Greetings everyone !
I found this site just a few days ago, before the recent purchase of an LR4. I think its the most active and helpful of all the LR4 forums. For benefit of other potential buyers here are my views:
Notes from my recent trip:
I bought a 2011 Ipanema Sand LR4 recently and the very next day took my family on a 2000 mile (round-trip) skiing vacation to Colorado. The road conditions were better than what I expected due to less than normal snowfall this season in Colorado. Regardless of the amount of snow/ice on the road, I thought the LR4 performed remarkably. I felt confident which ever way I wanted to take it, and thats something for a resident of Texas (most Texas drivers dont see much snow ice to be adept drivers in such conditions). Ride was quiet and comfortable and my kids did not complain one bit.
Fuel economy was really a pleasant surprize. I got 20.3 mpg on the return trip and more than half of that journey was while cruising at 75 mph.
We did a little bit of what I would call off-roading (some ********* off-roaders will consider this a joke). We found a trail in a Colorado state park, which was open to ATVs and capable trucks/SUVs. I ventured off to my family's first-ever such adventure. Kids enjoyed it a lot. Wife was amused/happy. I could have gone into some more adventureous terrain but being the cautious middle aged husband/father that I am, I decided to keep things simple the first time around.
http://jawad.zenfolio.com/p689171811/h22b3f824#h208a31af
A little bit about my rationale to purchase:
Our family needed a vehicle that would be large enough to accomodate 7 adults when needed. I wanted real 3rd row seats not something that only little kids can use. I felt that was important as kids grow up and eventually a token 3rd row would become useless.
I also wanted a usable 3-seat 2nd row. This may sound strange but many vehicles now have 2 very comfortable seats in the 2nd row, but middle seat is so uncomfortable/hard/small that it is almost unsuable. This makes them essentialy 4 passenger vehicles with the 3rd row down.
I wanted a 4x4 vehicle capable of handling any inclement weather on the road and any off-road endeavors which I might decide to pursue with my family. Essentially I wanted to add a new dimension to our out door activities i.e. off-roading or going on a trail that we would not otherwise take.
I wanted a luxurious vehicle with quiet and comfortable ride for highway cruising and daily driving.
I wanted a vehicle capable of towing and being able to haul any cargo/stuff by folding down the seats.
We considred Lexus GX460, Acura MDX, Mazda CX9, Ford Expedition, Audi Q7, Mercedez GL450. They were either not capable enough or too expensive or did not have enough space. It was down to Ford Expedition and LR4. We did own an Expedition from 2004-2007 and it was a good vehicle to us. In the end LR4 is more off-road capable than Expedition. LR4 it is. So far so good !
After the trip, I am extremely happy and am wondering why I did not buy such a vehicle before (as I am always changing/buying cars).
Safe driving !
I found this site just a few days ago, before the recent purchase of an LR4. I think its the most active and helpful of all the LR4 forums. For benefit of other potential buyers here are my views:
Notes from my recent trip:
I bought a 2011 Ipanema Sand LR4 recently and the very next day took my family on a 2000 mile (round-trip) skiing vacation to Colorado. The road conditions were better than what I expected due to less than normal snowfall this season in Colorado. Regardless of the amount of snow/ice on the road, I thought the LR4 performed remarkably. I felt confident which ever way I wanted to take it, and thats something for a resident of Texas (most Texas drivers dont see much snow ice to be adept drivers in such conditions). Ride was quiet and comfortable and my kids did not complain one bit.
Fuel economy was really a pleasant surprize. I got 20.3 mpg on the return trip and more than half of that journey was while cruising at 75 mph.
We did a little bit of what I would call off-roading (some ********* off-roaders will consider this a joke). We found a trail in a Colorado state park, which was open to ATVs and capable trucks/SUVs. I ventured off to my family's first-ever such adventure. Kids enjoyed it a lot. Wife was amused/happy. I could have gone into some more adventureous terrain but being the cautious middle aged husband/father that I am, I decided to keep things simple the first time around.
http://jawad.zenfolio.com/p689171811/h22b3f824#h208a31af
A little bit about my rationale to purchase:
Our family needed a vehicle that would be large enough to accomodate 7 adults when needed. I wanted real 3rd row seats not something that only little kids can use. I felt that was important as kids grow up and eventually a token 3rd row would become useless.
I also wanted a usable 3-seat 2nd row. This may sound strange but many vehicles now have 2 very comfortable seats in the 2nd row, but middle seat is so uncomfortable/hard/small that it is almost unsuable. This makes them essentialy 4 passenger vehicles with the 3rd row down.
I wanted a 4x4 vehicle capable of handling any inclement weather on the road and any off-road endeavors which I might decide to pursue with my family. Essentially I wanted to add a new dimension to our out door activities i.e. off-roading or going on a trail that we would not otherwise take.
I wanted a luxurious vehicle with quiet and comfortable ride for highway cruising and daily driving.
I wanted a vehicle capable of towing and being able to haul any cargo/stuff by folding down the seats.
We considred Lexus GX460, Acura MDX, Mazda CX9, Ford Expedition, Audi Q7, Mercedez GL450. They were either not capable enough or too expensive or did not have enough space. It was down to Ford Expedition and LR4. We did own an Expedition from 2004-2007 and it was a good vehicle to us. In the end LR4 is more off-road capable than Expedition. LR4 it is. So far so good !
After the trip, I am extremely happy and am wondering why I did not buy such a vehicle before (as I am always changing/buying cars).
Safe driving !
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