We currently have a 2.7 2006 HSE RRS which was hit by council bin wagon and looking at the damage is likely a write off 😢.

We are looking at what to replace with but not sure which is the better option.

Out of the RRS or the FFRR and which model variant and year are the better options for reliability and the least problems (if ever range rovers have least of problems! Lol!)

Obviously how much we settle on will affect how much budget we have so just looking at our options now. My husband likes the autobiography look but we can convert if needs be? It also has to be a HSE.

Just looking for experiences and feedback on the different variants and what changes were made at each new facelift point in the years?

Thanks

59 plate onwards gives you the facelift. 2012 MY (Sept 11) onwards has revised electrics, revised displays and one piece electric boot. Autobiography give you the body kit, 2 tone interior and some extra options over the HSE. Engine wise, each has their own merits and draw backs, I love the 5.0 SC as I do about 6000 miles per annum. Any more than that and I’d want a diesal in the U.K. I would have gone for a 3.6 TDV8 but they stopped that engine on 60 plate cars (I think) so if you go newer you’re looking at 3.0 SDV6 or 5.0 SC.

Would Road Tax costs be an issue? 2012 5.0 SC AB
Mods:
TPMS
Genuine LR DRLs
Remote Boot close from key fob
2016 Discovery 4 Mirrors AKA RRS2
2014 L405 Surround Camera retro fit (WIP)
2013 RRS Dual View Screen fit (Complete)
2016 LR4 RSE
2014 LR4 Homelink
2016 FFRR Electrochromatic Wing Mirror Glass

70 plate Focus ST (Current)
1942 VEP Ford GPW Jeep (Willys) (Current)
1943 Whites M16 Halftrack (Current)
16 plate Eurofighter Typhoon, 2 x Eurojet engines with 20,000lbs thrust each. 1380mph

Thanks Brit Plumber. What is it about the 5.0SC that you like...apart from the obvious speed and power! We only do about 2000 miles a year but would the 5.0 be expensive on insurance. Road tax cost is not an issue.

I’ve not looked at the SDV variants so I’ll have a look at those too. Thank you.

If you only do 2000 mile a year then it’s a petrol,,diesels this day & age don’t like doing small miles with the dpf & other things that can go wrong.I only do about 5000-6000 a year that’s why I opted for petrol this time around,if I was going to go back to diesel it would be the sdv8 in the newer model.

Andy. Andy.
21 Ford Ranger
Gone but not forgotten
Focus RS Red Edition
2015 RRS AB Fuji.
2014 RRS SC Santorini
2016 VW Amarok
2014 RRS AB Fuji
2012 RRS Red Edition Fuji
2015 Nissan Navara
2012 RRS SE Santorini
2008 RRS White
2007 RRS Santorino

Insurance for me as a 41yr old is only £350 a year which compared to my previous car, a 15 old Ford Focus diesal at £260 isn’t a great deal of an increase for what it is.

The real joy is the engine noise and power. No one expects a RRS to move the way it does. When you put it into Dynamic mode on the terrain response, and then read the info tab on the screen, it states for the SC only that it sharpens the throttle response. At 2000 miles a year I’d be looking at the SC, there’s a lot of chat about the SDV6 crank failures and about diesal in general and granted, a lot of it is (on this forum at least) because people head here for help after having an issue and probably not a true measure of how many people have real problems. 2012 5.0 SC AB
Mods:
TPMS
Genuine LR DRLs
Remote Boot close from key fob
2016 Discovery 4 Mirrors AKA RRS2
2014 L405 Surround Camera retro fit (WIP)
2013 RRS Dual View Screen fit (Complete)
2016 LR4 RSE
2014 LR4 Homelink
2016 FFRR Electrochromatic Wing Mirror Glass

70 plate Focus ST (Current)
1942 VEP Ford GPW Jeep (Willys) (Current)
1943 Whites M16 Halftrack (Current)
16 plate Eurofighter Typhoon, 2 x Eurojet engines with 20,000lbs thrust each. 1380mph

I’ve owned L322 2003 TD6 FFRR, 2005 TDv6 RRS, 2007 RRS TDv8 and also a 2010 L322 FFRR TDv8 - the best if the lot was the TDv8 RRS - fantastic handling, great engine beautifully built. The same engine in the 2010FFRR TDv8 was also a peach BUT the car had no brakes compared to the standard Brembos on the Sport, also apart from not liking to stop the FFRR’s suspension was very much set up for comfort and not sporty handling, it rolled worse than my 1st RRS which didn’t have the Dynamic Response system of the TDv8 RRS either. So if you enjoy a bit of fun on twisty roads then it has to be a later Supercharged RRS - 2005 -2010 it had a 4.2lt V8 after the facelift it got the 5.0ltr Jaguar S/C engine and more smiles per mile as well as slightly better fuel consumption. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

My 2005 is £270 a year to insure for me and the wife so cheap as chips and if you only do a couple of thousand miles a year it has to be the petrol as said diesels don't like that sort of mileage and think the petrol's are more reliable

Thanks everyone. Certainly gives me food for thought!

The 2000 miles are all long journeys not short ones so diesel will probably be the better option. I am sure my husband would love the SC 5.0! I will avoid the SD versions then and depending on insurance payout that will also dictate the model and year.

Are there different problems with the newer models or do we just look for the same like compressor, timing belt etc?

With that such short mileage I wouldn’t consider any modern Diesel engine.It will probably cost more in repairs that the offset of running a petrol.

Andy. Andy.
21 Ford Ranger
Gone but not forgotten
Focus RS Red Edition
2015 RRS AB Fuji.
2014 RRS SC Santorini
2016 VW Amarok
2014 RRS AB Fuji
2012 RRS Red Edition Fuji
2015 Nissan Navara
2012 RRS SE Santorini
2008 RRS White
2007 RRS Santorino

The annual miles of 2000 are made up of round trips of 60 miles a time to and from work and that could mean it stood for a week or two then doing a 60 mile journey. Our 2006 diesel was fine with this. Does that mean a newer model won’t cope with this?

A 2006 diesel won’t have any modern emissions controls like a DPF let alone need Adblue - any diesel RRS after 2011 has a DPF for sure. You might get away with 60mile trips in it without issues but as soon as you start doing stop/start motoring DPF’s start to clog up and need a regen after a while. Then any of the SDv6 models has the added risk of a snapped crankshaft.......... due to a design fault that Jaguar Land Rover refuses to accept exists... 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

No brainer, as you don't use your car, it has to be Petrol  In Spain - 2018 F Pace - Frightened away from the Sports due to crank failures
Gone - A couple of RRS, A couple of Disco's. However thinking of another Sport.

The choice for me wouldn’t be so clear cut.

As you may have read, I am punting my 11 month old V8SC 5.0. It’s had a few problems which are relatively minor if annoying and either because of the problems or for other reasons which I almost not sure about, I haven’t bonded with it, loved it or even liked it much. I am a bit ashamed as by any measure, it’s an awesome vehicle, for someone.

I am no fan of diesel but, for the last week I have had loaner which is a conventional dial TDV6 in “S” spec I believe, not sure exactly but it’s povvo anyway, standard LR sound, no dynamic, 21” wheels, no seat memory etc. My driving is mostly urban with a bit of freeway now and then. I am sure if it was my car, I would have problems with short trips.

But, it’s brilliant and I like it way more than the V8SC. It feels lighter (21 vs 22s?) it’s plenty quick enough for the city and freeway driving that I do, If I was staying with LR (I’m not) I would have this car in a heartbeat. Maybe I drive it differently, or I have less expectation.

When you say the trips are around 60 miles, that is more than enough to get around the DPF issues IF you are doing those miles at higher speeds. My daily RRS/FFRRR and Evoque drives when in the UK was 35 miles round trip and all on fast A roads with either 30 or 60 mph speed limits, 4 times a year I drove to London and back and I never had any issues with DPF clog ups - the engine was normally fully warmed up within 2-3 miles and there was very little city stop/start driving. It is the last style that is the cause of both DPF problems and poor diesel economy - diesels much prefer steady speed longer distance drives. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

The trips are long miles and at speeds between 30 and mmmm very fast! Lol!

I currently do the miles with my X6 and that is having no problems with the journeys so I’m sure a newer RRS with DPF will cope.

Watch this space whilst we wait to hear from the insurance company repairers if they are fixing or writing off. Got a few that we like the look of to go and view and decided the RRS hopefully 3.6 TDV8 budget depending.