...but I've never actually owned or driven one!

Situation is she has a Honda CRV on which the lease is due to expire soon, and she wants something with a bit of presence for when she turns up at clients (she teaches motivation and self promotion type stuff - don't ask me..). She would have liked a RRS, but as its to be a lease car, it would be new and one is therefore out of her price range - plus secretly she feels its a big too big! So then she suggested a Freelander. At this point I felt it wouldn't give the impression / impact she was after, and she should consider the Evoque.

Having watched this weeks Fifth Gear, she's now set on a 2wd 5-door Evoque in white.

She also has a rather large dog, the 'dulux' type. Will it fit in the boot?

Have I done the right thing!!  2016 VW Golf GTD DSG
2007 Exige S British GT SE
Gone : 2011 3.0TDV6 HSE, Stornoway Grey, Ivory, Piano Black Trim, Paddleshift, Privacy Glass, Side Steps, Mud Flaps, Heated Steering Wheel, Timed Climate & Remote Park Heating

That's a big dog to stick in the boot of an Ewok to be honest. I had one for a week, and don't get me wrong, it's a very nice car, but I just felt it was overpriced.....but I'm not sure a dog of that size will be too comfortable in the boot with the heavily racked rear screen.

Best thing is that hopefully she will test drive one before she orders, but personally, I think she would have been better with the Freelander in this instance  ON THE WAY: BMW F21 M140i
MERCEDES GL350 - Metallic Navy Blue w/Grey interior

GOING: BMW F31 335D MSport+ xDrive Touring
GONE: Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - Stornaway Grey w/Black Interior (wish we'd kept it )
GONE: BMW F10 520D MSport - Carbon Black
GONE:MY12 RRS SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ivory/Grand Black Privacy glass

Bomber H wrote:

Have I done the right thing!!

Bomber, i take it you don't like this woman very much..... Think of poor Digby squashed againt the rear window and nowhere to turn... Shame on you.

would a Freelander2 Dynamic (body kitted version) not give the "look" and Digby the "Room"

Evoques boots are way too small for a large dulux dog in my opinion, she might look good pulling up to her clients, but down the park when she's shoehorning it in and out she'll look like the ambassador for animal cruelty


oh! and 2 wheel drive Land Rovers/Range Rovers are not right on way too many levels also

You won't get that dog in the back of an Evoque. We looked at them and have a boxer, he couldn't fit in comfortably. The boot was a lot smaller than I imagined. Had an FL2 before and he fitted in that no probs.

The Mrs got a brand new Scirroco and believe it or not, he can fit in the boot of that better, not that he ever goes in. That's another reason for the RRS, goes everywhere in that. 2007 TDV6 HSE

One of the things that put me off the Evoque was the small boot. We have two dogs (Springer and Collie) and they'd struggle. Even the FL looked a bit small when I looked at that. Dogs need a lot of room because they like/need to get up and move positions on long trips.

npinks wrote:

oh! and 2 wheel drive Land Rovers/Range Rovers are not right on way too many levels also

I have of course said that she needs to go and see/test drive one, including taking the dog along, so I do pray that she does!

I guess I'd better call her and press the point a little more. The dog however is a very tolerant creature, but I wouldn't want him to be crammed in a space of unfair proportions.

The Dynamic kitted Freelander could give the impression she is after, that is true . I'm gonna have to go along to dealer with her.... 2016 VW Golf GTD DSG
2007 Exige S British GT SE
Gone : 2011 3.0TDV6 HSE, Stornoway Grey, Ivory, Piano Black Trim, Paddleshift, Privacy Glass, Side Steps, Mud Flaps, Heated Steering Wheel, Timed Climate & Remote Park Heating

May i suggest you take her out for lunch afterwards, and then she doesn't feel as though you have wasted her entire day.

RRSTDV8 wrote:

4WD is for off road which she, like most 4WD owners, probably won't be doing.

I reckon that LR could make a RWD RRS and it would sell even better than the 4WD version. It would be lighter, for a start, and the handling would be more "sporty" so you'd get better mileage and handling. It would fit the only-on-tarmac requirements of most RRS owners perfectly.

I agree they will sell, and do because 99% of owners dont go off the tarmac or beyond the kerb, they have had to do it to bring the emission levels down to keep those in bobble hats happy and sales up

But to me a Land Rover or Range Rover should be able to do everything it was originally designed to do, ON road and OFF Road (with the correct tyres on of course)

I think its like a MR2 with a Ferrari bodykit on, its still not a Ferrari, or another way a LR/RR without 4x4 is not a real LR/RR (in my opinion)

npinks wrote:

But to me a Land Rover or Range Rover should be able to do everything it was originally designed to do, ON road and OFF Road (with the correct tyres on of course)

One might argue that fitting tarmac-only tyres, especially on tarmac-only rims, immediately nullifies any LR/RR cachet. If you can't drive what you've got along a stoney/muddy track at any given moment then you should have bought an X5...  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

There are plenty of cheaper and more practical vehicles that will give your lady friend 'Presence' when she arrives at meetings other than an Evouqe.

Mrs Jim went through a stage recently of wanting to swap her FL2 in for one but when she saw the size of the boot, the claustrophobic interior and the poor mpg, she opted to keep her car and wait until the new existing FL replacement is announced.

I personally think that the Evoque is one of the ugliest looking cars on the road, but that's just my opinion.......

Jim

Jim, havn't you seen the Nissan Puke then

Oh yes..........I had forgotten about the Nissan........

Jim

Nothing wrong with the X5 down a stony / muddy track (although mine doesn't go down them as i might get dirt in the wheel arches). Gone - 2008 Stornoway Grey RRS 2.7 TDV6
Gone - 2009 Buckingham Blue RRS 2.7 TDV6
Gone - 2010 Alaska White RRS 5.0 V8 Aspirated
Gone - 2017 Chawton White RRS 5.0 V8 Supercharged
Current - 2010 Java Black RRS 5.0 V8 Aspirated
Current- 2024 RRS P400 SE Dynamic

In the UK, X5s are the 4x4 that gets pulled up snowy slight inclines by 2WD cars...

Of course if they weren't driving around on road-roller-sized summer tyres they'd probably do better and have a better reputation too...  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed