Which one should I get ?

[Getoiu]

I always wanted a SUV so my time has come. I'm really thinking about 4 models I like but don't know anything about 4x4 and off road. It wouldn't be driven too often but when it does it would be urban mostly. I want to go light of road on my holidays as well so first of all the model - Range Rover L322 (love it), Freelander 2, Mercedes ML or Volvo XC90. I'm reading horrible stories about all of them. I've never driven off road, but I've found out that freelander 2 has very good off road systems. I'm leaning towards the Range Rover as I'm looking for comfort and space mostly but I'm really afraid from all the electrical and gearbox problems I read. Which one is the best all rounder and what power train would you suggest ? I'm a big Diesel fan but I don't mind Petrol either. If I get a Petrol would definitely convert it to LPG. What should I be looking for and is there any must have specs ?

[FridgeFreezer]

Merc ML has very little going for it IMHO, no idea if they're from Merc's "legendary reliability" period or their "why has my car just fallen apart?" period (which I believe is not officially over yet) but unless they're from the 1st one I can see no reason to own one unless it's super-cheap.

RR is a big complex luxury car with big complex repair bills - if you aren't willing/able to do a bit of self-education and invest in a diagnostics tool then you're potentially doomed to being bled dry by workshop after workshop who don't fully understand how to fault-find on complicated systems. They are undoubtedly head and shoulders above the rest when they're working, also by far the classiest, and if cared for properly (which can mean swallowing the odd £1000+ repair bill) should last.

FL2 - some say they're terrible even by LR standards, others say they're the best thing LR ever made. They share many bits with the Discovery Sport / Evoque and Volvo XC-something. I've not heard of many horror stories with them so I'd suggest they're not too bad.

XC90 is probably the sensible bet TBH, not as classy as the RR but Top Gear seemed to think they were pretty damned good all-rounders and it's a Volvo.

I think only the RR will have low-range gearbox for off-roading, so if you think you might do much more than traverse the odd grassy field or snowy drive to work it's worth remembering. The FL traction control system is brilliant, but the RR has all that plus air suspension, low-range gears and (sometimes) cross-axle diff-locks, plus a sh*t ton more power behind it.

If you off-road any of them, cleaning all the crud off the expensive bits underneath ASAP and keeping on top of maintenance will be vital if you don't want some really big bills.

[mad_pete]

With the current prices I'm not sure the LPG numbers work out at the moment. My order would be Range Rover (careful of the bills), Freelander 2, Volvo XC90 (good for family my mate hates his though), ML.

[marktdi]

What about a discovery . Rated as the best alround vehicle in the world

[Getoiu]

Would the discovery be more reliable than another RR ? To be honest I'm not a family person yet, so even a RR is a bit big for me. I don't mind getting dirty. I do enjoy working under my vehicles, but know very little about electronics unfortunately. Reading fault codes would be relatively easy, changing a sensor, pump or other light job as well. I guess the most unreliable part would be the gearbox. When I draw the line You can have any SUV on a similar price and while even a Skoda Yeti would do for me, I really prefer an older L322. I've fallen in love with it since the first time I saw it. To be fair now I'm driving an audi a4 b8 and I still find it uncomfortable vehicle (but well built though).

[mad_pete]

Air suspension I think generates a good share of faults. If you love the L322 then I suspect you want us to say go and get one. Go and get one.

[Ozzy50]

Why not get the best D2 you can afford as an introduction to the world of 4x4's ,really good motor as long as the chassis isn't rotten ! If your talking ML and L322 money then you can certainly afford one . Good way to get used to the running costs of a big motor and if you like the world you are in you can move on to bigger ? and better ?.

James

[Snagger]

I have an XC90. It is very good and 4wd, but it is an all weather car, not an all terrain car - it is for road use only, albeit snowy, icy roads.

[Getoiu]

I was expecting more information such as common faults and general must have options and extras to be looking for. I'm pretty sure that any of the mentioned vehicles would suit my needs so I guess the best all rounder would win my vote. What's very interesting is the fuel consumption claimed for the FL 2 2.2 diesel, which is almost two times more economical than the RR. However something's telling me that the real life numbers would be identical which makes me think about leaning towards petrol and LPG. I've heard that if properly installed the LPG can work as good as a petrol. How about that ?

[elbekko]

Sounds like an auto FL2 would suit you well (the manual isn't very good off-road because it lacks low range, the auto's torque converter makes up for that). Some proper ATs and you'll be surprised at what it can do. I'd expect an XC90 to be similar, as it's the same platform, but without the LR traction control system (which works very well).

The L322 will obviously be miles ahead, but as others have indicated, unless you can throw your own time at it, you're likely to be throwing money at it.

[Maverik]

Get what you WANT... life's too short fannying around with toys you wish you'd not bought...

[AMB]

Get what you WANT... life's too short fannying around with toys you wish you'd not bought...

Spot on. If you don't have a specific need, how else are you going to compare?

[Mo Murphy]

I may be mistaken but this sounds like a wind up ?

Mo

[Peaklander]

Now you come to mention it...it could be

[Snagger]

If you join the forum, don't bother to fill out your profile, give no self introduction, ask about non Land Rovers, can't be bothered to ask a specific question, and then criticise the answers, then expect no more from me.

[FridgeFreezer]

If you can, buy the one you want, life's too short. Just remember the RR is a high-end luxury vehicle that cost more than some people's houses so will cost money to run. A D3 shares many bits with the RR so it's much of a muchness. Good D2's are hard to find and inexplicably expensive, crusty ones are ten a penny but you really don't want one.

You didn't ask about common issues / buying tips and you won't get much on Mercs or Volvos here anyway - the other stuff may well have been covered before, there's 100's of "buying advice" threads so having a read back and then asking specific questions is generally considered the way to do it.

[Getoiu]

Thank you all. I think I'll pull the trigger on a RR. Already found a few I like to have a look over the weekend. Is the RR Sport sitting much lower than the regular one?

Do they have any other optional differences for which I might want to consider one over the other ?

Should I avoid the first few years of the L322 line ?

[L19MUD]

This really depends on your budget to be honest and if you want to go for petrol or diesel

I personally would never consider a first generation sport for the following reasons

- interior quality and space not as good as the L322

- Image (I'm not a drug dealer/footballer) sorry simonr!!

- Cam belts and many other tasks require the body to come off which I don't have the facility to do in my workshop

I can't help much with generic sport problems other than that as I have never owned one. What I can say is that the turbo problems with the 3.6 TDV8 appear to be much more frequent in the Sport. I suspect it is due to the more restricted engine bay and the turbos getting hotter.

When it comes to the L322 I think it is all about budget and miles driven per year - let me us know what those are and we can probably help more. Quick summary below.

Pre 2006 TD6. Engine generally very reliable, gearboxes made of cheese. If the box has not been replaced budget 2k for reconditioning. I think they are quite underpowered at 172bhp though.

Pre 2006 4.4 V8 Engines again generally reliable but the cooling systems have some weaknesses. Improvments can be made though. 282bhp makes for a much nicer drive than the diesel

Both of the above suffer from expensive to repair problems with the infotainment systems. There are workarounds to that though

06 on facelift cars got the 3.6 TDV8 diesel, gained an extra gear (6 speed) and power went up to 272bhp. They suffer from EGR valves (£400 for both and 5 hours DIY work) and if you are unlucky turbo's. Alternators also common failure. Cost £200 plus many many hours of swearing on your driveway!

06 on petrol is the fairly rare Jag 4.4 V8. Not many about and the 4.2 supercharged. The 4.2 is a pretty robust unit with few problems other than the excessive thirst!

Infotainment on 06 on cars much more reliable than the pre 06 BMW based cars (mainly as water stopped leaking into the boot!!!)

2010MY on cars stayed as 3.6TDV8 for 18 months but get you a hugely updated infotainment system and facelift.

late 2010 they changed to 4.4 tdv8 and 8 speed box. 311bhp. This is a big improvement on the 3.6 and 6 speed but then you are into £30k

LPG just not worth it at the moment if not already fitted and I am not sure if the supercharged models can run LPG (this may only relate to the later 5 litre ones)

I can give you loads more pointers on them but you need to home in on a price range. The 06 to 2009 MY look like good value at the moment but you will already be in the higher tax bracket.

Air suspension on these is 9 times out of 10 due to a worn compressor, a Genuine Wabco is only £300 and can be fitted in 20mins by a complete novice

hope that helped!

[simonr]

Image (I'm not a drug dealer/footballer) sorry simonr!!

Apology accepted!

I really like mine! Best vehicle I've owned and despite having 151,000 on the clock has not suffered from anything very expensive. A few things have worn out (suspension bushes, shocks, brake pads) in the last 50k with me but you would expect that with any vehicle.

I think the drug dealers & footballers have moved on to something else these days - though having said that, nobody cuts you up on the road, not even BMW's. Hopefully they think you might get out & shoot them!

When this one finally wears out, I'll buy another one without any hesitation.

I get typically 24mpg out of a TDV6. OK, that's not great, but it feels good value for the comfort and ease of driving. An old beans can on wheels would need over 100mpg to come close in the value stakes! I set off for work at 5am & it's almost as good as getting back in to bed (without the sleeping!).

Si