Thanks for the link. That's one of the dealers close to me. I checked their page recently and they didn't have any info. They even have 3 in stock now. Cool.
Thanks for the link to the accessories site. One item I was looking for was the raised roof rack. Many of the rooftop accessories require the roof rack, but it was not listed as an accessory. As I tend to always be hauling big items, that is a mandatory accessory for me. Anyone know where to find it and what is the cost.
I never believe in paying MSRP for any car. For those of you who have purchased LR2's, what type of discount have you negotiated. There is more than 3k between MSRP and Invoice, so who is keeping the majority of that, you or the dealer? Curious
There was a "processing fee" of $399, but I told the dealer it was a deal breaker and he said they can remove it. The lowest quote so far that I got was $37200 OTD, which includes tax and tags. I was also told by the dealer that the price should go down as the novelty wears off.
I've always paid Dealers Invoice For all the cars I've purchased.
With the LR2 I paid MSRP (39,950 plus some fee's), but I traded in two car which they gave me $40,000.00 for, so I saved $3,500 in taxes. I owned very little in the traded-ins so I just financed $13,000.00 (plus interest) on the LR2, monthly payments $250.00.
3 weeks of ownership and this car feels great. for a heavy little pig (as someone mention earlier) it has very good acceleration from a stop and the engine handles the added weight very well.
that most Land Rover dealers are fairly small and don't do much volume. This is not a Toyota or Honda store and it is highly unlikely you will pay Invoice.
Also keep in mind this is a brand new vehicle and discounts will not be all that much. Invoice is just not a term that gets thrown around much at Land Rover dealers. None of our LR2s are going out any where near invoice. We are selling them right around MSRP to 500 dollars off.
I mentioned the Ford X-plan to the sales guy and got that price (see my earlier post for exact lease price breakdown). For those of you who don't know, X-plan is program for friends and families of Ford employees, or employees of a Ford Partner company. Each employee gets several PIN numbers to give out to people to purchase a Ford vehicle. If you go to:
www.blueovalforums.com
you will find all kinds of information about the plan. You can even post a PIN request, and hopefully someone will private message you one. These can be used on any Ford Motor Company vehicle (Mazda, LR, Lincoln, etc.) Then you can go to the dealer and say "I have an X-plan PIN...do you accept them?", and depending on the dealer, they should accept, and you will get the vehicle for under MSRP, with no fees (I think I got about $1500 off MSRP). This is one of the few ways I know to save on this truck, or any Ford ride for that matter.
The lease ad previously posted is interesting. If you go to their site, and search the stock number, they have only one with that number, and it is stripped down. Wonder what monthly price they could do on a more loaded-out one?
That LandRover dealers are fairly small as an excuse why they won't sell near invoice is not realistic With ownership by Ford, it is all about the top revenue line. So much so, that Ford held back the intro of the LR2 until April 2 (even though there was a relatively large inventory at the factory). They did this b/c Ford knew their Q1 earnings would be abysmal and that a Q1 intro of the LR2 could not turn it around. So Ford decided to hold back sales so they could be recorded in Q2. If you work for an LR dealer, ask the owner and he will tell you that is what happened. Pressure is on LR to sell and get volume, b/c Ford may put them on the block as they did with Aston Martin (sold to mideast investors and former UK operations guys). There is too much competition at the price point where they are trying to sell the LR2. That's why they are selling a maxed out car at a few dollars under 40K. To get that price, they had to cut some corners, no homelink, steel spare, no roofrails, no split glass on tailgate, no integrated NAV and other screens. They know that what others are comparing is what they can get off the MSRP and that will cut the deal. Somewhere closer to Invoice rather than MSRP will spawn more sales.
Thanks for that info. I haven't had a chance to go to the other dealers in the area. Do you know which of the dealerships service departments' has a good reputation. While the LR2 should be a good improvement over other LandRovers in terms of quality, the performance record is still unknown. So I would be good to know what dealer has the best service. With BMW's, BMW of Sterling has an excellent service department, while VOB has a poor reputation. So I wonder who in the Northern VA/MD/DC area has a good LandRover service department
Don't know about the service departments... I've tried researching online, but I'm not really finding anything. I think I'm gonna end up talking to strangers with LR's around town.
I've been emailing with sales guys from Alexandria, Tyson's, and Chantilly, and I've been to two dealerships in person, Alexandria and Rockville. Here's how they did:
EMAIL: Alexandria - They were very helpful and prompt when replying to my technical questions. I felt no pressure whatsoever.
Tyson's - Also very helpful and quick to reply. The sales guy put it out in the open that he is on commission, but never pressured me.
Chantilly - Maybe it's because I'm a child of an English teacher, but I have issue with poor grammar and spelling. The sales guy could not spell to save his life. And when I asked him technical questions, his answers didn't make sense... and I know very little about cars. Felt pressured to buy ASAP.
IN PERSON: Alexandria - After emailing back and forth, we went for a test drive. The sales guy let us have the truck for 30 minutes... on our own! Never had a solo test drive before!
Rockville - Another pet peeve... when I know more than the sales guy. And like I said, I know squat about cars! The info that I have, I've read from here, the LR website, and others. The sales guy said he worked at Volvo, but when I asked him what kind of vehicle the S80 is, he couldn't tell me!
If you find anything out, let me know!
PS. Anyone who has bought one, don't forget those of us who haven't bitten the bullet. Please list your purchase price, if you don't mind. Thanks!
Have roof rails standard. That is not unusual at all. Even a 95,000 dollar plus Supercharged Range Rover does not have roof rails availabe as either a standard feature or an option from the factory. You have to buy them as an accesory and that has been true since the 1980s.
SCARY...HMMM Maybe that is why the Electrical in the LR2 is HAVING PROBLEMS.. ?
Below is a quote from Message 326..
"Pressure is on LR to sell and get volume, b/c Ford may put them on the block as they did with Aston Martin (sold to mideast investors and former UK operations guys). There is too much competition at the price point where they are trying to sell the LR2. That's why they are selling a maxed out car at a few dollars under 40K. To get that price, they had to cut some corners, no homelink, steel spare, no roofrails, no split glass on tailgate, no integrated NAV and other screens. They know that what others are comparing is what they can get off the MSRP and that will cut the deal. Somewhere closer to Invoice rather than MSRP will spawn more sales."
UN-QUOTED My question is.."Has it been FORDS Intention to "PUT THEM ON THE BLOCK" for the last 4 years ? Reducing "Quality" of the Rovers, pushing the consumers away to give Ford the "Financial relief" possibly a "Contract" agreement when when they purchased Rover ? It would be interesting to see how the original contract agreement in the "Sale" to Ford was written, to see if there is a "Financial Clause" that allows them after so many years of Financial Hardships with Rover to " Put them on the Block", retiring the Rovers. I would hope someone like BMW would bring back the Rovers, creating a "Whole new Class" of Rovers built with the "Quality and Precission" that BMW puts into each Vehicle. Putting the "EUROPEN QUALITY" built in "EUROPE" BACK... It should NOT compete with the X5 or X3 because they should be in the "True off Road with the "Classic" features of the BMW but "Classic Rover interior with some BMW fluff. I would HOPE BMW would consider purchasing the "Falling Rovers" and give back the "RESPECT" they have earned prior to Fords purchase. Maybe even the "Queen of England herself, would Purchase this Company because they always use "ROVERS", a "ROYAL" tradition..I bet her Majesty would make sure they were Built to her Quality Expectations.
Since 2002,starting with the Freelander,it has been going down Hill.. and in 2006 The only 2 vehicles that were prior Quality SUV'S were at the top of the WORSE SUV'S in 2006, and Freelander came out with only having Problems.
It just looks like maybe it was FORDS PLAN to push the ROVERS out of the market or is is just that it is now being BUILT BY FORD and they have always been known as "Fix Or Repair Daily" vehicles. The Ford Taurus and other vehicles had actually started putting a QUALITY NAME to FORD.. A lot of their products are pretty good,maybe it is now just the "CUTTING CORNERS" because of their financial problems, putting them back in the "Fix or Repair Daily" name. But.. I know the S,SE HSE Freelander owners who put "Faith" in the SUV'S and $$$$$ TO keep them running would love to see the TRUE ROVER QUALITY back. I don't believe that the prior quality name would ever return until a "White Knight" puts the "Majesty Quality" back into ROVER...
You truly have no idea what you are talking about.
Rover's quality was worse when it was owned by BMW then it is now.
Rover's quality was much, much worse back before BMW owned them because they had no capital to improve the products. BMW provided a fair amount of capital to help rover do some things but mainly just bought rover so that they would not have to develop 4wd and SUV technology on their own. It was much cheaper to buy rover and use their experience to help design the X5 then to develop the X5 by themselves.
Once BMW had all the tech they thought they could use they dumped rover. There was a lot of animosity between Rover and BMW top managment and engineering. Things were done specificly to keep Land Rover vehicle launches/events from over shadowing BMW launches/events.
Specificly when the Linely Special Edition Range Rover was launched the X5 was being launched in London about the same time. BMW had the Linely Launch moved to a smaller less prestigious location so that it would not take attention away from the X5 launch.
Ford has put more money into Rover then BMW ever did. BMW spend about ONE BILLION USD for the initial development of the Range Rover. Ford spend over ONE BILLION USD for the LR3 and factory upgrades at Sollihul. Several hundred million more was spend deveolping the Range Sport and then even more was spend finishing the design of the Range Rover since BMW left it unfinished and then even more money was spent upgrading it for 2006-2007 MYs.
I haven't seen the data for the money spent on the LR2 but I am sure it is also in the hundreds of millions if not a billion dollars once you include the money for refitting Halewood for LR2 production.
Oh and Ford also spent money updating the Defender for 2007 although unfortunately it is still does not meet US emissions or safety. :sick: Eventually the Defender will get a full update and should meet US regulations then but who knows when that will happen.
The Defender was never touched by BMW as Land Rover brought it up to US spec for the 1993 introduction and then BMW let it die when the regulations changed for the 1998 MY.
I have a good question for you. Who designed the Original Freelander? If you want to lay blame on anyone lay blame on them.
I remember when BMW bought Rover, they put the RIDE in Rover it has now along with the ability to HUG the road. I believe BMW only bought Rover to "GRAB" the technology you mentioned, but it seems that ROVER is NOW all OVER the spectrum when it come to "QUALITY" being built back into it.The Design of the "Freelander" was "FORD".. They were the owners when it was brought to the U.S. Please Correct if this is NOT TRUE..
The Freelander was originally introduced in Europe in 1997 - long before Ford - the US spec was on the drawing board (hence Rover Car engine) under BMW ownership.
The Freelander started life as a joint project between HONDA and Rover back before BMW even owned Land Rover. This was back in the early 90s and the Freelander was supposed to be a twin to the CRV. Honda owned a 20% stake in Rover through the mid-90s.
As the project started to move along though Honda decided to use a 4 cylinder engine for the CRV and Rover wanted to use a small V6. The project became less and less about two twin vehicles and more about two vehicles sharing a limited amount of technology. When BMW bought Rover along with Honda's stake in the company in what was essentialy a hostile takeover bid. The Freelander and CRV were seperated before birth and shared almost no technology.
BMW bought Rover in 1994 so they finished the design of the Freelander although I don't know how much they actually had to do with it. The 4 cylinder diesel in the Freelander for Europe was actually a BMW engine. Production of the Freelander started in 1996 and ran into 2006. No Freelanders were brought into the US after the midpoint of 2005 as everyone realized what a problem car it was.
Good luck with your LR2. I drove the LR2 at night with the Xenons and in the corners you could really tell the benefit of adaptive Xenons. When you learn the price of the raised roof rack, please let me know.
Knowing how much Ford dumped into ROVER.. Do you think it might of nip away at the Rovers to enhance sales with Ford Products? Ford Escape was one of the most popular Suv's .. Below is a insert from a 2002 Add. To much competition in this market. It is like robbing from the rich to give to the poor. A conflict of interest is what I see.. A "White Night" with only the "Rover" interest at heart is what is needed.. COMPETITION
2002 Ford Escape More Photos
MSRP: $18,670 - 25,880
Invoice: $17,404 - 23,965
Class: Compact Sport-utility Vehicle
CG Award: (What's This?) 2002 Ford Escape Expert Rating Summary Category XLT Sport Rating (See All Ratings) Compact Sport-utility Vehicle Average Rating
Yes. 4 years/40,000 miles is the warranty, and Land Rover says you get free scheduled maintenance during your warranty period. We have this on our Volvo, and it is great. No worries about going to some Qwick-E-Change Oil Center...just take it right to the expert. Usually they will change the wiper blades, top off your fluids, etc. I get car washes at my dealer also. I appreciate the little extras like that kind of service.
And no, bg54, I don't work for Ford, Volvo, Land Rover, Mazda, Lincoln, or any other FoMoCo.
I think bg, however, you must work for BMW, because you HYPE how GREAT the ROVER COMPANY was when THEY were ASSociated with THEM, and how GREAT the QUALITY was when they WERE together...
Actually the warranty is 4 years 50000 miles. The sked maintanence is every 7500 miles or 6 months (whichever comes first) and they are complimentary thru the 45k as long as it is accomplished within 1 month or 1000 miles of the scheduled period.
I knew that he/she wouldn't actually know the correct answers to any of those questions and that by just blowing them out of the water with information they might shut up or at the very least change tactics.
From the above post looks like they went off on some tagent nearly six year old Escape pricing.
Free scheduled maintenance every 7500 miles during warranty period (6 free services). Only thing out of pocket is wear and tear items such as tires, brakes, wipers.
Yeah it is kind of obvious. I can put a LR2 on two wheels in that ditch but I plan to leave that parked there for a while I don't like leaving cars balanced on two wheels for more then a few minutes. It puts too much strain on everything.
I emailed all 5 dealerships in NC telling them what I wanted and asking for their best price since my local dealer wasn't willing to budge off MSRP. All but one wrote back telling me they were selling for sticker price and that I wouldn't find any dealership willing to go below MSRP just yet. The one guy that decided he wanted to make a sale gave me a loaded (all 3 packages) LR2 for 40k OTD (about $1600 below MSRP).
Drove it home last night and am extremely pleased so far. My main concern was the acceleration since I've been driving a 2004 BMW 330Ci w/ performance package for the past 3 years and was hesitant about whether I'd be able to transition to an SUV with average acceleration numbers. My mind was put to ease the second I pulled out of the dealership -- although 0-60 numbers are average, it sure feels very torquey and maneuverable around town. And I haven't even had to switch to sport mode yet to get the response I'm after.
My take so far -- very luxurious-feeling & fun to drive... although there are a few similarities to the Ford Escape in shape when looking at the rear end, I can't imagine how it could ever be mistaken for one. The front half of the car bears enough resemblance to the ranger rover to make anyone forget that the LR2 is related at all to the Escape.
I am also very pleased with the upgraded sound system. I've been using FM tuners for Sirius and my ipod in the bimmer (what a waste of the premium Harmon Kardon sound system, right?), so it was a whole new world being able to connect my ipod through the auxiliary port and not have to compete with the static of even the best radio station.
Let's see, what else.... like someone already said, the rear parking assist beep is easy to hear. If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to try my best to chip in.
Oh, and thanks for that link to the accessories site... some of those accessories seem a bit pricey, but I guess it's partly due to the fact that there probably aren't too many clone products out there for the LR2 yet... I'm thinking about scooping up that loadspace flexible liner for when I take the dog to the lake. Maybe I'll be able to get by with a separator gate and flipping the loadspace floorboard over to the non-carpeted side.
Does anyone have any experience with the various pet separators for SUVs? I have a 1.5-year-old, medium-sized (45-50 lbs) Boykin Spaniel who is all over the place. I need something to keep him in the back without letting him stick his face through and slobber on the rear seats . Any advice would be much appreciated, as I plan on keeping this LR2 very clean. Maybe I'll get a roof rack and strap him to the top!! *evil grin*
Thanks for the detailed information. 40K out the door is a great deal. I can't wait to connect my ipod to the sound system either. Hope you find a solution for your dog .
Good luck with your purchase and keep us posted as you learn all the benefits and quirks of the car.
I noticed if you email dealers they all come back at MSRP. When I called back one of the guys who emailed me, he was more flexible on price. Depending on your states sales tax and other fees added in, getting a fully loaded LR2 with the three options packages for 40k, is about right. You and dealer split the difference between MSRP and Invoice.
How do you like to NAV syste? While I thought the system was great, however I was disappointed that other information is not available on the screen but on that 2 line dim green screen. Since you had Sirius do you miss not getting all the info on one screen as you had before?
I agree with you on the acceleration, not great but torquey and responsive. As a guy who believes power gets you out of trouble, I think the LR2 will be fine.
For your pets, the best vehicle was the BMW touring (wagon), that had mesh nets come from the top of the back seat to the roof. If you braked quickly, the dog would not get hurt by the mesh net, similar to a cargo net. Aftermarket nets that are like that would be your best bet. rather than the metal grates I often see. Now there's an idea for a new product.
yeah, i too thought it odd they didn't put more thought into the UI on the big screen. I really haven't had enough time with the new Sirius interface to say whether I miss the info all on one screen -- i've mainly been listening to my ipod lately (and a little bit of Stern) ...
My dog is very stout and sending him into a metal gate on a hard brake would not even faze him. a very, very sturdy net might work, but if safety was the only difference between the two then i'm flexible since my dog is virtually impervious to pain, lol.
Anyone else tried out any of the adjustable gates from Petsmart or other stores?
btw - my first full day with my new LR2 was amazing.... i've seen plenty of folks almost running off the road rubbernecking trying to check out my ride! it's always fun to have the "latest and greatest" toys.... i've already had people asking me about it.
I picked up a new LR2 last Friday. Stornoway exterior with the tan interior and all packages (lighting, climate and tech). Got a good trade in price on a 2004 Nissan 350Z. Since I've driven it to work this week I must say I like it alot! I've driven the LR3 a few times (Hertz rentals) and this has a great mix of LR3 and Range Rover Sport in it...without the 50K plus price tag.
That sounds like a good price for a vehicle that's only been on the lot for a few weeks...
I had a Sirius Sportster previously that showed every bit of information possible, so I was curious what the little green LCD showed. With Sirius on, the first line is always the same: Station name and genre. This doesn't change. You can change the second line, however. In the satellite radio options menu, you can select what shows by default...artist, program name, etc. It doesn't need to stay that way, though, while a song is playing. It may only show the artist name (if you select this in the options), but you can switch it with one of 2 things: the green phone button on the steering wheel, or by pressing the right knob on the radio itelf. This will switch it so you can see exactly what is playing at anytime. Try it once...you can "scroll" through to see all the info about what's playing. You can also store up to 10 of you favorite songs. When a song you like is playing, go to the options menu, and select "store song", and it will remember that tune you liked. I don't know if it will alert you when a favorite plays like the Sportster... Sirius really sounds great through this system. I HIGHLY recommend the tech package, with the 14 killer Alpine speakers. Very clean sound.
Having the aux jack is great. Music from my Creative Vision Zen:M sounds awesome.
I got rid of my Sprint ppc6700 for a Palm Treo 700p. It pairs well with the LR2, but doesn't download my contacts to the car (a known issue). Call quality is good.
I like this SUV better and better every time I get in it...
I purchased mine last Sat. from Alexandria. I initially attempted to buy at Tyson’s but walked out of the dealership during price negotiation as the sales rep was adamant on selling at MSRP. Chantilly is a good dealership but had limited stock and I felt that they were a little to slick when they attempted to answer my questions concerning the vehicle. I emailed Alexandria with my pricing (per Edmunds and TMV) and offered 1K over invoice contingent upon their showing me their invoice pricing. They accepted and after validating their pricing and an extensive test drive, I was the proud owner of a new LR2 (Blk/Tan, CC, Tech). The invoice was 36,127. I paid 37,327 as I added the all weather floor mats. I cannot say enough about their dealership. No suits and ties; just very relaxed and pleasant. In addition, the sales manager and staff answered all of my questions and made me feel at home. I finally found a VA dealership that puts the customer first. They earned my respect and will keep my business. I highly recommend them. Good luck!
If you put all the controls on the nav screen then people will complain that there are too many screens. If you put in a seperate head unit then you will get complaints that you can't get all the info you want as easily and the interior looks cheaper.
You can't please everyone so you have to make a choice what you are going to do. The only Land Rover that has all of the audio controls on the NAV screen is the Range Rover. It is just more expensive to put it on the NAV screen so that is why the other rovers have a sepreate head unit. I personaly think it is easier to use the radio that way. Also it is much easier to dial hands free on your cell phone as the number pad is always up. On the Range Rover you have to hit a sepreate button to bring the dial pad up on the screen.
Thanks for the Sirius tips... I too have used the Sportster for the past 2.5 years and was wondering if the LR2 system would alert me to my stored favorite songs... I would think it would because otherwise, what would it be able to do with your favorite songs list? I'll play with it a bit and let you guys know if I find out any neat tips/tricks.
Speaking of neat tips/tricks, does anyone have any recommendations for other forums, accessories, or other websites with LR2 info?
As far as the phone features, I'm pretty disappointed that my Blade (Samsung A900) isn't even detected at all by the LR2's bluetooth scanner. I'm wondering if it is possible to update the phone's software to allow support, or if I should start looking for a new phone so that I can use it with my sweet new whip .
and yeah, i know how you feel about liking it more and more... an orthodontist friend of mine was checking it out today, and when i cranked up the stereo with my ipod plugged in, his jaw dropped to the floor. It's nice when someone with an H2, a Ferrari, and a couple other fancy cars gawks over your something of yours for a change!
Comments
Press
Press
INVOICE:
Vehicle
+Cold Climate Package
+Tech Package
+Destination Charge ($715)
= $35463
There was a "processing fee" of $399, but I told the dealer it was a deal breaker and he said they can remove it. The lowest quote so far that I got was $37200 OTD, which includes tax and tags. I was also told by the dealer that the price should go down as the novelty wears off.
Was this Rosenthal in Tysons?
With the LR2 I paid MSRP (39,950 plus some fee's), but I traded in two car which they gave me $40,000.00 for, so I saved $3,500 in taxes. I owned very little in the traded-ins so I just financed $13,000.00 (plus interest) on the LR2, monthly payments $250.00.
3 weeks of ownership and this car feels great. for a heavy little pig (as someone mention earlier) it has very good acceleration from a stop and the engine handles the added weight very well.
Also keep in mind this is a brand new vehicle and discounts will not be all that much. Invoice is just not a term that gets thrown around much at Land Rover dealers. None of our LR2s are going out any where near invoice. We are selling them right around MSRP to 500 dollars off.
http://media.bzresults.net/static/c/2141/uploads/advertisement-315657693.pdf
www.blueovalforums.com
you will find all kinds of information about the plan. You can even post a PIN request, and hopefully someone will private message you one. These can be used on any Ford Motor Company vehicle (Mazda, LR, Lincoln, etc.) Then you can go to the dealer and say "I have an X-plan PIN...do you accept them?", and depending on the dealer, they should accept, and you will get the vehicle for under MSRP, with no fees (I think I got about $1500 off MSRP). This is one of the few ways I know to save on this truck, or any Ford ride for that matter.
The lease ad previously posted is interesting. If you go to their site, and search the stock number, they have only one with that number, and it is stripped down. Wonder what monthly price they could do on a more loaded-out one?
The equivalent of $557/mo. with no down payment.. only 10,500 miles/year.. on an MSRP of $35,XXX..
With a short term lease, you can make the payment seem low, by jacking up the down-payment..
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
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I've been emailing with sales guys from Alexandria, Tyson's, and Chantilly, and I've been to two dealerships in person, Alexandria and Rockville. Here's how they did:
EMAIL:
Alexandria - They were very helpful and prompt when replying to my technical questions. I felt no pressure whatsoever.
Tyson's - Also very helpful and quick to reply. The sales guy put it out in the open that he is on commission, but never pressured me.
Chantilly - Maybe it's because I'm a child of an English teacher, but I have issue with poor grammar and spelling. The sales guy could not spell to save his life. And when I asked him technical questions, his answers didn't make sense... and I know very little about cars. Felt pressured to buy ASAP.
IN PERSON:
Alexandria - After emailing back and forth, we went for a test drive. The sales guy let us have the truck for 30 minutes... on our own! Never had a solo test drive before!
Rockville - Another pet peeve... when I know more than the sales guy. And like I said, I know squat about cars! The info that I have, I've read from here, the LR website, and others. The sales guy said he worked at Volvo, but when I asked him what kind of vehicle the S80 is, he couldn't tell me!
If you find anything out, let me know!
PS. Anyone who has bought one, don't forget those of us who haven't bitten the bullet. Please list your purchase price, if you don't mind.
The headlights on this vehicle are really great.
I have only had it for 3 days but have been delighted so far. Many positive comments received.
~t
X-Plan is at the discretion of the dealer for each model. It is not below MSRP. It is invoice plus 4% plus RAG (Regional Advertising) plus freight.
with no fees
Not true. D&H and ant state title fee are added, as are (Of Course) taxes.
Below is a quote from Message 326..
"Pressure is on LR to sell and get volume, b/c Ford may put them on the block as they did with Aston Martin (sold to mideast investors and former UK operations guys). There is too much competition at the price point where they are trying to sell the LR2. That's why they are selling a maxed out car at a few dollars under 40K. To get that price, they had to cut some corners, no homelink, steel spare, no roofrails, no split glass on tailgate, no integrated NAV and other screens. They know that what others are comparing is what they can get off the MSRP and that will cut the deal. Somewhere closer to Invoice rather than MSRP will spawn more sales."
UN-QUOTED
My question is.."Has it been FORDS Intention to "PUT THEM ON THE BLOCK" for the last 4 years ? Reducing "Quality" of the Rovers, pushing the consumers away to give Ford the "Financial relief" possibly a "Contract" agreement when when they purchased Rover ? It would be interesting to see how the original contract agreement in the "Sale" to Ford was written, to see if there is a "Financial Clause" that allows them after so many years of Financial Hardships with Rover to " Put them on the Block", retiring the Rovers. I would hope someone like BMW would bring back the Rovers, creating a "Whole new Class" of Rovers built with the "Quality and Precission" that BMW puts into each Vehicle. Putting the "EUROPEN QUALITY" built in "EUROPE" BACK... It should NOT compete with the X5 or X3 because they should be in the "True off Road with the "Classic" features of the BMW but "Classic Rover interior with some BMW fluff. I would HOPE BMW would consider purchasing the "Falling Rovers" and give back the "RESPECT" they have earned prior to Fords purchase. Maybe even the "Queen of England herself, would Purchase this Company because they always use "ROVERS", a "ROYAL" tradition..I bet her Majesty would make sure they were Built to her Quality Expectations.
Since 2002,starting with the Freelander,it has been going down Hill.. and in 2006 The only 2 vehicles that were prior Quality SUV'S were at the top of the WORSE SUV'S in 2006, and Freelander came out with only having Problems.
It just looks like maybe it was FORDS PLAN to push the ROVERS out of the market or is is just that it is now being BUILT BY FORD and they have always been known as "Fix Or Repair Daily" vehicles. The Ford Taurus and other vehicles had actually started putting a QUALITY NAME to FORD.. A lot of their products are pretty good,maybe it is now just the "CUTTING CORNERS" because of their financial problems, putting them back in the "Fix or Repair Daily" name. But.. I know the S,SE HSE Freelander owners who put "Faith" in the SUV'S and $$$$$ TO keep them running would love to see the TRUE ROVER QUALITY back. I don't believe that the prior quality name would ever return until a "White Knight" puts the "Majesty Quality" back into ROVER...
B.Gant
Rover's quality was worse when it was owned by BMW then it is now.
Rover's quality was much, much worse back before BMW owned them because they had no capital to improve the products. BMW provided a fair amount of capital to help rover do some things but mainly just bought rover so that they would not have to develop 4wd and SUV technology on their own. It was much cheaper to buy rover and use their experience to help design the X5 then to develop the X5 by themselves.
Once BMW had all the tech they thought they could use they dumped rover. There was a lot of animosity between Rover and BMW top managment and engineering. Things were done specificly to keep Land Rover vehicle launches/events from over shadowing BMW launches/events.
Specificly when the Linely Special Edition Range Rover was launched the X5 was being launched in London about the same time. BMW had the Linely Launch moved to a smaller less prestigious location so that it would not take attention away from the X5 launch.
Ford has put more money into Rover then BMW ever did. BMW spend about ONE BILLION USD for the initial development of the Range Rover. Ford spend over ONE BILLION USD for the LR3 and factory upgrades at Sollihul. Several hundred million more was spend deveolping the Range Sport and then even more was spend finishing the design of the Range Rover since BMW left it unfinished and then even more money was spent upgrading it for 2006-2007 MYs.
I haven't seen the data for the money spent on the LR2 but I am sure it is also in the hundreds of millions if not a billion dollars once you include the money for refitting Halewood for LR2 production.
Oh and Ford also spent money updating the Defender for 2007 although unfortunately it is still does not meet US emissions or safety. :sick: Eventually the Defender will get a full update and should meet US regulations then but who knows when that will happen.
The Defender was never touched by BMW as Land Rover brought it up to US spec for the 1993 introduction and then BMW let it die when the regulations changed for the 1998 MY.
I have a good question for you. Who designed the Original Freelander? If you want to lay blame on anyone lay blame on them.
Bev.
The Freelander was originally introduced in Europe in 1997 - long before Ford - the US spec was on the drawing board (hence Rover Car engine) under BMW ownership.
The Freelander started life as a joint project between HONDA and Rover back before BMW even owned Land Rover. This was back in the early 90s and the Freelander was supposed to be a twin to the CRV. Honda owned a 20% stake in Rover through the mid-90s.
As the project started to move along though Honda decided to use a 4 cylinder engine for the CRV and Rover wanted to use a small V6. The project became less and less about two twin vehicles and more about two vehicles sharing a limited amount of technology. When BMW bought Rover along with Honda's stake in the company in what was essentialy a hostile takeover bid. The Freelander and CRV were seperated before birth and shared almost no technology.
BMW bought Rover in 1994 so they finished the design of the Freelander although I don't know how much they actually had to do with it. The 4 cylinder diesel in the Freelander for Europe was actually a BMW engine. Production of the Freelander started in 1996 and ran into 2006. No Freelanders were brought into the US after the midpoint of 2005 as everyone realized what a problem car it was.
2002 Ford Escape
More Photos
MSRP:
$18,670 - 25,880
Invoice:
$17,404 - 23,965
Class:
Compact Sport-utility Vehicle
CG Award: (What's This?)
2002 Ford Escape
Expert Rating Summary
Category XLT Sport Rating (See All
Ratings) Compact Sport-utility Vehicle Average Rating
Acceleration 5 3.5
Fuel Economy 5 4.8
Ride Quality 4 3.7
Steering/Handling/Braking 5 3.7
Quietness 4 3.3
Controls/Materials 5 4.8
Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front) 6 5.0
Room/Comfort (rear) 5 3.7
Cargo Room 7 6.7
Value within Class 10 5.4
Total Score: 56 44.6
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
He's a she and I'm finding british_rover's replies illuminating.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
And no, bg54, I don't work for Ford, Volvo, Land Rover, Mazda, Lincoln, or any other FoMoCo.
I think bg, however, you must work for BMW, because you HYPE how GREAT the ROVER COMPANY was when THEY were ASSociated with THEM, and how GREAT the QUALITY was when they WERE together...
From the above post looks like they went off on some tagent nearly six year old Escape pricing.
Drove it home last night and am extremely pleased so far. My main concern was the acceleration since I've been driving a 2004 BMW 330Ci w/ performance package for the past 3 years and was hesitant about whether I'd be able to transition to an SUV with average acceleration numbers. My mind was put to ease the second I pulled out of the dealership -- although 0-60 numbers are average, it sure feels very torquey and maneuverable around town. And I haven't even had to switch to sport mode yet to get the response I'm after.
My take so far -- very luxurious-feeling & fun to drive... although there are a few similarities to the Ford Escape in shape when looking at the rear end, I can't imagine how it could ever be mistaken for one. The front half of the car bears enough resemblance to the ranger rover to make anyone forget that the LR2 is related at all to the Escape.
I am also very pleased with the upgraded sound system. I've been using FM tuners for Sirius and my ipod in the bimmer (what a waste of the premium Harmon Kardon sound system, right?), so it was a whole new world being able to connect my ipod through the auxiliary port and not have to compete with the static of even the best radio station.
Let's see, what else.... like someone already said, the rear parking assist beep is easy to hear. If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to try my best to chip in.
Oh, and thanks for that link to the accessories site... some of those accessories seem a bit pricey, but I guess it's partly due to the fact that there probably aren't too many clone products out there for the LR2 yet... I'm thinking about scooping up that loadspace flexible liner for when I take the dog to the lake. Maybe I'll be able to get by with a separator gate and flipping the loadspace floorboard over to the non-carpeted side.
Does anyone have any experience with the various pet separators for SUVs? I have a 1.5-year-old, medium-sized (45-50 lbs) Boykin Spaniel who is all over the place. I need something to keep him in the back without letting him stick his face through and slobber on the rear seats
Rob
I noticed if you email dealers they all come back at MSRP. When I called back one of the guys who emailed me, he was more flexible on price. Depending on your states sales tax and other fees added in, getting a fully loaded LR2 with the three options packages for 40k, is about right. You and dealer split the difference between MSRP and Invoice.
How do you like to NAV syste? While I thought the system was great, however I was disappointed that other information is not available on the screen but on that 2 line dim green screen. Since you had Sirius do you miss not getting all the info on one screen as you had before?
I agree with you on the acceleration, not great but torquey and responsive. As a guy who believes power gets you out of trouble, I think the LR2 will be fine.
For your pets, the best vehicle was the BMW touring (wagon), that had mesh nets come from the top of the back seat to the roof. If you braked quickly, the dog would not get hurt by the mesh net, similar to a cargo net. Aftermarket nets that are like that would be your best bet. rather than the metal grates I often see. Now there's an idea for a new product.
My dog is very stout and sending him into a metal gate on a hard brake would not even faze him. a very, very sturdy net might work, but if safety was the only difference between the two then i'm flexible since my dog is virtually impervious to pain, lol.
Anyone else tried out any of the adjustable gates from Petsmart or other stores?
btw - my first full day with my new LR2 was amazing.... i've seen plenty of folks almost running off the road rubbernecking trying to check out my ride!
Rob
I had a Sirius Sportster previously that showed every bit of information possible, so I was curious what the little green LCD showed. With Sirius on, the first line is always the same: Station name and genre. This doesn't change. You can change the second line, however. In the satellite radio options menu, you can select what shows by default...artist, program name, etc. It doesn't need to stay that way, though, while a song is playing. It may only show the artist name (if you select this in the options), but you can switch it with one of 2 things: the green phone button on the steering wheel, or by pressing the right knob on the radio itelf. This will switch it so you can see exactly what is playing at anytime. Try it once...you can "scroll" through to see all the info about what's playing. You can also store up to 10 of you favorite songs. When a song you like is playing, go to the options menu, and select "store song", and it will remember that tune you liked. I don't know if it will alert you when a favorite plays like the Sportster... Sirius really sounds great through this system. I HIGHLY recommend the tech package, with the 14 killer Alpine speakers. Very clean sound.
Having the aux jack is great. Music from my Creative Vision Zen:M sounds awesome.
I got rid of my Sprint ppc6700 for a Palm Treo 700p. It pairs well with the LR2, but doesn't download my contacts to the car (a known issue). Call quality is good.
I like this SUV better and better every time I get in it...
Chantilly is a good dealership but had limited stock and I felt that they were a little to slick when they attempted to answer my questions concerning the vehicle.
I emailed Alexandria with my pricing (per Edmunds and TMV) and offered 1K over invoice contingent upon their showing me their invoice pricing. They accepted and after validating their pricing and an extensive test drive, I was the proud owner of a new LR2 (Blk/Tan, CC, Tech). The invoice was 36,127. I paid 37,327 as I added the all weather floor mats.
I cannot say enough about their dealership. No suits and ties; just very relaxed and pleasant. In addition, the sales manager and staff answered all of my questions and made me feel at home. I finally found a VA dealership that puts the customer first. They earned my respect and will keep my business. I highly recommend them. Good luck!
You can't please everyone so you have to make a choice what you are going to do. The only Land Rover that has all of the audio controls on the NAV screen is the Range Rover. It is just more expensive to put it on the NAV screen so that is why the other rovers have a sepreate head unit. I personaly think it is easier to use the radio that way. Also it is much easier to dial hands free on your cell phone as the number pad is always up. On the Range Rover you have to hit a sepreate button to bring the dial pad up on the screen.
Speaking of neat tips/tricks, does anyone have any recommendations for other forums, accessories, or other websites with LR2 info?
As far as the phone features, I'm pretty disappointed that my Blade (Samsung A900) isn't even detected at all by the LR2's bluetooth scanner. I'm wondering if it is possible to update the phone's software to allow support, or if I should start looking for a new phone so that I can use it with my sweet new whip
and yeah, i know how you feel about liking it more and more... an orthodontist friend of mine was checking it out today, and when i cranked up the stereo with my ipod plugged in, his jaw dropped to the floor. It's nice when someone with an H2, a Ferrari, and a couple other fancy cars gawks over your something of yours for a change!