If you are shopping for a MY16.5 LR4 be aware

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danrhiggins

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On a whim I dropped by my dealership today to checkout the MY16 LR4 Lux models. They had a number with the HD package in both LUX and Landmark. So I thought maybe I would extend my relationship with LR a couple years longer by switching out to a new one (my current one is MY14).

What I learned is that the 16.5 models don't have Voice Command. That button is now merely a Mute button for the phone. Apparently they ran out of units. Also, I thought these models would come equipped with Adaptive Cruise. They don't necessarily. At least this dealership did not have any of them.

This cooled my interest in an MY16 as my MY14 us a great vehicle (though I already have 50K on it.) I thought I would just put this out there so people don't assume that these last models in inventory have all the parts and pieces that you expect in an LR4. Best to ask/check to make sure they have what you want.
 

Hayseed_LR4

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My previous post on VR was due to my 16.5 not having it. Running out of parts makes more sense.

Mine does have ACC.
 

Forty Deuce

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My 2016.5 does have the ACC. It was a feature that didn't particularly excite me when I read about it but now, having it and using it regularly, I'd have to say it's one of the better options. I ordered mine so I was able to get every option I desired. I'm glad I was able to but a few of the other Land Rover dealers I visited would not order a LR4 for me limiting me to their inventory. HD Packages seemed rare so I was lucky that one of the several dealerships close to me were willing to take my custom build order.

My dealership gave me a small piece of paper notifying me of the Voice Command being dropped. They told me the VC was never very well received, had a lot of complaints, and was not cost effective for a vehicle with widespread international use. According to them even the small differences in British, American, and Australian spoken English were enough to to confuse the system. I never used it so I have no reference for the system but I suppose not having it means I don't miss it. I get the impression from what I've read the previous generations of infotainment systems left much to be desired but the system in my 2016.5 seems up to par and offers me no concerns. I know the 2016.5's benefited from a redesign and update of their infotainment system but by how much, I cannot say.

I can't imagine they would have ran out of the necessary equipment software to put the VC in the vehicles if they desired as its all of the same physical equipment as needed for Bluetooth connectivity with a cell phone, and some software. I think they just reformatted their infotainment system and trimmed the fat as they did discarding the unpopular and troublesome feature of VC.
 

umbertob

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I think the VC is just fine. It is much maligned because, just like the rest of the infotainment system, it is a generation or two behind the times, but it works without any hiccups for me. I use it all the time to enter an address in the navigation system on-the-fly (it sure beats trying to punch street names and numbers with the sluggish keyboard on the touchscreen while you are driving) and believe me, nobody has an accent thicker than mine, an Italian one to boot! :wink:
 
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danrhiggins

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My previous post on VR was due to my 16.5 not having it. Running out of parts makes more sense.

Mine does have ACC.

Yes. To clarify my OP, the ACC was an option but my dealership chose not to have it installed on any of their 16.5 vehicles. They have a number of HD Landmark models. But no ACC.

As for the VC, it may not be that important for many people. But since I had grown accustomed to using it I would have felt like I was taking a step backwards moving to a vehicle that doesn't have what I already have.

Again, I have a MY14 that is awesome - it just has 2 years and 50K miles on it. The dealer says they will look around but I don't think they will find something I want. So I'll let my current one carry on and at some point look for MY15s or 16s coming off a lease or something. If it doesn't happen then that is life.
 

rdrakea

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My '16.5 Landmark has ACC. It did come with an insert that explained you may have (and do) a mute button instead of the voice command button. I agree, it's insane for a $66k car to not enable me to say "call home" without taking my hands off the steering wheel, but it wasn't a deal breaker.
 

Supa

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I recently got my landmark. It has ACC, HD and tow. I didn't really know voice command option was dropped but after looking high and low for both HD and tow options voice command wasn't high on my list. I live in a small town in Colorado and nav is not essential and thus VC neither. ACC is awesome and works well after getting use to it. But, it was VERY annoying to have to manually enter an address into the nav. My wife just went back to Google maps on her phone which I think isn't right for a luxury vehicle.
 

danrhiggins

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Just to be clear, I didn't intend for anyone to be disappointed in the MY2016.5 because it is lacking the Voice Command. For many it will not be a big deal. And to be honest, though I use it for a few commands, I use "Hey, Siri" far more often than the voice command functions. And when I actually need navigation I use Google Maps on my iPhone. I mainly use Voice Command to tell the Nav system to zoom in and out or to tell the Nav system to "Go Home" which I only use so I can get a time estimate. All other Nav system stuff I do by hand.

So VC is not a huge issue for me. If I were to buy a MY16.5, though, I would want ACC as it would be useful on road trips. All that said, I've decided that my MY14, even with 50K on it, is still in great shape and looks great (definitely our preferred colors) and I like the Voyager sliders I put on. So I'm going to stay put for now and see if I can get a few more years out of it. Then we'll see what the market has to offer.
 

Surfrider77

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... My wife just went back to Google maps on her phone which I think isn't right for a luxury vehicle.

To be fair, it's impossible to beat Google Maps. It is constantly updated 24/7 for road closures, construction, new available roads / routes, etc. You are left updating your maps yearly (at high expense out of your own pocket) from most manufacturers. I just don't think its fair to compare Google Maps to any vehicle Nav system these days.

If you want an apples to apples comparison, I would absolutely agree that LR Nav feels a couple generations behind BMW and a few others. LR is highly criticized for their infotainment systems across their entire vehicle lineup. Imagine paying $130k+ for an Range Rover SVR, only to find that same clunky mess from your LR4 in that vehicle!
 

Supa

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I will agree that Google is the best because that's their business. I think it's hard to try to be the best at off roading and being a luxury truck for the price range. Maybe the LR5 will be closer to that high expectation.
 
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