I'm brand new today to this forum and need advice or tips as I'm considering buying the above vehicle with 120k mileage.
Although I've owned numerous LANDROVERs over the years I've never owned a Rangey, never mind a supercharged one.
What are the things to look for apart from the obvious dash warning lights etc?
I presume this is a fixed 4 x wheel drive with air suspension?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Steve

At that age, rust and corrosion will be a bigger issue than a warning light on the dash...

Make sure you’re comfortable with 12mpg

Where are the areas to look for corrosion? I'm not sure about 12mpg as though a more realistic figure was 17-20mpg?
I'm using it as a second vehicle anyway so won't be used every day

Check ACE pipes, in front OS wheel arch, check ACE bars, listen for knocking from front, for worn wishbone rubbers

Check sills for corrosion under the plastic covers.

Service history is key, these are very expensive to fix when neglected.

Yes full time 4x4 with locking center and rear diff, air suspension and active anti roll bars (ace). They’re brilliant cars and handle surprisingly well. The only real issue (apart from the running costs) is the ride quality is awful.

If the ride quality is awful what's the point in buying one then as I thought the Sport was a comfortable SUV?
Does the Vogue TDV8 also have a bad ride, or is it a different animal?

I'd say it a very good ride, and mine has 22s on it, had it for over 10 years

So two of you are saying the complete opposites. One says it has an awful ride the other says it has a good ride.
Anymore input please from other members?
I suppose the way to find out myself is to test drive the Sport SC and find out personally.

I guess it comes down the tyre size and pressures.

Too high pressure can be bad over speed bumps

Benji wrote:

So two of you are saying the complete opposites. One says it has an awful ride the other says it has a good ride.
Anymore input please from other members?
I suppose the way to find out myself is to test drive the Sport SC and find out personally.

Benji wrote:

If the ride quality is awful what's the point in buying one then as I thought the Sport was a comfortable SUV?
Does the Vogue TDV8 also have a bad ride, or is it a different animal?

Thanks for all your replies. Can anyone recommend any Landrover specialist with reasonable labour costs in the Cheshire areas close to Knutsford?
Also, although I had a TD5 many years ago with airbags I've never had a Range Rover so if I decide on the Sport supercharger how does the air suspension work on these?
Are they fully adjustable with different heights and can you make them very low so it's easy to get in before you start up?

Benji wrote:

If the ride quality is awful what's the point in buying one then as I thought the Sport was a comfortable SUV?
Does the Vogue TDV8 also have a bad ride, or is it a different animal?

The ride quality deteriorates with aging of bushes, dampers, etc. When fitted with new bushes (particularly lower wishbones at the front), the ride is much nicer. They don't wallow like a FFRR, a Discovery 3, etc., but they aren't crashy like a sporty estate from the German makers. Well controlled ride with less roll than a FFRR thanks to the hydraulic anti roll bars.

The anti roll bars are a point of failure, sadly, simply because of how they work and the pressures used in the system. A good look around them to see if there is oil/wetness will tell you if they're leaking. Be careful that someone hasn't cleaned the thing first, of course, so have a look after the test drive. As well as the bars, the hoses are prone to corrosion in the driver's wheel arch and getting the correct bits is a PITA. It can be remedied using generic hydraulic bits, however. A search of the forum will show plenty that have done just that. Some will suggest replacing the active bars with standard solid bars, but that will the handling a bit as the vehicle is designed to run with the active bars.

A 2005 is 20 years old so should have 19-20 services in its history. Anything less isn't a full service history as the service interval is mileage or 12 months whichever comes first. Many of them don't get serviced annually, however, so it's not unusual to find one that's been serviced only every 15,000 miles. Not a deal breaker by any stretch but worth bearing in mind.

Check everything works and then check it again. Look for corrosion on the chassis, the tray that holds the fuel tank (under the driver's side), clunks from suspension (drive at walking pace and tap the brake pedal firmly so the nose dips. A clunk indicates the front lower bushes need doing). Check the transfer box goes in to low range and back without any squealing (there is a little noise but it doesn't sound "wrong" if you know what I mean), but bear in mind that very few people ever use low range but it should be checked at each service and thus be free to move. Check the diff lock (select 4x4 info on the screen and put it in low range, rock crawl and ease off the brake. You should see the diff lock symbols on the screen).

Check the tyres for uneven wear - the suspension is adjustable front and rear and if it's out of alignment it can feel a bit pully / wandery on a test drive. I don't like to see cheap tyres on them as I wonder if they also skimp on maintenance. The suspension is air springs which are pretty robust although the air supply system to them is prone to known issues. Check that the suspension raises and lowers properly. If you lower it to access height and then raise it to normal height it should do it reasonably briskly and if you then ask for off road height it'll be slower but should be able to do the whole raise. If you get an error message then that points to a tired compressor. The compressor is noisy in use and lives in a plastic box in front of the near side rear wheel. The compressor is not a life-long component and any RRS with 120k on the clock has either had one changed or is living on borrowed time (or even both). It can be done on the driveway if you're happy with tools.

You can use a OBD scanner to check for error codes but bear in mind that the generic ones don't see all of the ECUs on modern LRs. If you can get it checked by someone with a decent LR specific reader that will give a better check.

Oh, and don't be suckered by the performance in to buying the first one you try.

Good luck.  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Benji wrote:

Thanks for all your replies. Can anyone recommend any Landrover specialist with reasonable labour costs in the Cheshire areas close to Knutsford?
Also, although I had a TD5 many years ago with airbags I've never had a Range Rover so if I decide on the Sport supercharger how does the air suspension work on these?
Are they fully adjustable with different heights and can you make them very low so it's easy to get in before you start up?

d-9 wrote:

Check sills for corrosion under the plastic covers.

Service history is key, these are very expensive to fix when neglected.

Yes full time 4x4 with locking center and rear diff, air suspension and active anti roll bars (ace). They’re brilliant cars and handle surprisingly well. The only real issue (apart from the running costs) is the ride quality is awful.