Thread: 'sigh' underwhelmed by MY12 TDV8

+1 on dealer service.

Justa relevant anecdote. I had a Defender TD5 a few years ago and currently have a 94 Classic Rangey. I am cogitating a newer vehicle and considering either a new defender or a diesel 95 Rangey (budget issues). I can go for the simplicity of the defender or the comfort and complexity of the Rangey.

I popped into a dealer in a major Victorian city and the conversation went like this:
Me " I am looking at a Defender. I had a TD5 but my wife hated it due to the cabin noise, I want to see if the Puma is quiter and how the drivers seating compares".
Salesperson "I am not surprised. Your wife is right, they are all horrible. The new one is no different".
Me "really? The LR marketing and the general consensus seems to be that they are significantly quieter. In your experience is the current Puma quieter?"
Salesperson "No. They are the same and the drivers position is more cramped due to window motors."

WHAT!!!
They had only one Defender 110 in stock and it was parked in by wall to wall Evoques. I persisted and had them start the motor but no test drive was offered and the vibe was quite unfriendly. They appeared to have no second hand vehicles at all. Maybe he was trying to sell me an Evoque? Upsize a defender?

I worked in sales for many years and this experience was pretty strange. I can only think the whole dealer network is demotivated. Poor management? Freaked out by Tata?

Makes me want to consider other brands.

My dealer in Launceston must be a bit of an exception. I always get great service there and a free loan car (which is always is someting new like a FL2, D4, Benz C Class or Suby Liberty). Bought my last 2 Discos from them and the sales department is equally good.

I don't know about anyone else, but I received a survey conducted by AC Neisen on behalf of LR Australia about dealer service a couple of days ago. So that would be a chance for you guys to voice your low opinion of the dealer network to head office

ULR , Damon, has been pretty good, but other experiences there are less positive.....to say the least.

Both Porsche dealers in Melb have been a revelation in sales. They both knew their product backwards/forwards/sideways. The V8 S, we drove, is Ok, but I reckon the diesel is quieter and feels just as quick, more relaxing maybe. On 19" rims the various sport/comfort settings made very little difference. Porsche says only worth it if you run 21" rims. Porsche options are stupidly priced [compare same to VW!] & everthing is an option.

The Toe-rag MY12.5 is a bargain, but not as nice inside or out IMHO.
Certainly no RR.

Lots of traffic in LR dealers, all about the Evoque, they must be dying for the L405's details to be released.
When I said a price on a L322 had better be good or I will come back in 6 months and really go for the crunch, he wasn't laughing. LR will struggle to shift L322s now.

[QUOTE=harlie;1705448] .

As for the dealers, I don’t know how they are selling anything. LRA have retracted the network, many parts of the country that had dealers now don’t, while the likes of VW are expanding, which means you can get parts & servicing for your VW, Audi, Skoda even Bentley virtually anywhere. And the attitude is mind blowing (at least here in BNE).
QUOTE]

A friend (still) has a top line VW sedan turbo diesel. Lots of dollars for not much car in my opinion. It died electronically near Boulia whilst under warranty. He lives on the Sunshine Coast and it is his business vehicle. Up until then he thought the sun shone out of it. Got towed into the dealer in Mt. Isa who did their best to help but really had no idea. The dealer staff cheerfully admitted they had never sold or even seen one before, and had no parts whatsoever. One guy even said no-one out there would ever buy anything like this. The dealers people, the local auto electronic gurus all tried and failed. VW had it trucked to Brisbane where it took several weeks for the locals and visiting VW technicians to resolve. Engine assembly was in and out like a honeymoon doodle according to the now completely offside owner who is awaiting the end of the lease period to lease another make.

Unless they have appointed one lately, Land Rover do not have a dealer in Queensland west of Toowoomba. Next dealer is in Darwin if there is still one there.

Well the Canberra Landrover Dealer is also the VW dealer. The VW sales side (different to Landrover) didn't even know the difference between a Tiguan and a Tourag when I was thinking about getting a Tourag - that experience confirmed my RRS was a good idea.

I don't believe there is a Landrover inspired systemic lack of service at Landrover - in my experience the same applies anywhere - more the people not the system.

Garry

Well we went for a long drive in the TDV8 LUX today. Better drive than last car, seemed more effortless, the roads were rougher and it handled them very well. Still annoys with the small bump shudder and noise. The rolly polly and slow steering are its nature. Lovelly at 80kmh, quiet and smoother, but not a corner lover.
Its not telepathic around corners like the Cayenne was. I could not get to terms with the steering. Its a bit slow, so you over turn too much, then have to unwind a bit of lock.
I am sure that with time it would be Ok, like the old days,pre load up the classic and then you could drive it around the corner!

Also my wife is a bit on the short size and found the seats squab was hard against the back of her knees. Neither of us found the seats that soft & comfy, again the Cayenne was better. Porsche do good seats.
The rear space was great, the rear A/C very good, 19 speaker sound was quite impressive as well.....but.... not for us.

Sad day as I am a RR lover from way back, maybe the L405 will have better driving dynamics, in fact it better have them!

Like most RR owners we don't need brilliant good off road dynamics. Its snow and general dirt for us, and the Cayenne is pretty good off road. I can also have 21" blings around town and 18" rims for winter tyres or dirt trips. It has locking center and rear diffs.

If we had three kids rather than two it would win for the extra space.

So hiho hiho its off to Cayenne Diesel we go. Now to find a well specd diesel or the order path. If you get the chance, go drive a Cayenne diesel on a twisty road, pretty amazing!

Thanks for your comments, could easily be back in a few years for change over to a L405.

Interesting, we considered and drove the Cayenne Turbo when replacing our last L322.

I really didn't like the Cayenne at all, the interior felt like sitting in a chintzy bar in a Vegas hotel lobby. It wasn't as bad as the Merc ML63 admittedly which felt very cheap inside with the materials used, but still nowhere near the tasteful quality feel of the Vogue. That may have been down to the lurid black/red colour choice of the Cayenne we drove but it did not sell me at all.

The engine sounded lovely, proper spitfire roar when planted and the handling was very car like, but I still just couldn't get past the vulgarity of it - any time I caught sight of the reflection of it I just groaned at myself.

Ended up unsurprisingly going for the Supercharged Vogue and definitely not regretting it, will most likely be considering an L405 at some stage in the future.

Originally Posted by d3syd

My dealer in Launceston must be a bit of an exception. I always get great service there and a free loan car (which is always is someting new like a FL2, D4, Benz C Class or Suby Liberty). Bought my last 2 Discos from them and the sales department is equally good.

I don't know about anyone else, but I received a survey conducted by AC Neisen on behalf of LR Australia about dealer service a couple of days ago. So that would be a chance for you guys to voice your low opinion of the dealer network to head office

Just wondering if anyone from LRA reads this forum...

it's interesting to see the difference with the "Toyota" system and how the Toyota company ploughs $$$ into dealership training. I did some management consulting for a small but very effective dealer group in Toyota land and got some visibility to the comprehensiveness of Toyota's reach throughout their downstream supply chain and dealer management...it's most impressive. So off my own bat I wandered the showroom floors of several LR dealership here in Qld and NSW and asked a few questions ... something is very broken... It appears to be the case that LRA has no interest in expanding the business beyond the high-end boutique show it has evolved into today. It's a lazy business model and the legacy is evident in the majority of unsatisfactory experiences related previously here and in posts relating to other LR models .