Advice,Which Range Rover ?

Hi I’m just after some advice
I’ve just sold my defender and am looking at buying a Range Rover, my budget is £10,000.
Do I buy a P38 and if so which one Diesel, Petrol or LPG or do I buy a cheap L322 again petrol or diesel. The vehicle will be my weekend toy and I shouldn’t imagine I’II do any more than 3,000 per year. Can anyone advise as I have no idea when it comes to Range Rovers?
Many thanks

Buy a P38 and keep the rest for fuel and repairs.

wudnt be buying a p38 fer anything near 10k

With that budget I'd be looking at a late P38 4.0 HSE, al the bells whistles n toys, plenty left to cover any issues not covered by warranty - DO buy from a dealer/garage!!!

how about a very good classic that will only increase in value

1992lse said:

how about a very good classic that will only increase in value

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But it won't have all those gismos that a P38 has and ensure your local garage sends you a Christmas card.

Horse_Apple said:

But it won't have all those gismos that a P38 has and ensure your local garage sends you a Christmas card.

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less to go wrong

3,000 miles p.a.? Don`t bother with gas etc. Not worth the price premium or extra hassle.

Horse_Apple said:

But it won't have all those gismos that a P38 has and ensure your local garage sends you a Christmas card.

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agreed!!!

just steer clear of the p38, get a very nice 3 door classic and it will be worth twice that in a few years they way there prices are going up!

Could try and pick up a nice Limited Edition P38a - a Holland and Holland, Westminster or perhaps a Linney (although I very much doubt you'll find one for sale and, if you did, it'd prob be £50k, not £10k)!!

Personally, I would go for a last of the line P38a over a Classic for that money - and the other Classic owners will now shoot me for saying such a thing!!

The only one I would definately rule out is the L322, for 10K you will be getting a worn out high miler.
I love my classic but when I can get the Missus to let me have ago in the P38 its like getting into a Rolls Royce in comparison!! Thats not to say the Classic is not a pleasant place to be because it is, its just 10 years older so its just not as solid. Although far more reliable than the P38 has been!!
If it was me I would spend 2 to 3K on a decent classic, spend another grand to get it up to pristine condition and blow the other 6K on a luxury holiday in the sun

MikeV8SE said:

Could try and pick up a nice Limited Edition P38a - a Holland and Holland, Westminster or perhaps a Linney (although I very much doubt you'll find one for sale and, if you did, it'd prob be £50k, not £10k)!!

Personally, I would go for a last of the line P38a over a Classic for that money - and the other Classic owners will now shoot me for saying such a thing!!

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:mil65:

I suggest that you find a lowmilage P38 4.6 HSE or VOGUE - as new as possible - get whatever is wrong fixed ASAP and enjoy the space, ridecomfort, rubbish fueleconomy in style LOL....

It won't be troublefree, but it'll be fun!!

I'm about to quote Jeremy Clarkson:
"Owning a Range Rover is like getting a sexually transmitted disease, Great fun getting one but a nightmare to live with.....!"

(I've seen that P38 Ireland has it in his signature LOL)

for 10k you could buy 3 p38s

get one of each doozil, 4.0 and 4.6 then when one breaks use the other

dont understand how something so unreliable can go up in value . only a couple of years ago I struggled to sell my mint lpg'd 4.6 special eds.

Rather than start another P38 thread, I'm just going to tag on to this one. Are there any major issues with a late P38 Diesel? I'm in France so a petrol version is madness? How good is off-roading with an auto box? I'm probably going to be using it a little off-road and some towing. I've been advised to buy a Land-Cruiser but they're a bit bland/functional - and not at all English... which I am!

Mines a diesel auto and I use it to tow our 23 foot trophy (about 2.5 ton c/w trailer and outboards)occasionaly and it pulls it no problem, have never driven the manual but the auto box seems to suit the engine, had a manual Omega and it was guttless at low revs. I converted mine to coils and TBH am very happy with it. Landcruisers are a premium price but are usually bullet proof especially the VX and amazon. If you go anywhere abroad where the oil industry is its about 90 per cent land cruisers thats used especially in the desert. They are a very good motor but as I said I like my Rangie.
Davie

It really depends on what you really like. Take a drive in a minter classic (if you can wait and find one - although they will go quickly!) and decide whether the feel of the car, not just the way it drives - but the way it makes you feel, is better for you.

Personally the P38 doesn't do it for me as much as the classic. I have a '94 LSE (8-inches longer than standard classic, also comes with a 4.2V8, as does the Autobiography whcih is short wheelbase) and when people mention the quality of build inside I can't say that I've been in many P38s in better condition than what I have. In that vein a gent on pistonheads has an LSE which he had some work done to when he bought it (parking sensor, tv's fitted, stereo upgraded, new door seals throughout, etc, etc, and that will feel as modern as you could want.

The only P38 I fell in love with was an Autobiography, which was mint, so worth looking at those as well. As people have said £10K will get you the best of the best (apart from Overfinches, etc.

Regards reliability I can only speak from experience. I have never owned a P38 but they are known to be problematic as far as I am aware (best to let owners speak on that behalf). My classic has been perfect to me (bar a reset needed on the suspension recently (which was just a frozen valve) and a snapped exhaust (just a poor weld in the original case on the steel and was whilst driving back from Spain). Having said that I feel that I may have been lucky - I budgeted for spending a lot more on it than I have had to.

Gosh... if i had 10 grand on the hip... i would buy a ****ty v8 '90' as my toy.... and a newish jaguar xj8..... thats what im gonna do...but every time i save some money my p38 robs it off me again..!!!!!!!!!

As the others have said.. I would spend some of the money on a really nice P38, last of the line, low mileage jobbie. I don't think you'll be disappointed, bad ones are just that.. bad, but decent ones are a joy.
Like all 'top-end' (?!) cars, you'll need a cushion in your bank balance.. but your budget should leave plenty enough for that.
I recommend buying some diagnostic software/ kit at the same time and maybe budget for some suspension airbags etc. Do a good search on the weak points. Once you have a well 'sorted' example, you can put full trust in it!!

However.. if you're a hands-on/ DIY person that doesn't mind getting under a motor, I would seriously consider an early 70s Classic. These things are a good investment.. especially tax-exempt models. But, you're not going to get much for your money compared to a P38 and they are a big, big step back in refinement. We have a '72 at work, it's great but I'm not sure I could use it everyday like the P38..

Swings and roundabouts!