Yes, true and fair comment. But the fact remains it is capable when asked.
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I haven't been bothered by lag very often, but once when I was supposed to be moving into a gap it was frightening to be honest. It coasted slowly in front of the car already in the lane and just kept slowly rolling waking up at the last second just before the other driver would have collected me.
Another rolling slowly on a straight road in town, in heavy traffic, the traffic in front cleared and I went to accelerate and Nothing Happened. I'm not Daniel Ricciardo with the reflexes, yet I had time to think "Oh, it's that lag thing again, ease off the pedal because it's going to take off in a second, nope nothing happening, whack it into sport and see if that helps, no that doesn't seem to be helping, check the fuel, have you run out? Whatever, I better hit the hazards and make for the side of the road" and then it just woke up as if nothing happened.
It was wasn't a "lag" it was a total freeze. A computer somewhere was doing that whirling symbol your laptop shows when ijust before you do the force quit and reboot.
Glad it has happened only a few times in a few years but I approach entering into traffic very carefully now and hope I don't ever forget and slip onto a roundabout in front of someone who you would normally think was far enough away.
Mine is not a diesel 4x4 ... it has the heart of a Jaguar ... It's just as nippy in Sydney traffic as any car maybe moreso because I can see better. Not that I need to nip that much, normally I just indicate and folk make space ... I think that's because it is white.
My experience is with the 2.7TDV6 (D3) and now the 3.0SDV6. Plus various other diesels I have driven over time. Whilst the lag has been reduced over time, it is still there.
Having also owned (now I do need to confess) a V8 LC Sahara, I know that the petrol engines have different behaviour. The petrol V8 was much more "zippy" than the diesels (no surprise there....) but also much more thirsty...
My 2.7 D3 has a little bit of lag from a standing start. If I want to quickly get into traffic if found the easiest way around it is to quickly throw the left foot on the brake and give the engine 1200-1500 rpm just before your ready to take off. Gets the turbo working just before you take off and turbo lag is no existent
In a D3 just plain sand mode works a treat.
I've actually done that at traffic lights on steep hills in my D4, when trying to work out this lag issue. And the car takes off hard.
I agree that this technique could get the turbo (or primary in the 3.0L D4's case) on lots of boost but is it possible that it's also interacting with the gearbox in some way? ... as in the transmission reacts to the building torque in the engine, thus removing any question of doubt in it's "the gearbox's" mind. So this translates to no hesitation .... just go!
Just a thought.
Either way .... it's pretty easy to get used to and automatically work around .... but it would be really, really nice if LR could just get their **** sorted :wasntme: