i know p38s are older and 10yr old parts do need replacing but is the new shape rr l322 built better.
better components, electrics etc.
people do love to slag off the p38s, but i love my p38 and will definatley have another range rover but it has had its faults
just after a few opinions and to know what to expect
thanks

Clarkson gave one a hard time for 6 months and only the steering column adjustment broke!
Not too bad a test?

No need to compare,they are both cr-p.

Got a mate who was shooting with us yesterday, he has an L322 just had a gearbox at less than 100,000 and 5 less than 5 years old

seems to be a common thing with them

but he has not had too much trouble other than that
he has the diesel one and it goes well, and he had it nearly up to the sills in mud last weekend, air suspension worked perfectly to lift and drive out

if i had the budget reckon i would have a L322, yet i love the P38 as at least the electric are older, therefore more managable than some of the more modern computer stuff and elctric trickery

I like the L322 but those rear lights, they look like something you would buy from Halfords

Interesting thread guys, keep the replies coming cos i was thinking of upgrading my p38 this year and the l322 is among the contenders, had so many probs with the p38 i wont have time to list it all !!!
Regards, Rob.

front diffs-gkn do modified prop-rangerovers.net

Hi

I had a td6 Vogue l322 for two years and this was the best car i have ever owned, had a small problem with the electric steering wheel doing its own thing once in a while but everything else was great managed 25mpg what ever i did with it.

I know have a P38 DSE just a weekend toy as was was the L322 but that was too much money to leave sitting around all week so went backwards to the P38 which is a great car but every time i get in I am filled with anticipation as to what warning will come up next etc.

So if you can afford it the L322 is the better car but the P38 is still a very good comfortable weekend toy for me.

please mail me direct if you want to know more on the L322

Tony

Currently I have both. The P38 2.5DSE manual is a 'T' reg with 88K and the L322 is a 3L TD6 Vogue Auto on an 02 plate with 78K.
The only reason I have the L322 is that I was plagued by the not uncommon overheating problem on the P38 that is well documented in these threads. After trying every known minor cure in the forlorn hope that it really wasn't a cracked head (and spending a pretty penny in the process, coupled with huge frustrations every time the bl**dy thing boiled again after the latest fix, bursting 2 radiators in the process because of overpressurisation,) I finally came to the conclusion that it was the head.
So - what to do? Do I throw more money at it and buy a new head, or risk a dodgy s/hand head? Have you seen the cost of a new head from LR? Or do I sell the P38 for spares because there's no way can I sell it as a going concern.
In the end, because I really do need a 4x4, I came across a L322 advertised at a fair price, and the guy needed a quick sale so I made him an offer he didn't refuse, and I went upmarket.
The P38 sat round the back for the best part of 8 months, and then I came across a new head on e-bay and made a winning bid of around half the LR price. The box arrived with a spanking new head in, it was put on and now gets used for the mucky work, like tugging my offroader or putting the boat down the slipway, or as a general runaround when we're short of a vehicle, and has never overheated since.
Back to the comparison - I have a care business and all through that fortnight or so of snow and ice we had in early January we had to use both 4x4's to make sure that the carers got through to their calls, and I can tell you after driving both P38 and L322 over the same route, in virtually the same conditions (5" of fresh snow, packed snow, black ice, etc) that good that the P38 is, it is nowhere near as good as the L322, which tackled everything thrown at it (except one snowdrift. which was my fault for being too cocky). The traction control is brilliant, the hill descent control was interesting but a bit too slow, and the auto box with the option to use the manual settings was spot-on.
So there you have it - one man's comparison - for what it's worth. Anyone interested in a '99 P38 DSE manual?

fanatic said:

front diffs-gkn do modified prop-rangerovers.net

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i got the front diff bit .
dont understand the gkn
sorry

Sir_Ben said:

I can tell you after driving both P38 and L322 over the same route, in virtually the same conditions (5" of fresh snow, packed snow, black ice, etc) that good that the P38 is, it is nowhere near as good as the L322, which tackled everything thrown at it (except one snowdrift. which was my fault for being too cocky). The traction control is brilliant, the hill descent control was interesting but a bit too slow, and the auto box with the option to use the manual settings was spot-on.
So there you have it - one man's comparison - for what it's worth. Anyone interested in a '99 P38 DSE manual?

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As always when talking about snow and ice, tires are king, how do they compare between the two RR's? I presume at a T-reg you've only got 2 wheel TC on the P38. Anyway, in those conditions I would expect the L322 to be better.

Raw off-roading stats will put the P38 ahead of the L322 in every aspect except ground clearance under the diff. Theoretically the P38 is second only to a defender 90 (or maybe a softdash RRC on air) as an offroader. But the key is how you put the power onto the ground. A traditional 4x4 will always try and put as much torque as possible through the wheel with least traction unless you lock it up and then it only wants to go in a straight line.
The p38 TC makes a good fist of it but it won't touch the L322. It gets caught out if the difference in speed between the wheels isn't enough so perversely it won't work when you need it most i.e. if you're in low range trying to ease your way out of trouble. To get the TC to act you need to boot it - not the best way to get unstuck.

The electronics of the L322 are simply light years ahead of the P38. Modern stability and traction controls are amazing allowing a car to get itself out of trouble in a way that even the best drivers of yore could only dream about. You'll see videos of the latest off roaders on rough ground going around with wheels dangling in the air all over the place advancing in a way that would have a traditional 4x4 lurching around the place like a mobile see-saw.

Buttt, blow a fuse and some will struggle to climb a kerb (not the L322 mind you which still has brilliant inherent off-road ability - the electronics are just the cherry on top!)

235 Pirelli Scorpions on the P38 against 255 Goodyear Wranglers on the L322 - about the same tread depth, so not a lot in it there, but I agree that tyres are a huge factor when you get off the tarmac.
For years I've competed in 4x4 trials, always in Class 5 (open modified), and mostly with dumpers and fiddle brakes, and whilst we don't set out to wreck the vehicles, we have to accept that sometimes, damage to the body or running gear is an occupational hazard because we do push the machines to the limit. There are a few earlier RR's in the unmodified classes, but I've not come across anyone minted enough to compete in a P38 yet, let alone a L322, so can't really compare the ultimate off-road ability. In Class 5 we have had a few with air lockers or Detroit lockers, but as you say, they want to go straight all the time, which ain't a lot of good on a twisty trials section, so the good old centre diff with back brakes that you can lock independently will do for now.

So the L322 is more reliable than the P38?

It's only my opinion based on my experience, but I've had to do loads to the P38 -suspension bags, cylinder head, ABS sensors, aircon - even now I'm driving with a SBS light on and a warning 'bong' whenever it goes over 20 mph until I can get around to fixing that.
Whereas the L322 has had to have one new injector and the front prop changed under recall.
Put it this way, when all's going well - the P38 can give you glimpses of heaven. The L322 makes you think you've arrived!

I had a 96 P38 which I loved and now have an 05 L322. Hard to compare them. A friend turned up in a mint Classic last week and that felt incredibly small against the L322 but fantastic in its own way. I have to say that I would go for the later car because it is so luxurious and just great to drive. With used prices now quite close on 02 cars I would go for the L322 though.

Ok so base on what every bode said, the P38 is better off road and the L322 is better on all other aspects.

jlsplinter said:

Ok so base on what every bode said, the P38 is better off road and the L322 is better on all other aspects.

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actually, having seen the L322 off road, i would argue that. with the amount of electrics and intelligent off roading trickery the new rangey is exceptional off road.

carpy said:

actually, having seen the L322 off road, i would argue that. with the amount of electrics and intelligent off roading trickery the new rangey is exceptional off road.

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Thats what I was getting at in the above post. Physically the P38 is the inherently better off roader (better overall off-road stats, being smaller alone is a big advantage - not that you'd call the P38 small!) but the L322 is no slouch in that department either, for the size of it, and when you add in the sophistication of the electrickery it will leave the P38 behind in a lot of situations.
Off road, traction is king.
The RRC/disco/defender built their deserved reputation as supreme offroaders through better traction than their rivals by virtue of soft springing and axle articulation. The L322 continues this tradition as much as a beheamoth like it can but then adds in this layer of Traction Control that older designs can't touch even when modded with diff locks.
As said previously the older ones will always try and put power to the wheels with the least traction until you lock them up, the L322 does the opposite and does it in a far better manner than lockers so it will give you full 4 wheel drive even turning the tightest turn, something a locked up defender simply cannot do.

I also have both.

I have owned 3 P38's, 2 of which, including the current one, were ex police, all of which were used with some decent mileage on them. I have had to do most of the known P38 tasks on them, Jammed distribution flap, leaky coolant connections & EAS air bags, but by and large nothing that any true sadistic Land Rover addict would consider too much.
You all know what i mean

I added a 4.4 HSE L322 in about 2002/3, purchased brand new from a dealer and it's mainly the wife's drive so has never seen off road action and even today has no more than 30/35 K on it in very nice weather, well we are in Cyprus.
Within weeks, we had a loose bolt on the front sub frame giving a knock, failure of the head lamp leveling ECU which took a year to get a replacement, and we had the instrument pack replaced due to missing digits and door pads replaced due to handle sagging, fortunately under warranty as they are like 700 GBP each, As per JC the column motor packed in which is due to excessive tightness and required resetting several times until it was bedded in. Mind you the column eventually broke all together, requiring 600 GBP's worth off replacement, on which the motor quickly packed in altogether.
I had to replace a leaky pipe at the rear of the engine, apparently common, a corroded radiator, the condenser / heater matrix which was a very major dash out job, a lower screen scuttle plate, again a known problem which vibrated at speed, a duff fuel pump, again common, an air suspension compressor, as a formality upgrade, a 1300 GBP MID display due to lost digits, and as we speak it has been laid up for months due to having a leaky air bag. Of course i had the front diff and Prop changed as well. There are also other endless problems it has and things i have forgotten to mention

This ain't a pop at the L322 It really is a nice car, when i drive it, it always re amazes me how nice it feels, how precise pointed and capable it is. I love it, and technologically wise its light years ahead of the P38, I really do just wish i could drive it for more time than i spend fixing it.

To be honest at 30K the thing could probably use a service, and if it had ever given me some, i might be willing to throw in the bits for that, although i do vaguely recall having already tried that tact before in the hope of soliciting some degree of continued enjoyment and use out of it.

Now it sits in the corner of the garage and has done for several months with it's front left corner sunk to the floor constantly begging me to buy it a 600 GBP EAS airbag, and one for the other side as they should be changed in pairs. However that would be the same garage from which SWMBO takes the P38 to go get the shopping every week.

There is a lot to be said for the L322, but there is also an awful lot to be said for the P38.

I would imagine after reading your post that you use Char Pilakoutas for your Land Rover Servicing. We live in Cyprus and have recently replaced both front struts on our L322 as the drivers side was damaged at a less cost than you mention on your post. As for the origional post P38 v L322 ....no contest...L322 wins hands down every time.
Frank & Liz