Hi all, haven't been around for a while but I've been holding back the urge for months now to own a range rover and wanted some advice!

I have tried searching for this and I'm sure it's been asked before but I couldn't find anything..

So with my budget I'm looking at a early l322 or 05/07 plate Sport.. Would prefer diesel but the supercharged is being whispered in my ear from the devil shoulder haha. Main reason is I've recently become a dad to twins and my Bmw e46 touring is even too small for my liking now.

I prefer the looks of the sport but on reading I've seen the vogue is alot nicer to drive? The ones I'm looking at do have higher mileage but what is the TD6 good for? I've heard the 2.7 sport engine has a habit for crank failure but my opinion is it's luck of the draw..

So if you have owned both or even one what would you choose? Which is more "reliable" and what do I look out for when viewing?

Thanks to everyone for your help in advance

I would go L322 and not just because I'm biased. For the price of a 2005/07 Sport you can enter the area of a 3.6TDV8 L322. By all accounts more reliable/ slightly less faults than a 3.0TD. Also most of the issues on the L322 are now known and the knowledge to fix them is all over this thread. Whilst Sport owners are becoming more frequent visitors to the forum,I doubt all their 'common' faults are yet to become known, the Sport not the owners that is
In summary go with the 'better' version of the L322 , which is now quite a well known princess. Or go with her little sister, whose tantrums are just starting, in the knowledge that you will forever wish you had gone for the princess
Others will obviously have more technical reasons/opinions on both but that's my tuppence worth

Jeremy clarkson reckoned the sport was a discovery in a dress, I seem to remember him saying. Whether that makes it good or bad I darent say. The diesel penny's never dropped with me. I don't think anyone buys a r rvr as an economy measure. Go with the latest top of the range petrol real one you can afford, I say.

I have owned both and i am currently in the process of buying a 4.2L Supercharged L322!

When I had only ever owned/driven the RR Sport then i found them the best things ever but once i drove an L322 I changed my mind right away but tbh if it is the RR Sport you want then you won't be disappointed imo. They are still very comfortable especially against other 4x4 of that size i.e. X5 or ML. I would say that if you go for a RR Sport then getting the 3.6TdV8 model would be your best bet. My brother had the 2.7 and compared to the 3.6 it felt a bit underpowered and I also seemed to get more MPG with the 3.6 than he did with his.

On the L322 RR, i have owned both the 3.0Td6 and 3.6 TdV8 and as mentioned the 3.6 is much smoother an engine and can overtake much better on the motorway. The 3.0 diesel sounded quite harsh when you were getting to speed on the motorway etc but once you were cruising it was as comfortable as the 3.6.

I remember before i bought my first RR Sport my mate that worked of them said, don't buy one until its the only thing you want to drive from now on and he was 100% right, wether its the RR Sport or RR L322 you won't find a better driving car once you own one and you will always end up looking for another one if you stray away haha I bought a Porsche Cayenne, kept it 6 weeks and got rid for a RR Sport. I then stupidly sold my RR L322 last year for a Nissan Elgrand with the plans to use for boxing club but i am now selling that for my new RR L322!

I would also warn that no matter which one you buy just remember to keep on top of it maintenance wise i.e. service correctly and if you hear a noise or rattle get it checked right away! Also get one with as much history as possible, if it's not main dealer then I would also check if they have used genuine parts instead of aftermarket ones.

I've owned them all. 2 door Classics, 4 door classics, P38's, L322, Discovery 2 & 3. The sport i will not buy. It is indeed a Discovery 3 in a tight dress. I say a tight dress, you're huddled up inside just like the XJ Jags. The benefit of owning a Range Rover is the personal space inside. The Sport doesn't give you this space. The seats are tight. Centre consol just gets in the way. There's no split tailgate. I bought a Discovery 3 instead as I can get big stuff inside it, like a huge fridge freezer. You have trouble getting your spare wheel into a sport. As for problems, they're ten fold compared to an L322. The only threat an L322 can give you in the gearbox, & £2k will sort that out. Depending on the year, they still have the non troublesome old fashioned handbrake. On a sport, the alternator failing can take out your gearbox, & your handbrake module, 4x4 control etc etc. I've never seen this happen to an L322.
On a personal level, the sport hasn't the class of a L322. The quality has huge differences between the two models. The sport uses a lot of cheap plastic & it feels it to. It doesn't feel the quality you'd expect a range rover to have, A I must agree, the sport is a Discovery in disguise.
Go for the L322. 2005 onwards if you can.

Some great responses! Thank you everyone
I will keep saving for a couple more months and then decide what I'm going to do, but I think I'm swaying more l322 now

Contrary to other posts I've made I do like the lines of the Sport, but I don't fancy feeling insecure when an L322 pulls up alongside, cos I'm sensitive like that.