01-04-2012, 06:05pm
Hi all
When I first got the Evoque I genuinely thought is was the perfect car for me…and for a good 3 months I struggled to find fault…however, six months in and I am now able to take a much more objective review.
I have decided to complete the review based on the areas that are important to me in a car and I have scored out of 10
Looks: 9/10
The Evoque is a terrific looking car, especially in Dynamic spec and I am delighted with the Orkney Grey and the 20” Shadow Alloys…the very fact that none of the main modification companies (i.e. Kahn) have managed to improve the looks, suggests that it is about as good as it can be. I have knocked off a point because the lettering should have been black and colour coding of bumpers / wheel arches could have been better.
Speed: 8/10
I have been very happy with the acceleration of the SD4; I have marked it down a couple of points because unless the gearbox is in ‘S’ mode, response from stationary is poor…which means I keep my car permanently in ‘S’ mode.
Economy: 6/10
I have only achieved an average of 30mpg over the 6,000 miles the car has covered which is disappointing given that the majority of the miles covered have been motorway miles. I am reasonably heavy footed but I previously achieved 23mpg from both my FFRR and my 911…I would expect a car such as the Evoque to be achieving 35mp as a minimum.
Ride: 8/10
The ride is excellent in my view, and the way that the car works when cruising or when driving rapidly is fantastic…I am genuinely impressed with this and haven’t personally driven a car that can compete in terms of versatility. It does lose a couple of points though because the versatility means that there is compromise in all situations.
Interior: 5/10
I have heard others say that they find the driving position to be excellent, but I personally struggle to find a really comfortable driving position, and the positioning of the left foot rest is appalling. The dash looks nice enough and has a reasonably luxury feel to it, but doesn’t come close to a ‘proper’ Range Rover. The absence of the traditional fold down armrests are a real mistake, they would genuinely transform the comfort and would probably recover at least another 2 points in the scoring…their absence also takes away one of the LR’s USP’s. I thought initially I would like the pop-up gear selector, but I still have to look when selecting a gear, whereas with a traditional ‘stick’ I’ve never had to…personally I would prefer the ‘stick’. I also immensely dislike the feel of the buttons on the steering wheel.
Gadgets: 6/10
I really loved the gadgets when I first got the car and I still love all the functionality…particularly the Digital Radio, the TV, the dual screens, the Cameras, and the incredible stereo…but…the iPod interface is difficult to use and slow to respond, the reversing camera takes way too long to engage (I’ve normally finished reversing before it engages!) and the SatNav has a complex interface. I’ve knocked the marks down quite a lot for these seemingly trivial issues, but they really do impact the experience.
Practicality: 2/10
This has been my biggest disappointment…the boot space is woeful…you can’t even get two sets of Golf Clubs in the boot without folding the rear seats. By the time you have the kids in the car, the Cargo Barrier fitted, the electric Coolbox and the dog in the boot, there is no room for anything else. Forget taking some deckchairs and picnic stuff…it really is too small. It is important to note at this point that this is not the fault of the car, it is the fault of the purchaser (i.e. me!) for buying the car! However, I really hope that this was going to be the perfect all-rounder for me and it’s not so I am very disappointed.
Premium Feel: 5/10
The car has a luxury feel to it but only to an extent…the lack of decent noise insulation and the poor gearbox really compromises the experience and as stupid as it sounds, the lack of fold down armrests doesn’t allow for a ‘Regal’ seating position.
I’m sure that many will disagree with me on various aspects of the review, but as much as I love the car in so many ways, I wish I had gone for the Sport or the FFRR and I am considering swapping…the alternative is to buy a 2nd car (probably a Defender) to cope with the days when I need the additional space. So if anyone wants to swap with me or sell me a Defender then get in touch!
When I first got the Evoque I genuinely thought is was the perfect car for me…and for a good 3 months I struggled to find fault…however, six months in and I am now able to take a much more objective review.
I have decided to complete the review based on the areas that are important to me in a car and I have scored out of 10
Looks: 9/10
The Evoque is a terrific looking car, especially in Dynamic spec and I am delighted with the Orkney Grey and the 20” Shadow Alloys…the very fact that none of the main modification companies (i.e. Kahn) have managed to improve the looks, suggests that it is about as good as it can be. I have knocked off a point because the lettering should have been black and colour coding of bumpers / wheel arches could have been better.
Speed: 8/10
I have been very happy with the acceleration of the SD4; I have marked it down a couple of points because unless the gearbox is in ‘S’ mode, response from stationary is poor…which means I keep my car permanently in ‘S’ mode.
Economy: 6/10
I have only achieved an average of 30mpg over the 6,000 miles the car has covered which is disappointing given that the majority of the miles covered have been motorway miles. I am reasonably heavy footed but I previously achieved 23mpg from both my FFRR and my 911…I would expect a car such as the Evoque to be achieving 35mp as a minimum.
Ride: 8/10
The ride is excellent in my view, and the way that the car works when cruising or when driving rapidly is fantastic…I am genuinely impressed with this and haven’t personally driven a car that can compete in terms of versatility. It does lose a couple of points though because the versatility means that there is compromise in all situations.
Interior: 5/10
I have heard others say that they find the driving position to be excellent, but I personally struggle to find a really comfortable driving position, and the positioning of the left foot rest is appalling. The dash looks nice enough and has a reasonably luxury feel to it, but doesn’t come close to a ‘proper’ Range Rover. The absence of the traditional fold down armrests are a real mistake, they would genuinely transform the comfort and would probably recover at least another 2 points in the scoring…their absence also takes away one of the LR’s USP’s. I thought initially I would like the pop-up gear selector, but I still have to look when selecting a gear, whereas with a traditional ‘stick’ I’ve never had to…personally I would prefer the ‘stick’. I also immensely dislike the feel of the buttons on the steering wheel.
Gadgets: 6/10
I really loved the gadgets when I first got the car and I still love all the functionality…particularly the Digital Radio, the TV, the dual screens, the Cameras, and the incredible stereo…but…the iPod interface is difficult to use and slow to respond, the reversing camera takes way too long to engage (I’ve normally finished reversing before it engages!) and the SatNav has a complex interface. I’ve knocked the marks down quite a lot for these seemingly trivial issues, but they really do impact the experience.
Practicality: 2/10
This has been my biggest disappointment…the boot space is woeful…you can’t even get two sets of Golf Clubs in the boot without folding the rear seats. By the time you have the kids in the car, the Cargo Barrier fitted, the electric Coolbox and the dog in the boot, there is no room for anything else. Forget taking some deckchairs and picnic stuff…it really is too small. It is important to note at this point that this is not the fault of the car, it is the fault of the purchaser (i.e. me!) for buying the car! However, I really hope that this was going to be the perfect all-rounder for me and it’s not so I am very disappointed.
Premium Feel: 5/10
The car has a luxury feel to it but only to an extent…the lack of decent noise insulation and the poor gearbox really compromises the experience and as stupid as it sounds, the lack of fold down armrests doesn’t allow for a ‘Regal’ seating position.
I’m sure that many will disagree with me on various aspects of the review, but as much as I love the car in so many ways, I wish I had gone for the Sport or the FFRR and I am considering swapping…the alternative is to buy a 2nd car (probably a Defender) to cope with the days when I need the additional space. So if anyone wants to swap with me or sell me a Defender then get in touch!