D5 - Comprehensive Review

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

mpinco

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Posts
297
Reaction score
113
Location
Colorado
What I have read is that Jaguar is down but Land Rover has had record January and February of this year. Design may actually be helping.

"CNN reports the cuts are taking place at a Jaguar Land Rover facility in Birmingham responsible for making the Jaguar F-Pace, Land Rover Discovery and other Range Rover models."
 

Hayseed_LR4

Full Access Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Posts
179
Reaction score
17
JLR's stated reason makes sense in regards to the diesel and its future in Europe/UK. Diesels are 90% of sales in the UK. The damn socialists in Europe are running amuck and dooming the diesel engine - the whole VW ***** did not help either. Sales have taken a hit but I serious doubt it is due to design. Their new designs will appeal to more people and their lowered priced entry level vehicles will bring in more people.

Just because traditionalists are ****** (including myself) that they took away the LR4 design for the D5 does not negate that it is a great vehicle and very capable off road. It is gone - get over it and learn to love again. I now have 4000 miles in my D5. I still miss the LR4 but I would still take the D5 over it if given the chance - and I LOVED my LR4.

They are not stating anything about JLR planning start production at their new plant in Slovakia this year and will produce "unspecified models". This could account for job cuts at their British plants. This new plant is geared to make their aluminum bodied vehicles and be state-of-the-art. It will employ 2800 people and start with 150000 vehicles per year and have capability to double capacity. Maybe it is a sensitive subject to cut jobs to send somewhere else so they use sales/economy to make the cuts - we would never do that in the US, right?
 

mpinco

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Posts
297
Reaction score
113
Location
Colorado
The D5 is likely very capable off road but I do not agree that it is a "great vehicle". It has morphed into just another jelly bean with loss of command seating, limited road / trail visibility similar to most other SUV's and minivan rear end. As for design language, look at a LR web site. All the models now look the same. Just different sizes of the same sloped back jelly bean.

Another data point is leadership turnover. That has ticked up as sales stumble.
 

Hayseed_LR4

Full Access Member
Joined
May 21, 2015
Posts
179
Reaction score
17
I do not agree with your assessment of the D5 above and what it has morphed into. I do not think either will change the mind so we can just leave it at that and have a beer together.
 

mpinco

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Posts
297
Reaction score
113
Location
Colorado
I do not agree with your assessment of the D5 above and what it has morphed into. I do not think either will change the mind so we can just leave it at that and have a beer together.

Agreed on several beers! Or Margaritas. Or .......

As for Land Rovers design direction, only time will tell.
 

epiclr4

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Posts
618
Reaction score
11
Good review on the D5. I noticed you had a Grand Cherokee Overland in your list of vehicles. This is a model I am looking at to replace the LR4 (Just don't like the D5). What model year was it and did have have the 5.7L Hemi? What are your thoughts on it?

@ktm525 I had the Summit EcoDiesel directly after my LR4 lemon buyback. Thought it would be a great mix of LR4 and RRS as the dimensions of the RRS and "suspension"/interior amenities of the LR4. Totally wrong. Fit and finish were terrible. Off-road capabilities were like bouncing on pogo sticks. GC is by no means comparable to a LR4.

@nhskibm How many miles do you have on your diesel now? Ever owned diesel before? How well is it doing on DEF between fill-ups? Do you plan on owning long term and if so do you know what the maintenance expectations are vs a standard gas vehicle?
 

nhskibm

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2016
Posts
49
Reaction score
57
@nhskibm How many miles do you have on your diesel now? Ever owned diesel before? How well is it doing on DEF between fill-ups? Do you plan on owning long term and if so do you know what the maintenance expectations are vs a standard gas vehicle?

At about 9k (picked up Xmas time).

First diesel passenger vehicle (family has had diesel RV’s). Lots of friends have had diesel passenger and reviews are nothing but raving.

So far two DEF fillups - about 3500mi between fills.

I am planning on owning long term. Usually rotate through vehicles 1-2 years but like this vehicle quite a bit - and does everything we need.

Diesel is supposed to go forever. Most friends with diesels have 200k+ with only standard maintenance - even our RV’s were bulletproof - save turbo replacements at 100k+ - which is “standard maintenance” in high mile diesels.

Given rover has been doing diesel in the EU and elsewhere forever I wasn’t too concerned about being “new” in the US since 2016 I think in the full size. That said I did add warranty to 100k and full maintenance to 60k. If you get diesel the DEF fillups alone are worth probably half+ the cost of the maintenance package.
 

nhskibm

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2016
Posts
49
Reaction score
57
Oh, and with 275/55/20 on my old LR 4 wheels - BFG KO2s. So far a couple hundred miles on them all highway and quieter than expected and no issues. Less than 3% taller than stock 22s.

3366E800-1199-4ACC-AB22-14953F784B96.jpeg
 

nhskibm

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2016
Posts
49
Reaction score
57
@nhskibm What's your mpg on the diesel engine?

With the roof rack and doing 80mph up and down 93N from BOS to my home in NH I see about 23-24mpg (all 4-6 lane highway + BOS traffic).

When we took a no traffic, two lane highway, 50-60mph trip from our home in NH to ME I saw a tank hit 29mpg.

If we are cruising around the sea coast area we see 25-26mpg combined hwy/city.

Towing for the first time saw about 13-15mpg (calculated based on half tank at 26mpg before hooking up trailer).
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
36,222
Posts
217,572
Members
30,473
Latest member
OnoA
Top