Range Rover Sport Td6
 

Drive a 2017 today.

It handles better than I would think. Great viability.

The engine is epic good. Wall of torque.

I’m going to drive JGC and maybe Cayenne diesels to compare?

(E61 replacement)

All of those SUV's appeal to me, certainly over Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator.

The Cayenne diesel was a near miss for me, I got very close, got very specific with specs, found it but could not pull the trigger.

1. The engine felt wheezy not healthy at times (likely due to dieselgate fix). The JGC diesel may have been a touch slower but the wall of torque was smoother at lower rpm. There are diehard Cayenne diesel owners rejecting the fix (even against mucho $$$ incentives).

2. The handling was better than the JGC, but still not quite good enough. The Macan is much better to drive (but of course smaller). One additional reason to size may be the transfer case. One thing I'm noticing with the Macanurbo is how much of the power going to the rear, something like 75 to 80% in conditions that would generate push/understeer. I think the Cayenne diesel shares the not as rear-biased but indestructible case of Touaregs and Q7 Audis, that may be cutting the fun. Cayenne S's and Turbos use the Macan transfer case, I'm not sure if they are as rear-biased, but I expect they would be. I never minded the handling of my v6 loaners. It does have better weight distribution than the Macan, but in the real world, when you drive it, the Macanurbo shrinks around you and approximates the old RS4 (without the glorious noise, but with a lot more tech and practicality).

The RRS Td6 is an attractive vehicle. I've been in an RRS, but not driven it. Nice, not-fussy interior. If I were in the market again, I'd consider it.

I do miss the JGC at times. How it swalllowed a 72" mini-couch whole. 29mpg on the highway and smooth pairing of torque & ZF8. But I don't miss its handling, and I had the air springs. Also some interior bits and pieces, especially that foot parking brake, drove me nuts. Definitely a rational choice and you can extend warranties to the moon with Mopar.

Did you try the BMW diesel in the X5? I want to investigate that also.

The sad reality for me is that a CPO E350 wagon might do the trick. I don’t think the SUV capability is really needed. That’s just for fun.

I owned a 2011 X5 35d for a flash. At the time my SUV "need" was more of a fancy, there were more AWD/manual machines on the market and I didn't have a big dog. That said, mine had regular suspension and seats, and as such was one of my least favorites above all listed. Recent ones may have improved... I'm always suspicious of xdrive, that said a bmw suv that interests me would be the ridiculously named x3 m40i. It's nearly as fast a macanurbo, has more space and has room for a spare.

I could see owning one of those as well.

My stepdad had a Cayenne Diesel, but he got rid of it before the Dieselgate fix was applied, so my only experience with it was in its original "illegal" state. It drove great -- nice mix of power and efficiency/range… We drove from Socorro, NM back to Scottsdale (about 450 miles) on just over a 1/2 tank...

My boss just got one of those. He seems to like it. Looks nice. I've seen a few around, so they must be getting popular.

Which?

The one thing that is a little scary is pulling into a Land Rover dealer and seeing a see of vehicles there for “service”.

Seriously. 2/3 of the lot was trucks there for service.

And RRS seats do not fold flat which broke the deal. (Dogs)

FC was referring to the X3 Mwhatever, I think.

The X5 seats don't fold flat either, not sure about the X3.

The X3 m4.0 is the only BMW offered that I would consider.

When tesla makes a car that I can put a dog comfortably in the back of and drive 300 miles to my lake house let me know.


Snarkiness aside, my coworker has a q5 3.0t and it is a real pleasure to drive. The transmission programing is waaaayyyy better than any BMW I've driven lately. Might want to check it out.

You just need smaller pets. My kid's rat fits in the Tesla easily.

80lbs, 60lbs and 40lbs.

It’s a lot. And there’s not a lot that can carry them plus whatever else.

While at the dealer I did see this: (new Jag wagon)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...bca0472e2e.jpg

My brother used to have a LR Discovery. The trans gave out on it (under warranty). For while his was in for fixing, he was given a loaner Discovery.

He gets that truck home and... wait for it....
The transmission in the loaner dumped it right there in his driveway.

From that point on - I have admired what they try to do - but not in my wheelhouse for anything I would ever consider. EVER.

Oh yeah the Jag wagon is sexy.

What about the Opel/Buick wagon?

I drove from AZ to OH in my Tesla with my dog and wine :cool:

I've not read anything that suggests that these are remotely enjoyable in any way.

I could not dispute this.

Lem, let us know how your drive with the Cayenne and JGC diesels go and how they compare to the RRS Td6.

On the Jeep, the Overland & Summit get a different (air) suspension. Cayenne air suspension is an option and rather rare on diesels. It drove like a tidy Touareg. Nothing fun but competent. The Jeep is competent around town and if you take it easy. If you push it (or if you have emergency avoidance like I had to endure), you might get it on two wheels... Which is primarily why I sold it. Other than

Once again, Macanurbo drives great town or highway, but the consumption reminds me of my v8 S4 in the low teens. With no trips and just local these last 170 miles, I'm getting 12, about double the consumption of the JGC.

Me too. I think it's now at the top of the list for my next car. It just checks so many boxes for me. The new X5 has started to intrigue me as well. Have a feeling it will ride better than the x3 and have more comfortable seats (yeah i'm getting old). Plus, it might (eventually) be possible to get a better deal on one since the x5 w/ the 3 liter turbo is the base model while the x3 40i is "special" with its m-sportiness.

Back to the original topic, I like the range rover sport as well- probably the best looking of all midsize SUVs. Have driven a couple of them - both v6 gas though. The infotainment is pretty slow and clunky, but the 17+ models can now have apple carplay /android auto installed through a software update so you can largely avoid the native interface. There's pretty limited storage space compared with many other SUVs of its size and a few ergonomic annoyances. Service costs are likely to be higher as well. Agree that it will likely have more issues than other vehicles, but it is a very handsome SUV and driving one makes you feel special somehow. Great stereo and leather as well. Fun car to drive despite the fact that it shouldn't be given the specs. Good residuals so might be possible to get out of it in a few years without losing your shirt.

The Jag wagon is beautiful but costs nearly as much as an RRS- and as much as I hate to admit this, I think I'd prefer the RRS.

sorry but what is a "macanurbo?"

macan turbo

oh

The X5 is not an exciting vehicle to drive, but it does everything else you need it to do very well. And it is comfortable and somewhat luxurious (5-series level).

I could not have it as my only vehicle. But as long as I have something fun to drive in the garage, it is the perfect complement. I suppose it's a tell, though, that even when I have to go to Costco, I will try to jam everything into my 2 series rather than take the X5.

I really disliked our e70 coming from the e61, but over time I have grown to appreciate it for all the things it does well. The size is good for 3 teen / 20 something kids across the back. The trunk holds our 60lb dog and a couple of weekend bags without cramping. The interior is comfortable and well layed out. Even with the n55 engine, it has enough power to merge and crusie at 85+ for long periods of time without wheezing. The only really bad component is the transmission software that takes forever to lock up when pulling away from a stop.

I will say getting the 3gt helped highlight how good the e70 is compared to the newer BMW offerings. That would be my concern with the new x3... even if the engine and interior are still good, the driving dynamics & feedback have deteriorated so far that it would be mildly unpleasant to drive. I saw a review that said the safety nannies further intrude on this area too with a very zealous lane departure correction system, etc.

The RRS is not super fun to drive either.

It’s just a British X5, to be honest.

Like some have written it’s appealing on a subjective level.

But I always go back to the 5er wagon and love it. That’s one issue. My distrust of Land Rover to build reliable vehicles is another.

Was just reading the motortrend car of the year winner genesis g70 and how it was better dynamically then the 3 series, sad.

Then it has to be a hell of a car ... I just spent the day driving the 340 and it really was great ... I can so live with that car though you guys would hate the steering ...

Also I have been reading the new 3er is going back to being more of a drivers car.

I am hopeful the new 3er can regain its old mojo. Everything I've read is its really good, but someone here will have to drive it and report.

I can believe that. The 2 series has everything right but the steering, and it’s a generation old. We also all know that there are vanilla versions of BMWs, and there are more hardcore versions. Perhaps they lost their way for awhile, but the 2 is a hopeful sign. If they take to heart the steering quibbles, and you spec the model right, there’s every reason to hope you’ll get a good, fun, practical car—which is all BMW has ever done well.

Might not apply anymore, but saw some crazy deals on the Jag wagons a few months ago on Leasehackr, and they were generally all in MA so maybe worth a call:

https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/emplo...msrp-77k/63391

General feedback is that the new X3, X5 and 3-series bring back better driving dynamics. New 5 is so-so in standard form but apparently really good as M5.

I love my new 540 and believe me I went in with very little expectations ... I thought my A6 was sporty (for a mid size sedan) and the 5er blows it away. I am finding myself driving almost too aggressively with the 540.

I have the sporty version with the dynamic dampers so maybe that contributes to it but the big picture is this car is fun to drive though again I will mention for a mid size sedan.

Yeah that seems to be the consensus. I remember that many of the press 540s that got tested were equipped with the 4 wheel steering which journalists always seem to dislike.