Man Maths: Range Rover (L322)

Even today, they are such wonderful places to spend time. In particular I love their interiors: chunky switchgear, clear graphics and the way the wood has been made to look structural. And there’s no question which one I’d have: a late 4.4-litre diesel V8, because it’s got vast torque, considerable power and less of the reliability concerns of earlier engines.

Now, I’m not going to buy an L322 because work being the way it is, I’d never get to use it; but I bet there are plenty of you out there who’ve had the same thought process as me and are toying quite seriously with the idea. So the question is: should you?

Save what can be read online, the only perspective I can offer is that of someone I know well who’s owned one – a late 4.4 diesel no less – for a few years now. It had done 100,000 miles when he got it and it’s done plenty more since. And, by and large he’s been delighted with it. It’s never let him down badly, he paid very little for it and took a clear-eyed view as to likely costs of upkeep. He’s kept on top of issues as they’ve cropped up, not racked up pointless miles and enormous fuel bills on short journeys better completed in something else and enjoyed a level of comfort and refinement that would be hard to find in any other car costing what he paid for it.

But he’s now reached a point where the problems are starting to pile up: some rust is appearing, the suspension needs some work, brake lines are corroding and so on: nothing horrendous, nothing not well known to happen to such cars when 15 or so years old but still grounds for him to think its best days are behind it. And because he bought it so well, the financial penalty of getting out of it now can’t be that great because the car’s residual value had so little distance to fall.

Were it me I’d be looking for two kinds of car: one pristine, low mileage and with an impeccable history in the hope that it’d end up being the cheapest over time, of which there would be a lot because I’d treat it as a keeper. But there’s a bit of me that’d also be quite drawn to an old dog of a car, clinging to an MOT certificate by the skin of its yellowing teeth and just hope. My understanding of Land Rovers of this age is that they can be basket cases, but that quite a few turn out to be incredibly sturdy. If it turned out that way, I’d have bought a bargain; if not, I could get rid of it at the first sign of an impending big bill. Two grand and a very deep breath will secure one…

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