TigerGLS

No it's just thick, but it's quiet .

JoeMa

He's right, our GLS550 is noticeably quieter than our 2014 GL550. The ride is also noticeably smoother and its not due to the new rubber, we just put new tires on the GL. It absorbes the bumps in the road better. Even the SPort mode is smoother. I don't how the engineers do this stuff but well done!

Count Laszlo

JoeMa, so you ended up getting your rig after all?! Big congrats!

PS - My GL is in the shop getting my right front end issue sorted out and they gave me a brand new '16 E350, and it does not have double-pane glass, but rather the same thick temperlite and it's unbelievably quiet inside. Although the W212 is getting very close to EOL, it has an outstanding chassis and is a real pleasure to drive. An excellent product.

JoeMa

We love it and I find it interesting how many small changes the engineers made. For example, when refilling it with gas they redesigned the holder for the cap. Its easier to snap in and out than before.

Count Laszlo

I saw the photos you posted of your new rig and it's absolutely stunning! Superb color combination and the upgrades IMHO are best-in-class... So happy you ended up getting it after all. (Thumbs up!)

JoeMa

Very nice of you to say that, thanks.

bonboon

i know the topic of road noise has come up in the picture thread, but figured i'd share some insights here.

i find the road noise from tires, the wind noise, and the ride comfort, to be significantly better in all respects when compared to a 2013-2016 Range Rover Supercharged (22" OEM rims). not to mention, brake modulation is much smoother, as is power delivery (which can be abrupt at times in the Land Rover).

JoeMa

Never owned a RR but the GLS is one smooth ride, very impressed so far.

Count Laszlo

I've owned a few Land Rover products, and everything up until 2013 (except the new FFRR), had one of the smoothest rides in the business. The ride was amazing. But once they changed their formula, with the new FFRR and RRS, the ride was compromised quite a bit. IMO, it was no longer a Range Rover ride or feel.

They really value-engineered the rigs and it really showed. They also increased and changed their pricing model and they became truly over priced and just not worth the money/value anymore.

Prior to buying my GL550, I special ordered a fully loaded '16 RRS with 22s, $84,000, waited six-months for it, and when she arrived I took her for a test drive and decided to pass on purchasing it. The boot was so small it was a joke. The ride was terrible, rear seats were like jump seats in a commercial jet, the road noise was unreal for a Range Rover product, and at this price, it was a rip off. It was a huge disappointment for me!

They wouldn't even budge on the price. My wife on the spot even asked if they had a FFRR instead, we were willing to go way up-market, but he just didn't seem interested in selling us a car that day. While I was leaving the salesman yells across the lot while we were getting into our '13 RRS, "Let me know when you win the lotto!" Really??

Also went to another dealer again and found a '16 HSE FFRR for $100K... Was going to purchase it but after finding out it didn't even come with a tow-hitch, and it would cost some $3K to install one, I was just done with that brand. It was not the brand I remembered or grew up with. And today, it shows, their sales are dismal and they can't even move this metal off the lot - they blew it!

After that ordeal we went over to Mercedes and ended up with the new GL. It was the best decision I made. And I absolutely love the rig, it has everything we need as a family, looks amazing, drives amazing, and just fills so many gaps that Land Rover left behind for a fashion statement.

JoeMa

Hey Count, I really enjoyed reading your last post. I went through a similar experience many years ago when a salesman pre-judged me when I wanted to test drive one of their SUV's. He said "You do know how much this vehicle costs? Right?", then he says "How much do you make a year?". I looked at my wife and said lets go. I went to a nearby dealer and purchased the same exact SUV that day.

I know your story also involves the changes RR has been making that are not to you and your wife's liking. Buying an expensive vehicle involves more than the outside appearance. The interior, ride, smoothness, tech, amenities all matter just as much. I really like the look of the RR but every time I've test driven them I came away feeling less impressed. BMW's are the same (IMHO). They look great but their interiors are bland and a bit too firm. The ride is often too firm for my liking.

I owned a Lexus LX450 that a smooth ride but it was too high off the ground and it tended to feel a bit trucky. When text drove my first GL (2013 550) I was hooked. And you don't even want to test drive the new GLS or you will be talking your wife into another trade. ;-)

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience.

Mike450

Thought I was alone or just a ****ty dealer, but that is almost precisely how I was treated when I went to look at RR Sports late 2014..

No test drives, no discounts, and barely anytime with a salesperson because I had the audacity to ask questions and wasn't walking in to write an MSRP check sight unseen.

bonboon

Those dealer antics you guys have dealt with are obviously inexcusable, but I would say that after having dealt with 4 LR dealers over the last 15 years, that is not the norm. In my experiences at least. I've found that a-hole salesmen are roughly equally dispersed across all automakers. That being said, you're indisputably more inclined to find an a-hole in geographical areas where people are more price insensitive as buyers (read: Manhattan, for example).

Couple things I'd say with respect to the Land Rover vehicles. Their Sport is pretty much unmatched in terms of breadth of abilities. Very sporty but a legit off roader if you want it to be (and have the appropriate tire/rim set up). Interiors on both Sport and big body are quite nice, elegant. Excellent materials. Sub par infotainment. Great seats on the big body. I've had some minor mechanical issues here and there on both the last gen and current gen vehicles but nothing insane. Where LR really shines, I'd say, is the presence and cache of the big body. It's genuinely an event every time you get in and out of one. Similar to the way the G wagen makes people happy when they walk up to, get out of it. The same way a great exhaust note invokes certain emotions every time you start up the car.

Having said that, I think the refinement of the GLS is far superior in all respects. And if a vehicle offers a materially more refined experience than what was once regarded as the pinnacle of this class of vehicle, then it is worthy of the S class association (GLS) by virtue of that alone. Sure, the interior maybe isn't the statement that the S is. But I don't expect that in an SUV. I expect a utilitarian version of that which I think we'll see with the next gen. Maybe a step up in design, craftsmanship, materials (although in my opinion one isn't needed). It will be a rugged, functional set up like today's but prob a little more distinguished from the GLE than is the case today

Count Laszlo

The Lexus LX450 is a very nice SUV, but completely know what you mean when you say too truck-like.

I know the second I see the GLS550 I'll be bugging my wife! Hehe... Going to try my hardest to resist!! Such a beautiful SUV. :-)

BulldogGLE

Agree 100% - was cross shopping a RRS before the GLE and had a similar experience w/ dealer (was not interested in making a sale). Also, I find the new RRS looks too similar to the ford explorer - it has lost a bit of cachet IMO.

43221B

Wow, what a jerk, I wouldn't want to live in that guy's house. There are NO cars that are worth MSRP unless they are being sold in the first month of production (and sometimes not even then). A car starts depreciating even before it is produced as the model year progresses. I always kindly remind the salespeople of that when they don't want to budge on the price. I've never had one argue that with me.

Count Laszlo

Yeah, my wife was really upset over the comment. Said it right in front of my son as well who asked me "What is the lotto?" He's only 6.

What also bothered me about the attitude is that we bought 2 Land Rovers from this salesman. And had known him for years. But this was before Land Rover became the "it" brand (for that time being.) It was a smaller auto manufacturer who treated their customers like family. But once the newer models (vanity models) came out, and all these new customers pored into the brand with their deep wallets, the attitude changed, and they alienated their long-term customers.

Another example which is important to point out, is that before the two newer models (the RRS and FFRR), if you wanted to add a trailer hitch, you simply bought the hitch from LR and plugged it in. Everything that was engineered from the start was well thought out downstream, any add-ones such as hitches, winches, etc., the ports were all there. BUT, the newer models, if you didn't order the truck with a hitch from the manufacturer, and wanted to add one later, you have to remove the entire rear bumper, add framework, add wiring, add the hitch, etc., etc., a $3K job. Really?? On a $80- to-$100K SUV? This stuff should be standard, period.

Also, another point (I know, I have to vent), when I purchased my 2013 RRS HSE Lux, it was fully loaded. It had everything, V8, standard low-range, locking diffs, top-of-the-line stereo, extended leather, premium wheels that were stunning, the works, and the MSRP was $69,000. The 2014 RRS, the new model HSE V6, with the same exact options, was $84,000!! With a V6, not the V8. And everything was cheaply made on top of it. The leather was no different than what you'd find in a BMW (their leather used to be truly incredible, best coachwork in the industry IMO), the doors closed tin-like, the ride was rubbish, loud and harsh, and the road noise was no different than a down-market Evoque. And the looks, eek.

Land Rover changed their formula for the masses, and although they had record sales for two-years, their sales now are horrible, and they've exhausted their new customers, and their loyal customers have moved on. They deserve it because their arrogance in such a short time has tarnished the brand. Land Rovers are nothing more than a fashion statement now and they've lost that regal look-and-feel.

bonboon

Is calendar year 16 starting off poorly for them? Cause I recall them saying they sold 6% more in 2015 than in 2014. That's all vehicles (evoque, sport, etc).

Regardless I would never consider them if I was treated the way many if not all of you have been

Count Laszlo

Check out www.goodcarbadcar.net - go to Sales Stats. It's a lot of fun and I'm a data junkie.

You'll see that both RRS and FFRR YoY '15 vs. '16 and sales are trending down for both US and Canada in a very concerning way. Funny thing is, LR was the driving force behind JLR, Jag being the laggard, but now that's pivoted to Jag and LR is now the laggard.

Also, if you want to see other under performing brands check out BMW's nightmare.

bonboon

Thank you for that link.

That's a tough predicament for Land Rover because I would say they haven't quite mastered the art of the refresh yet. In years past, they slapped this or that onto the existing vehicle in a way that isn't as elegant as some of the German brands (Benz, Audi, Porsche). Guess they'll need to revive sales the old fashioned way in those markets (cash)

BMW, ouch. Hopefully their new 5 can help turn things around for them.