Range Rover TV ad: What do YOU think about it?

[Green Hornet]

My cardiologist told me I was NOT allowed to buy a Land Rover.

Simply TOO stimulating.

The good news is that I can continue base jumping and auto racing.

[Nugget9k]

Originally Posted by SweetDaddyD

Even on the pro Range Rover message boards it's hard to find people that have much good to say about them. Every owner I've known has several stories of being left stranded. Several thousand $$$$ repairs. etc.

They "offroad" too lol in case they get out of a mall parking lot.

Range Rovers are for city people who like the idea of owning an "offroad" vehicle, but will never do it. Anyone who actually goes trail riding or off-roading, knows that it would probably perform about as good as an H2. We don't have many rovers in my area but it is HILARIOUS having a group of guys in beat up trucks in the $2K-$10K range just putting by a stuck $50K Hummer... hehe.


But then again I am from PA... perhaps they may not perform so bad in drier environments.

[texige]

So how many people are criticizing a car they have never driven or owned? I have had 5 Rovers and they are alot more fun and practical than your typical 7 or S Series and comparing the RRS to a Subaru is a joke.

The RRS is comfortable, it can take 4 friends or family members and a bunch of ski gear, mountain bikes or tow jet skis to your destination and be enjoyable to drive in the mountains along the way. Probably a higher percentage of RR owners have taken their car offroad than guys driving around in Turbo Porsches who have never exceeded 120 or taken their car to the track.

[SweetDaddyD]

If you have ever had a friend that has had cancer, it doesn't mean that have to have it yourself to know you don't want it.

[SweetDaddyD]

One Fewer - Decide what I should do with my Range Rover Sport » Blog Archive » Range Rover Sport, soon to be off the road forever

Thank God. Someone plans to take one of these monstrosities off the road, after moving to the city and no longer needing it. (no, not off roading, just not tarting up the roadways anymore).

[glb]

Originally Posted by texige

So how many people are criticizing a car they have never driven or owned? I have had 5 Rovers and they are alot more fun and practical than your typical 7 or S Series and comparing the RRS to a Subaru is a joke.

SDD nailed it.

I drove a truck for a living as a kid. You'd still have to pay me to drive even a veddy expensive British truck.

I would offer that a Subaru is demonstrably better in snow and slippery conditions. LOW MASS = easier to control, easier to start, stop and turn.

Told this story before: Toyota exec engineer friend always takes a Camry, Avalon or Corolla in snow; he has access to all their vehicles. People ask why he didn't take an SUV. He answers: "Because I wanted to get here"

Same engineer, snow-covered rt 380 with jackknifed semi blocking most of it. He drives onto steep median in Rav4 to get around it. No problem. RR tries to follow. Falls onto its side!!.....too high cg.

Originally Posted by texige

The RRS is comfortable, it can take 4 friends or family members and a bunch of ski gear, mountain bikes or tow jet skis to your destination and be enjoyable to drive in the mountains along the way. Probably a higher percentage of RR owners have taken their car offroad than guys driving around in Turbo Porsches who have never exceeded 120 or taken their car to the track.

do you realize how many GOOD, RELIABLE vehicles can do the same?? And, get better mileage.

Assumption on yr part here. Not analogous situations anyway.

Sorry...

[texige]

I don't get how the SUV haters try and convince themselves that a 4 wheel drive car with no lockers, highway tires, little clearance and only electronic traction control gets better traction than a RR or G with 2 or 3 lockers and M&S tires. Pull off the road into 2 foot of snow and your Sub will be permanently stuck. I know, I've done it. Once again, since you have never driven a RR or G you really don't know. I do agree that a good driver in a Subaru will do better in snow than a bad driver in a RR and there are plenty of idiots in RRs getting stuck because they don't know how to drive. As for reliability, my Rovers had less problems than my Exige.

[glb]

Originally Posted by texige

I don't get how the SUV haters try and convince themselves that a 4 wheel drive car with no lockers, highway tires, little clearance and only electronic traction control gets better traction than a RR or G with 2 or 3 lockers and M&S tires. Pull off the road into 2 foot of snow and your Sub will be permanently stuck. I know, I've done it. Once again, since you have never driven a RR or G you really don't know. I do agree that a good driver in a Subaru will do better in snow than a bad driver in a RR and there are plenty of idiots in RRs getting stuck because they don't know how to drive. As for reliability, my Rovers had less problems than my Exige.

t -

1. I think M&S tires fit on lots of vehicles. I've had Audis that allowed axle-locking, too.

2. I actually don't "pull off the road into 2 foot (sic) of snow". This is a strategy I heartily recommend.

3. With 6" or so of snow on the road, I'll take a lighter vehicle with a lower cg, thanks. And, this is a more typical situation, isn't it?

4. I am glad your Rovers haven't caused you trouble, but statistically they are the LEAST reliable cars sold in the US. This has been true for many years.

Personally, I cannot pay a premium for this characteristic. I'd take a Land Crusher or something better if I wanted a truck.

[texige]

Originally Posted by glb

t -

1. I think M&S tires fit on lots of vehicles. I've had Audis that allowed axle-locking, too.

2. I actually don't "pull off the road into 2 foot (sic) of snow". This is a strategy I heartily recommend.

3. With 6" or so of snow on the road, I'll take a lighter vehicle with a lower cg, thanks. And, this is a more typical situation, isn't it?

4. I am glad your Rovers haven't caused you trouble, but statistically they are the LEAST reliable cars sold in the US. This has been true for many years.

Personally, I cannot pay a premium for this characteristic. I'd take a Land Crusher or something better if I wanted a truck.

Actually I no longer have a RR. I now have a G 55 Mercedes. Skiing at Santa Fe over Christmas, I was faced with a choice of pulling into deep snow in a parking space that the snow plow didn't get or parking a mile down the mountain and letting the kids walk. When leaving, I first let the electronic 4 wd do it's thing and the G didn't budge. I hit all three lockers and it pulled out like no big deal. When I was in college, I drove all over the Rockies in a 2002 BMW with summer tires and never got stuck but I also live on a Ranch and rock crawling in a Subaru doesn't seem like a good idea.I also attend NORBA races and can't begin to fit everything in a Subaru and I don't like putting $10,000 bikes on the roof. It's funny to see people talking about RR reliability on a Lotus forum. The new RR is far more reliable than my experiences with my Lotus however I still love the Lotus.

[Flash G]

As a multiple Range Rover owner, I have to say that Land Rover has made vast improvements to the quality of the Range Rover over the years. My previous Range Rover was a 4.6 HSE. It was rock solid off road but had horrendous electrical problems.

My Range Rover Sport has been bulletproof when it comes to mechanical issues. I've had one air suspension fault that was quickly fixed by the dealer. Only one problem in two years of ownership. That's better than any other car I've ever owned including both Lotuses.

The Range Rover sport gets knocked because people assume that it's less capable off road. That's just not the case. With the proper tires, the Sport has nearly the same capability as a full size Range Rover. The new "Terrain Response System" is amazing in action. But you have to know what you're doing, and I'm sure most sport owners don't.

The Sport is VERY capable in low traction situations (ice, deep mud, ruts, gravel etc..) if the settings are correct and the driver knows what he's doing.

It's amazing that a vehicle that handles so well (for an SUV) on road is also very capable off road. Anyone who's never owned one or driven one really has no right knocking it. It's a great vehicle.


.

[Brian 111]

Originally Posted by glb

How people get suckered into these is beyond me.

There's a dealer 10 minutes from my house, so I went to look at them last fall since I've been planning to get a tow vehicle for a while.

They gave me a brochure http://www.landroverusa.com/us/en/Ve...nfoBlockLink_2 about accelerated depreciation, and raved that with the tax advantage and their loaner cars it was the best deal going; I could drive a Rover cheaper than virtually anything else on the road without risk. They said if I sold it in 4 years I'd almost drive free.

I wonder how many suckers fall for that.

[glb]

Originally Posted by Flash G

As a multiple Range Rover owner

Can't you find a 12-step program to cure this??

Originally Posted by Flash G

The Sport is VERY capable in low traction situations (ice, deep mud, ruts, gravel etc..) if the settings are correct and the driver knows what he's doing.

It's amazing that a vehicle that handles so well (for an SUV) on road is also very capable off road. Anyone who's never owned one or driven one really has no right knocking it. It's a great vehicle.

See SDD's pithy "cancetr statment", above.

Listen, I've had plenty of cars on ice, mud, ruts, gravel and they all were fine; FWD, RWD, even my friggin' Elan (suprisingly good in snow, btw).

And, some of us have learned to avoid mud, ice, gravel, ruts, etc. A valuable skill...

Personally, I've also learned to avoid driving TRUCKS.

I'm just kidding you, as I'm sure you realize....

....but "great vehicle"?? It's overpriced, overweight, gets horrible mileage and is the single least reliable* vehicle in the country. Apparently, we have somewhat different criteria



* numbers don't lie.

[glb]

Originally Posted by texige

Actually I no longer have a RR. I now have a G 55 Mercedes. Skiing at Santa Fe over Christmas, I was faced with a choice of pulling into deep snow in a parking space that the snow plow didn't get or parking a mile down the mountain and letting the kids walk. When leaving, I first let the electronic 4 wd do it's thing and the G didn't budge. I hit all three lockers and it pulled out like no big deal. When I was in college, I drove all over the Rockies in a 2002 BMW with summer tires and never got stuck but I also live on a Ranch and rock crawling in a Subaru doesn't seem like a good idea.I also attend NORBA races and can't begin to fit everything in a Subaru and I don't like putting $10,000 bikes on the roof. It's funny to see people talking about RR reliability on a Lotus forum. The new RR is far more reliable than my experiences with my Lotus however I still love the Lotus.

tex-

Bearing in mind that we have different viewpoints:

1. Parking lot: So, you're dragging that beast around all year, using > than your fair share of oil, polluting extra too, just so your kids didn't have to walk? Did you consider dropping them off, then parking? Don't they need the exercise?

2. I don't know what "rock crawling" is. Is this something you do for fun or something you must do?

3. The bikes can't get wet or is this a security issue? Bike locks?

4. WOW, your bikes must be nice. I've been biking to town recently, after yrs of no biking. Is it a bad sign when, at the two mile mark, one's legs burst into flame?????

What do your bikes weigh? My bike is likely older than most members here, circa 1971.

5. Hey, I had a 2002, too, and a tii. Rotten in the snow w/o a bit of wt in trunk, but I loved them nonetheless. Two 80 lb bags of blacktop mix (it didn't spread if the bag broke) at the very rear of the trunk added almost 10% of the car's wt where it would afford the best traction. My wife's 76 Corolla would go really well in the snow using these.

6. Statiscally, RR is worst car in US.

I don't mean to offend, it's just too much fun tweaking RR & G drivers. I laugh and/or shake my head even more at the Gs in NJ, as no one here even gets them dirty..

Again, if you guys are happy, I'm happy for you. But, my opinion isn't likely to change.

[SKYVUE]

Thanks for your opinions on the Range Rover, both pro and con. No prob!

The OP (me) wanted the opinions of the commercial itself!
You know, the guy jumping from a cliff, the pianist and the driving the Range Rover "aggressively"? I can't STAND that commercial (showing a guy driving a SUV like a nut combining piano and parachuting and a bit of matial arts...)

Now, if it was a LOTUS in the commercial, I'd...nah...
NO, the same craziness, no matter vehicle is plugged.
And the channel plays the same ad, back to back! Augh!

Now, I mute it with the remote!

--Hal

[glb]

Hal -

I know how you feel. Everything I watch in on DVR or vcr so i can avoid all commercials.....and save about 20min/hr.

-g