LR bottom of satisfaction surveys- Why?

LR's rep must be deserved given Owner's experiences but there are good car's out there too.

My Dad's D3 was problem-free in 5 years of ownership and my D4 was good too. So far, my only niggle with my Evoque is a rattle that needs sorting out.

All Marque's have their issues though; my Dad had a BMW 5-series that lost all electrics whilst driving and came to a halt in traffic and my wife's previous BMW E91 3-series had constant injector problems from the first year through to the fourth.
I've had several BMW's with no probs at all.

LR also have to cope with problems from vehicles that are used as they were intended: off-road. Hard-working vehicles run the risk of encountering problems far quicker than those that aren't. Air-suspension problems is one on the D3 that I've read about.
So I'm thinking that the Evoque may fair better simply because it won't be used in very demanding terrain for very long, if at all.

(19-02-2012 07:27pm)malph Wrote:  I think it's a question of expectation. If you spend your hard earned on a premium brand car, you have a certain level to which you expect the car and ownership experience to achieve. I am currently on my 3rd Ford Kuga as our main car, the first time in over 40 years I've bought the same type of car more than once. My expectations were middling, it's a Ford! But each time it's exceeded those expectations.
In recent years I've also had a Scirocco and a BMW 123D MSport Coupe as the "fun" car. Expectations were higher because of the VW and BMW brands and their reputations, again they both met or exceeded them.
Now we're down to one car and the Evoque came on the market. A visit to the dealer, a test drive, heart ruled head and an Evoque was ordered. But the long wait has given me time to assess my decision.
LRs reputation with regard to reliability/build quality and the fact the Evoque was going to cost somewhere between £350 - £450 a year to have the oil changed and the tyres kicked was a bit of a reality check (Kuga £150 - £200). And when you look under the undoubtedly gorgeous looks, there's an average diesel engine mated to a distinctly average Auto box. I also had to order an expensive pack that included an old school Nav system just to get a Heated Windscreen.
I have recently cancelled my order and will give the Evoque a year or so to prove itself and convince me that it and LR are worth the extra. I still hanker after an Evoque and will gladly spend my dosh on one sometime in the future if I am more reassured it and LR will meet my expectations.

Mine is being built this Friday, but I'm still a bit tempted to rethink the decision. Either I cancel on the basis of the poor reports on this forum, I wait and risk wanting to get rid of it soon into its ownership, or I gamble that I may be lucky and get a reliable one (if such exists). My enthusiasm for the model has also been further diminished by reports of the appalling fuel consumption being achieved by forum users compared with LR's official figures.

Just to add to my earlier post. The money I'm spending is MINE. If it was a company/lease car I would possibly have gone for it

(19-02-2012 07:14pm)Donny Dog Wrote:  It sounds to me as if those who are satisfied with their Land Rovers still accept less than perfection, and that those (on here) who complain have every right to do so, and that maybe the customer satisfaction ratings are valid after all.

I have never owned a land rover but always wanted one just like a BMW. My last car was a Lexus IS250 and the car was good. The dealership was another problem but even Lexus has it's own problem. If you read around club Lexus you will see they all have "soft paint". Mine had 6 recalls some were stupid because people didn't know how to put floor mats in their cars. My IS had rattles that the dealer and corporate refused to fix even though the forum had complaints about the same problem. Their excuse was that I was driving on uneven pavement which would cause rattles, really my Honda accord never rattled over those same roads. I would still be frigid my Lexus if the dealer didn't destroy the driver seat.

Granted I didn't order my evoque, my fit and finish is just as good as my Lexus. I knew coming into a 1s release of a vehicle that it will have some awkward or quirks that are resolved with the next years model. It's a risk we all take even with the iPhones. I had to get a car I could drive to work in and I've test drivin all the manufacture. It came down to the Evoque and Subaru Legacy. Neither were in stock, then I found this one after a 6 month search

IMHO my range rover is on par with the Lexus quality build. Dealership I can't comment on because I have never been there before and it's the only game in town. The next closest dealer is 150 miles away so they are my option for warranty. My coworkers that have owned Land rovers loved them cause they went almost any where.

Anyone notice that in countries that are in a civil war that soldiers are riding in Toyota or Land Rover? I'm not talking about movies, these are presss footages!

(19-02-2012 07:44pm)malph Wrote:  Just to add to my earlier post. The money I'm spending is MINE.

Ditto!!

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(19-02-2012 08:14pm)Donny Dog Wrote:  Ditto!!

Or, rather, the money my wife is spending.......

The worst car I have ever owned was a Renault scenic, constantly in the dealers. The first day I picked it up the air con didn't work, should have realised then what I was letting myself in for. Overall I had more problems with Renault than I've ever had with LR, and Renault are supposed to have higher customer satisfaction.

Even under BMW ownership LR were still bottom. I have 100% faith in my LR and put my experience of the brand before any survey, but I do agree that for someone new to the brand it can be a bit worrying. Could be worse, you could own a Toyota and live in fear of brake failure, accelerator sticking and fuel leaks, over 1.7 million cars recalled. Think I will stick with LR and their unreliable cars.

Same as you J my worst two cars have both been renaults,had a timing belt go on my renault after 17000 miles and out or warranty (in the days of 12 month manufacturers warranties)new engine rqd,and another renault was never out the dealers and failed its first MOT on 12 items.
If I won a renault in a raffle I would ask what 2nd prize was,but the only problem would be that 2nd prize would be 2 renaults!

I too have high expectations, my last few cars being Mercs with no trouble whatsoever. I am hoping for the best, but like Donny Dog, am concerned to hear of issues.

I have been advised by RR owners not to use our local dealership (one of the big boys), and to instead take my servicing business to a family run dealership with an excellent reputation some 30 miles away with minimum inconvenience - they will collect my car, leave a courtesy car, and deliver back to me. So as above, it could be worth making enquiries with a view to finding recommended dealerships which provide excellent service - they are out there.

Now on my 4th LR and apart from safety recalls have not had any problems with them. My most problematic car was a MINI which suffered from power steering failure, windscreen wiper failure x2, closely followed by a BMW 320 which used to randomly cutout at traffic lights for no reason long before anyone had heard of eco stop/start.

I have had a DPF problem with my Kuga, a steering rack recall, engine cut-outs and constant brake disc warping on E36 BMW,s, numerous problems on Peugeot' s, Renaults and a Fiat.

I am just hoping that the Evoque doesn't live up to LRs poor reputation!