Glad it's just not me then!

Being over 50 I have slowed down considerably nowadays and drive courteously and politely.... but I get wound up just the lack of thanks or acknowledgement after letting people out of junctions or through narrow lanes...it is definitely worse in the RRS than our other vehicles!

I drive a Mk1 Range Rover, a Porsche 911, and currently a Disco 4, in the Disco I would say I am pretty invisible, no hatred, but no special treatment, in the Porsche I don't get abuse, but I never get let out of a junction, in the old Range Rover, Cars skid to halt to let me out, I had an artic stop to let me out of a petrol station, even though he would then have to go through the gears to drive the 50 yds to the T junction ahead. Gave him a big wave and smile.

I wish we had a more American outlook on life, more positive and less jealous. Mind you the yanks work really hard, with very few holidays!!!

I don't think many would be surprised at the negative responses to RRS ownership. They sit on the vulgar side of good taste, cost three times the average UK salary, aren't seen as a petrolheads choice and like any 4x4 they're despised by Joe Public. It's not the sort of car a 'nice' person would drive.

Of course we all see the virtue of our chosen purchases but it's foreseeable, even before taking ownership, that a negative reaction from many of our fellow road users can be expected. I'm not saying it's right, but simply it should be no surprise.

In common with a couple of the points made by other posters, a classic car, even one costing ten times the value of a RRS, will always get a more favourable reaction. Nowt queerer than folk! 2017 SDV6 Autobiography; Carpathian Grey, Ivory, Soft Close, Extended Grand Black.

Last edited by Silty on Fri Feb 03 2017 7:03pm. Edited 1 time in total

I used to drive a black Audi A5 with black windows, and only had it about 5 months as I got completely fed up with the reactions from other people, road rage etc, calling me stuck up and I had literally done nothing wrong. Now on to my 12 plate RRS, I have never experienced such courteous drivers, everyone lets me out of junctions etc. I couldn't believe the change. Maybe you chaps with the newer ones are seen as snobs which provokes the reaction your seeing. On the flip side when I drive my wifes car (new Focus RS in Nitrous blue) I cannot go anywhere without a BMW 318d trying to race me. Even if I wanted too race it would just be embarrassing how you would blow them into the weeds, so I just pootle along minding my own business and they sit about 3 ft from your bumper etc. It is very surprising how different vehicles provoke different action from other drivers. 2012 RRS SDV6
2014 BMW 320d X-Drive Touring
1999 VW Polo stage rally car

At home in Scotland I very rarely experience any form of "car bigotry" but it is very noticble the further south I travel how discourteous drivers get and how folks coming down a slip road onto a motorway seem to have this strange idea that they have the right to force their way out into the traffic that is on the motorway and don't have to slow down or give way. Could it also have something to do with the "rat race" everyone south of the Mersey has to live in? 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Tim in Scotland wrote:

Try sitting in the inside lane at 1mph below the speed limit wearing an airline pilot style shirt with epaulettes and with your uniform hat where it can be seen on the back shelf................. amazing how few cars overtake and how many courteous drivers there are on the road then...... although it doesn't work so well in a car with personalised plates........ ..............

Used to do this all the time when I was younger and living in Essex (enough said) using my Dad's brand new white Sierra 4x4s... sit near a junction, window down, white or blue shirt with epaulettes... and watch people hit the brakes... aaaah those were the days

DavidHem wrote:

I wish we had a more American outlook on life, more positive and less jealous. Mind you the yanks work really hard, with very few holidays!!!

Just after I bought my RRS my miles per day doubled as I had a need to travel frequently between Sussex and Kent (due to a family illness). Avoiding the town centres I would use the country routes which, whilst slower, at least kept me moving. I had previously been doing those journeys in my Jag. with not issues.

I was acutely aware of the width of the RRS ( my wife kept asking if I was consciously driving in the gutter) but I could not understand whilst I felt that I was being forced into the hedge more and more. At first I thought it was just me not being used to the width of the RRS but after noticing that cars coming towards me were over my side of the white line and I was brushing the hedgerow, I came to the conclusion that they were all magically attracted to the RRS. Perhaps they thought that as it was a 4x4, it could just leap into the field to avoid a collision.

That's when I bought my dash cam. I felt that if I didn't then I'd be havng a prang with no proof that I'd done my best to avoid a collision. Robin
2008 Range Rover Sport TDV8
Gone:
Jaguar S-Type V8 4.2 Sport
MGZTT 190 2.5

JOCK55 wrote:

DavidHem wrote:

I wish we had a more American outlook on life, more positive and less jealous. Mind you the yanks work really hard, with very few holidays!!!

David, I do agree about the American outlook on life

I don't agree with the "outlook on life" thing either. USA certainly has its fair share of jealous people too. Poster of this topic would agree: The jealous US? Many over there blame their own shortcomings on other people and events, just like here.

Regarding the hardworking point, having worked with Americans (both here and when visiting the States), I have to agree with JOCK55. Their personal holiday allowances may be less than the UK (generally) but they get more public holidays so the total is close to even. A lot of their own belief about Americans working harder than everyone else comes from what they are taught (brainwashed) from the beginning ... "greatest country and nation in the world". Also, the tendency to compare apples with oranges plays a role (just like the favourite UK myth that Americans are somehow dumber has its roots in unfair comparisons btw). I find it very annoying when my US colleagues try to tell me we just work 9-5 Mon-Fri in the UK ... simply not true! Much longer hours either side, lots of weekend work and even when away on holiday not unusual. However, most of our employment laws are way fairer than theirs (at least for now).

Rant over and apologies to the OP for going off on a tangent

Back to the topic, I experienced angry gestures once from a pedestrian when I actually stopped to give him way when I wasn't even obliged to I was in my previous RRS (MY13), had done nothing wrong, was crawling due to traffic before I gently stopped for him and he starts getting animated. I just put it down to him potentially being mentally unstable and didn't react. Other than that drivers do try to jump in front of me and behave as if it was their right when sometimes I refuse to give them way but it never occurred to me it could have been related to the car I was driving rather than just some people stressed out by the rush hour traffic  Current: Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription Pro PHEV with some optionals on top
Gone: MY16 RRS2 3.0 SDV6 Autobiography Dynamic, Carpathian Grey & Santorini Black Sliding Pano/Ebony & Ivory 2 Tone
Gone: MY13 RRS 3.0 SDV6 HSE Black Edition, Orkney Grey/Ivory
Gone: MY09 RRS 2.7 TDV6 HSE, Santorini Black/Almond

I work in the motortrade and have access to lots of cars and if you think you get treated badly driving a Range Rover try driving a Smart car, I use it for local trips and the number of idiots that have pulled out on me is unbelievable and I aveeen nearly driven off the road a number of times. When I am in my orange RRS everyone keeps out of my way  Life's too short to drive boring cars !
2005 Supercharged First Edition
2013 Evoque

To be fair... It is a smart car!  2012 RRS SDV6
2014 BMW 320d X-Drive Touring
1999 VW Polo stage rally car

Problems with a RRS , buy a Porsche that will be fun.  SVR 2018 in Santorini Black.

Picking up new L494 on Wednesday, had this one for two years and never had a reaction as described above.

Excellent car, not viewed as ostentatious when compared with the the FFR, Cayenne or the Bentley.

I don't run a private plate, it's not white and doesn't have black wheels. I believe that helps.

There's 1000's of these out there now, wishful thinking in some owners part thinking they are viewed as something 'special' . They aren't.

Thats a good point Robbo. In Essex every other car is a RRS. SVR 2018 in Santorini Black.

Strange to report, the one I have problems with is my wifes old peugeot 206cc (and before that her Nissan Micra). Its seems that a lot of drivers do not think these should be in the outside lane of a motorway or dual carriageway. They clearly assume from the car what sort of driver you are. 2016 RRS 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography Dynamic in Montalcino Red and Stealth Kit