4WD to replace dead P38 Range Rover

117

117

117

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Hi Guys,

I have been using a trusty '97 P38 Range Rover 4.0 for the last 6 months or so for towing purposes and carrying stuff around, unfortunately it has just died an engine related death (4th dead engine in the cars life, lol)

I cannot be bothered to spend the £2000+ required for the new engine to sort it out as frankly it is on its last legs in every other respect also, plus any used engine will probably die in the short term, as the engines are probably the most unreliable V8 ever made in my experience.

Budget is 15K or so, can spend a little more if it has significant merit, the car will be used for mainly short trips on road, and off road say 25% of the time.

It must also be able to tow a 19ft boat with ease, I would like it to be a reasonable cruiser for the occasional motorway trip, i.e not too agricultural.

I am not too bothered about performance or MPG, but would prefer V8 petrol and not too underpowered.

I do love the air suspension, driving position, and split tailgate of the P38, so the thought of an L322 range rover certainly appeals, as well as a Cayenne. Does anyone have any feedback on these two, such as what to look for on a used example? or alternative suggestions are welcome, any potential must have equal off road ability/refinement/load space in comparison to the P38.

I realise that all of these cars have potential to generate bills, I am more than prepared for this, however I would prefer something without known chronic engine/gearbox problems, so maybe the landcruiser amazon may be worth a look also?

Thanks for your suggestions and advice.
 
Lancruiser thousands of Talibans can't be wrong, the insurgents choice, there's loads of RRs though so you may be better off with another RR and take your time finding a gem, at least you know what you'd be looking for.

The X5 XC90 Cayennes are nice as well
 
Thanks for the responses guys.

This is quite a difficult decision -

I agree with Fox's comments regarding the landcruiser, browsing them on autotrader the interior is rather plasticcy, prices seem overinflated for what you get because of the perceived reliability - plus they lack the sense of occasion that I am looking for.

The Jeep I like in some ways, however I really need a towbar for my boat, and not sure how that would work with the centre exit exhaust, plus not sure I could justify the extra 5-6k for an SRT8 over the 4.7/5.7 Hemi. The interiors also seem pretty sketchy with swathes of grey plastic, and the last grand cherokee I drove handled like the titanic, even compared to a P38.

I think the Cayenne and the Range Rover are in first place for me at the moment, not that they are without their problems, the RR seeming to chew through autoboxes at an alarming rate, and numerous problems with total failure of the 4.5 V8s in the Cayenne, so I will buy carefully, aiming for approved used if possible.

The Touareg and XC90 are still on my radar, I think I will try to get some decent test drives of each over the next week and report back. The X5 I am sure is good, but not sure my budget will stretch to proper example of the current shape, and in terms of the first gen X5, having owned numerous late 90's-early 2000's era BMWs, it seems like more of the same, just with a higher driving position and questionable off road ability, despite being a competent on road proposition.
 
ive been looking at x5 for a family member and your starting to see new shape 3.0 x5 diesels pop up around 16k all with around 100k but dont know if thatd engine would be suitable for towing though.

last one i saw was an 07 plate 3.0d se with 100k on the clock in blue. had sat nav and was up for 15800. it got sold quick though as ad went after 2 days
 
117 said:
Hi Guys,

I have been using a trusty '97 P38 Range Rover 4.0 for the last 6 months or so for towing purposes and carrying stuff around, unfortunately it has just died an engine related death (4th dead engine in the cars life, lol)

I cannot be bothered to spend the £2000+ required for the new engine to sort it out as frankly it is on its last legs in every other respect also, plus any used engine will probably die in the short term, as the engines are probably the most unreliable V8 ever made in my experience.

Budget is 15K or so, can spend a little more if it has significant merit, the car will be used for mainly short trips on road, and off road say 25% of the time.

It must also be able to tow a 19ft boat with ease, I would like it to be a reasonable cruiser for the occasional motorway trip, i.e not too agricultural.

I am not too bothered about performance or MPG, but would prefer V8 petrol and not too underpowered.

I do love the air suspension, driving position, and split tailgate of the P38, so the thought of an L322 range rover certainly appeals, as well as a Cayenne. Does anyone have any feedback on these two, such as what to look for on a used example? or alternative suggestions are welcome, any potential must have equal off road ability/refinement/load space in comparison to the P38.

I realise that all of these cars have potential to generate bills, I am more than prepared for this, however I would prefer something without known chronic engine/gearbox problems, so maybe the landcruiser amazon may be worth a look also?

Thanks for your suggestions and advice.
Click to expand...

hi i have had many of these p38s i am also a mechanic id go for the bmw 2.5 dse or 4.6 4.0 has always been a bad engine
 
Discovery 3 or a L322 Range Rover are probably where you're going to feel most at home.

Assume the engine suffered slipped liner? Common issue on both the 4.6 and the 4.0.
 
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