Member Since: 10 Dec 2015
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 275
A lament of sorts
A few years ago I wrote a post of the Freelander forum about my love for Land Rover. How it started when I was a young boy, sitting in what we now call a Range Rover Classic, pretending I was conquering the world, all from the plush interior. The car meanwhile had never left the driveway.
As I grew up, we as a family moved from Series 2, to Discovery 2 to a 1996 Range Rover, followed by a series of Disco 3s and 4s and a couple of Defenders. I adored them all. There were a few Mercedes estates in between and although I admired the German engineering, I still preferred the Land Rovers.
Eventually I was ready to purchase my first Land Rover: a Freelander 2, followed by a D4. What superb cars they both were (and the D4 still is). And the Land Rover garages were full of like-minded enthusiasts who understood the passion for these vehicles.
But IMHO things have changed. Land Rover no longer instills that passion. Gerry McGovern is a terrible designer who seems to have been put on a pedestal. Frankly anyone who designs the rear end of that D5 and then suggests its the fault of the salemen and the size of the registration plate they are using, should be fired immediately. And the cars themselves have just lost their mojo. Don’t get me wrong, some of them drive very well and I have been impressed by their interiors. But there is that something that made Land Rovers special that seems to have gone.
When I look on Autotrader (as many of us do) I no longer look at the Land Rovers for sale. I no longer dream of a garage full of Defenders, Discoveries, Range Rovers and Series I, II. Instead, top of the list is the new Volvo XC90.
There are those on this wonderful forum who will continue to love Land Rover and the direction it is currently taking. I have no issue with this. But for me, the love I once had for these superb cars has been extinguished. I will continue to cherish my D4 until it gives up the ghost. Then who knows. A few years ago it would have been another Land Rover, without question. Now...probably something else. And that makes me sad. As Jeremy (love or loath him) Clarkson has said: it’s about how a car makes you feel. Land Rover has lost that.
16th Jan 2018 8:41 pm
Farmer Chalk
Member Since: 07 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4156
You need a short drive in a 5.0 S RRS.... it’s only got 510bp and you would soon get your mojo back again!
16th Jan 2018 8:46 pm
markate
Member Since: 17 Sep 2011
Location: England
Posts: 702
Nice post and as the owner of a Freelander 2 and Discovery 4 I agree totally.
I recently responded to a survey from Land Rover which asked about my likely next purchase and I replied it would probably be a Volvo, a couple of years ago I'd have voted for a Land Rover without hesitation.
16th Jan 2018 8:49 pm
Landroverfan1
Member Since: 10 Dec 2015
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 275
Farmer Chalk wrote:
You need a short drive in a 5.0 S RRS.... it’s only got 510bp and you would soon get your mojo back again!
Hoho. I have driven the supercharged RRS in Lincolnshire. It was impressive and frightening in equal measure.
16th Jan 2018 8:52 pm
Landroverfan1
Member Since: 10 Dec 2015
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 275
markate wrote:
Nice post and as the owner of a Freelander 2 and Discovery 4 I agree totally.
I recently responded to a survey from Land Rover which asked about my likely next purchase and I replied it would probably be a Volvo, a couple of years ago I'd have voted for a Land Rover without hesitation.
Thanks Markate. I think I would have answered the survey the same.
16th Jan 2018 8:54 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72774
Prob Volvo or Skoda here, just not worth the hassle any more. After 16 LR/RRs since the late 80s I doubt I'll be after another. Owning a LR is a bit of a rollercoaster, key is knowing when to get off.
16th Jan 2018 8:56 pm
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
Says he who has had 16 since the late 80's
16th Jan 2018 9:32 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72774
16th Jan 2018 9:35 pm
Farmer Chalk
Member Since: 07 Mar 2013
Location: Independent Republic of Kentishshire.
Posts: 4156
DSL wrote:
Prob Volvo or Skoda here, just not worth the hassle any more. After 16 LR/RRs since the late 80s I doubt I'll be after another. Owning a LR is a bit of a rollercoaster, key is knowing when to get off.
Would they still let you get on a rollercoaster??
16th Jan 2018 11:33 pm
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 13872
Re: A lament of sorts
Landroverfan1 wrote:
A few years ago I wrote a post of the Freelander forum about my love for Land Rover. How it started when I was a young boy, sitting in what we now call a Range Rover Classic, pretending I was conquering the world, all from the plush interior. The car meanwhile had never left the driveway.
As I grew up, we as a family moved from Series 2, to Discovery 2 to a 1996 Range Rover, followed by a series of Disco 3s and 4s and a couple of Defenders. I adored them all. There were a few Mercedes estates in between and although I admired the German engineering, I still preferred the Land Rovers.
Eventually I was ready to purchase my first Land Rover: a Freelander 2, followed by a D4. What superb cars they both were (and the D4 still is). And the Land Rover garages were full of like-minded enthusiasts who understood the passion for these vehicles.
But IMHO things have changed. Land Rover no longer instills that passion. Gerry McGovern is a terrible designer who seems to have been put on a pedestal. Frankly anyone who designs the rear end of that D5 and then suggests its the fault of the salemen and the size of the registration plate they are using, should be fired immediately. And the cars themselves have just lost their mojo. Don’t get me wrong, some of them drive very well and I have been impressed by their interiors. But there is that something that made Land Rovers special that seems to have gone.
When I look on Autotrader (as many of us do) I no longer look at the Land Rovers for sale. I no longer dream of a garage full of Defenders, Discoveries, Range Rovers and Series I, II. Instead, top of the list is the new Volvo XC90.
There are those on this wonderful forum who will continue to love Land Rover and the direction it is currently taking. I have no issue with this. But for me, the love I once had for these superb cars has been extinguished. I will continue to cherish my D4 until it gives up the ghost. Then who knows. A few years ago it would have been another Land Rover, without question. Now...probably something else. And that makes me sad. As Jeremy (love or loath him) Clarkson has said: it’s about how a car makes you feel. Land Rover has lost that.
My old bus is my first and last LR. I waited for the D5 and was disappointed. Personally I think Jerry McGovern is a lazy designer who has got his market wrong. When the D1 came out it was a game changer, now the D5 is just an ''anything homgenous Koreon / Jap wagon". Very sad. XC 90 is now top of my list as a replacment. Perhaps Martin should add it in as a Sticky.New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
17th Jan 2018 12:26 am
pjm-84
Member Since: 04 Oct 2016
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 2430
Love my V8 D3 but eyes have wandered at a future replacement. Apart from an SVR I would really struggle to buy an newer LR product.
Tired numerous times and when it came to replacing SWMBO'c X5 in 2015 I was left suitably unimpressed with the DS and somewhat disturbed at LR's belief that the top of the range Evoque was £50k plus (SWMBO's car!). Bought a PHEV as a stop gap and a D3 V8.
Also had the questionnaire.
17th Jan 2018 12:52 am
Mogwyth
Member Since: 03 Oct 2014
Location: Pwllheli
Posts: 3976
Me I have an opposite view had Land rovers almost my entire driver life, my love affair with them will not be diminished by the direction LR are taking. It may be possible that my future daily driver wont be an LR but I will either keep the current one as a future classic or more than likely buy another series or defender.
As for what other than an LR, I dont know, for me I couldn't say a Volvo, to me they are just estate cars on steroids, and I do need a serious 4x4 with 3.5t towing not sure they fit that bill, suppose I,ll have to cross that hurdle when it comes, it maybe that the new defender will fit the bill.==================================
05 D3 HSE V8 4.4
04 MG TF 135
03 MG TF 115 Cool Blue Edition
02 MG TF 160
00 Hymer B564 Lionheart
1971 Series III 109
17th Jan 2018 1:42 am
Getoffmyland
Member Since: 13 Aug 2015
Location: West Berkshire
Posts: 105
I agree.
won't buy another new LR. - more because of the dealer network.
I will keep the Defender but when the D4 goes in a couple of years time, I can't see anything i want to replace it with except the new G wagen and sadly, funds do not allow for that.
Landroverfan, that post could have been written by me - sums up my feelings exactly - and other LR fans that I know too.
I have been thinking about changing but what too? A mate has an F Pace which is lovely but just another jelly moulded 4x4. Toyota is a possibility as is Nissan. BUT, nothing is making me want to change so I will probably do exactly as you say and run my car as long as I can then sort it out.
I think it all comes down to lack of character amongst all larger cars (& small ones come to that) caused by too much reliance on computers to design. Let's have a visionary back please???????
Martin W07MY TDV6 HSE Stornoway Grey + Alpaca
No ugly kid glass!
Side steps (one with dent!)
BIG GRIN (although turned down at the edges)
Extremely empty wallet
18th Jan 2018 6:10 pm
Bigcat8810
Member Since: 13 Sep 2013
Location: Berkshire
Posts: 75
I'm still a fan of the older style Discos (3/4) and Defenders but agree the newer models aren't doing it for me. If the old Euromillions type change in financial circumstances were to happen I think I'd be very tempted to have a good look at the new G-Wagon as a possible D3 replacement.
That Velar with the pop out door handles just about sums up what I don't like about the newer generation LR's, too many unnecessary tech gimicks that will be a pain in the backside when (not if) they fail.
For me I do like my D3, it does all I need and I enjoy driving it but would not want to be without a back up vehicle as with LR's you never know!----------------------------------------
D3 TDV6 HSE Silver/Black
D3 TDV6 HSE Black/Tan (Gone)
RRS TDV8 Black/Black (Gone)
RRS TDV8 Stornaway (Gone)
RR Vogue TDV8 (Gone)
RRS 4.4V8 (Gone)
Defender 110 300tdi (Stolen, much missed)
RR Vogue V8 P38 (Gone)
LR 90 TD (Gone)
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