6 Month Review

Lack of noise cancelling insulation? Maybe for those with the clattery diesel who don't want to be reminded it sounds like a tractor but the Si4 at cruising speeds is whisper quiet. You makes your diesel choice and then you lie in it.

Anything is a compromise - they are trying to maximise the perceived quality with the actual trade-offs of weight and cost and this obsessive attention paid to the glove box and seat controls is beyond me. They are fine and if someone had to make a decision between a higher grade glove box lid and the puddle lights, I think they judged it correctly. You are, after all, much more likely to pull with the puddle lights than you are with a glove box lid, unless you have a weird taste in women...

Mark...a few observations...

1. Noise insulation is about wind noise rather than engine noise, I don't think the petrol version creates less wind noise but happy to be corrected

2. I didnt think the 5-door had a bigger boot? Rear access for kids is no issue, they love the electric front seat movement. It is the boot size I have an issue with.

3. As you yourself point out, the Evoque compliments your fleet, but that misses the point of my issue...I wanted one car that does everything.

4. I'm not moaning...and I think that the Evoque is a sensational car...as I think I explained, I scored against my personal needs and not against other cars or an industry benchmark.

Regarding the other poster's dismay about me dropping a point due to wrong colour lettering and a bit of trim colour, it may seem harsh but 10/10 wold indicate perfect, and I don't thin it is. If it helps I have always been critical of the body panel join above the rear side window of the DB9!!! It's true that I'm a little anal!

I absolutely don't expect everyone to agree with me, but I hope the review helps others who have the same needs as me make their buying decision. As an only car with my lifestyle it doesn't quite work...I made the wrong decision which is entirely my fault...I probably wouldn't make the mistake again, but I do like so much about the car that in truth, I might still have bought it even with hindsight!

P.s. Mark...I find the hand position you talk about overkill when in traffic...but sure you look swell sat there at 1mph with driving shoes, leather perforated gloves, and the correct driving position...ready for anything

After 4.5 months heres my views on your points.

Looks 9/10
Its fantastic! still draws comments from people and I love it, point dropped as sometimes think the side view looks a bit short and stubby!

Speed 8/10
goes well and can pull when you need it sometimes feels slow for 190hp but its quite big and because you are quite isolated from the road feedback in the high position, being a diesel I can forget to change to keep it in the right power band and could hit the limiter. Given the 4WD capabilities its what I expected though.

Ride 9/10
Very refined, I wasnt buying a sports car so wasnt expecting it not to roll in corners, it does roll but not to any extent that bothers me, I have gone into some corners rather quicker than expected and although it rolled I didnt feel it was going to leave the road. If the roll bothered me i'd put it in Dynamic mode but find that a bit jiggly and just use that if i'm in some twisty back lanes or pushing on a bit, I love the relaxed comfortable normal mode. Manual great to drive, positive selection, short shift, 2nd just a bit notchy, With low revs of diesel can be changing quite a lot.

Interior 8/10
Has a great feel about it inside without the Audi boredom and I like the dynamic materials, little concerned on the durability of the perforated leather, and do have some door panel rattle although its very intermittent, steering wheel nice although the volume down and back button get hit together often. Glove box is fine and the slide cup holder and the extra bit beside them very useful, dont need CDs anymore so box with usb in a bit small but fine. Havent used the bit infront of the centre console as bit fiddly. Pano roof makes it lovely and light.

Economy [7/10]
Probably should be 8 or 9 given its a full 4WD relatively big car but dropped because it was sold clearly as 49mpg and if you put your foot down it really drinks, could have done with a higher ratio top gear for more economic motorway cruising.

Practicality [8/10]
Since I dont use it for shopping, it works really well for me, I went away for the weekend in it took 2 flight cases, coats, cameras and paraphenalia and managed not to put the seats down I want to take it abroad but think thats where the problem may lie a week or more and I would struggle but maybe if I put the seats down that would be fine. Parking can be an issue I worry about people hitting the side with thier door because its quite wide and can box people in.

Gadgets 8/10
Like the 2 screens very much, audio fantastic DAB superb, Nav a bit fiddly, would like speed camera safety warnings, USB brilliant but disconnects intermittently yet to understand why. DVD great, wish I could use it more when engine switched off. Electric Tail gate great and far better than expected, parking sensors work very well, rear Camera is quick and very useful (maybe faster on manual?)

Premium Feel 9/10
Has great prescence and it gives a great feel for the price when you compare competition, plus competition dont have the offroad capability thats included in that price. If i didnt have a rattle itd probably scored 10.

Good read and observations Token

Using your format, my own take is as follows:

Looks: 9/10

I totally agree with all the sentiments regarding the aesthetics of the car, it really is a very modern, refreshing design. I prefer satin silver lettering but do think the fake exhaust outlets are enough to detract from a perfect 10.

Speed: 8/10

I have the Si4 and find its 240bhp more than adequate for this car for everyday use. It does need to be in Sport mode to eliminate sluggishness however. Dynamic mode and paddles also transform the performance to something akin to a mild hot hatch which is great for an SUV. I am considering one of the tuning chips/remaps however to go up to 270/280bhp to make it a little more punchy for those times I want to play a bit. That said, 240bhp is possibly best matched for the suspension set-up as it is and any more might prove too much without modification.

Economy 5/10

2168 miles covered and 23mpg...hardly economical but what I expected. BMW engines are far superior...

Ride: 8/10

The RRE is nearly as comfortable as my D4 was and certainly good enough for me.

Interior: 8/10

The interior is generally good in my opinion and worthy of an 8 for this price-point. I like the pop up selector, I like the steering wheel including the buttons which might be too delicate for some but I find them to operate like the keys on my MacBook; soft touches.

The footrest being finished in carpet only is a disappointment. It needs a proper plate and I’ll be getting one when I see something I like. I wouldn't want armrests in this car since they would seriously detract from the 'sporty' feel; they really are best suited to the D4/RRS/FFRR that waft you along in a more stately, serene fashion.

One major critiscism: rattles. The most annoying rattle is easily resolved happily and I just need to get the headlining removed and whatever is loose clipped back/soundproofed.

Gadgets: 9/10

I rate the gadgets quite highly, my car has the Lux pack so has a few. The TV works well, albeit only when stationary in my experience but that's fine, I can't watch it while driving anyway and my wife isn't interested. The DAB radio is excellent and I’ve not had any issues with iPod connectivety and the interface is great. I do keep an iTouch permanently connected and leave my iPhone for calls and internet only.

I’ve read many complaints regarding the speed at which the reversing camera engages but I’m genuinely confused by this as so many inferences must mean it is slow for some but I find it to be on almost immediately the car goes into reverse...I reverse my car onto my driveway every day and find it useful as I park approx. 100mm from the rear wall of the garage. The reverse camera is operational within a couple of seconds.

The SatNav is fine, no problems with it. Keyless entry is very nice. The electrically closing boot is a very handy feature too. I like the 825W Meridian sound system - it is the best stock system I've ever had - but will still be adding more bass soon. The only tech I don’t really use are the blind spot sensors in the mirrors and the Park Assist which I've yet to try.

Practicality: 8/10

I traded my exceptionally practical and versatile D4 for the RRE and the acid test for how it would cope arrived just before New Year when I travelled with my family to Belgium. I aways knew I’d need to use a roof rack with either a roofbox or basket for long trips and I elected to use a basket with waterproof bags. My stepson is 6’1” tall, stepdaughter 5’3” and they found the rear seats in my Coupe to be comfortable and spacious. I do think the Panoramic roof makes a huge difference to the sense of space here.

Whilst my wife and I use the RRE regularly, it isn’t very often I have 4 in the car oddly enough hence why I went for the looks of the Coupe rather than the extra practicality of the 5 door. That said, the slowness of the seats to get access and space has never been an issue.
The boot space itself is adequate and apart from the long haul trips, all we need - our Labrador agrees.

More smaller storage up front would have been useful though.

Premium Feel: 8/10

The RRE has a good feel - the Dynamic is just right in my opinion for my taste. Sure it could be more luxurious in places but doesn’t need to be. I like the leather etc of the Dynamic and leave the Prestige and FFRR premium leather etc for those who value it more.

Again, at this price, I don’t have an issue with quality of materials.

So, Token, when does The order for the new FFRR go in?

Not sure Mark...depends on the missus. She is currently deciding between a Defender and a Disco...if she gets the Disco then I will keep the Evoque as the Disco can be used for weekends away when the Evoque isn't quite practical enough. If she gets the Defender (which is her preference) then I will look at the new FFRR. I spoke to a lovely lady at LR customer service last week (after I made a complaint about the dealer) and she is going to try to find out the height of the new FFRR for me, as the height of the current model is the only reason I don't have one any more.

Thanks for the reviews guys.

@Token: I fiend it a bit unfair to compare the Evoque to the FFRR or the sport. I can't afford the FFRR. It's nearly twice the price of the Evoque. I admit it's bigger, but not twice as big, so there had to be some savings made somewhere.

Why don't you use the flappy paddles instead of the gear selector? I don't have mine yet, but I suppose it should be possible to use them to reverse, no? Which would only require you to look if you switch between S and D. That shouldn't happen too often I.

I think the 5 door has 10L more luggage space, but I'm not sure.

(01-04-2012 11:02pm)Token Wrote:  Not sure Mark...depends on the missus. She is currently deciding between a Defender and a Disco...if she gets the Disco then I will keep the Evoque as the Disco can be used for weekends away when the Evoque isn't quite practical enough. If she gets the Defender (which is her preference) then I will look at the new FFRR. I spoke to a lovely lady at LR customer service last week (after I made a complaint about the dealer) and she is going to try to find out the height of the new FFRR for me, as the height of the current model is the only reason I don't have one any more.

Has your better half test-driven a Defender? If not, she may not realise how unbelievably basic they are, fit for purpose at some point in the past but hopelessly outdated now. Not sure why the height of the FFRR was an issue for you, perhaps you had to stand on a chair to wash its roof...

Either way, it seems clear that the RRE doesn't meet all your requirements though I can just imagine your 6 month review of the FFRR - imagined wind noise, wrong colour lettering, poxy push buttons - the car's a disaster!

(01-04-2012 10:41pm)Coolbanana Wrote:  I’ve read many complaints regarding the speed at which the reversing camera engages but I’m genuinely confused by this as so many inferences must mean it is slow for some but I find it to be on almost immediately the car goes into reverse...I reverse my car onto my driveway every day and find it useful as I park approx. 100mm from the rear wall of the garage. The reverse camera is operational within a couple of seconds.

I also don't have the issue with the speed of reverse camera engagement. Could it be that this has been fixed in a relatively recent software update?

I can't believe no ones making more comments about the gearbox?

I have an SD4 auto and think the gearbox is very poor quality for a car that has had so many years of design and manufacturing.

Is it just me or do you not find that around town and at low speed it is very clunky and slow to respond. Many a time I have 'gone for a gap' only to sit for what seems an age before anything happens!! I have always had auto BMW's, and still have a 325d tourer and have to say these are miles better than the Evoque. I drive the Evoque on the paddles as this is the only way to make it a much smoother ride.

Its such a shame because other than the boot being woefully small its a really nice car in every other respect.

It will stop me considering another Evoque (bigger version if it comes) unless they change this box for something else.

Very poor for such a modern car.