My new Range Rover Sport - first impressions

[Diego Luego]

It's fast, quiet and smooth. It says "Drive me a very long way - very quickly!", and it just does not sound like a diesel, in fact you can rarely even hear the engine. Best of all it incites jealousy every where I go.

It's deceptively BIG. It is as long as my Defender including bull bar and rear spare wheel, and it's wider.

Despite the two vehicles being so very different, driving a RRS has a lot of similarities to driving a Defender. I really did feel at home, and confident, right from the beginning. Many of the controls are in the same place and the seating position is similar.

Being a very experienced Land Rover owner, I spent a couple of hours going over the RRS thoroughly, looking for assembly faults, and for anything else I was not happy with. I only found these:

The tow pack.
A reasonable person buying a vehicle with a tow pack would expect to be able to tow something straight away. Wrong!:thumbsdown: If you spend $100G+ on a RRS then an extra $500 for the tow pack you still need to buy the (Hayman Reece compatible) tongue and ball assembly. Do Disco 3 owners get treated the same?:question: I find this to be misleading advertising.:mad:

Rear Tail Gate Seal.
The inner rubber seal on the tail gate door is kinked in each corner. Presumably over time this will stop it sealing properly. The service department looked at it then told me that it was normal. Should I accept this?:question: I looked at a few other brand new RRS on the show room and they were all kinked but not as badly as mine.

Don't get me wrong it is a wonderful vehicle, and a delight to drive, but for the price it should be perfect.

[WhiteD3]

It's fast, quiet and smooth. It says "Drive me a very long way - very quickly!", and it just does not sound like a diesel, in fact you can rarely even hear the engine. Best of all it incites jealousy every where I go.

It's deceptively BIG. It is as long as my Defender including bull bar and rear spare wheel, and it's wider.

Despite the two vehicles being so very different, driving a RRS has a lot of similarities to driving a Defender. I really did feel at home, and confident, right from the beginning. Many of the controls are in the same place and the seating position is similar.

Being a very experienced Land Rover owner, I spent a couple of hours going over the RRS thoroughly, looking for assembly faults, and for anything else I was not happy with. I only found these:

The tow pack.
A reasonable person buying a vehicle with a tow pack would expect to be able to tow something straight away. Wrong!:thumbsdown: If you spend $100G+ on a RRS then an extra $500 for the tow pack you still need to buy the (Hayman Reece compatible) tongue and ball assembly. Do Disco 3 owners get treated the same?:question: I find this to be misleading advertising.:mad:

Rear Tail Gate Seal.
The inner rubber seal on the tail gate door is kinked in each corner. Presumably over time this will stop it sealing properly. The service department looked at it then told me that it was normal. Should I accept this?:question: I looked at a few other brand new RRS on the show room and they were all kinked but not as badly as mine.

Don't get me wrong it is a wonderful vehicle, and a delight to drive, but for the price it should be perfect.

Yes, same deal with the tow hitch on the D3. Never had a problem with the rear seal or any of the seals for that matter, and we've seen a lot of dust and some water in our travels.

[Scouse]

The tow pack.
A reasonable person buying a vehicle with a tow pack would expect to be able to tow something straight away. Wrong!:thumbsdown: If you spend $100G+ on a RRS then an extra $500 for the tow pack you still need to buy the (Hayman Reece compatible) tongue and ball assembly. Do Disco 3 owners get treated the same?:question: I find this to be misleading advertising.:mad:
I thought the D3 & RRS came standard with the 'plough' attachment & the tow pack WAS the gooseneck.

[Diego Luego]

Nope, the so called "tow pack" is just the plough and the wiring, not bad value for $500 but is incomplete without the gooseneck.

[UncleHo]

G'day Diego Luego :)

I would be returning to the dealer, and requesting to know what they term as a "Tow Pack" AFTER checking with your friendly Nissan and Toyota dealers ;) then putting to them that for $100K +$500 you are entitled to the complete article or you will make enquiries with Fair Trading ;) then see what happens.

cheers

[Bigbjorn]

G'day Diego Luego :)

I would be returning to the dealer, and requesting to know what they term as a "Tow Pack" AFTER checking with your friendly Nissan and Toyota dealers ;) then putting to them that for $100K +$500 you are entitled to the complete article or you will make enquiries with Fair Trading ;) then see what happens.

cheers

Quote the Sale of Goods Act to them. The goods are not of merchantable quality if unfit for their intended purpose.

[juddy]

I really love the RRS, the only thing that looks a dogs breakfast is the spare tyre, drive behind a RRS, and it look awfull, lurking at the rear, bad design....

[stevo68]

Hmm interesting, unless I am getting confused, but when I got my D3, I got the part that "plugs" into the vehicle, which I am assuming you are calling the "plough" part...plus I got the towball part...did you not get the towball part?

Regards

Stevo

[simonl8353]

I'm sure on here we'd all like to see a pic or two of the new RR please :)

The part your missing and after is technically called a "Trailer Ball Mount". (photo below of a basic one)

I had to buy one for my D2 in January.

An LR dealer stocked the "official" kit which also included all the electrics and mount (both of which I didnt need) at $157, not bad really.

But for $149, I ended up grabbing something from Auto Barn because it had 75mm of adjustable drop and was about 300mm long (to extend past the spare wheel so I can attach my bike rack).

Anyway, all that aside, you have a $157 problem (probably $100 at cost). I'm sure they would just give you one if you asked, real nicely, but with a hint of a threat in yer steely eye.;)

[Diego Luego]

I already have a trailer mount with a long goose neck, but is has a pin mount for my camping trailer. I just thought a brand shiny new one with a tow ball would be useful for normal trailers (just in case). I will go and talk to them.

Just to be absolutely clear my RRS is MY08 but looks exactly the same as all the MY07s, I can't see any differences. But I will take some snaps.

[Searover]

Thats very disappointing on that sort of purchase.

Tongue, ball and adptor plug supplied by dealer in a bag with my D3.

Mybe your next purchase you'll take a trip to Albany WA

[DI5CO]

I sell VW's :D & the factory fitted towbar for the Touareg doesnt come with the tow bar tongue or tow ball either. It says it in the brochure that its not included. When I cost a deal up, I always include the tongue & ball. (Who would buy a tow bar & not have the tongue) Check the brochure again & see what it says, the salesperson SHOULD have explained that. Depending how much you crunched, they should have included it. If you crunched heaps, then they wouldnt include it.

[drivesafe]

I just had the tow pack fitted to my FFRR and it didn’t come with the tongue and ball BUT I still had the tongue and ball from my previous FFRR.

The tow pack is a little more involved than just plugs and wiring ( like that found on COMMON vehicles ), the installation hardware includes a CAN interface, allowing for communication between the trailer wiring and the RRS’s computer.

[CaverD3]

My D3 came with wiring and a plough (tongue receiver) but no tongue and ball. The tow point is too low so you need to reverse the ball on the tongue.
or better yet get a Mitchell Bros one. (they do a RRS one a well without the recovery point)
but you can't plough with it.;)

[p38arover]

Just to be absolutely clear my RRS is MY08 but looks exactly the same as all the MY07s, I can't see any differences. But I will take some snaps.

At least they label it correctly. My wife is looking at the new Forester which was released earlier this year. It is called the 2009 model! :eek:

Now I'm going away to sulk because I don't have an RRS! :(