R Class versus Q7

[fuzzer]

Sorry Jason but it's 8.3 0-62 as a manual and 8.8 with an auto, dog slow

Joking aside though I took out a Range Rover sport diesel a few weeks ago and my life that is slow.
It has about as much sport in it as Chubby Roy Brown, 0-62 took 11.9 secs, not good considering what the BMW and MB equivalents manage.

I stand corrected lol youve got a whole .3 of a second advantage lol, however. That RR Sport is a slow dogg...

I test drove an ML 320 Brabus when i was looking about and to be honest , driving the ML and Driving the X5 , there isnt an awful lot in it. Both tarted up with big wheels and stiff suspension they are much the same

The new RR sport enging is the V8 Diesel , should change things if you don't mind that dog awful interior.

Congrats on the ner car Marcos Btw

 

[fuzzer]

I don't doubt your X5 handles very well on the road Mr Fuzzer. My point is though that the very things that make it good on the road (stiff suspension, big wheels etc) make it fairly rubbish off it.

Okay you say, I never go off road, in that case, why buy a 4x4 like that to start with? A 5 Series estate would do the job just as well. No offence intended of course.

Clarkson wrote a typically humourous review of the Range Rover Sport in the Sunday Times yesterday in which he conveys far better than I can the dubious qualities of 'sporty' 4x4s.

Here's a link. http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-2359257,00.html

All the best.

RC

Thats just the thing , the X5 has never been advertised or claimed to be an off road vehicle. Its a SAV as opposed to an SUV . Sports Activity Vehicle , not Sports Utility.

Im not saying that with a set of 17" wheels and nice off road tyres its not fairly decent ( after all , bmw nicked a lot of the technology from range rover) It just doesnt have a low ratio gearbox.

Now , you say about getting an estate. Well . Had BMW made a 4 wheel drive regular estate or saloon then yeah ... perfect. But no one imports them into this country from either mercedes or BMW. Having been caught in the snow last year without 4 wheel drive on my new 5 series 530d i can tell you it wasnt fun.

I fully intend to store the 20" wheels over winter and put on a set of 17" winter wheels with winter tyres. The new X drive system on it should be more than capible of this.

 

[BenzComander]

Q7 update, went to Audi dealers in Bletchley, after arranging a test drive in the Q7 for 9.00.

Car was not ready and had been taken for a sandwich run!! Anyway, started looking at the car on show in the showroom, and this is our impressions.

Car had significantly more "wow" factor than the R. It was an S line with 20" rims in black, but once we started arranging the seats for how we would need them it soon became apparent that it is not really been designed to be a permenant 6/7seater. The R has much more room, especially in long wheelbase trim and the rearmost seats are much easier to get into. In the Q7the rearmost passengers are forced to sit with their feet at an un-natural angle due to the mounting points of the middle row. It just seemed a real squeeze in their when compared to the R.

Also, the interior trim quality was good, but no more so than the R. Another thing tall people will need to think about is the very real possibility of banging their head on the tail gate when it is open. The design means that the curve of the tailgate is perfect for clocking your head

In conclusion, I would think that if you genuinly need to seat 4 growing kids, and can afford a fifty grand car then the R class would be my choice. A 320CDi Long with the 20" rims, in Chromite black would do nicely!!

By the way, called in to MB Aylesbury just to look at the R again to confirm, and they ran a quick price off for us (how nice!) Knocked nearly £1900 without me even asking!!

HTH:bannana:

 

[Rory]

Clarkson wrote a typically humourous review of the Range Rover Sport in the Sunday Times yesterday in which he conveys far better than I can the dubious qualities of 'sporty' 4x4s.

Here's a link. http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-2359257,00.html

How about this RR Sport?
http://www.automotoportal.com/article/arden-range-rover-sport-ar6-stronger-with-520-hp

 

[BTB 500]

BTW I had a quick look at a black GL 320 today 'in the flesh' - nice (and I don't even like SUVs!).

 

[BenzComander]

BTW I had a quick look at a black GL 320 today 'in the flesh' - nice (and I don't even like SUVs!).

Agree, if we had 55K to spend this would be the vehicle!! Wife was most impressed that the rear most seats fold down electricaly!!!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Agree, if we had 55K to spend this would be the vehicle!! Wife was most impressed that the rear most seats fold down electricaly!!!

If I had £55k to spend...

...I'd be looking for another £15k down the back of the settee to bag me a GL420 CDi!!

 

[Simon]

We're looking at a VW Shuttle SE at the moment - 3 seats in the front, single plus dual (both removable) giving up to 3 seats in the second row, and the rest as a very big boot indeed!

With the 174PS/400Nm 2.5 5-cyl engine of course, lowered suspension (this is an official VW option!), 18" 5-spoke alloys, privacy glass, etc.

You can even have 4WD if you want, but only with the de-tuned 130PS engine

The Caravelle is basically the same vehicle with more toys as standard, but you can't have 3 seats in the front row with that.

VW are offering zero % finance on used shuttles, I've just got one http://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/pdf/vast_savings.pdf

 

[hawk20]

the new X5 is gonna wipe the floor again , so hold off for that

Sure you are on the right forum? The BM's all look ugly nowadays and customer satisfaction on JD Power for the 5 series is way below that of the C and E class Mercs.

ML and GL are way better IMO depending on how many seats you want.

Caring parents should avoid all designs that put seats in the area of the rear crumple zone (one reason why the ML is a five seater).

 

[219]

Nah !

If you've got 6 people to carry , there's only ONE choice






The W100

 

[ian_c_uk]

Nah !

If you've got 6 people to carry , there's only ONE choice






The W100

That rocks.

 

[BTB 500]

VW are offering zero % finance on used shuttles, I've just got one http://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/pdf/vast_savings.pdf

Yup saw that ... but we've been monitoring the VW stock list for about 8 weeks now and not seen a vehicle with the right spec yet (the 174 PS engine seems quite rare in the Shuttle). We're not in a rush though, so will keep looking.

 

[Rory]

http://www.verdictoncars.com/jsp/vocmain.jsp?lnk=101&id=1903

"If you are not sure exactly what the estate car/off-roader/MPV crossover R-Class is for, you are in good company.

Mercedes Chief Executive, Dieter Zetsche, has said the company needs time to "educate the market" about the new car. The company line is that once people understand it, they will buy it. Maybe - but customers are usually pretty clear about what type of car they want to buy and if they don't like the R-Class, it is unlikely they are too dim to understand it. The usual model is that the seller tries to understand the buyer - not the other way around.

In the UK, the R-Class has sold less than 500 units so far this year - once you take out demonstrator vehicles, that does not leave many actual buyers. Apparently buyers in other big markets are equally lukewarm."

 

[glojo]

In the UK, the R-Class has sold less than 500 units so far this year - once you take out demonstrator vehicles, that does not leave many actual buyers. Apparently buyers in other big markets are equally lukewarm."

I must confess to being disappointed with its looks. I wonder how many Audi Q7's have been sold?

If only Mercedes would listen to me and build an S-CLASS ESTATE (shout, hollah, scream!!) build a blooming S-class estate, scrap the R-class, scrap the GL, build an S-class estate

John the optimist

 

[Rory]

I must confess to being disappointed with its looks. I wonder how many Audi Q7's have been sold?

I haven't seen actual numbers, but several comments saying it's selling well.

Also, I've seen a fair number on the road (in the North West) already yet I often don't see new cars for ages. One parked near me at Manchester Airport's T1 pick-up carpark the other day as 4 fat businessmen climbed in (very wierd, there was a pretty 'hostess' who arrived separately apparently simply to smile at them) and it does look *huge*.

Buoyed by its success, Audi are rushing ahead with the Q5, apparently.

 

[glojo]

Buoyed by its success, Audi are rushing ahead with the Q5, apparently.

I don't get out very much at all, but I have seen one Q7, but NO R-class, nor a GL

I think the Q7 is far to in your face, but is that why folks buy these things?

Who mentioned a Chrysler 300C?

Regards
John the cheeky

 

[ian_c_uk]

http://www.verdictoncars.com/jsp/vocmain.jsp?lnk=101&id=1903
In the UK, the R-Class has sold less than 500 units so far this year - once you take out demonstrator vehicles, that does not leave many actual buyers. Apparently buyers in other big markets are equally lukewarm."

Hopefully that should mean Vaneo like depreciation and I can pick one up for peanuts in a year or so

 

[glojo]

Hopefully that should mean Vaneo like depreciation and I can pick one up for peanuts in a year or so

I think your right, in my opinion they will never have that air of exclusivity! I feel they lack 'presence' and do not have the Mercedes-Benz image. The model will simply be a thing that panders to the US market. How will the GL fare?

Regards,
John

 

[BTB 500]

How will the GL fare?

IMO the GL is less risky for M-B, at least it's an established type (large SUV) that they know will appeal to a certain market.

 

[glojo]

IMO the GL is less risky for M-B, at least it's an established type (large SUV) that they know will appeal to a certain market.

Hi Bill,
I have never seen one so I appreciate all opinions. Size wise how does it compare to something like a Cherokee? That is one of the biggest 4 x 4's I have seen.

Big SUV's are sometimes not the most practical of vehicles and it is this issue that I think will either see it becoming popular or not? Is it suitable for traversing the 'B' roads of our beautiful countryside, is a GL bigger (longer\wider) than the Q7, or indeed the LWB R-class. Any input by anyone is always greatly appreciated.

Regards,
John