Making the leap. P38 - l322

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I've done it :) Mind you from P38 2.5 to L322 4.4V8 the difference is brutal (so is my more frequent visits to the petrol station). Love it though!!! Considering lpg conversion.
 
I "upgraded" from a good P38 to a L322 around 7 months ago - no major problems and love the L322 just as much as I did the P38. Much better driving experience in the L322 and the "comfort" seats are great.

DB
 
Just putting this out there and I'm happy to be shot down... But when you changed from what ever car you had before you bought your p38. I'm sure you went through all this should I shouldn't I crap and then you bought it and you love it. My opinion.. If you can afford it and you want it.. Go get it and good luck :)
 
Check any guarantee small print very carefully.
Click to expand...

And the large print too.

a Guaranty / warranty on used cars are often sketchy. you will find things like VC's transfer cases are exempt as with electronic modules and so on and so on.

Caveat Emptor.
 
The L322 is an awesome machine....but.....the early ones are beset with issues.

All the above is all sound advice, the Petrols don't suffer as bad with gearbox issues, but they are known to go south sooner or later...usual sign is a vibration/cattle grid effect at between 30-50 on light throttle...most pronounced up a slight gradiant.

The electrical gremlins are profound with such a complex car, but what surprises me is that the same systems are found in 1996-on BMW's so why it wasn't all sorted out by the time the L322 was launched in 2002 astounds me! But it does mean that most faults are well documented on here, other Range Rover forums and also on Bimmer sites!

The M62 is a very good power unit,most common faults are the PCV Valve and VANOS ticking!

I have both an L322 and a P38.....comfort, hmmmm the L322 is a more relaxed drive due to the oodles of power available and the more 'car' like handing....but, the P38 is a much softer more cushioned ride....

As with most BMW derived products, the spec list for the models can vary as they are just a kit of parts and an options list....Vogue was the top standard model in 2002-2005 but even then, the spec can vary greatly between them depending on what the original owner wanted...I have seen genuine Vogues without the Sat Nav, or with Sat Nav but not DSP...etc...

Best to ignore the name, and go for the one with the toys you want in it!

The Mk3 Sat Nav is basic but functional, upgrading to the Mk4 is simple and worth it, but is still now looking dated when compared to others and even to what you can get on your phone now-a-days!

Regular Gearbox oil and filter changes are a must to try and prolong the inevitable...but it will happen at some point!

They are not as solidly built as the P38 (which was arguably the best screwed together and rust proof Range Rover ever!.....electrical issues aside that is!) and they are starting to show rust signs on wheel arches and tail gates (sound familiar?? )

They eat suspension bushes, especially the rear due to its fat ar$e, and they can be a pain to change, but if you can wrangle a spanner with confidence then it isn't so bad.

The EAS system is just as temperamental as the P38....but just like the P38, keep up on maintenance and sort issues promptly and it will be fine...the main weakness is the plastic valve block...I mean plastic...WTF were they thinking of!??!

They will throw a fault just because...for no reason...so your own diagnostic gear is paramount if you want to save trips and money to a dealer/indy.

Many available....muts nuts Faultmate will set you back £1000 or so, but is ultimate...

RSW All Comms is the most capable at the budget end, IIDTool by GAPDiagnostics is great, but uses the message centre display for readouts..so if that is fecked your stumped.....Bearmach Hawkeye has mixed reviews and can't do EAS Calibrations.....Lynx by Omnitec/Britpart little known about it, but reports are reasonable to those who have used it....

Pity Blackbox Solutions never did and looks like they won't do a Nanocom for the 2002-2005 L322's....if they did I'd be the first to buy one! (although my L322 still won't talk to diagnostics following a HID/Bi-Xenon bulb failure)

Remember the Golden Rule to buying a Range Rover - Never, Ever buy one with faults unless you are prepared for and understand the potential costs, frustration, time and head scratching that is involved in repairing it!

Complex, expensive, powerful, comfortable, unreliable, sublime, frustrating, annoying, beautiful etc are all the sorts of words I would choose for the L322.....would I be without mine despite all the problems I have had? No, I love it regardless.....if you can accept its faults, you'll love it.....

If you are after something more reliable and dependable....you'll hate it!
 
P38s are getting pretty old now - but - if you've got a good one I reckon it'll outlast any L322. "better" or "worse" are very judgemental words - L322s are much more car like to drive, they handle, steer and brake better - but IMHO aren't as comfortable. The interior looks nicer than the P38 but the quality of the leather is significantly inferior.

If you fancy a change but still like your p38, I'd keep the p38 in case you get a dud L322 - there are plenty of those. I wouldn't bother fixing faults on a dodgy L322 (unless you bought it for peanuts) just out it and get another one - until you find one that works.
 
@op

I Bought my 04 autobiography 4.4 v8 LPG with 138,000 miles. 2 yrs on (now 168,000) not had a major problem. Just done 258 miles on £44 of lpg. Love it even more than my 2002 TD6 which was faultless at over 100,000 miles. Choose carefully my friend.

I knew its history, gearbox services all done etc., bought it unseen. FLRSH not worth sh@t! Receipts are. If poss buy from a forum member as you can trace its history.
 
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I think if you take a look at the range rover section first page of these forums there is often an 80/20 split between the P38 threads compared to the L322 although the cost of repairing the L322 is much higher but I would say it's decreasing as the cars get older and cheaper parts become available .

I think cars around the 100K mileage are either about to go wrong or have had a lot of the major work carried out so sometimes a slightly higher mileage car may be a better buy than one that is yet to have its major components fail.
I bought mine with no experience of the potential problems and the car was one of those being sold as a get rid of it quick before it costs you a fortune.

The air suspension is an easy test to carry out and should raise and lower fairly quickly between access, standard and off road. The dash display will promptly display air suspension inactive if there's a problem. My front air struts failed on the way home presenting an instant £500 bill.

I also noticed a slight vibration which I later discovered to be the torque converter , I was hoping a simple cv joint or wheel bearing but £1000 later, which was the DIY cost to refurb the transmision and replace the TC and the bills are beginning to mount up quickly.
My rear suspension bushes were shot which I replaced after cutting out the seized bolts which cost about £300 in total with all new bolts and a press kit to allow me to DIY and also new track control arms. The front suspension is also scheduled soon with front cv joints at around £400 for OEM type parts.

I had my immobiliser reprogrammed twice at £100 a time plus £100 to trailer the car to a main dealer.

Pixels in the dash display £120, new battery , £120, cam cover seals imminent at about £150 I think...
General oil and service engine £150 ish which fortunately seems fairly good but PCV pipes were all shot but the valve seems ok.
If possible main dealer service history that's genuine, check the service book for alterations, is worth its weight in gold.
I would test drive a few cheap ones to realise what can be wrong before testing ones you like.
I tend to replace everything connected to whatever has failed with as near to OEM as I can afford with the theory that if the part has failed then the surrounding parts of the same age are due to fail.

There are plenty of Chinese parts available that will do a job for a period of time at quite often a tenth of the price of OEM

Often warranties aren't worth the paper they are written as they can be restrictive as to what's covered as general wear and tear may not be and can often have limitations on the value of repairs or high excess.

Apart from that , I love mine and spend the money to give me some long term reliability - maybe :crazy:
 
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