tmarr
Grenadier Owner
- Local time
- 12:36 PM
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2024
- Messages
- 17
- Reaction score
- 25
- Location
- Northern Virginia, VA, USA
I bought this truck for my wife and picked it up last Thursday. She always wanted a "square" Land Rover (her terms). Of course, these were basically NANA. Plus, having had two LR Disco's in the past, I won't buy that brand again due to the lack of reliability. Anyway, I wanted to post some first impressions. I haven't read through this forum yet, so I know most of these issues are likely well discussed.
Dealership Experience: The dealership was located in an old defunct Nissan dealership. My salesperson was in the used car manager "trailer." For a $90K vehicle, this was a bit unexpected. I grew up very poor, so it didn't bother me too much. Maybe they just bought the property and intend to build something nicer. I ended up signing the paperwork down the street at their Lambo dealership. The process was painless, which was nice. I was in a hurry to get back home because I wanted to surprise my wife before dark, so I didn't spend much time with the salesperson going over the vehicle.
Steering: I was prepared but not prepared enough. It's not that the steering doesn't return to neutral after a curve. I have had other vehicles with this behavior. The problem is the steering HATES the neutral position altogether (straight ahead). I was constantly making adjustments, zigzagging, going down the road. If a police officer had gotten behind me, he would have pulled me over for sure, thinking I was drunk. This created a very stressful drive home. I haven't checked air pressure yet but it's on the list.
Dinging, Clanging, and Clicking: I'd like to meet the person in a back alley who thought it was a good idea to create a clicking noise every time I exceed the speed limit by 1 MPH. Or, worse, what it thinks is the speed limit (it's often wrong where I live). I've worked in consumer products for many years and I've never seen or experienced such a poorly executed idea. I will literally rip out all the speakers in the vehicle if I can't get this addressed. Also, there were occasional chimes for unknown reasons, as nothing appeared on the display indicating a problem. My mother-in-law yells at me less than this vehicle. On the plus side, it would be impossible to fall asleep while driving this vehicle.
Power: The engine is very powerful. But, for an inline 6, the most naturally balanced engine design, it's not the smoothest engine I've ever experienced. With air conditioning on at idle, there's definitely a pronounced vibration in the steering wheel. My daily driver is a 2020 RAM Rebel. When I first got that truck, I was often turning it off at red lights because I thought the engine had quit. Other people who have driven the truck did the same thing. There's absolutely no vibration or noise coming from that engine at idle. Not true with this vehicle.
Color: I ordered the "Sterling Silver" color. To be clear, it is not silver. It is light blue silver metallic. On seeing the vehicle for the first time, I was actually shocked at how blue this color is in sunlight (reflecting the blue sky as well). I seriously considered asking the salesperson if I could cancel the order and select a different color, as he had many vehicles on the lot. However, I wanted a light color to offset the black accents on the vehicle. And the other light colors were a bit too flashy for me. Don't get me wrong, the off-white yellowish color is absolutely gorgeous. And the darker colors are very nice. I was just shocked at how blue the silver color is in the right lighting conditions. That said, I've calmed down a bit and grown to like the color more. I think it will be fine. Maybe a little girly looking, however, this vehicle belongs to my wife so that should work well. If I had it to do again and was buying the vehicle for myself, I would choose a different color. I have two other vehicles that are silver, and I like silver. But I would not consider this vehicle a pure silver color by any measure.
Ride and Comfort: Much better than expected. My Ram has an air suspension and is known for having a good ride. This truck rides better, even with the shorter wheelbase, which was a nice surprise. It's quiet and headroom and legroom are great. Seats are good but I don't appear to have a lumbar adjustment. I have the cloth seats, so no power adjustment...which is fine. I didn't get the side steps as I thought the Made in China factory option looked cheap. However, this is the tallest vehicle I've ever seen straight from the factory. I skinned my knee with a one inch burn trying to exit the vehicle and contacting the door (embarrassing). I had to find a milk crate just so my wife could get in. Sourcing good side steps is maximum priority now.
Fit and Finish: Overall, acceptable. There's a small plastic removal panel in the back door that is the flimsiest piece of plastic I've ever seen on a vehicle. However, most of the other materials, and material alignment, are very acceptable. Paint looks good.
Overall assessment: Having worked in manufacturing for many years, I have some idea what it takes to create a new car company from scratch. It's a massive undertaking and a massive financial risk. The important parts and pieces on this vehicle are absolutely top notch. And for a new vehicle, it's not bad at all. I really have to give credit to Sir JR for taking on the challenge. I'd buy it again. Overall, it's a very impressive vehicle and, once I iron out some rough spots, has the potential to be one of my all-time favorite vehicles (I'm 60 and have owned MANY vehicles).
Dealership Experience: The dealership was located in an old defunct Nissan dealership. My salesperson was in the used car manager "trailer." For a $90K vehicle, this was a bit unexpected. I grew up very poor, so it didn't bother me too much. Maybe they just bought the property and intend to build something nicer. I ended up signing the paperwork down the street at their Lambo dealership. The process was painless, which was nice. I was in a hurry to get back home because I wanted to surprise my wife before dark, so I didn't spend much time with the salesperson going over the vehicle.
Steering: I was prepared but not prepared enough. It's not that the steering doesn't return to neutral after a curve. I have had other vehicles with this behavior. The problem is the steering HATES the neutral position altogether (straight ahead). I was constantly making adjustments, zigzagging, going down the road. If a police officer had gotten behind me, he would have pulled me over for sure, thinking I was drunk. This created a very stressful drive home. I haven't checked air pressure yet but it's on the list.
Dinging, Clanging, and Clicking: I'd like to meet the person in a back alley who thought it was a good idea to create a clicking noise every time I exceed the speed limit by 1 MPH. Or, worse, what it thinks is the speed limit (it's often wrong where I live). I've worked in consumer products for many years and I've never seen or experienced such a poorly executed idea. I will literally rip out all the speakers in the vehicle if I can't get this addressed. Also, there were occasional chimes for unknown reasons, as nothing appeared on the display indicating a problem. My mother-in-law yells at me less than this vehicle. On the plus side, it would be impossible to fall asleep while driving this vehicle.
Power: The engine is very powerful. But, for an inline 6, the most naturally balanced engine design, it's not the smoothest engine I've ever experienced. With air conditioning on at idle, there's definitely a pronounced vibration in the steering wheel. My daily driver is a 2020 RAM Rebel. When I first got that truck, I was often turning it off at red lights because I thought the engine had quit. Other people who have driven the truck did the same thing. There's absolutely no vibration or noise coming from that engine at idle. Not true with this vehicle.
Color: I ordered the "Sterling Silver" color. To be clear, it is not silver. It is light blue silver metallic. On seeing the vehicle for the first time, I was actually shocked at how blue this color is in sunlight (reflecting the blue sky as well). I seriously considered asking the salesperson if I could cancel the order and select a different color, as he had many vehicles on the lot. However, I wanted a light color to offset the black accents on the vehicle. And the other light colors were a bit too flashy for me. Don't get me wrong, the off-white yellowish color is absolutely gorgeous. And the darker colors are very nice. I was just shocked at how blue the silver color is in the right lighting conditions. That said, I've calmed down a bit and grown to like the color more. I think it will be fine. Maybe a little girly looking, however, this vehicle belongs to my wife so that should work well. If I had it to do again and was buying the vehicle for myself, I would choose a different color. I have two other vehicles that are silver, and I like silver. But I would not consider this vehicle a pure silver color by any measure.
Ride and Comfort: Much better than expected. My Ram has an air suspension and is known for having a good ride. This truck rides better, even with the shorter wheelbase, which was a nice surprise. It's quiet and headroom and legroom are great. Seats are good but I don't appear to have a lumbar adjustment. I have the cloth seats, so no power adjustment...which is fine. I didn't get the side steps as I thought the Made in China factory option looked cheap. However, this is the tallest vehicle I've ever seen straight from the factory. I skinned my knee with a one inch burn trying to exit the vehicle and contacting the door (embarrassing). I had to find a milk crate just so my wife could get in. Sourcing good side steps is maximum priority now.
Fit and Finish: Overall, acceptable. There's a small plastic removal panel in the back door that is the flimsiest piece of plastic I've ever seen on a vehicle. However, most of the other materials, and material alignment, are very acceptable. Paint looks good.
Overall assessment: Having worked in manufacturing for many years, I have some idea what it takes to create a new car company from scratch. It's a massive undertaking and a massive financial risk. The important parts and pieces on this vehicle are absolutely top notch. And for a new vehicle, it's not bad at all. I really have to give credit to Sir JR for taking on the challenge. I'd buy it again. Overall, it's a very impressive vehicle and, once I iron out some rough spots, has the potential to be one of my all-time favorite vehicles (I'm 60 and have owned MANY vehicles).
