Is the Range Rover Sport the apex in arsehole wheels ?

[Sweet FA]

Is it an X5 then?

If you refer to the brilliantly excellent massive SUV 4x4 type motors, then yes.

 

[T & P]

If you refer to the brilliantly excellent massive SUV 4x4 type motors, then yes.

My boss owns an X5, which I have driven fairly often. I really don't get the appeal of it. Despite his claim of being a very useful car for a family with three young kids, the interior is surprisingly small for such a voluminous car.

I really do hate Chelsea Tractors, so perhaps I'm not the most impartial of observers. But seriously, what's the bloody point of them? If space is the issue, estate cars offer far more of it, as well as better performance and fuel economy I suspect- at least the German carmaker offerings.

 

[Spymaster]

A friend of mine had an X5 for years. It's a smooth, comfortable, powerful, car. I enjoyed driving it. The driving position is great and it feels big and safe around you. Pointless in London but I'd consider one if I lived in the sticks and needed to ford streams, or just needed a reliable motor to carry a family up and down motorways.

I've been considering a Lexus RX400h as my next car. Not sure yet.

 

[bubblesmcgrath]

A girl I work with has one of these.
She looks like a little child driving it.
It takes up a lot of space in the car park as we have to double park...and her monster never leaves enough room for others.

But ...I wouldn't say no to a lift home in it....just to see what all the fuss is about

 

[weltweit]

A friend of mine had an X5 for years. It's a smooth, comfortable, powerful, car. I enjoyed driving it. The driving position is great and it feels big and safe around you. Pointless in London but I'd consider one if I lived in the sticks and needed to ford streams, or just needed a reliable motor to carry a family up and down motorways.

I've been considering a Lexus RX400h as my next car. Not sure yet.

It is big and safe, for the people inside it, at the expense of those outside it including those in normal sized cars!

 

[Spymaster]

It is big and safe, for the people inside it, at the expense of those outside it including those in normal sized cars!

That's a stupid reason not to buy one if it's suitable for other reasons. They're engineered to crumple up to the same standards as any other car. Only a dickhead would avoid buying one because "it gives my occupants an unfair advantage in an accident". And is an SUV any more dangerous to others in an accident than a builders van or large estate car?

Stupid argument which could be applied to E Class Merc drivers compared to those in smaller cars, or Mondeo occupants compared to Smart car passengers.

 

[weltweit]

That's a stupid reason not to buy one if it's suitable for other reasons. They're engineered to crumple up to the same standards as any other car. Only a dickhead would buy one because "it gives my occupants an unfair advantage in an accident". And is an SUV any more dangerous to others in an accident than a builders van or large estate car? ..

corrected for you

 

[Spymaster]

Silly man.

 

[mauvais]

That's a stupid reason not to buy one if it's suitable for other reasons. They're engineered to crumple up to the same standards as any other car. Only a dickhead would avoid buying one because "it gives my occupants an unfair advantage in an accident". And is an SUV any more dangerous to others in an accident than a builders van or large estate car?

Stupid argument which could be applied to E Class Merc drivers compared to those in smaller cars, or Mondeo occupants compared to Smart car passengers.

They are significantly more dangerous, because aside from the mass, they're higher and therefore normal cars with crash resistance designed around similar height vehicles come off badly in accidents. Thus it becomes an arms race.

 

[Sweet FA]

I've had a few petrol estates & the X5 has more capacity & is cheaper to run than my last one (Mondeo). I drive to southern Spain & France at least 3 or 4 times a year with large dog+child+a fuckton of camping gear. It is more comfortable, more stable at high speeds, much less thirsty & generally a more pleasant place in which to spend 9-11 hours.

welty, you're being a berk

Otoh, I can't quite shake the feeling that I look like a massive wanker in it. Or the nagging sense that They Saw Me Coming with tyres at 280 quid. Each.

 

[Spymaster]

They are significantly more dangerous, because aside from the mass, they're higher and therefore normal cars with crash resistance designed around similar height vehicles come off badly in accidents. Thus it becomes an arms race.

Not the point. Of course there's a disparity in the relative safety of different cars, but in it's natural habitat, out of town, an X5 is also likely to run into something its own size or similar. And it's already an arms race and always has been. A Micra driver mixing it with Bahnhof Strasse and his 2 ton armoured shooting break is going to come second, as would a moped rider hitting the Micra. It's a very easily defeated argument and usually used by those with an agenda against SUVs.

 

[mauvais]

Not the point. Of course there's a disparity in the relative safety of different cars, but in it's natural habitat, out of town, an X5 is also likely to run into something its own size or similar. And it's already an arms race and always has been. A Micra driver mixing it with Bahnhof Strasse and his 2 ton armoured shooting break is going to come second, as would a moped rider hitting the Micra. It's a very easily defeated argument and usually used by those with an agenda against SUVs.

If I had to be hit by a car whilst in one, I'd much rather it was something with the same window line. Not sure about as a pedestrian, probably the same.

 

[Spymaster]

If I had to be hit by a car whilst in one, I'd much rather it was something with the same window line.

Depends on everything else. I'd rather be hit by an X5 at 30mph than Bahnhoff at 50, and SUV's are generally driven more sedately than sports saloons/estates, etc etc ...

There's far more to it than the height of the vehicles.

 

[dylanredefined]

Think I will stick with my Series 1 with the ragtop and roofsticks over that and my Series 1 looks better than that bloatmobile

Probably more comfortable, but, you could say that about water boarding.

 

[coley]

Especially the Land Rover bit. Worst car I ever owned by fucking MILES.

Best car I ever had, LR Discovery, TDI, had it 16 years from nearly new, 240k on the clock and the engine and gearbox still in reasonable condition but the dreaded 'chassis rust' got her in the end.

 

[coley]

Friend of mine with an engineering PhD says that diesels are a false economy due to maintenance costs etc. I believe him.

Never mind the cost, the pollution is the main reason for not driving them, got rid of mine as soon as the pollution reports started coming out.

 

[coley]

Indeed. I've driven older desiels for years now. I've noticed servicing costs to be particularly high and the higher cost per liter is a red herring considering how much more economical they are. Plenty of cars with better performance then my ancient 3 series, but when you look at how much more gas they drink to do it then I'm happy enough. Still plenty quick enough for me at any rate.

Servicing costs? Drove diesel land rovers for donkeys, oil, grease and filters at regular intervals and the jobs a good'un.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Depends on everything else. I'd rather be hit by an X5 at 30mph than Bahnhoff at 50, and SUV's are generally driven more sedately than sports saloons/estates, etc etc ...

There's far more to it than the height of the vehicles.

They're driven more slowly as they can't get up to speed because there isn't the room on the road...

Range Rover Evoque is probably the apex, there's no mitigating factors in owning that, but BMWs, Audi's etc are more common, so you're more likely to be cut up by one.

 

[coley]

With all/any due respect to your friend, he/she doesn't know their arse from their elbow.

Aye, there's a lot of people over at VW telling the US EPA just that

 

[coley]

</thread>

Hammond, of TG fame had me piss boiling when he drove one of these in the UAE and claimed it to be the first of its kind, LR had a very similar vehicle in production donkeys years ago for airport fire services, a RR six wheel variant if memory serves.

 

[coley]

Not quite... Saudi registered, Lambo engined, Batmobile replica driven by Team Galag on Gumball.

Bugger, at first glance thought it was a souped up ferret ARV

 

[coley]

These are fun toys which are of no practical use unlike the range rover sport is not going to be regularly annoying other road users by failing to park or sitting in the middle lane without a clue and then changing lane at the very last moment. Driving that 6 wheel thing through a city is punishment enough for its owner.

Westminster council has clagged an extra £4 an hour parking for diesels, why don't all citys charge a congestion charge for all and every 4x4 and similar entering their areas?
4x4s can be necessary, but never in an urban environment, tax the bastards out of existence (in cities, that is)

 

[coley]

easily fixed. Hopefully, they are fun to drive as people will be laughing at you.

Series 2? Looking at the bumper.

 

[coley]

I do object to Range Rover Sports, pushing a barn door through the air just confirms that the owner cares not a jot for fuel efficiency, ditto also for BMW M5, Porsche Cayenne & Audi Q whatever. And there is that aspect of if or when I am in an accident me and mine will be fine, it is others that will be killed!

When you buying your Nissan Leaf then Wellie?

 

[coley]

Think I will stick with my Series 1 with the ragtop and roofsticks over that and my Series 1 looks better than that bloatmobile

Pics?

 

[coley]

Probably more comfortable, but, you could say that about water boarding.

Any one driving a LR with a canvas hood has probably lots of experience of being waterboarded

 

[coley]

They're driven more slowly as they can't get up to speed because there isn't the room on the road...

Range Rover Evoque is probably the apex, there's no mitigating factors in owning that, but BMWs, Audi's etc are more common, so you're more likely to be cut up by one.

Used to curse all BMWs, Mercedes etc as the worst of all drivers but the real problem is most drivers of mid/upper performance cars are, and I very rarely use the word, utter cunts.

 

[DownwardDog]

Hammond, of TG fame had me piss boiling when he drove one of these in the UAE and claimed it to be the first of its kind, LR had a very similar vehicle in production donkeys years ago for airport fire services, a RR six wheel variant if memory serves.

The 6 wheel Range Rovers were conversions by Carmicheal and weren't 6x6 (like the AMG) but were only 6x4. We had a couple of these (called TACR or some such bollocks) at Leuchars and I lived in mortal fear of being trapped in a burning cockpit and having to rely on rescue from one of these contraptions as it took up to an hour to get them started in the winter months. Not ideal for a crash tender.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Best car I ever had, LR Discovery, TDI, had it 16 years from nearly new, 240k on the clock and the engine and gearbox still in reasonable condition but the dreaded 'chassis rust' got her in the end.

Discos do seem well made. Had a Freelander and the engine exploded after 23k miles and again a year later. £13k car sold two years later for £1k.

Land Rover flatly denied there was a problem, mate of mine worked on BBC Watchdog and they did a thing on them, but by then it was too late to get anything back for our piece of shite.

Will never again line Land Rover's pockets with my hard earned.

 

[coley]

Discos do seem well made. Had a Freelander and the engine exploded after 23k miles and again a year later. £13k car sold two years later for £1k.

Land Rover flatly denied there was a problem, mate of mine worked on BBC Watchdog and they did a thing on them, but by then it was too late to get anything back for our piece of shite.

Will never again line Land Rover's pockets with my hard earned.

Totally agree, replaced the Disco with a Freelander, very nice to drive but mechanically? Heap,of Shyte.