Hi All,

It's been 3 months since I changed my Audi A7 for a MY16 RRS 3.0 SDV6 HSE Dynamic.

I thought I'd share my thoughts on the car so far!


The Good

The comfort. It’s a super comfortable car. I thought my A7 was comfortable but this is another level – I’ve had no back pain in the slightest which I often get in cars on longer journeys.

The looks. I just love it – I find myself staring out the window at it all the time. Every time I walk up to it I have a smile on my face!

The deployable side steps. I thought they’d be a gimmick as I’m a relatively young, healthy tall person. But they’re great! The list price is crazy, though.

The driving position. I usually like a sportier driving position so was a bit wary of the RRS…but I love it – feels powerful and commanding, with a great view!

The handling. Again, this one really surprised me. Putting it into dynamic makes it do things a car of this size should not be able to. It can corner quicker and flatter than my A7, it really is a very impressive thing.

The go anywhere ability. I’ve only taken it down a couple of “roads” in the peaks where I wouldn’t have dreamed about taking the A7, but it was an absolute breeze in the RRS. Looking forward to trying out some more of this ability in due course!

The keyless entry. I know it’s more of a security risk but I find it great. The Audi had keyless go but this was a pain as you had to get your keys out of your pocket to lock/unlock only to put them back in again!


The Bad

Going through to the end of the process for the free 7-day insurance only to be told they don’t insure under 30’s was a bit of a nuisance…

Not having a mute button on the steering wheel is quite annoying, unless I’m missing something?

The infotainment system. I toyed with putting this in “The Ugly” section below, but I think I was well enough prepared from my research to know that it was going to be crap!
And it is (as you all probably know). The Audi’s was far superior in every way, I really miss the little wheels on the steering wheel for scrolling through menus/volume etc.
Much preferred the dial knob for accessing menus like in the Audi and BMW – touchscreen looks cool but is far from practical. Looks like this is the trend nowadays so will just have to get used to it, I guess!

The time of your current journey isn’t one of the options on the trip computer – why? Is there any way to find this elsewhere? I like to track progress of journeys.

The fuel consumption. I know, it’s a big car with a relatively big engine so what was I expecting? Well, I was expecting around 7mpg less on average than my A7 based on the difference between the official figures – I’m getting 12mpg less (30mpg). And I’ve been trying to take it fairly easy with longer trips. Meh.

Not being able to get a bigger digital readout of the current speed on the dash.

Not having the current speed limit displayed on either screen.

Cleaning the beast! I do enjoy cleaning my cars and do it regularly, but the height of this makes it a bit of a pain and certainly adds a chunk of time!


The Ugly

Not having a brake function on the standard cruise control is shocking - my 2007 BMW had this! It's dangerous and a complete pain when dealing with changing gradients on motorways and A roads (especially when speed cameras are around...)

The standard sound system is horrific. My first plan was to get an aftermarket amp, sub and speakers installed but some research showed that this probably wasn’t as simple as on other cars. Solutions were looking like a lot of money, so I’ve parked it for now…

No auto hold feature is enough of a pain to just push it into “The Ugly”. When in traffic/stopping the Audi would automatically apply the handbrake so you didn’t have to hold the brakes or apply the handbrake manually. Then as soon as you touched the accelerator pedal it would release them. It bugs me every time I stop that the RRS doesn’t do this!


Overall

I’m sure I’ll think of other things to add to each heading but that’ll do for now!
My overall opinion of the car is that…I absolutely love it!
I never had a proper “connection” with my A7 and wondered whether this was just me getting older. Well, it’s not! I’ve definitely got that emotional attachment to this car and I really can’t see myself not owning a Range Rover going forward – it’s a great machine. MY16 RRS 3.0 SDV6 HSE Dynamic

You say that there is no auto braking when in cruise, so you must have the plain cruise and not the expensive option of adaptive cruise control but there is a way around the over-speed situation - set the maximum speed you din’t Want to exceed on the ASL, automatic speed limiter, that should hold the speed to what you set. The button is on the Centre console lower right hand side, set the max speed with the cruise +/- button IIRC.

One thing you didn’t comment on - how easy it is to find you are driving at highly illegal speeds if you don’t use the cruise/ASL it is a very quiet car/engine on the cruise.

Glad your are converted! 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

That's interesting - I will give that a go! Does the ASL use the brakes in order to stop the vehicle speeding when going down gradients, then? Bonkers they didn't just add the brake function onto the standard cruise like all the German manufacturers (and no doubt others) if so!

Good point on the ease of speeding, it's very quiet indeed inside! I think the engine noise is slightly greater than the A7 (and incidentally, the new 5 series which I tried) ,but this could just be because the road noise is considerably lower in the RRS so you can hear it!

My other car is a 5.0 TVR, which is also easy to speed in, albeit for different reasons  MY16 RRS 3.0 SDV6 HSE Dynamic

Many many years ago I used to have a TVR 450 SEAC. One of the few that never exited the road backwards through a hedge on a wet day because I didn’t dare go out in the wet! When I went to college for my final professional exams I had to sell it but it was great fun on a sunny day.
I don’t know how the ASL works as I never ever used it! 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

Very similar thoughts to myself , I left an Audi Q7 for the MY16 RRS , much prefer the RRS especially as our last Q7 didn't have air suspension and just lacked the premium feel because of it . I really do miss the Audi sat nav though with it's google earth imagery and being able to send destinations from your laptop to the car . I noticed last night that TOM Tom in dash has been added to the in-control apps and was considering parting with the £59 to install it but first I read the reviews which basically all agreed the sat nav bit was great compared to the LR one but every time it does a voice command the car reverts to Bluetooth for audio source and thus if you're listening to DAB for example you have to manually switch back to DAB after every voice command ! On top of that due to the volume difference between in-control apps and DAB you end up bursting your ear drums every time too , such a shame because it looked like a good solution . But like yourself I had done my research and had expected it to be rubbish , the rest of the car more than makes up for it .

I don't think using the speed limiter will help your over speeding on cruise control because you are either in speed limiter or cruise control not both at the same time on mine at least . Mine has the adaptive cruise which works great and will brake the car all the way to a standstill if the car in font does or if it senses a collision is possible , it won't however brake to prevent over speeding on the down hill . My old Q7 would do this as you say , I however I prefer the RRS as it's smoother when running on undulating roads letting your momentum flow IYSWIM .

Finally as you say dynamic mode is excellent  MY24 Dynamic SE,MY21 HSE Silver, MY20 SQ7, MY 18 RRS HSE Dynamic , MY 16 RRS Autobiography now gone & MY 2005 Discovery 3 HSE that I will be buried in !

Chips which Tom Tom app is now working on InControl Apps ?

Ah got it, its Android only at the moment and its literally called TomTom In Dash.

Cool !!

00by wrote:

Hi All,

It's been 3 months since I changed my Audi A7 for a MY16 RRS 3.0 SDV6 HSE Dynamic.

I thought I'd share my thoughts on the car so far!


The Good

The comfort. It’s a super comfortable car. I thought my A7 was comfortable but this is another level – I’ve had no back pain in the slightest which I often get in cars on longer journeys.

The looks. I just love it – I find myself staring out the window at it all the time. Every time I walk up to it I have a smile on my face!

The deployable side steps. I thought they’d be a gimmick as I’m a relatively young, healthy tall person. But they’re great! The list price is crazy, though.

The driving position. I usually like a sportier driving position so was a bit wary of the RRS…but I love it – feels powerful and commanding, with a great view!

The handling. Again, this one really surprised me. Putting it into dynamic makes it do things a car of this size should not be able to. It can corner quicker and flatter than my A7, it really is a very impressive thing.

The go anywhere ability. I’ve only taken it down a couple of “roads” in the peaks where I wouldn’t have dreamed about taking the A7, but it was an absolute breeze in the RRS. Looking forward to trying out some more of this ability in due course!

The keyless entry. I know it’s more of a security risk but I find it great. The Audi had keyless go but this was a pain as you had to get your keys out of your pocket to lock/unlock only to put them back in again!


The Bad

Going through to the end of the process for the free 7-day insurance only to be told they don’t insure under 30’s was a bit of a nuisance…

Not having a mute button on the steering wheel is quite annoying, unless I’m missing something?

The infotainment system. I toyed with putting this in “The Ugly” section below, but I think I was well enough prepared from my research to know that it was going to be crap!
And it is (as you all probably know). The Audi’s was far superior in every way, I really miss the little wheels on the steering wheel for scrolling through menus/volume etc.
Much preferred the dial knob for accessing menus like in the Audi and BMW – touchscreen looks cool but is far from practical. Looks like this is the trend nowadays so will just have to get used to it, I guess!

The time of your current journey isn’t one of the options on the trip computer – why? Is there any way to find this elsewhere? I like to track progress of journeys.

The fuel consumption. I know, it’s a big car with a relatively big engine so what was I expecting? Well, I was expecting around 7mpg less on average than my A7 based on the difference between the official figures – I’m getting 12mpg less (30mpg). And I’ve been trying to take it fairly easy with longer trips. Meh.

Not being able to get a bigger digital readout of the current speed on the dash.

Not having the current speed limit displayed on either screen.

Cleaning the beast! I do enjoy cleaning my cars and do it regularly, but the height of this makes it a bit of a pain and certainly adds a chunk of time!


The Ugly

Not having a brake function on the standard cruise control is shocking - my 2007 BMW had this! It's dangerous and a complete pain when dealing with changing gradients on motorways and A roads (especially when speed cameras are around...)

The standard sound system is horrific. My first plan was to get an aftermarket amp, sub and speakers installed but some research showed that this probably wasn’t as simple as on other cars. Solutions were looking like a lot of money, so I’ve parked it for now…

No auto hold feature is enough of a pain to just push it into “The Ugly”. When in traffic/stopping the Audi would automatically apply the handbrake so you didn’t have to hold the brakes or apply the handbrake manually. Then as soon as you touched the accelerator pedal it would release them. It bugs me every time I stop that the RRS doesn’t do this!


Overall

I’m sure I’ll think of other things to add to each heading but that’ll do for now!
My overall opinion of the car is that…I absolutely love it!
I never had a proper “connection” with my A7 and wondered whether this was just me getting older. Well, it’s not! I’ve definitely got that emotional attachment to this car and I really can’t see myself not owning a Range Rover going forward – it’s a great machine.

The adaptive cruise control - uses the brakes to keep distance etc. - is an expensive option. That's why it's not standard, they can charge a four figure sum for the privilege where the likes of VAG charge £3-400 for it. Like everything LR, it's expensive because they keep getting away with it. One day, people will decide LR are too expensive but until that day, they'll keep charging like a wounded Rhino...  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

To be fair I don't have a massive problem with them charging lots for the adaptive cruise control.
The thing I do have a problem with is the cruise control braking function (as in the car will brake if you're going down a gradient and the speed picks up above your set speed) is not standard, like it is on BMW and Audi, and probably many others that I haven't driven!

Just had a look at costs for adaptive cruise on a few cars...
BMW 5 Series - £965
BMW 7 series (part of a package only) - £2,420
Audi A7 (part of a package only) - £1,950
Range Rover & RRS - £1,590
Golf GTI/E/D - Standard (maybe other models, too...) MY16 RRS 3.0 SDV6 HSE Dynamic

I don’t have it on my new Countryman but it is a £300 option on a Mini as part of a package with autonomous braking. I think that these techno items tend to change price with the value of the car, if it were to cost £2k on a Mini that costs £32000 nobody would ever spec it but people spending £90k on a BMW 7 Series limo don’t see a £2k option as being an expensive item to have as an extra. 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

Free on VW Polo and cheap Korean cars. M16 SVD8 ,4.4 HSE with a few extras, Sold R50 , Wife SQ5 , BMW R1200GSW.

Funnily enough, standard on my MY19 Jaguar F-Pace, too.

Jock 2018 (MY19) Jaguar F-Pace R-Sport 300PS Petrol in Caesium Blue with many bells and whistles.
2015 RRS HSE SDV6 Firenze Red with Santorini Panoramic Glass Roof, gone but not forgotten.

On the subject of the brake function, I find the ACC amazing on my RRS but I have turned off the "Forward Alert" as I found it annoying and over-sensitive, especially when in town traffic - two quick questions:

1). If "Forward Alert" is on, will it prevent you from "rear-ending" the car in front - ie. will it slam on the brakes if you're not looking?

2). If "forward Alert" is turned off, does it mean that this braking function is also disabled or is it just the annoying beeping and dash message that is disabled?

Thanks!

Also - to answer you initial post, I am also new to this model - 2014 Autobiography having come from a 2012 SDV6 Dynamic.

Good:
Engine sounds "meatier" than in old model
Gearbox in sport mode with paddles is MUCH quicker at shifting
Mid-range (ie. 50-80mph) acceleration is far better than before.
Handling with Dynamic is extraordinary for a car of this size and weight
Meridien 825w sound system is the best I've heard in a car so far... (used to have HK Logic 7 in an M3 which was close)
Brakes - enormous improvement over previous model
Sliding Pano sunroof - wow - what a great feature
18 way adjustable seats - best I've ever had

Bad
Quality - feels cheaper - doors sound tinny, more of a mainstream feel, less special perhaps?
Annoying alarms/alerts - more than in last model (have disabled seatbelt one which is great)
Stop/Start - can't stand it, personally hate to think of wear and tear on starter motor etc.
Tyre noise is more present than in previous model with same tyres (Gen Grabbers) - have posted about this.
Sat Nav - I don't bother - just use Google Maps like I did in the old model

Ugly
The current suspension noise I have (I posted recently about it)
I have the 7 seat version (which I'll never use) and so don't have a spare tyre... (I couldn't get the perfect spec 2nd hand!)

Forward Alert - OK so you live and drive in London, I live in rural Central Scotland but Forward Alert was a life saver for me in dense fog when it started flashing a warning at me, even though I was travelling at walking pace - I was glad I brought the car to a stop as there about 10ft in front of me was an unlit trailer being hauled by an unlit tractor travelling even slower than I was.......... I know you never get fog in tropical London these days and anyway traffic moves at less than walking pace anyway but forward Alert can be very useful most other places in the UK. 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