TDV6 v SDV6 Off road

[Shane_O_16]

Hi All,


I am looking at moving from a Prado to a RRS and have used the Prado off road and have had to use low range on some occasions in soft sand and even been close to being bogged hard. The TDV6 doesn't have low range and a less advanced 4WD system than the SDV6 and I am wondering if I will be satisfied with the TDV6 or if I should be considering the SDV6 instead for it's ability.


I use the car mainly on beaches and sometimes the sand has been quite soft.


Any advice would be great as I would hate to spend a heap on a car and for it not to do what I need.


Cheers,


Shane

[scarry]

If you go no low range you are only guessing how you will go.

If you take the other option,i know it is a few more $$,but you will have nothing to worry about.Resale may be better,so in fact in the long run,nothing to loose.

For me i would not consider the model with no low range.

Low range has pulled me out of trouble numerous times,and not only in soft sand....:)

[Bytemrk]

I'd tend to lean towards the model with low range, but that said, it probably depends a lot what you class as "Off road"

We all have our own view as to what conditions would be considered "easy" , "medium" or "hard" off road... and where you sit, should probably influence your decision significantly.

Range Rovers without Low range are a relatively new product... so you aren't likely to get a lot of opinions from those that have owned or driven them.

However Land Rover have had vehicles without low range for quite some time ( Freelander and Discovery Sport)... I have seen Freelanders taken quite successfully off road in places most would say you need low range. They definitely did it harder than the Discoverys, Defenders and Rangies... but they are certainly not on road only vehicles.

If you intend to drive very steep hills, cross rivers, deep mud or very soft sand, low range is a big advantage....if you want to tow a caravan across outback gravel roads..... I'd save your cash and go with the TDV6

[Tombie]

If you tow. I'd go the SDV6 and make sure you have low range..

Low range is absolutely brilliant for reversing a van/trailer etc with control and precision..

[Narangga]

If you tow. I'd go the SDV6 and make sure you have low range..

Low range is absolutely brilliant for reversing a van/trailer etc with control and precision..

I didn't realise that feature came complimentary with low range. :angel:

[Tombie]

I didn't realise that feature came complimentary with low range. :angel:



Using low range when reversing a big item gives so much more control and much less stress on the vehicle..

I use it regularly...

Especially useful when reversing a heavy trailer up a steep driveway.. much less stress on the transmission and much more control. [emoji41]

[DiscoMick]

Eight speed autos can be quite impressive off road and in sand.
That said, I'd still prefer to have the option of low range.


Sent from my A1601 using AULRO mobile app

[Tombie]

Eight speed autos can be quite impressive off road and in sand.
That said, I'd still prefer to have the option of low range.


Sent from my A1601 using AULRO mobile app



Yes. But they have yet to solve the single reverse..

I'm sure it's coming.

[Shane_O_16]

Thanks for the replies so far and it seems there is little information on how these go off road. Maybe people don't buy these and take them off road a lot...who knows.

For me off road is classed as medium, but dictated by the fact that I have had to use low range and always reduce pressures to 16-18psi, lower on a couple of instances.

Pros
Torque - the amount of torque and less weight would mean it would sit in bewteen Prado low range and normal gearing for multiplication
ATS - more advanced 4wd system would compensate a little
Suspension - more articulation, travel and height

Cons
No low range
Wheel and tyre size - regardless of spec it doesn't give you much options for good off roading tyres sizes

The SDV6 is obviously ideal but why spend the extra if I don't need to is the question I'm trying to answer.

[Tombie]

Cheaper to buy. Cheaper to Sell.

And offroad if it's rougher than a gravel road the non-low vehicle will do it a lot rougher, faster and more violently.. (you'll have to hit things harder)..

[Bytemrk]

Not sure which specific models you are looking at but I notice playing around on Land Rover's site that an SE SDV6 is about $12K more than the TDV6 in WA.

https://landrover.webqem.com/driveaway/#?range=Range%20Rover%20Sport

I also notice d that it is possible to choose a low range option when buying TDV6 (According to the Build your own site.)

Build your RANGE ROVER SPORT - Models (http://rules.config.landrover.com/jdxl/en_au/l494_k17/)

No idea what the pricing is doing it that way.... but it might be worth at least asking the question.


Mike's point above is very valid.

[DazzaTD5]

Out of the 4 new model Range Rover Sport I have on my books, one has low range and goes off road, out of the other 3, 1 has been off road once as the customer asked me "what does it do off road?, and where is off road?", the other 2 have never even been up a curb, saying that plenty of previous model RRS/Discovery 4 all fall into that never been off road.

One customer had a single range model but it didnt pull his big fishing boat (ship) through heavy sand, or rather the system decided it had exceeded the vehicle limit, its something like that. He sold it and got one with a low range and now does everything he needs. Seriously though keep in mind the boat (looks like a ship to me) he pulls is a monster of a thing and he also drives it very hard, Its chewed out its first set of brake pads AND rotors at 50,000km (thats a $1600 job).

The other RRS with no low range, I took the customer to a lonely isolated spot and gave her the invoice for the service, but while we was there climbed some decent sand hills (to show her what "off road" is) and honestly it ****ed it in better than just about anything I'd thrown at it before, way better than a new Defender TDCi (puma). At the end of it, the customer said "oh (long pause) so I can do that (long pause) I guess that might be good (long pause)" its never been off road since.

So 1 out of 4 customers I have takes their $160K vehicle off road, while thats a unrealistically small sample, its prolly close to being in the ball park for truth.

If you are doing moderate to medium off roading you prolly wont be disappointed with a single range model, BUT I'm too old school (like most here) and wouldnt consider a large Land Rover model with no low range. At least its there when you want or need it and will make you one of the big boys. Because if you get a single range, Range Rover Sport stuck all people will see is a Range Rover that got stuck.....

Regards
Daz

[Graeme]

I also notice d that it is possible to choose a low range option when buying TDV6 (According to the Build your own site.)I couldn't see where an e-diff could be optioned but only had a quick look. Is it in the off-road pack?

[Bytemrk]

I cant see the e-diff either Graeme

The off road pack adds:


Terrain Response 2
Twin-speed transfer box
Adaptive Dynamics
All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC)

[Graeme]

I cant see the e-diff either Graeme

The off road pack adds:


Terrain Response 2
Twin-speed transfer box
Adaptive Dynamics
All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC)


No Llams listed either - maybe I should talk to LRA.

[Bytemrk]

:D

They don't know what they are missing Graeme ;)

[catch-22]

Shane, why not go a 200 series? Excellent on sand, huge choice of tyres and a resale that can't be beat by any land rover.

Sure it's not what you asked, but though I'd add it anyway.

[rar110]

I've never needed low range on sand in the tdv8 L322. The SDV6 specs probably exceed that in my 2008 model.

[SBD4]

Well, from someone who has a single range RRS and taken it off road once, I can say, spend the money and get dual range. The Price difference is 10K or there abouts is worth the peace of mind knowing you can handle any situation.

While people may say the Evoques and Discovery Sports seem to manage, they are much smaller vehicles whith out the weight of the Sport.

My experience was not good - after doing two rutted climbs, one tiny, the other bigger but not long by any means, the third hill attempted 20 mins after the first two resulted in an overheated transmission. In between the 2nd and 3rd climb was a 5 min stop, very gentle driving and one tiny creek crossing.

The amount of throttle I had to use to make the climbs was very disconcerting, its just what was was required to overcome the braking from terrain response.

There was never going to be any torque converter lock up under those circumstances, ground speed was way too slow for the engine revs being used. Result, over heated transmission.

I farwelled the Disco 3/4 drivers and settled in for 1/2 hour rest before setting off back home. Funnily enough I took a wrong turn and ended up going up a hill steeper and longer than the others with out any issues what so ever, the only difference was I did not use any TR setting.

The yellow warning triangle went away the next day.

The difference between driving my 2010 D4 with LR and the RRS without is like night and day. I completely regret not getting low range although my justification for my decision at the time was I did not do enough off road to warrant it. Now, I will not do any until I get a different vehicle.

Oh, and talk of the eight speed having an extra low 1st is rubbish.

If I had a backwards facing boot, I would be kicking my own arse.

After all that, it is still a very nice car to drive. I enjoy it "On Road" and keep it clean and unscratched.:D

[Shane_O_16]

All good insights so far...thanks all.

It seems that All Terrain 2 with LR is the more compelling way to go even though for single range the TDV6 is good.

Food for thought for me but the fact that might seal it is that i would hate to have spent big money only to have that risk it doesn't do what i want.

The process continues

[Disco-tastic]

Here is a video of SBD4's RRS up the smaller hill he was talking about. It did it more smoothly than me in my 2008 D3, but you can see how the D4's with low range (and all their different driving styles) can do it easier.

https://youtu.be/ryjy7hWcJFw

His car wasnt stopped because it wasnt capable. It stopped because the transmission overheated, due to the gearbox not having a suitable gear for that speed and terrain. Extended periods of slow ascents requiring traction control (i.e wombat holes) were too much for it.

Cheers

Dan

[SBD4]

Your son breaks me up Dan!

Some might say I needed to keep a consistent throttle position but it was quite difficult to do that because it needed quite a bit to get going which when it did, would start to go too fast and when the throttle was slightly released it would slow dramatically - very hard to control. TR hard those brakes on hard.

[Tombie]

Buying a Full Sized Land Rover without Low Range is like hiring a Hooker for a cuddle.

[emoji6]

[DazzaTD5]

SBD4 (Sean) gives you some great actual experience of owning a single range RRS. While from regular offroaders point of view they may well put that video into the class of moderate off road, its still a decent hill that would see plenty of lessor vehicles fail. So if your off roading is like that hill or more, then as most have quite rightly pointed out having low range is going to be the go.

If it was my hard earned dollars Id be looking at if you could get a base model with an optioned transfer case (lets face it, a base trim model RRS is going to be better equipped than most others anyway)

Or of course you could look at a top level Jeep Grand Cherokee WK2 CRD for round $76K (base model Diesel is $57K) I'm not being funny here or stiring ****, overall a great option.

Regards
Daz

[scarry]

The second hand market in a few yrs time is also going to get interesting,particularly as the D5 or what ever it is called may go down the same path,depending which models arrive here.

Blind freddy can see what is going to happen...."i bought this 4yr old RR Sport,it was cheap,i got a bargain.After the trip to Fraser next Easter,we are heading to the Cape":eek::(

And yes we are taking the van.....

[DiscoMick]

Will also be interesting to see how VW Amaroks without low range are regarded in the future.
I just spent a week on Straddie's Flinders Beach and only needed low range once while towing the camper up a rise in soft sand in the heat, but momentum doesn't cover every situation, so LR is an important backup, I think.

Sent from my A1601 using AULRO mobile app

[ozscott]

The Amorok has gone out to lunch in soft sand before now...auto overheats and it's lights out. I back up a 2 tonn boat up a steep hill into my driveway and until they make a second reverse gear low range for this is the only way to fly. Most people don't tow in sand. There is a very big difference between driving your laden vehicle in deep soft stuff in mid to high 30 degree days and doing the same thing with a 1.5 tonn plus trailer on the rear...you NEED low range. Cheers

[scarry]

The Amaro isn't really a heavy duty 4WD,it may be ok in a bit of mud on a building site,or taking the kids to soccer training,but that is about it.

Talking about Autos that overheat,a mate of mine had a Paj,it used to stop when the auto overheated,not much fun on the beach:(