I've been following this forum for a few weeks and have come across quite a few posts where many people have passed up the opportunity to drive a GTR to get into a RRE.
I understand the pricing structure is very different in each country. In Australia a GTR is around 180k OTR and a RRE TD4 OTR with a few basic options is 70k. That's about 2.5x the difference in price. I test drove a MB C63 AMG and it was 165k OTR, an M3 will fetch similar money. Hence the reason why many Australian's envy USA prices.
Now I know comparing the RRE to the aforementioned cars is apples and oranges but I only ask because many of you have specifically mentioned passing up the opportunity to own some fine pieces of automotive machinery. IMHO, the GTR is in a league of its own, it is truly a supercar for without the supercar price tag. I will be buying a RRE regardless, I think it's an excellent SUV and my only wish is that there was a 300hp turbo version out already. The SD4 is still a fantastic option given the price.
So to the RRE owners, are you happy with your purchase and is the RRE really that good? Do you have any regrets?
I didn't start this thread to take anything away from the RRE, only to hear some insight from those that cross-shopped these cars as I understand the RRE is very expensive in the USA and for once, we didn't fare so badly in Australia with MSRPs.
I'm often surprised at what the RRE is compared to and it's down to the fact that it's created a market niche of its own and attracts people from all directions. Part of the issue is that as cars become more and more competent, they become more and more bland at road-legal speeds and there tends to be "what's the point?" reaction to ever faster cars.
For example, I have a Porsche 911 turbo (997 Gen 2 PDK) which only gets into its own at speeds which would get me banned here in the UK. At road legal speeds, it is so competent that it betrays little character. In the same vein, more than 80% of BMW 5 series sold here are the cooking 520d - people want the badge and the base performance is enough for UK roads.
By repute, speed limits in Oz and the USA are even more strictly enforced than they are in the UK which makes high performance cars pointless other than at a pissing competition when you race away from a red light only to wait an age at the next one. Fortunately in Europe, we have Germany where there are sections of Autobahns where you can drive as fast as you like - and I do - and it's then that I enjoy the 911's performance. In contrast, I have an ageing Ferrari which has the ability to delight and scare me at road legal speeds.
The RRE is one of those cars which provides enough performance in an economically accessible package and which will pull in people from other makes. You've had the M5 (SL55 AMG in my case), suffered eye-watering depreciation and are looking for a better way. That's the unique appeal of the RRE. Of course I would like more power but, in Si4 guise, it's reasonably brisk.
So, I can quite understand people choosing an RRE over any other car. At the time I got my RRE, I borrowed a Boxster - a highly regarded car - and it felt decidedly low-rent against the RRE and at about the same price. The RRE exudes a feel-good factor, intangible but it certainly exists.
No regrets for me. Yes I'd like a twin turbo diesel with an eight speed box but even without those things I'd buy another. Comparing against a GTR though seems "bonkers" to me.
I'm one of those who wanted a Nissan GTR (used 2007 model CBA-R35) but ended deciding on a brand new 2012 Evoque.
I mostly echo mark_n's point in such that having a GTR becomes more of a bragging right rather than anything else. True its a great supercar, but there's only so much roads in small Brunei to let it really shine. We don't even have a racetrack or anything similar which you could speed to your content. I still have two sportscars (heavily modded S2000 and lightly modded Mini R53) for the times that I wanna exercise my leadfoot. Of course these are small horsepower cars (300bhp for S2000 and 215bhp for the Mini) but it's not insane compared to the GTR. However, they still bring a smile everytime I drive it spiritedly.
There are without doubt supercars in Brunei, but it's sad to see them just puttering around and hide their beasts within.
The Evoque was chosen in terms of practicality and its road presence. Since most of my driving time is made within urban limits, it just made the best sense.
You might as well called this thread - Chalk vs Cheese
GTR is on my dreamlist of cars to own including the NSX ZR1 and 911. With any of those cars you are sure to out run 95% of the production cars in the US. o me they are all icon cars. I have a third gen Z28 that was fast as hell and rare. Fun to drive and own.
I came from a Lexus IS250 which was a nice daily driver and then my back problem got worse. The Evoque and the the Subaru outback were the only 2 cars I could sit it for more than 5mins. First one that came in I bought. Have to say Lexus has a nice interior but the Evoque has a luxury to it's own
Anyways GTR or Evoque, evoque nice daily driver and weekend car. GTR nice weekend car
The evoque isn't a performance car! It doesn't even handle like one. It's a family car that has very good off road capabilities.
Thanks for your insight everyone.
I find it very impressive that the Evoque is continuing to gain so much praise and accolades at a price point in which it is being compared to much more expensive cars. It says a lot about how well Land Rover have done with this model. I've test driven in twice and it's hard to find anything I dislike about it.
I'm specifically on the market for a good-looking practical luxury SUV and the Evoque ticks all the boxes. The GTR would not have been a consideration for me even if it was priced similarly, but I'm confident it would of been in my garage already in place of something else though
Why don't you get both? GTR is relatively inexpensive for a sports car with that kind of performance and the Evoque is about 1/2 the price of the GTR. I would consider one as it's fast, easily to mod and the tuner with the fastest R35 is only 15 minute away which is AMS but I just can't get over the look. It's funny as my buddy just moved a street over were AMS is and we can always hear them testing their cars on Smith Rd and Powis. I tell him he better watch out when takes out his Viper for a spin...he might run into an AMS 1300HP GTR.
I liked the infiniti FX35 & Audi Q7 in that order