Member Since: 10 Mar 2015
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 140
Thoughts on the D5
Getting my 2015 D4 serviced, the dealer generously loaned me a brand new HSE D5. My impressions continue below:-
Getting seated in the comfortable leather seat, the steering wheel seemed too skinny cf the D4. Started up OK and moved up. Surprise, the fuel saving stop/start had me fooled. Gentle pressure on the throttle allows the car to remain stationary, more and the engine stops. anyhow off the brake and onto the throttle, and the restart is instant. The cruise controls have moved to the right on the steering wheel and are mixed with the lane-change controls and the adaptive cruise, somewhat fiddly and too close together. Following vehicles on approach set off little indicator lights in the nice large rearview mirrors. The rotary gear selector seems too forward to reach easily. EPB now is totally automatic. The indoor handles have a strange capturing handle to hook your finger into. There is no longer a shelf over the glove-box. Seated, the forward and rear view is good, and of course the rearview camera, with ridiculously high resolution. The 6 turbo diesel seems smooth enough, and yet strangely thirsty (hence the stop start stuff I guess). There is an add-blue port under the bonnet. The info screen is fussy and not always intuitive. Deleting other phones was tricky, as was finding contacts.Bluetooth connection was lost with the Ac on max.
Now moving to the middle row. These seats are definitely too low in the rake, with no upper thigh support. The third row I didn't try, but they have nice electric controls.
The real deal-breaker for me is the one-price tailgate, especially those dangerous sharp lower corners. Coming from the offset spit tailgate of the D4, with it's multifunctional ability, the loss of all this in the D5 is significant. To me this is major design flaw and the devaluation to D5s MK1 will be expensive for LR to rectify in any update. What a blunder!
22nd Oct 2017 6:17 am
Nikki
Member Since: 10 Mar 2015
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 140
I suspect the next Defender will be a stripped out D4, that will bring a lot of fans back to LR. They have all the presses, tooling, production line etc, and it must be soon. The LR selection has been in my view "feminised" and they have realised this.
23rd Oct 2017 6:18 am
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50978
D4 line has already gone ...Defender will be based on nothing we've seen before
23rd Oct 2017 6:51 am
Nikki
Member Since: 10 Mar 2015
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 140
…then the D4 will become a classic….
23rd Oct 2017 6:54 am
Gazellio
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
Brand new car awaiting collection at Lookers check out the plate...
23rd Oct 2017 7:36 am
icestationzebra
Member Since: 05 Nov 2008
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 596
BU was the old Oldham registration. Other than this it means nothing to me-Vienna.
23rd Oct 2017 6:54 pm
Gazellio
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
It's been put on all wonky not acceptable on a new car let alone a D5...
23rd Oct 2017 7:15 pm
Grianaig
Member Since: 08 Jul 2014
Location: Tyne and Wear
Posts: 1286
How can you tell what's wonky on a D5 rear end? 2014 MY Discovery XS Indus Silver. Sadly gone. Second last LR of forty eight years continuous ownership.
23rd Oct 2017 7:45 pm
Nikki
Member Since: 10 Mar 2015
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 140
for a start, not parallel to the waistline...
23rd Oct 2017 9:52 pm
Gazellio
Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Chilterns
Posts: 4130
A mess full stop.
23rd Oct 2017 9:56 pm
Biffysun
Member Since: 09 Jul 2011
Location: Central
Posts: 1790
^^ Sloppy preparation!
24th Oct 2017 6:53 am
professorpool
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213
Nikki wrote:
…then the D4 will become a classic….
Which former LR vehicle is not a classic?D3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven
Jeeps, Lexus, X-trails... Too many to name..
24th Oct 2017 7:44 am
Grianaig
Member Since: 08 Jul 2014
Location: Tyne and Wear
Posts: 1286
Nikki wrote:
for a start, not parallel to the waistline...
My remark was ironical.2014 MY Discovery XS Indus Silver. Sadly gone. Second last LR of forty eight years continuous ownership.
24th Oct 2017 9:04 am
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23826
professorpool wrote:
Nikki wrote:
…then the D4 will become a classic….
Which former LR vehicle is not a classic?
Freelander?2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
24th Oct 2017 1:27 pm
professorpool
Member Since: 19 Mar 2012
Location: Woking
Posts: 3213
Already a classic:
* It has a club (two actually)
* People like the Dunsfold Collection have several
* Organisations like LRO give them respect and coverage
* They have reached the age where it is mostly enthusiasts that buy them
In addition:
* They are entry level of a few hundred pounds thus providing a perfect entry level for LR ownership
* FL2 is widely regarded as the most reliable LR ever produced and more than capable off road
* they make great green laners as they are narrow and cheap so you don't mind scraping and bashing themD3 07 SE - still going strong
D3 07 HSE - gone to car heaven
FL1 - gone to Romania
D3 05 HSE - gone to a divorce diet
D1 V8 manual - gone but not forgotten
RR Classic - gone to car heaven
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