danrhiggins
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- Joined
- Jan 2, 2014
- Posts
- 1,126
- Reaction score
- 81
Just a short, 15 minute test drive. I'll schedule a longer one later. HSE model with Vision, Climate options and maybe a couple of other things.
Paired my iPhone 5 and it worked easily. Then found how to get it to play music from my phone via Bluetooth. I found it relatively easy. Sound was good but this was the base audio, not the upgraded one.
Touch screen worked well enough with my polarized glasses - a concern for me because I prefer polarized and they don't work as well with my MDX. Not perfect in the LR4 but better and I could see everything.
OK. Drive time. Start the engine and the shift "knob" raises up in the middle of the center console. That would take some getting used to. Not a big deal when you are just putting it in Drive and then off you go. But if you want to quickly move to Sport mode and downshift to leverage engine compression you need to rotate the dial then use the paddle shifters to downshift. Paddle shifters only work in Sport mode (unlike my MDX where I can use them to force a shift even in D with the paddle shifters and rely on the car to put it back when it is appropriate - sort of a semi-automatic.)
I expect everyone wants to know how the engine felt. Of course I could only compare to my 2014 Acura MDX. I would say it was better than expected for what is clearly a "truck" vs a performance-oriented Suburban Utility Vehicle like the MDX. I had no problem pulling onto the interstate, passing other cars and pulling up a short hill on the interstate. I "floored it" up a couple of hills and it was fine. No whiplash but far better than I used to with my 1998 Land Cruiser. ;-)
Now the weird thing is the Eco Start/Stop feature. It reminded me of driving a hybrid. When you come to a stop everything (OK, not everything but most things that make noise) stops. Take your foot off the break and it starts back up. It didn't take long to get used to but if you didn't expect it you would have thought the engine died. There is a hard button to turn it off.
As for the engine I don't foresee a problem but I would need a lot more time in the saddle. I am going to schedule a much longer "take-the-truck-for-a-couple-hours" test drive over the next couple of weeks.
I like the Blind Spot Warning feature in the mirrors. I have that in my MDX and it is very handy.
The sales person did point out that many think the 2015 model with have an aluminum body like the other RR vehicles and that in the process they might alter the shape a bit. Not sure if I would like the style change though I wouldn't mind the reduced weight. I may just wait until the 2015 gets revealed before I make a decision.
Paired my iPhone 5 and it worked easily. Then found how to get it to play music from my phone via Bluetooth. I found it relatively easy. Sound was good but this was the base audio, not the upgraded one.
Touch screen worked well enough with my polarized glasses - a concern for me because I prefer polarized and they don't work as well with my MDX. Not perfect in the LR4 but better and I could see everything.
OK. Drive time. Start the engine and the shift "knob" raises up in the middle of the center console. That would take some getting used to. Not a big deal when you are just putting it in Drive and then off you go. But if you want to quickly move to Sport mode and downshift to leverage engine compression you need to rotate the dial then use the paddle shifters to downshift. Paddle shifters only work in Sport mode (unlike my MDX where I can use them to force a shift even in D with the paddle shifters and rely on the car to put it back when it is appropriate - sort of a semi-automatic.)
I expect everyone wants to know how the engine felt. Of course I could only compare to my 2014 Acura MDX. I would say it was better than expected for what is clearly a "truck" vs a performance-oriented Suburban Utility Vehicle like the MDX. I had no problem pulling onto the interstate, passing other cars and pulling up a short hill on the interstate. I "floored it" up a couple of hills and it was fine. No whiplash but far better than I used to with my 1998 Land Cruiser. ;-)
Now the weird thing is the Eco Start/Stop feature. It reminded me of driving a hybrid. When you come to a stop everything (OK, not everything but most things that make noise) stops. Take your foot off the break and it starts back up. It didn't take long to get used to but if you didn't expect it you would have thought the engine died. There is a hard button to turn it off.
As for the engine I don't foresee a problem but I would need a lot more time in the saddle. I am going to schedule a much longer "take-the-truck-for-a-couple-hours" test drive over the next couple of weeks.
I like the Blind Spot Warning feature in the mirrors. I have that in my MDX and it is very handy.
The sales person did point out that many think the 2015 model with have an aluminum body like the other RR vehicles and that in the process they might alter the shape a bit. Not sure if I would like the style change though I wouldn't mind the reduced weight. I may just wait until the 2015 gets revealed before I make a decision.
