Land Rover Range Rover Sport

grommet

The sound system is far from "great" on both RRS & LR3. I guess it's better than average for automotive "stock"... but it's not even close to an affordable aftermarket system. The bad part is you basically need to live with it... like many modern vehicles, it's too integrated with the vehicle. A totally parallel install would be necessary.

umbertob

Is there a way to make the navigation "lady" shut up while on a call with someone? I am using Bluetooth and the nav voice just keeps yapping away - at full volume - when I am talking to someone. My wife is already suspicious...

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Umberto B

british_rover

You can turn off voice guidaince from the settings screen on NAV or just turn the volume down. The easist way to turn the volume down is the next time the NAV "lady" starts to talk turn the radio volume control and it will reduce the volume of the NAV guidance.

umbertob

Thanks british rover, that (lowering the volume as soon as navigation speaks during a phone call) is what I do now. However, I wish it would mute automatically, just like the radio does. It seems like this could easily be implemented in a future software revision of the interface, like adding a button in the settings menu allowing you to automatically mute voice guidance while the phone is in use.

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Umberto B

ginga

Hey Umberto, can't you just turn off the voice guidance by doing a voice guidance off command or you really want it on just not during phone calls...I turned it off altogether to keep my wife from thinking that I had a sexy brit in the care with me.

Have you found anyone that can enable the disabled features of the navigation controls so that I can have a passenger change the destination without having to pull over....

Ginga

bigdwarf

Final throes of deciding between an X5 and RRS. Convinced RRS is a superior car but worried about reliability tradeoff. Have been a BMW car owner for 10 years, never had a problem and after sales in UK/Europe is great. Browsing through this and other forums, it appears that with LR I need to be wary of:
1)generally unresponsive after-sales service;
2)air suspension problems;
3)leaking sun-roofs
Is this a fair & more or less comprehensive characterisation of major issues I may face with a new RRS (I'm ignoring the phone & nav issues at the mo)? :confuse:

lexi4

I have the rrs SC Vesuvius. Have driven the X5 and have recently owned LEXUS 450 then 470. The rrs is the sweetest ride I have ever driven or owned. The X5 owners all speed up to pass me after I have passed them. The straight line ride is awesome even with the 20s and cornering is sports car like. DVD player in the rear entertainment can play dts or dvd audio disks so with the 6 cd changer up front, the six dvd changer in the back and Sirius satellite, FM and AM I have all the options I need and I can cruise. NO service issues yet. Nav works great. All of US on one disk.

umbertob

Ginga, I normally find the navigation voice very useful, except during phone calls. I think it is a simple interface "goof" and should be easy to fix, if Land Rover is listening. AFAIK, every other car manufacturer offering integrated navigation and phone / Bluetooth does mute spoken navigation instructions (along with the radio) when a call is made or received, and resumes them automatically upon hanging up.

On a positive note, I noticed yesterday that Caller ID works - with phone number only, no names - through my Bluetooth connected Moto V710 (Verizon). The telephone number of the caller does appear on the radio LCD when the phone rings, unless the number is blocked (private) in which case nothing shows on the LCD. I don't think there is a way to answer a Call Waiting using the car controls, though.

FYI, after a LOT more miles driven in the past few days (1000 miles on a 9-days old car, ouch!), mostly around L.A. and Pasadena including quite a bit of city driving, my average MPG are down to 16.7, still not bad. Also went to the car wash and did not notice any leak at all from the sunroof, thank goodness.

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Umberto B

grommet

I suggest you bug LR if you want Navigation to mute while calling... if enough people complain, I guess there is a slight chance they'll fix it.

Yes, Caller ID works... but you need a cradled phone to see the name (phone book access). Call Waiting and 3-way Calling also requires a cradled compatible phone; Bluetooth connectivity won't support it.

fratkid21

thus far no problems here, after 2 months and 2200 miles.... the leaking sunroof people should demand the lemon law be explored.

cfiallo

UP DATE:

My car is still at the service department ( 3 weeks now), they replaced the sunroof with a new one... and it is still leaking. I have asked Land Rover for a new car and they are refusing. Looks like I'm going to have to get an Attorney. I'm very unhappy with the customer service from Land Rover. Let me know what's going on with your car.

grommet

You really don't need an attorney if you are in a state with a decent lemon law. Nobody fills out profiles here. If your issue falls within the "lemon" guidelines, it's fairly painless.

Remember... they are a business and can't just "give you a new car" at the drop of a hat if it's something that can really be fixed. Obviously a :lemon: if they really can't.

dwax1

does anyone know if its possible to get a cradle adapter for a blackberry 7200? thank you. also, mine is just a week old and i have an annoying squeaking sound that occurs when i am on a bumpy road, anyone experienced this? thank you, dave

fratkid21

yeah, get the lemon law book and go from there... are they atleast giving you a loaner car in the meantime?

LandRoverOwner

There is no cradle for a blackberry. Blackberrys do not work with the LR PTI system. It's not just "not approved," it won't work at all as far as I know.

3lakeswi

I have 1,300 miles on my RRS and have pieces falling off! The light above the license plate falls out and won't stay in and the rear trim piece on the "D" pillar fell off. Oh the joy. Is this typical? What is this thing going to look like at 130,000 miles??

roverelvis

So my local Land Rover dealer got word that I had bought a Land Rover at another dealership and called me to ask why I didn't want the one I had put a deposit on at his dealership and what they had done wrong. >

The local guy told me that he would not offer me a loner car if I had my RRS in for repairs since I bought it at a different dealer, is this right? It doesn't sound right but this is my first Land Rover so I thought I'd ask.

stever

You don't owe the dealer any explanation for why you didn't purchase there.

I think loaner cars are at the dealer's discretion; check out the corporate link:

Land Rover - Benefits of Owning

If your service experience isn't up to par, call the LR Concierge and complain loudly. :-)

Steve, Host

roverelvis

didn't expect all of this in-fighting and these ominous phone calls from a luxury car dealer. It's like the local dealer is going out of his way to show me how crappy my service is going to be locally

thanks for the scoop

gpl1

What dealer are you working with? I have had excellent service for both our 2003 RR and our recently delivered RR Sport SC with Land Rover of Southampton. I note that the service from Land Rover of Manhattan is not as good.

rstrathman

Hi, did you get the luxury package? Did you buy it from symes in pasadena? If you say your average mileage is "down to" 16.7 what was it averaging? I have a x5 4.8is and the best i can get is 16.5 mpg

Randy

umbertob

Yeah, I got a white HSE with every available option from Symes Pasadena, very nice people, good service dept (loaner cars, open on Sat) and down the street from where I live. My average mileage seems to have somewhat stabilized around 16 to 17 mpg. For a handful of days after I first got the car I drove lots of freeways and was avegaring nearly 19, but I did not expect that to last. I only wish the gas tank was bigger.

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Umberto B

british_rover

Land Rover of Manhattan is a factory owned store. So it is owned by FOMOCO not a dealership group.

dwax1

the blk berry works but only sometimes. what are the best phones to use? thank you. dave

umbertob

So I sent an email to Mark at Overfinch USA (happens to be here in L.A.), explaining my gripe with the inability of programming the navigation system while the Sport is in motion, the annoying Caution screen that pops up every time you start the car in navigation mode, the front LCD screen not showing video/DVD from my RSE even when stationary. I also asked him if there was a TV tuner available for this car (they had one for last year's Range Rover) and the price of those nifty looking dual exhaust tips I saw on their web site.

Nothing he can do for the navigation system and its "nag" screen. However, he would happily upgrade my video to allow DVD viewing on the front LCD. For 1500 bucks, that is.

For 1500 bucks I figured I can hire some guy to drive me around while watching DVDs on the back seat, even while in motion.

For those who may be interested, no TV tuner is available (not yet, anyway) for any 2006 RR or RRS, and the dual exhaust tips cost $750.00.

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Umberto B

7277466

Does anyone know where I can find aftermarket accessories for the sport?

umbertob

Besides the OEM accessories available through Land Rover dealers there does not seem to be much available in the aftermarket yet. Probably still too early for a vehicle that just came out a couple of months ago. Check on eBay every now and then, usually this stuff shows up there first...

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Umberto B

umbertob

Speaking of Overfinch:

http://overfinch.com/?node_id=1.4&article_id=28&SessionToken=c83346bd93ffc9b06c7090ff381a2- 153

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Umberto B

lookinforhelp

I just posted this message on the lease discussion thread, but I thought I might get more feedback here. In short, if anyone knows of any So Cal dealers that will honor the X Plan pricing (Ford partner pricing) on a RRS SC, please let me know.

MSRP is the best deal I can find andthose dealers don't have anything available (shocker).

Thanks.

rstrathman

sounds like a nice ride. I was looking at the silver and also bonnetti grey rrs they had at symes. There is just one thing that is really bothering me about this car........The horrible volvo like head rests that push your head forward like your trying to dig your chin into your chest!!!! What gives with this??? This was actually a deal breaker for my girlfriend last weekend and i left so frustrated that they couldnt be adjusted back even slightly. I understand that this is for support and safety reasons, but there are many cars that are just as safe that dont kill your head position. anyone know of a work around?

Randy

heli_doc

A few questions have come to mind before I make my purchase and having read a few articles and test driven the cars:

RRS vs RRS with supercharged engine(SC)- certainly noticed the difference in performance and the much better brakes in the SC on the test drive, but my dealership mentioned that on newly ordered SC RRs that the dynamic response system was no longer available- was this a mistake or accurate?

With the phone (PTI) does anyone know if my cingular treo 650 with blue tooth will work ( I am reassured that any phone with BT will work) Did not sound right to me.

Anyone else bothered by the heavy tailgate? i guess the window lift up option is nice for my wife.

Can you get a rear view video camera for the rr sport?

Anyone purchase the tent ( day) that LR sell with RRS? Is it easy to set up and is there a reason they call it a day tent???

Cheers,

bgreig

Only a selected list of Bluetooth phones work. The dealer will have a list. As the part inside the vehicle is Nokia, most on list are Nokia. It did not work with my Blackberry, but does with a Motorola Razr I had to buy as a result.

No backup camera.

edkunkel

Look at the Insurance Institute's web site on rear crash tests. IT IS ONLY the Volvo type seat that can be trusted to not break your neck in a crash --

The new Mercedes system may be OK, but it is untested. The BMW system uses another explosive air bag behind your cranium all the time, and is again untested.

Rear crashes can be bad. And they are harder to avoid, by sheer driving prowess. Thank the Nordic gods of seats for the Rover's lay out. Or if you want to avoid paganism just thank God.

dubsac

heli_doc - you are lucky to have driven a supercharged model. Here in South Florida, all the dealers I have contacted only have HSE's to test drive. Every dealer I have spoken with has told me that all the supercharged cars they are getting in are sold. I went to LR Fort Lauderdale this past weekend as they did have a showroom demo of a supercharged model, but they wouldn't let me drive it.

Anyone who has driven both, please comment on the differences for those of us that cannot test drive a SC model.

Thanks

umbertob

I did test drive both in July at a dealership in Southern California, early on a Sunday morning. They had just received their first batch and had not even started selling them yet at the time, so I was just lucky I guess... When I went back to purchase my HSE three weeks ago, there were no SC available to test drive - or for sale - anymore.

Anyway, I definitely could feel the extra HP on the SC version. but found the regularly aspirated engine to be plenty strong (and still do). The SC did not snap my neck back as I half expected. I just could not justify spending the extra 10K for a comparably equipped SC over the HSE for that extra second off the line and some extra large wheels. I mean, for that kind of money you are still going to get smoked at the stoplight by most other "sport" V8's out there such as X5s, ML500s, FX45s, Porsches, even Volvos. Dynamic Response is the one standard option on the SC that I really wish I had on my HSE - but could not get because for some silly reason Land Rover thinks US customers don't care about it. The brakes seemed just as excellent in both versions during my test drive, but circling around a few blocks certainly did not allow me to do any aggressive driving.

In other words, I find the SC overpriced for the marginally better performance it offers, but that is only my opinion. Had the SC come with an extra 50 horses I would have seriously thought about it, though.

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Umberto B

lookinforhelp

Umberto-

I agree that that the SC price is rediculous and it sounds like you are satisfied with the HSE, loaded with options, instead of the SC, but do you ever see an SC drive by or otherwise wish you spent the extra $ for the SC?

umbertob

I live in a gated community near Pasadena and have already spotted 1 silver SC and 1 silver HSE in front of the garage of two residents! Honestly, I was going to get my HSE in Zambezi silver as well, but I changed my mind after seeing how popular this color seems to be. I have seen perhaps a dozen HSE's around LA freeways, seems like all of them are silver, dark gray or black. Other than the one inside my gated community, I have not spotted any SCs on the road yet, but this does not surprise me since they seem to be in short supply. That's a smart thing for Land Rover to do IMHO, but I am very happy with my "pedestrian" HSE with all the goodies.

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Umberto B

lookinforhelp

Umberto --

What color do you have? And which would you pick between the dark gray, dark blue or black?

Thanks

lifeisgood

I took delivery of my RRSport-HSE in June. I am very happy with the purchase because of the combined sport and luxury DNA.. I think White is the best color on the RR Sport because it really enhanses the lines and profile of the vehicle. I resently had my first accident in forty-five years of driving and I impacted hard enough to set-off the air bag. I have minor damage to the point I did not break the headlights or grill, but I find getting parts is difficult for such a new vehicle. The RR Sport is so much fun to drive that it is driving me crazy not having it to drive. I spend a lot of time analyzing a vehicle before I make a final selection and the Sport has met ever expectation, including frontal impact. I am in the early stages of evaluating my next vehicle to buy, but so far there isn't anything that I can find that compares to the Sport, so I will wait until the next generation Sport comes to market. My spouse is eyeing the Audi Q7, but it is to early to judge if the vehicle has both sport and luxury DNA.

umbertob

I got a Chawton white HSE. I am not a big fan of dark colors (l live in Southern California, so there are practical reasons as well....), silver was as dark as I was willing to go. With that said, I think the black Supercharged - with its silver front grille and side vents - is absolutely stunning, although it will quickly look dirty, like any black car. I also thought the lighter blue (I think it is called Cairns blue) with beige interior way a classy and original combo for the Sport. By the way, it is easy and relatively inexpensive to replace front and side grilles on an HSE with matching silver pieces from the SC. If you end up getting a black or dark gray HSE I would highly recommend it.

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Umberto B

lookinforhelp

Someone please tell me if it is worth it. That is, I have a 2004 Denali -- love it; would not consider any other vehicle, but then LR came out with the RRS SC.

Denali was a buy; have 5 years to go on payments. Considering a 4 year RRS SC lease that increases monthly payment by $300+ more than Denali, but I can write off part of the lease.

Money overall is about even, but I would own Denali (even though I have never owned a car more than 5 years),

It comes down to fun factor and overall enjoyment of vehicle.

What would you do and why?

Thanks!

jdidion

I have a RRS-SC. I need to put some winter tires on it. It has the stock 20" wheels on it currently. I have called a couple of dealerships asking for recommendations, but none could give me much. Has anybody heard anything?

Thanks!

dubsac

Umberto - thanks for the input on HSE vs SC

Has anyone seen a Vesuvius (Orange) RRS? It is only available on a SC model. I am leaning towards the Bonatti Grey for myself but considering other options as well..

umbertob

The Vesuvius is (was?) a limited edition RRS SC (with some other unique features other than the color, such as special rims, polished interior wood trim, etc.) You will probably have a heck of a time finding a new one available here. From what I understand, most dealers in North America got their meager allocation of Vesuvius (like 1 per dealer...) with the first supply of Sports back in late June, and I am sure by now they are all spoken for, despite high markups - one member of this board mentioned his local dealer wanting something like $20K above sticker for a Vesuvius. I don't know if Land Rover plans on making more in the future, I would not think so.

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Umberto B

jdidion

The markup on the one I ordered was $30K. I passed on the Vesuvius, but did buy a silver SC. Love it, so far! I was in the dealership a couple of weeks after buying my SC and the Vesuvius was gone! I asked the sales associate if they got the 30K and he said YES! OUCH!!!! He said the guy just had to have it!

JD

british_rover

I have seen the Vesuvius orange Sport and it looked good. I thought I would hate it but after I saw it I did like it but I don't think it is a vehicle I would drive. We sold our First Vesuvius Orange Sport for 5000 dollars over sticker. We have not gotten our Second Vesuvius Sport yet it is due in sometime in November or December not really sure. Our marketing manager really likes us so she got us a second one some how.

I have also seen the Sport in Bonita gray and in my opinion it looks boring. The front grill, side grills and door handels all blend in. The bonita gray might look ok on an SC Sport but not sure.

dubsac

Update - I test drove a Vesuvius Supercharged RRS today at LR South Dade. The SC acceleration was quite impressive, and it felt better around corners than the HSE I drove a week ago.

What was astonishing to me was the markup they put on the two SC models they had for sale. They were asking $94k for the Vesuvius and $93k for the Zambezi Silver one in the showroom. The salesman told me they were putting 22 inch (aftermarket) wheels on all SC models they got, and only selling them in packages this way. They also had $2k charges for chrome lettering on the front and other nonsense to jack the price up. I also placed a call to the North Miami dealership and the guy I spoke with told me the same thing - at least he was up front about it though. Only in Miami!

If you live in South Florida and are interested in a SC model, avoid the Miami dealers. I recommend LR Fort Lauderdale - I am placing an order for a Bonatti Grey / Ebony SC model with them today for MSRP - no ridiculous markups!

ddt

Just took delivery of my RRS HSE

Bonati Gray / Ebony
Luxury Package
Bluetooth
Differential
Satelite

Love it so far 24 hours and counting.....

lexi4

One of my best friends always owns a Denali, nice truck. I had had Lexus LXs for the last 8 years, a 450 then a 470 and fast cars before that. I took delivery of a Vesuvius SC after putting a deposit down after the auto show. Now I have both a 4x4 truck and a fast car. Looks and complements everywhere. Let a local cop take a drive in it the other day. Need to pass, no problem. Dvd audio from the rear entertainment system, awesome. Although much of the time, windows down, listening to the exhaust and supercharger. Looks and feels fast just rolling. Suspension is a little stiff but corners unbelievably for a big vehicle. 15mpg. But a sweet ride. Brembos are dirty though. Hotels give you the spot next to the Ferraris out front. So the answer is.. to me, absolutely. Just hope it is reliable and so far so good.

grommet

Not that odd. First limited edition Vesuvius I saw/test-drove here (Northern California) sold for $20K more than MRSP a week later. "Instant gratification" supply/demand is great for dealers. They didn't put ridiculous wheels or more forced profit accessories on it, though.

'Round here, if you want to wait... MSRP is the norm... but for in "on the lot" vehicles, it's another story.