Me and my wife visited our nearest Lexus and Volvo dealerships to have a look at their SUVs as potential replacement for our RRS. It was the first time I set foot in showrooms of either brand, ever. I have mainly experinced only LR dealerships over the last few years and the difference was enough to prompt me to write about it.

Lexus was first. Staff very polite but all their sales people were busy which was understandable because we turned up on a typically busy Saturday afternoon without an appointment (it was unplanned and very last minute). We were made to feel very welcome to look at the cars, sit in them, and play with seat settings etc. until a salesperson was available to talk to us and book us in for a proper appointment/test drive. A senior sales guy had a few minutes qap between appointments so he came out to talk to us and to take some details. He kept apologising about no one being free to take us for a test drive when in fact it was kind of expected as we had showed up without making a phone call beforehand. In contrast, only last month I had a terrible experience when I visited the LR dealership where I bought my current and previous RRS. This was after THEY sent me an invite, I made a booking and then they denied all knowledge of it when I got there. They made excuses about being busy due to having 2 simultaeaneous events to incentivise customers, even though they themselves had organised both the events so should ave known. Details here if anyone is interested.

The RX is a nice car but unfortunately I felt that the loss in luxury, equipment, looks and size/space wasn’t proportionate to the price difference compared to RRS. Too much compromise for relatively small saving IMHO. I have a test drive booked for next weekend but will most likely cancel it as I am not convinced it is for us.


Next stop Volvo for a look and feel of XC90. Again, no appointment so no time for anyone to take us for a test drive but one salesman was free to talk to us for a little while and showed us 2 cars. Very chatty and friendly guy but his most impressive attribute was his knowledge of the product he was selling. With one exception, all LR sales people I have dealt with were seriously lacking in that very important department - there was too much they didn’t know or were unsure about their cars. The Volvo guy had all the info at his fingertips when explaining spec differences, equipment and features. He was obviously very enthusiastic about the brand and what it stands for (driver and passenger safety obviously) and had previously worked at BMW and Audi. He was very objective too and repeatedly pointed out that even the entry level variant was surprisingly well-equipped and there was no need to go for the higher models for most people.

The 2 cars we looked at were R-Design Pro and Inscription Pro spec. Quite impressive and well-thought out interiors. Massive amount of space, even 3rd row seats could accommodate adults and were very comfortable. Amazing tech that we can only dream about in a JLR product. RRS certainly wins purely from a “luxury feeling” point of view but to me technical advancement and practicality are very important. Price-wise it doesn’t fulfil my “downgrade” criteria to a great extent. However, it isn’t too far from the RRS in luxury and offers loads above and beyond RRS in terms of safety and equipment/tech. I have a test drive booked for next weekend and will report back. 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

Very much looking forward to an update on this and thanks for the report so far.

I wouldn't discount the Lexus without a drive Fkarim - I sat in an RX yesterday and if it was available as a PHEV I'd be tempted to sell the Mitsy and trade in my RC but it isn't so the Mitsy is staying

My experience at Hull Lexus has been superb - even the dealer principal comes out to greet you if you're walking around the showroom and finds you a salesmen - I guess that's why Hull are the top Lexus dealer in UK - the nearby LR dealer is shocking as are all the others within an hour believe me

Not visited Volvo but I'm interested in the XC60 T8 next time so will be very interested in your views  Wanted a Series 2 LR since childhood but previously owned MY16 Disco Sport HSE TD4 Auto, MY13 RR Sport Black Edition TDV6 Auto, MY10 RR Sport HSE TDV6 Auto, 2007 Freelander 1 Freestyle TD4 Soft Top, 2009 Freelander 2 GS TD4 Auto, 2007 Freelander 2 GS TD4, 2004 Disco 2 Metropolis Auto, 2002 Disco 2 GS, 2000 Freelander 1 SE TD4 SW

Still hoping for a S2 one day!

We were not too keen on the looks and particularly the small boot of the RX. The roof line slopes down too much at the end and I think will limit the height of what can be stored there. Also it felt too much of a step down from RRS for not a massive financial gain. I haven’t yet decided totally against it so will see. Especially as I am still somewhat considering a complete lifestyle change by getting a saloon ... at least RX has more boot space than any saloon. However, going for a saloon might be a mistake. Sometimes you don’t realise what you’ve been taking for granted until you no longer have it.

I am also warming up to the idea of keeping the RRS beyond the 3 year mark. It is a great car and since I’ve had it from new and know all the history, I feel more confident that LR would pay the bill if the crankshaft were to snap. As opposed to an approved used D4 (another option I briefly considered) that has a bigger potential of providing LR with a get out clause in case of such a failure if there is even a small gap somewhere. With this option (keeping RRS), I need to consider whether the cost of extended warranty and another big depreciation hit when RRS3 is announced in 2-3 years time are worth bearing for an old car. 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

JLR will have to look out , when you spend a lot of money with them what care you get from them and what you get from other car makers , I love the brand BUT !!!!

For me, the extended warranty was worth about £17k

Agree with you re extended warranty tho, I very much doubt my crank would’ve been covered if I had purchased an approved used. 2015 HSE SDV6 Scotia Grey, ebony / lunar, colour coded, deployable steps, TV, sliding pano and a few other bits. Now gone
2018 Velar R-Dynamic HSE sdv6 silicon silver

I changed from LR to a Lexus RX F Sport with Premier pack back in January and don’t regret it one bit. It also came with a large discount

Granted we changed from a DS but I always knew the RX was the car we should have got when we sold the RRS. Not sure I agree with you on the quality v price side, just the fit of materials and dealer experience runs rings around LR.

It is a different driving experience (CVT box & hybrid drive) & happy to answer and questions you may have

^^ I hadn’t thought about discounts while comparing price to RRS. Even more importantly, I am not familiar with most recent RRS prices and was basing it on what mine cost nearly 3 years ago Sounds like the RX should stay in the race for now. Quite possibly its looks will grow on me. I didn’t like the RRS2 very much when it was revealed and said I would never buy that

Thanks for the offer to help - much appreciated and I might give you a shout if I have any specific questions  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 popped in to the Volvo dealership in Hatfield to take a look at the XC40 First Edition as a potential replacement for my mrs Evoque. I too walked in without an appointment at a lunchtime and asked to see the XC40 which was parked outside.

After 5 mins a salesman eating a sandwich on his lunch break came to me and gave me the keys and said here you go take a look and I'll be with you in 5 mins. I took the key went outside sat in the front started it up played with it for a bit then decided to see how much leg room was in the rear. I sat in the back seat and shut the door but then realised it had child locks on and got locked in the back seat

It's a bloody small car and I'm, pretty big so climbing to the front was a major hassle so I tried to horn for help but no one came out

I eventually managed to dive in to the front and get out - it was a hot day and I ended up sweating like mad lol

When I told the salesman what happened he just laughed and said naaaaaahhH! No way!!!!

Anyway, he then offered me a test drive and off we went - after 5 mins he said " I forgot to take a copy of your licence and make you sign insurance forms please don't get a speeding ticket or crash"


Was a hilarious experience in all and pretty amusing.

I did not like the way the car drove so did not buy it and decided to wait for the 2019 Evoque

Hope your gymnastics were captured on CCTV  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 tell you mate if it was and was sent to one of those LAD bible type videos it would go VIRAL I struggled like hell getting to the front LOL

Window down, reach out and use the outside handle? 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Yes clever cloggs I did happen to think of that but the car was not on and hence not allowing me to open a window

Update as promised (and a bit of a rant). I guess for most people it is going to be a case of TLDNR. As boring as it may sound, I like to try and aim for completeness first time round

I think I jinxed it by commending Lexus customer service. They had noted down (on paper) my details, preferred time for test drive and the model I wanted to try and had repeatedly apologised for not being able to accommodate me as a walk-in customer a week ago. They were supposed to call me last Saturday or Sunday to book. They didn’t contact me all week. I suppose I could have given them a call as I had the salesman’s business card but I was too busy during the week with my job to remember and do their job. 2-3 years ago I probably wouldn’t have thought too much of it and made the effort from my side but now I find myself less tolerant of this sort of thing and can’t be bothered. Especially when I wasn’t 100% keen on the product in the first place. I have still not completely discounted Lexus but despite all the praise they get, I’m naturally wondering if sales people do this, what would aftersales be like?

Volvo salesman on the other hand had entered my details on his system last week, which included a date/time to remind him to confirm my appointment. I got an email on that day asking if I was still interested. Very professional and exactly how it should be. So today I went to test drive a T8 Hybrid XC90 as arranged. Loved the Google Maps based satnav and the responsive central screen. The TFT dash screen was also very nice to look at and easy to find information. Driving position, while not as great as FFRR/RRS/FF Disco, is still very good compared to the other SUVs I’ve been in. Overall, the interior is functional and feels luxurious. RRS interior is more special but no surprises here. Seats were comfortable with plenty of adjustments. OK it didn’t have the extending seat base cushion but that’s because it wasn’t the top of the range Inscription Pro. I could imagine myself doing long journeys in it. This was my first time driving a hybrid/electric car. Even on just electric motor it felt like it had plenty of power. On the 2l petrol engine too it didn’t feel like it was struggling despite being a big and heavy car. Gearbox was very smooth and I don’t recall noticing gear changes. Suspension/ride was a bit bumpy in “dynamic” but much better in “comfort”. The salesman was expecting me to be impressed by XC90’s ride quality but then went quiet about it upon remembering I had stepped out of an RRS not too long ago What he probably didn’t realise and underestimated was the soundproofing in the RRS. As soon as I sat in the driving seat of XC90, he informed me “you are in the quiet zone now”. Hmmm not really as I could hear a lot more inside the cabin than I’m used to. I’m sure it wasn’t that car’s fault ... I guess RRS spoils you like that. It was noticeable enough for me to ask him (and then reconfirm later) whether the car had laminated glass (it did). Now I’m no expert but still know a 2 litre 4 cyl. petrol engine can’t sound as good as a 3 litre 6 cylinder diesel one. It wasn’t about the quality but the volume of the sound, if that makes any sense. At one point when we were driving on electric only, he tried to explain that all that was audible was tyre noise as there was zero engine noise. He suggested in other cars the engine noise somewhat drowns the tyre noise so it doesn’t register as much on the ears. I said I have both engine and tyres making noise in my car but I can hear very little of either in the cabin (unless when I floor the accelerator pedal but then I want to hear it). I do sympathise with him though ... people coming from other cars would most probably be impressed by the refinement and comfort of XC90 but there is no denying that RRS is in a different category in those departments.

I’m very well aware that when one is looking to downgrade, compromises will need to be made. XC90 feels slightly less comfortable and refined than my RRS but then it offers a lot more in the tech and safety departments. It is cheaper but not by a huge margin. No conclusion yet I’m afraid but at this point it is looking like a choice between new/used XC90 T8 hybrid and keeping my current RRS, get an extended warranty obviously and make full use of the 5 year service plan. One thing is for sure - I am not getting another Land Rover (new or used). 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

Great update . I’m thinking the best way to leave Rangerover/Rangerover Sport is to not drive it for a period of time and then test drive the alternatives . This may well help you appreciate the alternatives although this may not prove to be a convenient or practical way of doing it .