[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by GBR1

Has anyone looked at the Maserati Levante, seems to be an overlooked option once you are into that price bracket?

It doesn't do a lot for me. I was parked next to one on Saturday and the practicality looks poor from outside (too low, too curvy a boot). I'd say that it probably competes more with the X6 crowd, SUV looks but impractical.

A good call mentioning it though, I had browsed their website a while back to see if it appeared to fit the bill.

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by GBR1

Has anyone looked at the Maserati Levante, seems to be an overlooked option once you are into that price bracket?

Can't say I'd take the risk on a Maserati, given even the recent stories I've heard on reliability. I also like decent tech, and ideally a hybrid option if I go SUV, so all of that means there's little of interest there for me.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

The guy said it was an S, though i wonder if t was actually a non S as it didn't feel as fast as I'd expect. It wasn't slow, but not as quick as the 335d, which I'd expect the S to feel similar too. Only so much you can tell on a 20 min drive on busy roads though.

The car had the air springs with PASM he said and good variation between the modes. I was playing on the configurator last night and my spec was around £85k without the dynamic chassis or rear wheel steer

Though that did have full leather with the best seats, alcantara roof lining and the top notch innodrive semi-autonomous driving package, pano roof, big wheels, Bose, matrix LEDs.... all essentials of course!

However I spec it, I always end up in the mid-80s as well, although I seem to take a different route there to you My must haves always include pano roof, the middle (not sport/turbo) seats, Bose, wheels (for those painted bloody arches if nothing else!) and full leather. Innodrive and alcantara roof don't make the cut though - I think I make up the gap with things like rear airbags and various other bits and pieces that should be standard.

Performance wise, I was probably a bit quick to declare it 440i-equivalent, but it seemed to muscle around well enough. Despite the salesman's urgings, I couldn't take a car that I was the first real driver of past 4k rpm - I have too much mechanical sympathy to do that, especially in a half hour drive in a car that I haven't driven before.

There will be a million other options considered before anything actually happens!

Sort of the same here. Whatever, I am really enjoying the testing and researching. It will be a long long time before we change another car I suspect, so I am savouring this for all it's worth.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Touch Screens. A touchy subject.

I wasn't a huge fan and do prefer iDrive via a rotary controller I can operate with my eyes closed.

In all honesty though I'm very impressed with the execution on latest JLR. Zero lag, does a great job of replacing about 2000 option buttons, all modern versions on premium cars now are excellent.

On the brief drives, I've been impressed with both the RRS and Cayenne. They've moved on another level from the Volvos which seemed cutting edge (worryingly so) a couple of years back. Having two screens is a great idea that means less menu hopping.

I'd still prefer iDrive too, but the touchscreens are improving.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by JustChris

How does it compare with your previous X5 - what's better? Anything worse?
Hmmm I should think more about this....quick thought:-
X5 Better At
- Driving at Speed
- Rear Lower Tailgate to sit on
- iDrive
- Auto Hold

RRS Better At
- Refinement - Air Suspension (new G05 gets it but as an option in off troad package) + Double Glazed Windows
- Heated Windscreen - YES PLEASE - so good
- Interior Ambience
- Boot Space and Storage
- No Run Flats + Actual full Alloy Spare wheel for £150!
- Standard engner Torque and Power is up....but not quite a match for 50D
- Colour and Wheel options are much better than X5



Good luck! I will say as well the LR ownership experience is 1,000,000 miles better than BMW. Here is a summary:-

BMW Haliwell Jones - 10 Year Customer
- Feels like I have to queue to get a quote whilst in for a timeslot appointment
- PCP'd about 7 cars and not received one perk, M Car day, anything!

Boston JLR (ask for Chloe if you wish to deal) - 3 months customer
- Awesome treatment on recepetion
- Hamper in the car packed with local goodies
- Land Rover Experience Day to book nationally from 11 centre - 2 can drive and 3 can attend
- Land Rover sailing day for the kids at 5 locations nationwide
- Follow Up mailing with some very very nicely packaged valve caps (I know, I know about 50p to make I guess) ... but it all just helps the positive impression on the brand

Cheers,
Chris

Another free lunchtime today...so I thought it would be rude not to check out the X5 given the stonking deals available right now. Always an outsider, but worth a look.

In the showroom was a black sapphire with oyster X5 40d. Quick look inside and then to the boot. I thought, that looks small. Given all the boots I have looked in, I wondered if I was getting confused and thought I would check back to what you said. Glad you confirm that the RRS is bigger, matches my memory!

Other than that, interior ambience is a long way off RRS, as you say. It was pretty much the same as my F36, viewed from a different angle, with one or two nicer bits of trim. Not a particular criticism, just want something different next.

Ah, heated windscreens (RRS). Fantastic. Have missed that every winter since selling my Mondeo in 2006.

On the full size alloy spare in the RRS. I was definitely going to have one when I was speccing MY18s. On the MY19s, they've put it up more than fourfold - £710 now!!

[JustChris]

You know the RRS is now coming in at a tidy £2200 a month



These services are mental really!

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...iption-service

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by JustChris

You know the RRS is now coming in at a tidy £2200 a month



These services are mental really!

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...iption-service

Bloody hell! I might buy one and rent it out for £2k, undercut the buggers.

You'd have to be insane to pay £26k+ a year to rent a £70k vehicle surely, even with all the other costs covered.

[DB118D]

Originally Posted by JustChris

You know the RRS is now coming in at a tidy £2200 a month



These services are mental really!

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...iption-service

Who on earth is or will be paying that amount. It's hardly what you'd call value for money

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by DB118D

Who on earth is or will be paying that amount. It's hardly what you'd call value for money

I just can't see people doing these? If money is no object surely you 'own' a top end FFRR and 911 and a Bentley etc etc

[DB118D]

Originally Posted by JustChris

I just can't see people doing these? If money is no object surely you 'own' a top end FFRR and 911 and a Bentley etc etc

Exactly

Unless it's aimed at high net worths who drop in and out of the UK periodically, but even then, the costs are eyewatering

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Personally in that market I couldn't look past the Q7 - SQ7 if funds allowed.

Planned to get some fresh air at lunchtime but a few spots of rain meant a spur of the moment trip to Audi to have a look at the big Q.

The showroom model was a kitchen sink Vorsprung - new top of the range model above the black edition and, at £80k, must be on a par with the SQ7 for list price. Extended leather interior, Bose, HUD, pano roof and loads of other things.

Looks on the outside still a bit 'whatever' IMO, but the grey Aldi grille was a bit less jarring on this black car than the chrome ones look on the road.

Very nice interior, due to the full leather and alcantara headlining, but the next model down would no doubt feel very different (and full leather is a £6k option on that).

The virtual cockpit is nice, but sits behind the Porsche and RRS I think.

Screen motoring up out of the dashboard is a lovely touch, but at 8.something inches it's small compared with the competitors and probably smaller than the F3x pro nav.

Could happily live with the interior, though. It's a lovely place to be, albeit a clinical job compared with the RRS/Disco and lacking in wow vs. the Cayenne.

Put the brochure down at home. 'Look at that ugly thing' was the wife's comment

[MashinBenzin]

For anyone that's still reading my wittering, cheers!

Thought I would post up some carwow quotes in case they are useful to anyone. Today I compared four cars:

MY19 RRS SDV6 HSE Dynamic - around £3k off £72k list

Old model X5 40d - around £11k off £62k list

Q7 Vorsprung 3.0d - around £10.5k off £80k list

Disco HSE lux 3.0 d - around £5k off £70k list

The merc GLE is showing huge discounts on drive the deal too, if anyone is in the market for one. Something like £13k off £60k ish models with huge spec.

[DB118D]

Disco residuals seem pretty poor from a quick look at their online configurator

"Old" model X5 deals are becoming almost silly cheap now

[davyk31]

Silly cheap X5 yes but residuals will tell the tale. The last of any model isn’t that attractive 2 or 3 years down the line.

[DB118D]

Residuals are around £25-£26k from memory. Not horrendous, and around 50%

Certainly not at F3X levels of depreciation

The example on a £70k+ Disco i saw had a similar GFV making it horrendously expensive, even accounting for the £5k discount

[isleaiw1]

I seem to recall MashinBenzin started looking at £50k XC90s and we are now talking £80k Porsche's.... glad to see forum working well!

I think when you get to 70k or 80k the Porsche is probably a no brainer. For me though the good value in these cars is at the £55k to £60k mark and the art is to set a budget and find the best one you can live with at that price. A £70k car is going to cost £1k a month in full purchase cost however you look at it over 3 years....and still over £500 a month if you buy it and keep it another three...

[KCH1984]

Originally Posted by DB118D

Residuals are around £25-£26k from memory. Not horrendous, and around 50%

Certainly not at F3X levels of depreciation

The example on a £70k+ Disco i saw had a similar GFV making it horrendously expensive, even accounting for the £5k discount

Yeah you're spot on. I've just went for one to replace the 330xd, and with 0% it worked out far cheaper than a new X3.

I get the comments above on the outgoing model, and it probably does feel its age against the newer competitors, but for us it meant getting a car a class above what we could normally afford. On those deals they're not really comparable to a £70k plus RRS or similar.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

I seem to recall MashinBenzin started looking at £50k XC90s and we are now talking £80k Porsche's.... glad to see forum working well!

I think when you get to 70k or 80k the Porsche is probably a no brainer. For me though the good value in these cars is at the £55k to £60k mark and the art is to set a budget and find the best one you can live with at that price. A £70k car is going to cost £1k a month in full purchase cost however you look at it over 3 years....and still over £500 a month if you buy it and keep it another three...

Haha, kind of and kind of not. I started out looking midsize (XC60) before this thread and then the budget was probably £50k.

I was just starting to think full size and higher budget when JustChris posted his RRS thread. Then I wandered into my local Porsche dealer the very week the Cayenne 3 was delivered to them. Think my fate was sealed from these two points on

As for the Cayenne being the default option, that's a tough call. It's lovely, but it's a £80k touch for a Cayenne S with a spec that even comes close to the RRS HSE which is a lot cheaper. And the RRS feels more expensive.

Great residuals on both and will be a long time keeper. Changing a high spec F3x every three years would probably cost almost as much as one of these over six or seven years. Odd comparison, I know, man maths...

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by MashinBenzin

Haha, kind of and kind of not. I started out looking midsize (XC60) before this thread and then the budget was probably £50k.

I was just starting to think full size and higher budget when JustChris posted his RRS thread. Then I wandered into my local Porsche dealer the very week the Cayenne 3 was delivered to them. Think my fate was sealed from these two points on

As for the Cayenne being the default option, that's a tough call. It's lovely, but it's a £80k touch for a Cayenne S with a spec that even comes close to the RRS HSE which is a lot cheaper. And the RRS feels more expensive.

Great residuals on both and will be a long time keeper. Changing a high spec F3x every three years would probably cost almost as much as one of these over six or seven years. Odd comparison, I know, man maths...

we have had two Jag FPace in the family recently - I dont think I would be queuing at the door of a JLR dealer based on either of those experiences - and certainly not for a car out of warranty... I love the look and feel and always said I would have one but I am not sure the quality is there...

An 11 plate decent spec petrol S now is up for sale at £27k plus - so £23k trade in? that's a chunk of money over 7 years given next to zero discounts. £50k over 7 years is £600 a month with no interest charge - a bit more than a 3 series would cost over 3 or 4 years.

But I applaud your attempts at man maths...

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

we have had two Jag FPace in the family recently - I dont think I would be queuing at the door of a JLR dealer based on either of those experiences - and certainly not for a car out of warranty... I love the look and feel and always said I would have one but I am not sure the quality is there...

An 11 plate decent spec petrol S now is up for sale at £27k plus - so £23k trade in? that's a chunk of money over 7 years given next to zero discounts. £50k over 7 years is £600 a month with no interest charge - a bit more than a 3 series would cost over 3 or 4 years.

But I applaud your attempts at man maths...

Fair enough re JLR quality and customer service, I can't pretend that's not a concern. I'd extend the warranty on anything though - these are not cars to run without warranty backup.

What happened with the two F-paces? Interested to know

Re the Porsche, in 2011 a petrol Cayenne started at £43k, vs £57k these days. Assuming the Cayenne S you found would have listed just north of £50k before options, let's say £60k with an average list of options. Doesn't sound too bad to me. Over such a long period we can't ignore the huge price rises that have happened in recent years.

I still think the Cayenne S is likely to prove too expensive for me though, given that at that price you want a few toys at least.

[davyk31]

Passed a new Discovery parked up at the side of the road today with two guys in suits standing beside it. Wasn't sure what was going on and thought maybe under cover cops. Came back the same way about 45 mins later and it was being loaded onto a truck. Guess they have fallen victim to the JLR curse.

[KCH1984]

Originally Posted by davyk31

Passed a new Discovery parked up at the side of the road today with two guys in suits standing beside it. Wasn't sure what was going on and thought maybe under cover cops. Came back the same way about 45 mins later and it was being loaded onto a truck. Guess they have fallen victim to the JLR curse.

My old man has a Disco Sport and I'd previously posted it was trouble-free...following its first service there it's just had the rear discs and pads replaced under warranty (16k miles - excessive corrosion) and the stone chips on the front bumper (very limited mway miles) suggest the paint is teeth skin thin.