Bye Bye to my Fuji Baby RR

2 years 2 month and 23313miles later I've just handed my launch day Coupe back to Hadley Green.
Apart from flattening batteries during long periods of no use and a couple of rattles you've been a wonderful little Range Rover. I've had great service from my local dealership who did warranty work, Morrison's Land Rover Bannockburn and from the supplying and servicing dealers Lookers Park Royal who have bent over backwards to help when things weren't 100% right and I was in London

4 months of no Evoque are going to be hard to bear, especially as I will be reduced to a 17 year old Defender, no heated screen, no heated seats, no heated steering wheel............. almost no heating at all in fact and cold weather causes it to flatten its battery!

I hope the next one is as good, hopefully even better with the 9 speed gearbox

Bye Bye Fuji. What will you call the new one - Sandy?

I suppose it has to be Astrud........ If you aren't old enough to know who she is then google Astrud Gilberto...... Maybe need to look for another private plate - GA57 RUD and mis-space the G & the A

Tim, stop bleating about the cold. I thought you'd be in Jordan. It's us poor souls stuck in blighty that should moan.

Yep I will IKM, but it still gets "cold" there at night, drops from 28c down to around 15-16 at night................... At least I will have something really nice to look forward to coming home to.

(12-11-2013 12:22pm)XFullFatTim Wrote:  4 months of no Evoque are going to be hard to bear, especially as I will be reduced to a 17 year old Defender, no heated screen, no heated seats, no heated steering wheel............. almost no heating at all in fact and cold weather causes it to flatten its battery!

Well at least the flat battery will remind you of the Evoque!!

4 Months away from an Evoque & in a Defender will allow you to appreciate the new one more when you get it.

Excellent choice of name, Tim!

One thing I should have mentioned - last trip fuel consumption. I filled up at Stirling Sainsbury (just off the M9) and on arrival at Hadley Green LR 440 miles later the fuel gauge was showing just a gnat's hair below the 1/4 tank marking. I had taken the precaution of adding 10litres at Watford Gap Services as the traffic was stop start and crawling into London and I didn't want to arrive on vapours. So Central Scotland to London on a tankful of diesel is possible (just!) The highest I saw on the average mpg was pretty good too - in a slow moving rolling roadblock on the M6/M42 I saw 44mpg but that was after about 20 miles of 40-45mph rolling. I still managed to keep up a decent rate of progress around the 70mph speed for most of the trip.

For sure my RRE has done plenty of long haul motorway trips the length of the UK - 10 in two years which is a lot for a privately owned "runabout" car. I can honestly say RRE can hack it with both L355 RR's and pre 2010MY RRS's
(I've owned 2 of each!) as far as quietness, smoothness of ride and comfort are concerned. Things I would change: a) PROPER folding left arm armrests on drivers seats are really needed (2014 get a mention in this direction but the sliding cubby box cover but still isn't high enough) and
b) RATTLES - this is a Range Rover - it is supposed to be a "quality" product and is sold at a luxury car price point not budget car price point, it shouldn't rattle - ever. If BMW and Audi can manage it on cars costing considerably less then why can't Land Rover on a much more expensive car. I expect that my new RRE scheduled to go into build on 5th feb 2014 will not generate one single rattle as it will be so well put together (well we can all dream!)

I can say this from my Nissan Murano, other than a rattle coming from outside when dirt gets in between windscreen and a plastic cover (I know it is my cue to wash the car!) it has not had a single issue. Compared to RRE, I think JLR need to up their game. Even compared to average german cars which is still best built quality.

(13-11-2013 11:16am)XFullFatTim Wrote:  b) RATTLES - this is a Range Rover - it is supposed to be a "quality" product and is sold at a luxury car price point not budget car price point, it shouldn't rattle - ever. If BMW and Audi can manage it on cars costing considerably less then why can't Land Rover on a much more expensive car. I expect that my new RRE scheduled to go into build on 5th feb 2014 will not generate one single rattle as it will be so well put together (well we can all dream!)

Tim, I had a lexus that i bought brand new and damn thing rattled and ticked in hot weather. The arrogance of the service manager said that it was normal because i dont drive on well maintained roads!

Have fun with the Defender in the cold weather!!!