WheelSpin Cars

“You must be mad” | “you’ll spend most of your time on the hard shoulder” | “rather you than me”

Just some of the comments I received when I bought my L322 Range Rover. And mad I may be. But excited I am too, for this is the most special a car has made me feel in a long long time.

Contrast is certainly a word apt for the marque, with the Range Rover being equally comfortable in many feet of mud or wafting around Knightsbridge. It’s difficult to not feel intoxicated by capability each and every time you climb up into the thing.

So, with the L322 being three generations ago, the youngest of the gen knocking on the door of a decade on the road, and the oldest being pretty much old enough to order a beer in the U.S., is this a good (read: wise) used buy? After all, Jeremy Clarkson did once say the it was the best.

There have been many many engine options within the lifespan of the L322, as the car was originally conceived whilst Land Rover were under the ownership of BMW, and so was planned to share component with the contemporary 7 Series. Land Rover however, was subsequently sold to Ford but this didn’t stop the Range Rover having the option of a petrol BMW M62 4.4 V8.

The monocoque use as opposed to the separate chassis saves weight, pushing that fuel economy north, which is a good thing if, like me, you went for the petrol V8. The strength of the former is such that off-road ability is preserved, as well as improving the on-road experience.

Combine this with the air suspension, and you’ll wonder if the tarmac is being glided over by a 2.7 tonne beast. Wafting around is a breeze, and the L322 irons out bumps, most pot holes and speed bumps with relative ease. Just hope you don’t come out to the car sunk down on its suspension, looking like a penguin sitting on its eggs. It does deflate when you turn the engine off to make the jump to Earth slightly smaller, before shooting back up to the stratosphere once you shut the door and lock up.

It feels bizarre to have creature comforts such as heated steering wheel, heated front AND back seats, tri-zone climate control, powered seat adjust and headrests, and cruise control in a near 20 year old vehicle!

Needless to say, the power adjusted steering wheel system doesn’t work, but in a 20 year old car, that’s not the end of the world. The adjustor in the L322 tested by Top Gear back in the day broke, and that was practically new at the time!

The speakers sound fantastic, and even the tape deck works, but you can clearly tell how dated the technology is when you look at the screen on the Vogue trim level, which – although reasonably large for the time – looks like a GameBoy Colour screen.

Meanwhile, the Captains Chair, in its high, commanding driving position, just behind the bay-window that is the windscreen, gives a clear view of the road ahead, and should you come across oncoming traffic in the middle of town, there’s an almost guarantee that you’ll be given way to. Long journeys are a blur and once you arrive, you may find yourself driving around the block one more time just to hear the creamy V8 gently reverberate off the surrounding buildings. The fuel economy will quickly remind you not to do this too often however. The early diesel powerplants are best avoided, and turbos are a costly fix on even the later versions, but you may be ok if it’s been looked after.

In the back, the seats feel slightly heightened and someone over 6ft may find the skin of their scalp gets worn away gradually…so maybe stick to the front seats. But leg-room-wise, there is room aplenty; perfect for that long journey. The back seats are also heated and benefit from having a central air vent too.

The split tailgate (the hallmark of a Range Rover) reveals a sizeable boot, plenty big enough for many many suitcase, or a brace of Labrador’s. The cost of a replacement parcel shelf though, will make your eyes water, so make sure your purchase has one. The spare wheel (full size no less!) has a clever mechanisms whereby it is assisted from its housing by a hook that attaches to bottom half of the split tailgate to lever the wheel free. And then between the back seats, a pouch for your skis (or shotguns!).

So, whether you fancy a spot of off roading on the green lanes, or pootling around the city centre (bit tight but doable in tight city car parks) you’ll be buying an incredibly capable car that will take anything…or most things you throw at it. Just make sure you budget for repairs and replacement bits!