Sat in a '14 LR4 Yesterday

[danrhiggins]

First a disclaimer. I am an Acura MDX owner and have joined this forum because I am rethinking my decision to purchase the 2014 Acura MDX last June. In some respect I regret not going with a more off-road-capable vehicle. Part of my research is to learn from the experiences of LR4 owners thus deciding to monitor this forum.

So I sat in a new 2014 LR4 yesterday (it had just arrived and was still in "travel" mode so couldn't be driven.) Interesting. No surprises here for any of you. No stick as all of you probably know. You shift with a knob in the middle of the center console and with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The shift "knob" was recessed into the center console and evidently raises up when the truck is turned on. The sales person said this is how the latest RRs work and appears to be the plan for all RR/LR vehicles. The prior models have a knob for setting the Terrain Response system to different modes but that is now a rocker switch. And they have gone to a super-charged 6 with an 8-speed tranny rather than the V8 with a 6. The marketing is that this will improve gas mileage. The sales guy told me it is actually because RR/LR are going to make only 2 engines, 6 and 8 both super-charged, to reduce cost. How this will affect the power of the LR4 for pulling trailers and such is to be seen. Also, I drove a 2011 LR4. It felt like it was floating over the road. Actually a bit unsettling. But they did have me take it on a dirt road and through a major rut/pothole that surely would have grounded my MDX. No problem for the LR4 and that was in "normal" terrain mode. Fascinating. The interior of the LR4 is very well engineered in my mind. Acura did a reasonably good job on the interior with their new '14 MDX but it is not as spacious and flexible as the LR.

 

[mbw]

Pro tip, the members of this forum usually know more than the dealer does.

The engine thing seems odd since they make several other motors, diesel etc, for other markets.

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks, mbw. That is why I joined this forum. I strongly believe that you all understand the vehicle more than most dealer people. How it works, how it doesn't work and how to use it. I will never be as much as an off-road person as many on this forum. But fully expect to be doing more than the typical suburbanite who is fearful of the occasional snow storm. I live in Colorado and am an "empty nester". We enjoy getting up in the mountains and exploring. I also enjoy a bit of landscape/scenic photography, modest hiking and mountain biking and just hanging out by a mountain stream. Our boys are both in Seattle in their first year of pediatric residency so I will be doing at least one road trip from to Seattle to Denver each year with a bit of exploration along the way. My Acura is great for the freeway segments but doesn't offer as many options for "exploring" along the way or once I get to Seattle. My dad was a sailor for 40 years. But since I am in Denver, not the Northwest, I am thinking that a LR (should I choose it over a Land Cruiser) will become my "boat". But before I drop $70K on a vehicle I intend to do a lot of research. Thus the reason for joining this forum. I look forward to learning from the experts - you all.

 

[umbertob]

The LR4 is the best long haul cruising vehicle I have ever owned. Better than my former RRS, better than my wife's 2010 Acura MDX. Its weight is an asset on the highway as it feels like it's on rail at all times, and the plush and quiet interior makes it a very nice place to be, for many hours. The Acura handles twisty roads wonderfully (it is one of the best handling SUVs out there I think, really fun to toss around the pavement) and also has a distinct acceleration edge over the LR4, even the V8 powered one.

Surprisingly, fuel economy with the MDX wasn't that great, about 15 mpg in mostly city driving - not much better than the considerably heavier LR4. You already mentioned that, when it comes to going off-road, the MDX just won't work while the LR4 can handle almost anything right out of the box. For my wife, the MDX was a better choice. For me, no way.