Range Rover Sport

Morning chaps,

I'm not sure if this is going to end up with me getting lots of stick but here goes nothing...

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to have a very good test drive in a RR Sport, I've never really thought much about them until now but I must say that I am very smitten with them now

The road test was good it's so refined, stable, quick and a really nice place to be...
The off road test was what impressed me the most, it was a standard out of the showroom car with know special mods, we forded water well over 4 feet deep (weed on the door handles ) and there didn't seem to be any angle it wouldn't climb in any direction we even stopped half way up some of the hills to see what happened but it just kept going...

I'm not sure I'll be able to run to a new one without the aid of a lottery win but I think I've found my next car!!!

I've have been put off by stories of having to take the body off the chassis to do some rather basic work.......

Golan said:

Morning chaps,

I'm not sure if this is going to end up with me getting lots of stick but here goes nothing...

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to have a very good test drive in a RR Sport...

...but I think I've found my next car!!!

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Me too! I love 'em and will definitely be getting one next, albeit with the 18" (not +20"!) alloys and a decent set of A/T tyres

rewmer said:

I've have been put off by stories of having to take the body off the chassis to do some rather basic work.......

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Like what? It's the same chassis as a Discovery 3 and I've heard no such stories about them. I think they might just be stories....

MikeV8SE said:

Me too! I love 'em and will definitely be getting one next, albeit with the 18" (not +20"!) alloys and a decent set of A/T tyres



Like what? It's the same chassis as a Discovery 3 and I've heard no such stories about them. I think they might just be stories....

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Best do some research fella. I have.

rewmer said:

Best do some research fella. I have.

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Go on then, give me a synopisis of your findings!

Just means you need to buy some bigger jacks, doesn't it?

Clutch is a body off job on D3 and RR Sport, I believe. Cunning bit of design that. Still, it doesn't actually sound that hard....

Apparently a few multi plugs and bolts and bobs ya uncle, can't see it being a DIY mechanics job tho as u would need some lifting gear

MikeV8SE said:

Me too! I love 'em and will definitely be getting one next, albeit with the 18" (not +20"!) alloys and a decent set of A/T tyres

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Sorry to mess you about but a guy I know let me have a go in his TDV8 on a 57 plate
I'm sold!!!!
For a big tub it's got some sort of grunt.... That's a very nice engine.
I think it's going to be a few more years before I can afford one though

I heard it was body off to do the turbos on one of the Disco models.

Yes, the body needs to come off for quite a few bit including things like brake pipes. Sure you can bodge your way round it but getting the body off only takes an hour or so. You do need lifting gear though but we managed it with a farmyard fork lift.

On balance I would say it's easier than getting the body off a Deafener. At least it's in 1 piece and actually fits properly when you put it back. BUT.......it's less of a DIY job than Deafener is so it costs more. Facts are you can't run a RR for the same money. If that was possible then lots more people would be running them.

Either way it wouldn't put me off buying one. Ultimately it's only nuts & bolts. And given the amount of times the body actually NEEDS to come off, well I could live with that. After all, if it does have to come off you do everything possible whilst it's up there.

Well all RR Sports are auto's I believe, so a clutch change shouldn't be an issue. And how often do you change brake lines on modern cars? I would say, not very often.

So, I'd still buy one

MikeV8SE said:

Well all RR Sports are auto's I believe, so a clutch change shouldn't be an issue. And how often do you change brake lines on modern cars? I would say, not very often.

So, I'd still buy one

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Brake pipes don't last long on P38's, nor do the gearboxes
If the body is designed to come off, it could make a lot of jobs easier. No more groveling underneath. Depends on the weight, but a supersize engine crane would do the job. Some supplier will come out with one if the demand is there Reckon my digger would do the job

I had a go in a brand new RR sport at Landrover experience Ashford. Wasnt supposed to be using a sport but the time before the RR i wanted to use had broken !!! doh!
Was very impressed by its off roading seemed to be nowhere it wouldnt go. But..... it seemed a bit souless, just dial settings into the computer and go. No effort involved, no skill or experience needed. My 18 year old daughter had come along for the ride, she was a fortnight off taking her test but she could get it to do everythng i could. For me most of the fun of off roading is not being quite sure when you start wether you will actually be getting to where you want to go. Sure if you need a 4x4 as a tool its nice to know you have one that will do the job, but how many RRS will be used on farms of to tow serious loads? Just seemed to me to take the fun out of the situation, i wont be getting one.

MikeV8SE said:

Well all RR Sports are auto's I believe, so a clutch change shouldn't be an issue. And how often do you change brake lines on modern cars? I would say, not very often.

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Yes, all auto's. And yes, plenty of documented issues with brake pipes corroding, especially on D3's which are subjected to a lot of mud and never cleaned off properly.

I'd still buy one as well. Just a shame the TDV8 never made it into the Disco 'cos I would have bought one in an instant.

discomalc said:

Was very impressed by its off roading seemed to be nowhere it wouldnt go. But..... it seemed a bit souless

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The thing is...that's what it is designed to do! No one buys an RR Sport for offroading, let's be honest. Too many electronics to get wet when wading, too expensive to repair when you bump a tree, too luxurious really for muddy wellies even!

Having said that, it's the perfect vehicle for my use. Daily driver on the road, up and down rough farm tracks and across fields at weekends and perfectly capable when the snow comes (which it does up here at the top of the Chilterns!). It could (and next year likely will) replace my BMW 330Ci and Range Rover Classic.

If you want an offroader then you get an older car, usually a Defender. But it's nice to know the car can do it - driving an X5/X6 (ugh), ML, Cayenne or even Touraeg I think you always get the feeling of pretending to be in a capable offroad vehicle - in the RR and RR Sport you really are in one!

The D3, RR and RR Sport would all do the job for my needs, but I don't need the 7 seats of a D3 and the sportier on-road drive of the Sport appeals to me over the standard RR. It will still do everything I need it to away from tarmac