The Range Rover is a cornerstone car in the automotive industry and the L322 is becoming the one that is likely to become the pinnacle as these transition to a classic car from a current car. Many have heard that the Mercedes S-Class is the car that benchmarks the future of car technology, the Mustang an ever-present vision of American muscle and sports car, and the Toyota Corolla the car that you turn to for reliable transport for the masses. The Range Rover is the SUV that is recognizable by many at the crossroads of luxury and off-road ability. As is the case with any car that is so visible in a sea of grey boxes that will one day be forgotten, the L322 Range Rover, along with any Range Rover, has its detractors and its enthusiasts.
The love-hate adds to the allure for some and gets under the skin of others. For every positive column inch you’ll hear an automotive journalist write about a Range Rover you find 500 online posts of how awful they are. Disgruntled ex-owners make up a slice of this, but the largest number are usually those who haven’t ever experienced one. To this, the L322 has become an enigma, its broad age of production years meaning that old beaten-up examples can be purchased for less than the price of a swanky dining table. Although if you thought they were unreliable before, buying a bottom-of-the-market example will almost certainly only serve to prove you right. Our buyers' guide seeks to help people avoid as many pitfalls as possible because one day these cars will likely be the classic SUV to own, missing out on a chance to drive one today, may just be something you regret in the future.
Why will the L322 be the one to reach classic status and become the generation to own? This is likely because as cars become the landfill of technology they edge toward with every new model, people who enjoy being able to drive as they want to are looking for an answer. The L322 sits at the crossroads in automotive technology, navigation, parking sensors, heated steering wheel and seats, and even a rare radar cruise control on the last versions. However, you still have to drive them, and if you want to go off-roading you’ll need to put the car in the proper models and feel your way through the terrain ahead, it won’t do it for you. Simplicity, but with creature comforts, it’s something that is becoming rare, and in the automotive world rare usually means, special.