Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8139
1500 miles in (pic heavy)
Been tooling around in this; 3.0d HSE (bit of a look of SAAB estate around the 'D' post area to me in this colour?)
I am liking it very much. I'm back to where I was with the older L319 Disco Vs L320 RRS - I'd take a Disco as the 'more for the same' over the RRS now as quality is right up there. Only factor to consider is the RRS has 300bhp engine rather than the Disco's 258bhp.
Over 1500 miles showing 35'ish mpg overall so not too bad I don't think. Driving is very smooth and quiet, nothing rough about it here
Some really nice touches and some getting on my nerves (to extent I'm reporting them on our internal feedback system).
Rear view mirror is 'upside down'. Very nice 'frameless' but tapers top-to-bottom but view through to rear screen and that tapers bottom-to-top - bugs me
The cubby box behind the heater is great, really useful. Do find that on closing it you tend to put fingers where the button are so as it closes you can enter those options without wanting to. Note that when open the heater controls are then replicated on the touchscreen
The cubby beneath the heater controls is also large/useful but I'd prefer to see a more pronounce lip to stop stuff flying out occasionally
Centre console lid folds back 180 degrees - hallelujah, no more awkward elbow articulation to get into it and the inner lid that covers the actual (very big) 'box' is attached to the lid so you don't have to remove it and wonder what to do with it while you rummage about for whatever it is you wanted
Rear seat electric fold function seems unnecessary to me, certainly wouldn't pay extra for it (sure it will be a can't-do-without thing a few years on like many other 'luxury' features we take for granted). Big problem I found playing with it from front touchscreen is that, by default, if you are using the touch screen then you are sat in the seat yet it auto drives the front seats fully forward Touching a seat button stops it but also stops the rear seats folding also.
I have my seat fully back and it doesn't need to move forward to fold the middle row, there's enough room
If you use the rear boot buttons to fold the seats the passenger fully moves forward but the drivers doesn't (when you're not sat in it ). I will have to look at hand-book as may just be me.......
Seats all folded flat (middle row fold with a slight incline, not a lot, press button again and it 'squashes down' about another inch fully flat) looks a huge space to me. I'd say comparable to older D4, maybe a touch wider and lower? Not sure of impact of 'non-square' tailgate end?
Rear most seatbelt tidy needs a rethink to me as I can see this causes belt/roller blind to fray in everyday use.
You have to hook the belt behind a clip when not in use and roller-blind closed. As you can see it doesn't want to stay there, needs a 'return' to stop it coming out.
If/when it comes adrift it sits against the roller blind and creases it permanently. Can see this fraying both in time.
And if you don't move it out the way when you unclip the roller blind it catches and pulls it
14th Jul 2017 9:31 am
DiscoStu
Member Since: 09 Apr 2006
Location: London
Posts: 11412
Agree about the slot under the heater controls - it needs a non-slip pad/lip, very annoying. I hadn't noticed the rear view mirror, although I'm sure I will now...
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8139
Heated and cooled in front, heated rear 👍
14th Jul 2017 12:50 pm
J77
Member Since: 03 Mar 2008
Location: Fife
Posts: 6270
I've a few bug bears with it but the rear view mirror hasn't caused me any issue.
My rear parcel shelf/blind lives in the shed, along with the flap thing that's stuck to the tailgate. To be honest everyone I've owned has lived in the shed. The DS was by far the worst.23.5MY Defender 90 X-Dynamic SE D250 MHEV Pangea Green
14th Jul 2017 4:07 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8139
I'll admit to being a bit OCD'ish on the mirror, but it does bug me
The rear seat belt is easily fixable by turning the 'U' park loop round 180 degrees (not physically turning it in the car - JLR would have to re-tool it).
If you can't slot the rear parcel tray in-between folded seats like on D3/4 then mine would likely live outside the car more often than not too but doesn't mean the issue of belts catching/not retaining shouldn't be sorted
I can live with most other things I think except powered forward front seats if using screen to fold rear seats (or even rear buttons as that moves front passenger seat) - it physically would trap me. Also, why can't it drive the front passenger/driver seat back again after rear seats folded - it doesn't need to move for clearance though so do not understand it
Front lower cubby I'll be putting grippy foam in if I ever have one permanently - simple fix
Now if I can get it with the 300ps petrol I'd definitely forego my F-Pace with same engine and an RRS with 3.0d or 4.4d V8
14th Jul 2017 4:26 pm
J77
Member Since: 03 Mar 2008
Location: Fife
Posts: 6270
I don't have these fancy electric folding seats, mines old school I don't even get, dash fascia storage, under cup holder storage or even a curry hook. If the seat belts are an issue they should be fixed, I've just never kept the roller blind in long enough to notice.
The 4.4 SDV8 would be nice 23.5MY Defender 90 X-Dynamic SE D250 MHEV Pangea Green
14th Jul 2017 4:41 pm
astonbuilder
Member Since: 29 Sep 2006
Location: MIDLANDS
Posts: 8139
The 4.4d is an anachronism really. Its an 'old tech' Ford engine (Chihuahua) that only performs in fractions better than the 3.0d V6 (but then it isn't ridiculously more thirsty either). It doesn't even have a V8 'burble' of any measure to make you lust after it (in the RRS I am talking about).
The 380ps petrol V6 in the F-Pace however is lovely
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Touching a seat button stops it but also stops the rear seats folding also.
