I will agree with most of it but the high altitude crosswind part. If it is windy in the mountains I leave the LR4 at home because it does not feel comfortable when the wind gusts are 80-120 km/h. Not at all. It's garage stable mate (Honda Ridgeline)is much more planted in these conditions. I think it is all related to the high sail area of the LR4, relatively narrow track and short wheelbase. Same thing with passing semis on 2 lane highways. The LR4 gets buffeted more.
Drove the new Discovery and I'm totally confused now.
- Thread starter PaulLR3
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jwest
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Honda Ridgeline ... 125" wheelbase vs 113" lr3 but fairly light weight 4500lbs! and unless you have a bed shell, probably 30% less side area. However, it's suspension could be partially the reason you 'feel' different in it.
I'd take the lr3/4 ANY day over the honda unless it's for surfing soft sand where it's light weight is a benefit. That weight difference is crazy, even more when you consider the Hondas aren't getting built out into 7000-8000 lb beasts.
You must be confusing buffeting of wind with actual stability. The Honda looks a lot more aerodynamic so I would expect wind to be less noisy but there's no way in hell it's more stable in cross wind or especially the oncoming semi truck experience.
I'd take the lr3/4 ANY day over the honda unless it's for surfing soft sand where it's light weight is a benefit. That weight difference is crazy, even more when you consider the Hondas aren't getting built out into 7000-8000 lb beasts.
You must be confusing buffeting of wind with actual stability. The Honda looks a lot more aerodynamic so I would expect wind to be less noisy but there's no way in hell it's more stable in cross wind or especially the oncoming semi truck experience.
No it is more stable. I have been driving LR3/4 since 2006 and the Ridgeline is 6 years old. In a cross wind the Honda is more stable. It has a much wider track than the LR4 (67" vs 64" and is much more squat). Perhaps we just deal with more wind here. It is a common occurrence for the cross winds up here to blow semi s over and heavy are those ? My LR3s had a habit of having the A pillar garnish ripping off in the wind on the highway despite fresh clips. I finally resorted to black duct tape lol.
manoftaste
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Ktm, I was comparing LR3/4 with another SUV with a similar profile but less weight than LR3/4. Of course if you compare LR3/4 to a sedan we are then talking two totally different dynamics here. Honda Ridgeline and LR3/4 are two totally different vehicles designed to serve totally different purposes.
If I was to go out to grab a carton of milk at night while staying at around 7000 ft of altitude with the wind blowing at 100 km/h, and had an F150 or a silverado parked in my garage next to my LR4, I too would prolly have chosen the pickup truck in that case (but honestly, I prolly would have still felt safer in my LR4 even in those conditions).
But, within the context of the same windy conditions that you have described above, if you compare the nearly 6000 LBs (much of it sitting/hanging at lower part of the truck) of LR3/4 to another SUV with less weight and higher center of gravity such as the new D5, Ford Explorer, Lexus GX 470/60, 4-Runner, Grand jeep cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, or even some minivans despite their wider track and longer wheelbase (as they are quite tall theses days), then LR3/4 is clearly still the winner as far as stability simply because of its mass/weight, again, much of which is closer to the ground compared to its competitors.
A few years ago, before this D5 minivan was introduced, I was hoping that the re-designed LR4 would gain a wider track and a longer wheelbase, and that would have made the truck even more stable. But I also knew that no matter what happens, at LR the LR4' track width cannot ever be wider than its competitor within its own family, its big brother the Range Rover that is.
Said it before, the LR4, even with its hefty luxury vehicle price tag, has always been a victim of internal competition.
And yeah, the A pillar trim coming off is ridiculous on LR' part. I get pretty annoyed at that kinda QC stuff on a luxury vehicle.
If I was to go out to grab a carton of milk at night while staying at around 7000 ft of altitude with the wind blowing at 100 km/h, and had an F150 or a silverado parked in my garage next to my LR4, I too would prolly have chosen the pickup truck in that case (but honestly, I prolly would have still felt safer in my LR4 even in those conditions).
But, within the context of the same windy conditions that you have described above, if you compare the nearly 6000 LBs (much of it sitting/hanging at lower part of the truck) of LR3/4 to another SUV with less weight and higher center of gravity such as the new D5, Ford Explorer, Lexus GX 470/60, 4-Runner, Grand jeep cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, or even some minivans despite their wider track and longer wheelbase (as they are quite tall theses days), then LR3/4 is clearly still the winner as far as stability simply because of its mass/weight, again, much of which is closer to the ground compared to its competitors.
A few years ago, before this D5 minivan was introduced, I was hoping that the re-designed LR4 would gain a wider track and a longer wheelbase, and that would have made the truck even more stable. But I also knew that no matter what happens, at LR the LR4' track width cannot ever be wider than its competitor within its own family, its big brother the Range Rover that is.
Said it before, the LR4, even with its hefty luxury vehicle price tag, has always been a victim of internal competition.
And yeah, the A pillar trim coming off is ridiculous on LR' part. I get pretty annoyed at that kinda QC stuff on a luxury vehicle.
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backcountryLR4
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I started my new vehicle search over a year ago with wanting a new Raptor. When the price was released, it was more than I hoped for all the options I wanted.
The death nail was that it would not fit in my garage...
Almost got a Tacoma TRD pro, but didn't want bigger vehicle with less power than my Infiniti. Also, didn't seem like much bang for my buck at around $45k.
Ultimately got my LR4 and am very happy. It is a rare vehicle where I live, the refinement and off-road capability has no real equal in its class. Was less than the Raptor even if it doesn't have AC seats and no remote start.
Would love to have those features, but not enough to give up the rugged, as well as luxurious, utilitarianism of the LR4 for the Disco 5.
Maybe I'll get new Defender or a Raptor in 5-6 years time, but am hoping to keep the LR4 as a potential future classic.
The death nail was that it would not fit in my garage...
Almost got a Tacoma TRD pro, but didn't want bigger vehicle with less power than my Infiniti. Also, didn't seem like much bang for my buck at around $45k.
Ultimately got my LR4 and am very happy. It is a rare vehicle where I live, the refinement and off-road capability has no real equal in its class. Was less than the Raptor even if it doesn't have AC seats and no remote start.
Would love to have those features, but not enough to give up the rugged, as well as luxurious, utilitarianism of the LR4 for the Disco 5.
Maybe I'll get new Defender or a Raptor in 5-6 years time, but am hoping to keep the LR4 as a potential future classic.
manoftaste
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Also what bugs me the most is that all these auto pundits with their blogs who have zero idea about good and timeless designs, are alway criticizing LR4' weight, but I rarely see the same criticism being applied to SUVs like the Land Cruiser or LX570 etc. They refer to LR3/4' design as "box on wheels". Its just ridiculous. LR3/4' design is one of the best automotive expressions of "form follow function". The truck was simply "designed" and not "overly styled" like the crazy looking lexus SUVs with their in your face fronts and rears and other crazy crap out there. There is a reason why LR3/4 still looks damn modern on the street even after 11 or 12 years of the same body design. That cannot be said for many, many vehicles.
Sometimes less is more, its just that simple.
Plus there was so much more room to play with and there was so much potential as far as the future design evolution of LR4 while increasing its already great functionality, but LR simply caved in to the volume sales to soccer moms and messed it all up.
For me at least, LR clearly has gone the route of a market/fads driven company from it actually being a product driven company.
Sometimes less is more, its just that simple.
Plus there was so much more room to play with and there was so much potential as far as the future design evolution of LR4 while increasing its already great functionality, but LR simply caved in to the volume sales to soccer moms and messed it all up.
For me at least, LR clearly has gone the route of a market/fads driven company from it actually being a product driven company.
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My neighbor has a JGC Overland, normally when we go skiing we take my LR3, once this season we took his Overland.
He and I only ski storms, as you may know it was a big year in Tahoe, no way could the JGCO defrosters/heaters keep up with the snow that day, not even close.
What ever you get, make sure it has a heated windshield..
So true! The heated windshield is no longer standard on the D5 HSE-LUX and as a fellow avid skier, it's a must-have for me. I would certainly check the heated windshield option box.
YES! That is what I was saying from the start. The D5 has nothing in common with an LR4. If you like your LR4 you won't like the D5.
As a sales rep, I drive mostly on road. I used to love driving Audi wagons for years so I'm fine with driving a D5 tall wagon to sales calls.
I think for all us LR4 owners wanting more of the same we will have to cross our fingers and see what the new Defender brings. Otherwise we will fighting over low mileage used ones in the future, even if they have the SCV6
