Land Rover

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Saturday – Cold Comfort

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Jeremy The ‘lost in space’ mobile phone drama continued today as O2 tried everything in their power to make giving me a replacement as difficult as possible. Thank you, O2.

I won’t bore you with the details but it has been trying! I had to have a final search through the Discovery and only found the optional toolbox in the centre armrest this time. Worth every penny in the hot spell I’d say.

While the Land Rover has a heated front screen for fast demisting, I have one complaint with the ventilation system. It is almost impossible to turn the fan down to a comfortable level. The temperature is fine – it’s just that even on the lowest setting, it blows very hard.

Despite a week of fiddling, I can’t say that either Jessica or I have got to the bottom of it. And why when we have the temperature turned up high does it still blow icy cold air of out the vents?

Everything else on the Discovery is straightforward and intuitive.  The air con is not.

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Friday – Lost In Space

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Jeremy I now know every nook and cranny of a Land Rover Discovery 4. Why? Because today I managed to lose my iPhone at Borth in Wales today and spent a large chunk of the afternoon conducting a forensic search of the vehicle.

The Discovery was packed solid with camping equipment, clothing and the dog, of course. Over the course of an hour, I found every cubbyhole and hiding place, frantically looking for an expensive chunk of metal measuring 5ins by 3ins.

It was all to no avail and for the last seven hours I have felt strangely out of touch. The Discovery has a DAB radio, so despite the remoteness of it all, at least I was able to keep up with the Ashes cricket. Although Australia are playing so well, I wish I hadn’t.

I also took the opportunity to try out the Discovery’s  television. I never quite understood why anybody would want a TV screen on the front dashboard because you can only watch it when the vehicle is stationary. For once, it was fun watching the news, as I sat phoneless, looking out to sea and pondering the whereabouts of my iPhone , out there somewhere lost in space…

 

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Thursday – Seeing Is Believing

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Jeremy Remember when car headlights had two settings? Dipped, full beam and, erm, that was it. Driving back to the pub campsite near Borth, in Wales tonight, the Discovery proved there are more these days.
First, our HSE has what is commonly known as ‘bendy’ headlights, ones that turn with the steering wheel to point in the proposed direction of travel. Excellent, especially on twisty Welsh lanes with wandering sheep to negotiate.
Then there are those extra side lights that illuminate the area to the front side of the Discovery. Great for turning at low speed through narrow driveway entrances.
Finally, my favourite, auto-dip/full beam, which means the driver doesn’t even have to take his hands off the steering wheel as another car approaches. Sensors detect the oncoming vehicle and dip the headlights for you, popping them back on full beam afterwards.
My first car was a Morris Minor with a dip adjustment button on the floor. The headlights were so bad you could barely see a sheep lorry, let alone a sheep. Some things have changed for the better.

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Wednesday – Wet Wet Wet

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Jeremy Come camping in Wales… Even Jason Plato smirked yesterday as I left Silverstone, after telling him Jessica and I were off on a four day walking holiday in the Élan Valley. He had obviously seen the weather forecast.
We met a group of friends at the camp site and were midged to the edge of reason before retiring to sleep in the back of the Discovery. It was probably all that kept me sane in the crazy night of rain that followed.
I can’t tell you how much rain fell but it’s still falling now. at least last night I got to know the Land Rover intimately. Pop the back two rows of seats flat and you have enough room for an inflatable mattress. While the rest of the 30-strong party suffered in sodden tents, ours were pretty luxurious surroundings.
We walked for three hours today and soaked to the skin, I made an executive decision to book in to a hotel at Devil’s Bridge and empty the Discovery of wet clothes and one bedraggled dog. For a brief moment i felt like we had let the side down, as they are all camping on a bleak hillside somewhere. actually, maybe not…!
No picture today – wifi at this establishment must have been affected by the rain too.

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Tuesday – Driving With Plato

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Jeremy – My last job before heading off on holiday to Wales was a quick dash to Silverstone. I’m writing a driving masterclass piece for the Financial Times with Jason Plato, the former British Touring Car Champion.

Plato isn’t the sort of guy who likes to come second and still competes with the young bucks in BTCC. Despite the appalling weather this morning, I had a great drive across the Cotswold in the Discovery to meet him.

Our silver Disco is just the way I like it – without bling chrome wheels, blacked out windows and any other nonsense.  When was the last time you saw one like that I wonder?!

We took an Aston Martin out on the track, fantastic fun and Plato is a true gent. Which would I prefer to drive home? Well, I don’t think my dog would like anything more than the Land Rover.

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Monday – Stormy Weather

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Jeremy Thunder and lightning are sweeping across Wiltshire today but after a wonderful July it’s going to be flooding next for sure.  The Discovery is the perfect machine for this type of weather – as I discovered in Northern Ireland six years ago.

Driving back from the Mountains of Mourne in appalling weather, I came across a family who were stranded in flood water which was lapping up around the side of their Mondeo. I was in a V8 petrol Discovery 3, drinking fuel at 14mpg! However, I was very glad to be in the Land Rover because a guy in an Audi allroad seemed to be going under in his own rescue attempt too.

We managed to pull the Mondeo out but the car was a write-off, with water pouring out of the doors when we reached safety. The allroad survived but the owner was a bit miffed his 4×4 hadn’t lived up to expectations…

I know people who own off-road vehicles and never, ever go further than a muddy field at a party. Having driven across Mongolia twice in a Discovery, I can tell you there are few cars that will get you anywhere AND is such comfort.

 

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Sunday – 7 Up

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Jeremy – Seven people, one large dog. The Discovery has to be one of the largest 4x4s on the road but with all seven passenger seats occupied, today I ended up in the front with a Hungarian Viszla on my lap while Jessica drove us out.

I’m not sure anybody has ever cracked the problem of how to carry seven people in an off-roader AND their luggage. Once the third row of seats are folded out of the floor in the Discovery, there isn’t even enough room for a suitcase in the luggage area.

With three children in our party, at least we know that the Land Rover would survive the test of time and the arms and legs of many little people. The seats may be covered in luxury leather but I’m sure you could put an angry calf in the back without having to worry!

Two of the children decided it would be much more fun to get into the third row of seats from the rear door, rather than via the side ones. No problem. This is a true Land Rover, built to cope with anything and very, very robust.

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Saturday – Square-Cut

cropped-d4_10my_hse_loc_070909_15_lowres.jpg Jeremy As predicted, Jessica isn’t too struck on Discovery styling. Even before the Land Rover arrived, she was recounting how her previous experiences with the Discovery hadn’t been too successful.

For once, I was rather smug when she tootled off to the gym this morning because I know the current version is nothing like the last one she drove in 2002. Having rumbled around Mongolia in a Discovery 3 and owned a V8 petrol model for a mad moment (11mpg anybody?), there is no comparison with the dated original.

So by the time she had returned, the latest Disco was receiving rave reviews for it’s performance, comfort and all round good motoring experience.

The square-cut styling, however, left her cold. Because she was brought up in a world of Range Rovers, I can sort of see her point. The Discovery does look a little utility but at least we both agree that it totally does what is says on the tin.

 

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Friday – There’s Something In The Trees!

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Jeremy – The grass up the lane to Car Couture HQ is about 6ft high at present. Thick, bushy grass that is still waiting for a spot of rain so it can grow some more between the trees. It’s good camouflage for the postman in his red Citroen van but I could see the Discovery coming from about half a mile off when it was delivered this morning.

It’s big, very big. Parked next to the outgoing Peugeot 508, you start to remember why the Land Rover has such a presence on the road. You can’t bloody miss it, that’s why.

However, I fear that there is going to be a split decision when Jessica and I get around to discussing the styling. For me, it’s sharp, uncluttered lines look as good now as when the new model was launched in 2009. Jessica is probably going to compare it’s brick-like shape to, well, a brick.

Two weeks in the Discovery should give us plenty of time to form an opinion. I’m off to read a very weighty manual…

 

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Tuesday – Knickerbocker Glory

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Jessica I know it isn’t all about colour or indeed size, however, a Range Rover in cherry red that looks like it should be proudly sitting on top of a Knickerbocker Glory is somewhat of an anomaly.

Colour does matter and how the colour ranges are put together for any car manufacturer is a mystery to me, colour has its own visual language and interpretations, it speaks volumes.

Driving around in a red Range Rover Evoque was a little disconcerting, I didn’t feel a proud moment when I met it for the first time at the station en route to (rainy) Cornwall, I wanted to get in quickly and drive away before anyone would stop and wonder what I had been thinking when I chose that colour for that car.

Colour aside what does the Evoque evoke, what is it trying to be, is what I found myself asking.

Well, it’s sporty in an urban, I want a four wheel drive way, the lines are stylish and it does say Range Rover on the bonnet!  The price tag suggests a deep pocket so I found myself wondering on the target demographic …
Too small to fit a family and their luggage, too urban to warrant having one if you lived in a rural area where winters are a problem.  So that leaves a school run car for a 2.2 family or a weekend run around for a professional person or professional couple who want to play at sporty country pursuits (not polo as you would have trouble fitting the kit in!) still not really sure as the week comes to a close.
Either way it leaves me wishing that the handling on the motorway was more refined, although it drives well in town and on B roads, but the exterior does not fit with the driving experience for me and I would be prepared to bet that professional sporty types might want a more refined motorway experience too.
There was a rather strange rubberised covering on the dash area and sorry to mention colour again but red perforated leather look seats (not matching the exterior colour ) which although comfortable were looking a little worse for wear after only one week of use.
Overall, because the Evoque looks good so I  was very much looking forward to a dash down to Cornwall, despite the colour,  but for the £40,000 I found this Range Rover a little disappointing.