LR4 HSE LUX or Tahoe LTZ???????

[383strokerace]

Ok, let me preface this question by stating that I have long been a fan of Land Rover products and the culture that surrounds Land Rover Owners. In fact, to list the vehicles that I grew up with encompass a relatively extensive list including:

1989 Range Rover Country
1997 Range Rover
2002 Land Rover Discovery
2004 Land Rover Discovery
2008 Range Rover Sport

All of which have either been my father's vehicles or my two brothers'. I for one have never owned a Land Rover. I actually have been driving the same vehicle ever since I turned 16. I am 26 now. That vehicle is a 1998 Ford Expedition with 220,000. For those not living under a rock the past couple of decades would know that the Expedition is HUGE!!!!!! I actually enjoy having the ability to stretch out in the driver seat while on a long ride and know that my passengers in the second row have ample leg room. Also, I am accustomed to wonderful gas mileage as the ratings in 1998 were 12/15. As the years progressed, I added to the decline in mileage with the addition of over-sized off-road tires and a few other bolt-ons.

I am recently married, fresh out of graduate school so as you can tell I am very cognisant of finances right now. I have been so wishy-washy the past few weeks on my future decision in car choices. My list right now include a new 2011 Tahoe LTZ or a new 2011 LR4 HSE LUX. As for the actual purchasing of the vehicle, I am not worried about the purchase price because this will actually be a gift but I am more worried about maintenance costs and fuel costs. Ultimately, I am not comparing apples to apples since the two vehicles are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. I have driven both and compared them side-by-side (thanks to the awesome folks at the local Land Rover dealer who found one for me to compare). The drive-ability is hands down a no competition issue. The Land Rover is substantially better! I called my insurance agency hoping that I my decision would be easily decided by their quotes; however, there was a $1 difference! Chevy states their EPA ratings for MPG is 15/21 with the LR4 12/17. I have seen MotorTrend, TruckTrend, and Automobile.com advertise the Tahoe at 11/16. Which is correct?I guess my hesitation stems from the potential maintenance costs, fuel costs, and actual roominess between the two. Can someone out there help steer my decision? Thanks!

 

[UGAgirl97]

This is so wild b/c up until about a month ago, I had narrowed down my car choices down to the LR4 HSE and the Tahoe or Suburban LTZ White Diamond. Same prices in my area for all 3. However, after much research and test drives, I realized that there is just not as much cargo room for me in the Tahoe. The Suburban has plenty of course, but I just dont want my daily drive to be in a land yacht.

The Tahoe LTZ does not come with the option for a middle bench seat. You cant even special order it in the LTZ, only their base model. I wanted the White Diamond color and that only comes on the LTZ. I have two kids and we plan on having one more, so in order to have cargo room on long trips, I need to have a middle bench seat to seat all 3 kids and need to be able to remove the back seats for cargo. With middle captain chairs, that means my son would take up the rear seat leaving VERY little cargo space. I understand this is prob not your predicament, but it was a crucial blow for me against the Tahoe.

Also, the back two chairs sit ON the floor....so your knees are in your face....this is not so in the Suburban, but it is in the Tahoe and they are very cramped and uncomfortable.

So.....it is an easy choice for me b/n the two....LR4 ALL THE WAY! Hope this helps some.

 

[383strokerace]

Thanks UGAgirl97. I actually like the idea of having the bucket seats in the second row for the comfort of adult passengers. The ability to recline them as well is a plus! One of the issues I have with the Tahoe is the fact that if I am going on a long trip and need to take the back seats out, my SUV that originally seats 7 now only seats 4... I would also have to store the seats etc. Even with them folded up there is not as much cargo room. I also don't and will not settle for the navigation in the Tahoe. I already have decided that if I get one, I will replace it with an aftermarket that is hard-drive driven.

How is the leg room in the back seat for grown adults? That is one thing I failed to look at.

Also, I live in Atlanta. It is more common for me to see Range Rovers and Cayenne's driving around than for me to see Tahoes. I know this sounds very materialistic but, I would like to be able to pull up to a fine dining place and feel like my car will be accepted in the valet lot. There is a certain exclusivity that comes by owning a Land Rover. I just want to know that will all these wants and desires be outweighed by the amount that I will have to fork out on maintenance and fuel?

Has anyone received their 30,000 mile service yet? If you don't mind me asking, what did it cost? My local dealer stated that the 15,000 mile service was covered by the dealer and that I would be responsible for for the services following. He said that he was unsure of the average cost as they have not had many scheduled yet.

How is the warranty? I know that it is 4 year/50,000 mile but does that pretty much cover everything that is not subject to wear and tear like tires? GM's warranty is 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper with an 5 year/100,000 mile power train warranty. Can someone who is familiar with the two help me really decipher which is the better deal?

 

[phraxos5]

you can compensate for the gas mileage difference,(if there is one) by changeing the way you drive. The lr4 has a very advanced transmission that will adapt to the way you drive. I have change to bigger tires so I slowed down to 55-60 on the highway and have seen a big difference in monthly gas costs. I think you will regret it if you buy the tahoe. The tahoe I looked at was 52000, and my lr4 was 51000. There IS no comparison after that one in my mind. My wife and I actually have looked at each other many times after seeing tahoes out on the road in the Lr4 and said: "Damn I am glad you did not buy that tahoe"
I thank god every day that I did not buy the tahoe. Seriously I was so close to buying the tahoe but the chevy dealer promised me a rate of 8 %. Right as I was about to sign the contract I looked up at him and Asked him if the 8% rate was locked in and could he guarantee it in writing. He said nothing was ever written in stone and that the rate could be changed but only a few percent. I walked out, cooled off for two weeks then went to the LR dealer to look at the lr4. I paid cash for it on the spot and have never looked back.

 

[UGAgirl97]

Thanks UGAgirl97. I actually like the idea of having the bucket seats in the second row for the comfort of adult passengers. The ability to recline them as well is a plus! One of the issues I have with the Tahoe is the fact that if I am going on a long trip and need to take the back seats out, my SUV that originally seats 7 now only seats 4... I would also have to store the seats etc. Even with them folded up there is not as much cargo room. I also don't and will not settle for the navigation in the Tahoe. I already have decided that if I get one, I will replace it with an aftermarket that is hard-drive driven.

How is the leg room in the back seat for grown adults? That is one thing I failed to look at.

Also, I live in Atlanta. It is more common for me to see Range Rovers and Cayenne's driving around than for me to see Tahoes. I know this sounds very materialistic but, I would like to be able to pull up to a fine dining place and feel like my car will be accepted in the valet lot. There is a certain exclusivity that comes by owning a Land Rover. I just want to know that will all these wants and desires be outweighed by the amount that I will have to fork out on maintenance and fuel?

Has anyone received their 30,000 mile service yet? If you don't mind me asking, what did it cost? My local dealer stated that the 15,000 mile service was covered by the dealer and that I would be responsible for for the services following. He said that he was unsure of the average cost as they have not had many scheduled yet.

How is the warranty? I know that it is 4 year/50,000 mile but does that pretty much cover everything that is not subject to wear and tear like tires? GM's warranty is 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper with an 5 year/100,000 mile power train warranty. Can someone who is familiar with the two help me really decipher which is the better deal?

Totally get what you say about the exclusivity that comes with the Land Rover...that is a major plus for me. I have always drooled over the Range Rover, but the LR4 is more in my price range and I adore it almost as much. That was a strike against the Tahoe b/c where I live, you see Chevy's EVERYWHERE and I have not yet seen a single LR4! I love that I will be the first...once I get the damn thing..LOL

As for the two rear seats in the LR4...they are unbelievably comfortable with plenty of room for two adults. In fact, in most reviews I have read on the LR4, that is one of the big plus's!

I cant comment on the service prices, but I do plan on buying an extended warranty...probably thru Geico my insurer....it is a very inclusive extended warranty with a $250 deductable, but they cover everything.

 

[Count Laszlo]

Ironically, I'm seeing a Chevy ad at the bottom of this page! LOL...

Who's watching us? ;-)

 

[383strokerace]

Thanks Phraxos5. Do you mind me asking what your average MPG is? Also, can you give me an estimate on maintenance costs?

UGAgirl97, are you talking about the third row seats fitting two adults? If so, I was specifically talking about the second row. Any ideas about that? I looked at the actual dimension comparison and I believe there is a 1.8 inch difference in leg room but there is not a "Hip Room" measurement for the LR4 which I would guess would actually tell the potential room in the middle row seats. For the shoulder room, there is quite abit more on the Tahoe as the they are 65 inches as compared to 59 inches of the LR4 in the front row.

I know the ease of getting in and out of the second row has improved from the Discovery to the now LR4. Is it comparable to the Tahoe?

Does the sunroof only opening 10 inches concern anyone that is used to having a larger sunroof?

I know it might sound like I am trying to talk myself out of the LR4. I am not, I am just trying to make sure I make the right decision.....

 

[crewcabrob]

Hi,

I rarely have my sunroof open, but it is not a problem for me that it's opening is only 10" or so. I was actually quite suprised at how well the mesh sun shades blocks out the sun in the LR4. With those three glass roofs, I figured we might be in for a hot one in the summer.

Getting int he second row is quite a bit easier than the Discovery. The opening is a lot larger now. The second row is fine for adults. My brother (6'3") rode in the second row with two other adults on a recent trip. We had the LR4 full with 7 adults for a trip to a casino that was about 50 miles away. Round trip was entirely uneventfull for everyone. The second row seats are comfortable as are the thrid row. Not having to pull the seats out is a huge plus. My brother has the last Tahoe and he has to remove them when they go on long trips and store them in the garage. Then he can't take more than 5 people in his truck at his destination. With a family of 4, he can't get his inlaws in the truck without the rear most seats in place when they visit them.

If you look at the size of both trucks from the outside, the Tahoe towers over the LR4 in just about every dimension. That extra width does afford some larger shoulder room, but I'm not sure anyone would ever notice it.

I see Tahoes all the time. There are very few Land Rover products in our neck of the woods. I like having something different than the masses; it makes me feel special. I didn't buy it for the prestige, I bought it because it was the best truck for the money that fit my needs.

Rob

 

[DonMitsu]

The Chevy has completely unusable cargo space with the third row seat in and is a 4 passenger vehicle with it out. Chevy has managed to create a vehicle larger on the outside but somehow smaller on the inside than the Land Rover. When coupled with it's sub par off road performance I think the only advantage Chevy has is cheaper maintenance, unfortunately the price you pay for the cheaper maintenance is at the end of the day you own a chevy that's not functionally laid out very well, and isn't going to be fun to drive.

 

[Count Laszlo]

General Motors spends US$365,000 a day to promote Chevrolet in the U.S. market.

They were approx. $360 billion in "debt" before going bankrupt.

Tax payer loss on government bailout $85 billion.

GM tax break since bailout $45 billion.

Your hard earned tax dollars at work.

Do you really want to be a part of the GM-family?