First Impressions (Going from MY13 LR4/NAV8 to MY16 LR4/SCV6)

[VTBike]

Agreed if you are always on pavement or mild trails and only change settings at start of journey. "A few hundred miles" is the all you need. Doesn't take a lot of thinking. Less so when your running a difficult trail and need quick changes without taking your eyes off the goal. Between TR and D/S knobs the last thing you want to do is decode the array of options. I personally dislike knobs vs. column. Column shift is a 'feel' for what you have selected. Knob requires looking down. Two different sensory inputs. One efficient, one less so.

I totally respect what you're saying, I suppose I'm just unsure of where you're coming from. I have not driven any difficult trails, so I cannot offer the experience you do. I honestly don't understand the need to look down though, and the efficiency loss with the rotary knob. When anyone first learns driving with a column, knowing that it goes from Park through reverse, neutral, drive, etc.. is a learned muscle memory. With the column, you know you're in drive, and pushing it up goes to neutral, down to a lower gear or sport mode. Its the same with the knob - i don't need to look down to know a quick click to the left is neutral, a click to the right is sport mode (and then i can use the paddles to shift gears if i need to). More than that, I find the knob to shift so much faster and easier than a column. I would argue that it's more efficient by far than a column, simply because it's so relatively effortless and accurate.

So while I will validate that it's a personal preference thing, and agree with anyone who says that -- what I can't align with is the need to look down to shift with the rotary ***. It's simply not true. It's a learned muscle memory, just like it was when you were 17 or so learning to drive for the first time.

Is there something dramatically different that I'm just missing?

 

[R Hermann]

A new Lux w/o two-speed case and a '13 HSE with two-speed transfer case and very low miles. The '13 color is unpopular red so it has been on the lot for a long time- something close to two years, I think, and that scares me a bit.

 

[R Hermann]

Regarding the dial shifting- are there any tactile indications of gear selection/knob position?

 

[ryanjl]

If you have any inclination to go off road at all, you will want the two speed transfer case.

 

[R Hermann]

(moved to new thread)

 

[R Hermann]

Perhaps someone can offer advice: dedicated off-road tires and single speed '16 vs same tires/wheels on a 2-speed '13? If I am not going extreme but doing some crawling do I really need the 2-speed?

 

[Paxton407]

A new Lux w/o two-speed case and a '13 HSE with two-speed transfer case and very low miles. The '13 color is unpopular red so it has been on the lot for a long time- something close to two years, I think, and that scares me a bit.

Would you be buying or leasing the new Lux? I only bring it up because there is a significant different in financing options between a Lux and a Landmark. I would highly recommend looking at an HSE Silver or Landmark edition if you're going to buy new.

Regarding the dial shifting- are there any tactile indications of gear selection/knob position?

It clicks when you switch gears, so yes. I wouldn't worry about this too much. You'll get used to the rotary quickly.

Perhaps someone can offer advice: dedicated off-road tires and single speed '16 vs same tires/wheels on a 2-speed '13? If I am not going extreme but doing some crawling do I really need the 2-speed?

The 2 speed auto lockers are pretty awesome, no doubt. How often do you plan to off road? the single speed '16 is very capable without the lockers, but the lockers will make a huge difference if you're going to be doing a lot of crawling or heavy ruts/mud.

 

[ryanjl]

The 2 speed auto lockers are pretty awesome, no doubt. How often do you plan to off road? the single speed '16 is very capable without the lockers, but the lockers will make a huge difference if you're going to be doing a lot of crawling or heavy ruts/mud.

It's not the lockers he would be missing out on, it's low range in the transfer case.

And if he's doing anything more than a dirt road, it's near mandatory.

 

[Paxton407]

It's not the lockers he would be missing out on, it's low range in the transfer case.

And if he's doing anything more than a dirt road, it's near mandatory.

I recently went to the biltmore and do the land rover off-road experience there. 2 hours off-road with an instructor doing some moderate to intense trails. Very dry conditions. We never put it in low range the whole day. Descents and otherwise slow/controlled movements were handled using S1 / HDC with no problems at all. Not disputing the utility of low range gears, but I think "near mandatory" might be a bit of an overstatement.

 

[TLB]

moved to another thread