Most fun I've had driving int he snow in a while

[epiclr4]

Joining the party late on the shift knob debate but I have now had my MY14 for 3 weeks and think the knob is perfectly fine in the LR4.

I can easily be turned into sport mode when in a sticky situation and needing to squirt through traffic with a couple taps of the flappy paddles.

Most days I drive the truck in sport mode. Call it habit out of having sports sedans with the paddles and using them. Don't care too much for the vehicle deciding when it wants to shift.

In terms of using the transmission to slow the vehicle down going down a hill, I again do this on a daily basis going down a hill my my town on the way to the gym. Kick it down to 4th and she will stay at 35 on the dot all the way down the quarter mile hill with no fuss and once I get to the bottom just tap the paddle to shift back up to 7 or 8th gear and roll on along.

I will say the only struggle I have had is trying to break the ingrained nature of the BMW iDrive controller which at times has almost caused an issue as I want to Zoom Out and I reach for the knob thinking I am controlling the Navigation. Could end badly, lets hope not.

 

[AxelR]

This is exactly what I experienced with the Evoque. Really easy to use and for me almost more natural than the big shifter that's in my '10 truck.
Funny about the zoom in zoom out. Old habits die hard.

 

[danrhiggins]

Good to hear about your experience. Mine is of course still limited to test drives but it was not an issue. I will likely use S mode more often. Maybe not all the time but clearly when I am going up and down mountains. Using engine compression when going down. For going up I like to control the transmission a bit more so it doesn't keep bouncing between to gears. I'll have to see how much that happens with the 8-speed.

I think I will like having the transmission selector (trying to find a different name than gear shifter) getting out of the way when the truck is off. Its a very small thing but I often take a short drive to the top of a ridge above my house where I have a view of the Rocky Mountains from Pikes Peak in the south to Longs Peak in the north. I'll then work from my notebook PC for an hour or two. ("Virtual Office") Having the shift dial out of the way might give a flat space to set stuff while working. For example having some place to set things when changing lenses or even cameras to get a picture out the driver's window.

 

[Matt]

Good to hear about your experience. Mine is of course still limited to test drives but it was not an issue. I will likely use S mode more often. Maybe not all the time but clearly when I am going up and down mountains. Using engine compression when going down. For going up I like to control the transmission a bit more so it doesn't keep bouncing between to gears. I'll have to see how much that happens with the 8-speed.

I think I will like having the transmission selector (trying to find a different name than gear shifter) getting out of the way when the truck is off. Its a very small thing but I often take a short drive to the top of a ridge above my house where I have a view of the Rocky Mountains from Pikes Peak in the south to Longs Peak in the north. I'll then work from my notebook PC for an hour or two. ("Virtual Office") Having the shifter knob thingy out of the way might give me some space set (non-liquid) things while working. Another example would be having some place to set things when changing lenses or even cameras to get a picture out the driver's window. Or maybe a place to set the bag of fries from Five Guys Burgers while I'm driving along. (OK, that would NOT be a good idea.)

You crossed the line. I respectfully request that you edit your post and remove the "shifter knob thingy" comment.

 

[mateored]

I've used the new shift knob on my dealer's loaner Jags for the past couple of years. I don't mind it at all. In fact, I think it's better. First of all, the paddles are superior to the stick for "manual" shifting. Second, if you go the manual Command Shift mode with the LR stick, you can't get out of it unless you move the stick over to D and then back to S. With the knob/paddles, you can just pull both paddles at the same time, and it puts you back in S (on the Jag anyway).

 

[mbw]

When I think of my 6k pound truck, I dont think, "Oh yeah, im going to be sporty and use paddle shifters"

This is very much opinion, but I don't think an LR should have Eco buttons or become aerodynamic, or have sport modes (obviously I like using 's' for hills and engine braking, but it doesnt need to be called sport mode). LR is trying to become more palatable to the average wealthy yuppy and being green is just part of that. If they really wanted to do 'eco' right then they would just build Kias or something. LR needs to stay true to itself, even if that means its a V8 fire breathing box with low range that weighs 1/4 of the moon.

I'm not the type that things everything after the series one is junk though. (You see a lot of those types around complaining that cars have 'electrics' and no handle sticking out of the front to start it) I just don't want to look at the LR lineup in a few years and not be able to see any DNA related it is to the series rovers. An evoque is already way off from a defender or disco. (it mated too many times with some Japanese chick in a suite) Those are fantastic vehicles, but if all we wanted was a good vehicle we have plenty of brands to choose from.

I want a Land Rover.

 

[mateored]

When I think of my 6k pound truck, I dont think, "Oh yeah, im going to be sporty and use paddle shifters"

If it were up to me, I'd have a manual transmission. Next best thing is paddle shifting. It's anything but sporty. Trust me, I'm not kidding myself into thinking I'm driving the Porsche PDK double clutch system. However, when you drive a 6,000 pound vehicle, you're crazy if you don't use engine braking. More control and save wear and tear on the brakes.

Land Rover is in the business of making great vehicles with superb off-road capabilities. They are not in the nostalgia business. If the new transmission is better, then it's better.

 

[Matt]

If it were up to me, I'd have a manual transmission. Next best thing is paddle shifting. It's anything but sporty. Trust me, I'm not kidding myself into thinking I'm driving the Porsche PDK double clutch system. However, when you drive a 6,000 pound vehicle, you're crazy if you don't use engine braking. More control and save wear and tear on the brakes.

Land Rover is in the business of making great vehicles with superb off-road capabilities. They are not in the nostalgia business. If the new transmission is better, then it's better.

It's not a better transmission, it is a better match for the new engine.

 

[Matt]

When I think of my 6k pound truck, I dont think, "Oh yeah, im going to be sporty and use paddle shifters"

This is very much opinion, but I don't think an LR should have Eco buttons or become aerodynamic, or have sport modes (obviously I like using 's' for hills and engine braking, but it doesnt need to be called sport mode). LR is trying to become more palatable to the average wealthy yuppy and being green is just part of that. If they really wanted to do 'eco' right then they would just build Kias or something. LR needs to stay true to itself, even if that means its a V8 fire breathing box with low range that weighs 1/4 of the moon.

I'm not the type that things everything after the series one is junk though. (You see a lot of those types around complaining that cars have 'electrics' and no handle sticking out of the front to start it) I just don't want to look at the LR lineup in a few years and not be able to see any DNA related it is to the series rovers. An evoque is already way off from a defender or disco. (it mated too many times with some Japanese chick in a suite) Those are fantastic vehicles, but if all we wanted was a good vehicle we have plenty of brands to choose from.

I want a Land Rover.

Agreed, the new LR4 has entered phase one in the neutering process. The removal of the two speed transfer case, along with the removal of the rock climbing ability. Less torque, and HP. The reason the full size spare has been removed is because there is a reduced expectation the vehicle will see of road use. I am all for change, as long as it is for off road prowess. Like maybe they could have added a winch as a standard option with the 2014 and maybe throw in a recovery kit. Put on a tire with a more aggressive lug and side lug pattern. Maybe an optional 2 inch lift .

To all that read this cancel your 2014 order and grab a 13 or remember I told you so, or accept the fact that the vehicle you bought with the pedigree of the Discovery and a long lineage of off road capabilities has begun to de-evolve.

This is not speculation but rather a direct comparison over the 13 vs 14. Don't take my word for it, research it and see it for yourself.

 

[danrhiggins]

Matt, you forgot one qualifier. It should read, "To all that read this and are serious off roaders and aren't interested in things like Blind Spot Monitoring, ...".

I wouldn't argue with any of your points - for those such as yourself to whom things like the V8 and off roading, etc. are of primary importance. For me, I can't find a MY13 Lux w/ Vision Assist. I accept that there are pansies like me for whom "off roading" is what would be graded "Moderate" or "nothing over a 5 out of 10". And for whom there are other features that I will notice much more than the difference in torque and HP. The major reasons I want this vehicle are the following:
- The elevated seating position (driver and passenger) and large windows (for sightseeing)
- The spaciousness rear half of the car
- The windows and alpine roof and the way they create more light and the feeling of more space in the back half
- The configurability of the seating and the floor in the back.
- The adequate Nav and Voice system
- The "more luxury" interior
- The decent audio options
- The various Vision Assist capabilities
- The climate control package features
- The ability to raise it more ground clearance than my Acura MDX and the better approach and departure angles
- The off road and Terrain Response features for those occasional times when I do backroad touring on moderate roads.

As for power and torque, it is better than many vehicles and adequate for my needs.

Clearly, my needs and priorities a different than yours. Which is great! I would not choose 10% more HP and torque over the mix of features above. If I found an very clean, low mileage MY13 with an Almond interior and Bronze, White or Dark Grey then I would look at it. But I haven't seen any. So there you go. I'll get my MY14 and will be extremely happy as I explore Colorado and elsewhere. And I won't even miss the HP and torque.

Maybe in the future they will come out with a new, more properly equipped model targeting the off road enthusiast. They may favor the off road capabilities over the luxury and the "techie" stuff. They may even keep the price lower.