Goodbye RRE - it has been fun!

Well, I didn't see this one coming! Last December when I collected my Evoque I was convinced it was the best all-round car I'd ever had and I've enjoyed every one of its 5000 miles since. It really is a great car that a year on still attracts attention.

I moved to the Evoque from a brilliant family car - the Discovery 4 - having felt the Disco was not used as it should have been and wallowed too much like a drunk penguin for my liking. The RRE was a revelation in terms of handling by comparison. However, one of the things we used the Disco for was taking our labrador to Belgium a few times a year visiting the in-laws. This stopped with the Evoque and...for that reason alone, I've decided I do need a larger boot after all.

Our Lab isn't large, she's quite small so a Freelander 2 would just about suffice with a roof box for luggage. But after the RRE, it was just not gonna be a happy move. Sooo, I started looking at options: the usual German's, Jeep and the rest of the LR range.

The winner for me? Surprisingly, the MY12 Range Rover Sport SDV6 HSE.

With a new RRS due in a year, I've bought a car the same age, mileage and colour as my RRE - indeed, it is a good deal looking around Nationally and so should give me the option of moving on to the new model if I choose to with limited depreciation loss. The 'new-to-me' car has a sunroof, adaptive cruise control, privacy glass, dual view touch screen, heated steering wheel and premium ice in addition to the already good HSE spec.

The RRS doesn't handle corners quite as well as the RRE Dynamic but also has adaptive dynamics etc and is actually very good too - especially for a heavy beast. It is more comfortable over rough roads and soaks up the bumps better (not as good as the Disco 4 but close), the driver's seat is definitely an armchair position with its electric lumbar support and armrest.

I also noticed that the touchscreen is high definition compared to the one in my Evoque which is noticeably pixelated.
The electrically-closing boot is there - like it a lot in my Evoque - and it closes with a very pleasing, solid 'thunk'.
The leather interior is more plush than my RRE Dynamic; possibly similar to the Prestige?

The swop takes place next week. My wife is off to Belgium this week with the kids in my Evoque so that is its last trip for it with us.

For anyone thinking of buying an Evoque, I can say it is a very good car and a rewarding drive.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to receiving my enhanced footballing skills (automatic with the RRS, surely?)

We will be sorry to see you go Cool, RRSport is also a good car but with a poor image. I've owned two - one of the first TDv6's and a 2007 TDv8. The TDv8 is the best all round car I have ever owned, with it's trick handling pack it could go round corners without rolling and wallowing, but it also in best LR tradition was not fully developed before us poor buyers got our hands on them and as a result it used to eat a set of front suspension bushes every 6-8 months. When they dropped the 3.6TDv8 the problem went away as the 4.4TDV8 FFRR got the next generation of the system and they never had the suspension problem................. they had horrendous battery draining problems instead, now fixed.
Now you have to sign up with Martins' http://www.rrsport.co.uk forum It isn't the forum it used to be but is still a great source of info and help.
I already have a deposit down on the next RRS, here's hoping Land Rover don't make it any larger than the current one, but I fear it will become a 7 seater.

Best of luck with the RRS Coolbanana ! (Spelling corrected. Sorry !)

(29-10-2012 10:04am)XFullFatTim Wrote:  We will be sorry to see you go Cool, RRSport is also a good car but with a poor image. I've owned two - one of the first TDv6's and a 2007 TDv8. The TDv8 is the best all round car I have ever owned, with it's trick handling pack it could go round corners without rolling and wallowing, but it also in best LR tradition was not fully developed before us poor buyers got our hands on them and as a result it used to eat a set of front suspension bushes every 6-8 months. When they dropped the 3.6TDv8 the problem went away as the 4.4TDV8 FFRR got the next generation of the system and they never had the suspension problem................. they had horrendous battery draining problems instead, now fixed.
Now you have to sign up with Martins' http://www.rrsport.co.uk forum It isn't the forum it used to be but is still a great source of info and help.
I already have a deposit down on the next RRS, here's hoping Land Rover don't make it any larger than the current one, but I fear it will become a 7 seater.

Cheers Tim - already signed up and posting on RRSport; not as lively as here though.

The previous RRS I drove - albeit briefly - was a MY09 and I wasn't taken with it. I preferred the Disco 3 at the time. When I bought my Disco 4 I assumed the RRS updated similarly and I'd still prefer the Discovery so didn't try the MY10 revision. However, it appears that the RRS has come a long way in the last couple of years and, in terms of driving etc, seems to me to be a far, far better car.

Yes, the image of the RRS is poor - but that's mostly only here in the UK. My family lives mostly in South Africa still and the USA and it isn't a Wags/Footballer's car there albeit the reliability image is still in line with all LR products; still generally poor. Although, in SA, it is a Government Official favourite so that brings its own stigma in certain circles. I've had no issues with my LR products thus far so still trusting. So not to buy a car based on a negative image is not something I subscribe to, I was never one to worry about peer pressure. I'll get what I enjoy driving and suits my needs at the time.