission instead of the 6 speed is fantastic.

It is just getting fitted out with a UHF radio, Tow Pro Elite trailer braking, Anderson plug running off the main battery and a dual battery system in the rear for other electrical loads, at Osborne Autospark today.

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Strewth Bob, you're certainly coming up in the world:-)

Yeah, I thought you would be interested Greg! I had a bit of a brain fade but still not quite what you would get since it is out of warranty.

My D4 is worth very little now since it has high km and is beaten up, so I will use it occasionally when I'm too scared to damage the RR.

Ah Bob, swallow a teaspoon of cement and harden up. Get that new toy out on some gnarly roads and rough it up a little:-)

Wow Bob. [emoji106]
I love the TDV8 but the L405 tdv6 has a lot going for it by all accounts. Is it still a belt change at 165,000?
How about some pics.

Yeah, I still haven't put up pics of my D4 or DS yet. Everyone who sees it reckons it looks great so I will have to work out how to put pics up!

Apparently mine cost $190,000 four years ago with the options it has. Cost me just under $120,000, which is still a fair chunk of money, but it was one of the cheapest in Australia on Carsales. Most are V8s and cost upwards of $20,000 more for higher km. I like the TDV6 because it is 200kg lighter than the V8 and still has more than enough power and refinement. No way its worth the money though!! I'd hate to pay the new price.

Greg, it will get plenty roughed up, don't worry. I just don't want to scratch it too much yet as it has an expensive paint colour and currently looks immaculate, unlike my D4. I just took it for a drive on a rough track in the hills near us to get some dust on it.

I will create another thread and put some photos up soon, I hope.

Congratulations Bob! Scratching paintwork on such vehicles is hard to accept. I think that my L322 got its first scratches a week ago climbing a goat track to repair a radio repeater tower but I can't really tell because its not been washed, not that I recall anyway.

That’s about a 12% depreciation rate for your L405. Over a longer term the L322 seems to depreciate on average about 15-20% pa in comparison.

Owners talk about the L405 feeling more nimble and lighter. I don’t know if that’s because of the suspension or weight loss.

Is the rear shocks on the L405 outside the air spring like on the L322?

Yes, external shocks with small external reservoirs near the bottom.

CVD type. That would help the ride.