DG wrote:

Reeks of unconscious bias given your hysterical historical views ..but the subjectve view is your prerogative .

2.5 years for me and still a lovely place to be 8)

DG wrote:

Reeks of unconscious bias given your hysterical historical views ..but the subjectve view is your prerogative .

2.5 years for me and still a lovely place to be 8)

All personal views are by definition subjective, unless it’s from the LR media division of course, then it’s fully objective. Subjective views would always trump a press release.

  

pjm-84 wrote:

Oddly I can live with the aesthetics but only in certain colours and wheel options.

This is the same as me, we were away last week and one was parked next to us in white with gloss black wheels and I was tempted...

RRSTDV8 wrote:

Having dropped my RRS with my local indie, they lent me a D5 for two days as a loan car.

HSE TD6 was the tail badging.

Impressions:

The drive was good. The primary ride was excellent. Rode undulations beautifully on 255/55/20 tyres. The secondary ride was less well sorted giving a brittle, crashy ride on broken surfaces. Primary ride was better than my 2012 RRS, secondary ride was worse.

Steering is noticeably lighter than my 2012 RRS. Brakes are better. Engine response was good, gearbox extremely smooth.

The front seats are narrow. The bolsters dug in to my kidneys, the seat squab was narrow and lacking in support. The heated front seats were never more than luke warm. A poor "heated seated seat" for sure. SWMBO thought the front seats ok but not as good as my RRS.

SWMBO wanted a trip out in it in the evening. Her views on the ride matched mine. The headlights were excellent, by the way.

SWMBO commented that the feeling inside was that she was sat down inside the vehicle; more a car like feeling than a high up SUV feeling like the RRS. The scuttle and doors felt high to her and very enclosing. I felt the same but made no comment until she had. You sit high but it doesn't feel it. The "command drive" position feel has been lost. It just feels like a big Discovery Sport.

We had a play with the middle and rear seats. A poor result, sadly. SWMBO thought the middle row "ok" for her but she wouldn't want to do a long trip in them. I thought the middle row seats to be awful. The seat squab is much too short and under thigh support is almost entirely lacking. The rear row is a joke. Sure, as a 6 footer I could fit in them, but leg room is rubbish and access is dire. Could I ask friends to sit there on a trip? No way!. SWMBO stated that access was so bad that no woman could get in or out of the third row with any dignity especially if wearing a skirt. Also, the rear seats feel very closed in. Not good. SWMBO: "if you wanted a 7 seater, you wouldn't buy one of these, would you?" A damning conclusion, I feel, for LR's "people carrier".

Boot size is excellent. The silly fold down shelf is, well, silly. Rear suspension drop/lift is a nice gimmick but is just that - a gimmick. The ability to fold the seats with buttons is excellent and I can see that being very useful. Not sure being able to do so from the driver's seat using the centre screen is that helpful.

Front storage is excellent. The centre console has loads of space to store things. A real plus point for the vehicle. The cooler cubby is nice and deep - better than previous examples.

The number of charging points is impressive. I can see how a family would find that to be really useful.

Parked on our drive, it was wider than the space filled by the RRS. Longer too, but that's to be expected.

Summary: a good drive from the driver's seat. Too big and poorly implemented inside for the 7 adults that is claimed it will carry. Too expensive.

If you want to carry 7 people, there are better alternatives. If you want to go off road, you could do as well with others in the range. Who wants to take 7 people off road? No one. So why buy the D5?

It appears to be the answer to a question that no one is asking.

Having driven a Disco Sport D240 recently, I'd have that over the D5 unless I absolutely needed the 7 seats and the 3.5 tonne tow capability in one vehicle.

So, that's a "no" from me.

And I haven't even mentioned the challenging aesthetics.

Good write up. I went around the houses for a replacement to my D4. Having said I’d never buy another LR I ended up with a D5 and Defender 110 as my preferred options.

I’ve driven many D5s in the past but not with my family. I took my wife and daughter with me and did the test drives with them on one of the LR days at the dealer. I’ve written about this and previous experiences in other posts, but basically they both hated the D5 and loved the Defender.

They thought the D5 rear seats were awful and hated its image as a yummy mummies car / boring technocrat wagon. Interestingly when we discussed the rear seat with the LR he acknowledged that it was one of the biggest complaints and comments they had on it.

At the end of the day it’s horses for courses, unless your DG , where you’re deemed to be the spawn of Satan for not fawning at the D5’s feet in absolute uncompromising adulation.

 New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)

Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)

Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)

No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control 

RRSTDV8 wrote:

The bolsters dug in to my kidneys

on an HSE you can adjust them

RRSTDV8 wrote:

heated seated seat