I am really struggling... I can't tell the D5 from the DS or the RRS from the Ewoke when they are coming towards me. Call me old fashioned but I liked it when each model had its own distinct look.
But I can say that having had a D5 as a courtesy car for 4 days it was absolutely superb to drive and the camera system, in particular has come on leaps from my MY14.As you slide down the banister of life
may no splinters point your way
Disco XXV
RRS2 Autobiography Dynamic MY16
Discovery Sport HSE Lux MY17
Evoque HSE Dynamic MY16 (Gone)
RRS2 Autobiography Dynamic MY14 (Lovely car but preferred the Disco!)
Disco 3 Tdv6 HSE MY05 (owned for 11 years and now gone)
Range Rover Sport HSE MY11 (Gone)
Freelander2 SE (Gone but the most reliable car we've ever owned)
Disco 2 V8 (Gone)
11th May 2017 12:17 am
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7438
It's funny that you should say that AVE. I picked up a 3,000 mile old, 21" wheel equipped, D5 V6 loaner last night and drove it the 1 1/2 hour trip home, along a combination of fast and twisty B roads and country lanes; while the economy has improved noticeably, by around 4-5mpg, I found the driving experience itself very disappointing and I set out expecting the quality of the drive to be its redeeming feature!
It felt well down on power on the D4 (does this car have only one turbo?), with the car slowing and having to change down on uphill sections (that the D4 wouldn't have even noticed), while the necessary downchanges themselves were very jerky under load. The steering lacked any meaningful feedback and the whole car felt tall, bulky and extremely clumsy (even a bit scary in places!), despite it cornering noticeably flatter The driving position felt awkward too and no amount of seat and steering wheel adjustment fixed it.
Despite it feeling a bit undignified, I've got used to being able to press the D4 on on fast A & B roads (when I really need to) and it always rises to the occasion! However, this car really didn't want to play at all. To put it in perspective, I was being followed by a well driven, M registered, white Defender 110, complete with an unladen agricultural trailer; I drove the D5 as quickly as I felt comfortable with and I couldn't pull away from that darn Defender over around 10 miles!
I've got 5 whole days with it, I'll see if it gets any better with more experience of it
PS: You're right, reversing camera is night and day better, as is the centre display itself. Unfortunately, the electric plank has already died and it needed to be operated by hand, while the height of the boot floor, even in its very lowest setting, is so much greater than the D4 that I had to lift my 9 year old Border Collie into the boot!
PPS: I find it easy to tell a D5 from the front, despite it looking just like a DS. The slightly odd proportions are the tell tale.
11th May 2017 4:24 am
tayaste
Member Since: 15 May 2013
Location: Chester
Posts: 7633
AVE wrote:
I am really struggling... I can't tell the D5 from the DS or the RRS from the Ewoke when they are coming towards me. Call me old fashioned but I liked it when each model had its own distinct look.
But I can say that having had a D5 as a courtesy car for 4 days it was absolutely superb to drive and the camera system, in particular has come on leaps from my MY14.
What's the D5 like to drive compared to the RRS like Ave? Out of the 4, 5 or RRS what do they feel like on the road?
11th May 2017 5:36 am
Russell
Member Since: 24 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Red Merle wrote:
It's funny that you should say that AVE. I picked up a 3,000 mile old, 21" wheel equipped, D5 V6 loaner last night and drove it the 1 1/2 hour trip home, along a combination of fast and twisty B roads and country lanes; while the economy has improved noticeably, by around 4-5mpg, I found the driving experience itself very disappointing and I set out expecting the quality of the drive to be its redeeming feature!
It felt well down on power on the D4 (does this car have only one turbo?), with the car slowing and having to change down on uphill sections (that the D4 wouldn't have even noticed), while the necessary downchanges themselves were very jerky under load. The steering lacked any meaningful feedback and the whole car felt tall, bulky and extremely clumsy (even a bit scary in places!), despite it cornering noticeably flatter The driving position felt awkward too and no amount of seat and steering wheel adjustment fixed it.
Despite it feeling a bit undignified, I've got used to being able to press the D4 on on fast A & B roads (when I really need to) and it always rises to the occasion! However, this car really didn't want to play at all. To put it in perspective, I was being followed by a well driven, M registered, white Defender 110, complete with an unladen agricultural trailer; I drove the D5 as quickly as I felt comfortable with and I couldn't pull away from that darn Defender over around 10 miles!
I've got 5 whole days with it, I'll see if it gets any better with more experience of it
PS: You're right, reversing camera is night and day better, as is the centre display itself. Unfortunately, the electric plank has already died and it needed to be operated by hand, while the height of the boot floor, even in its very lowest setting, is so much greater than the D4 that I had to lift my 9 year old Border Collie into the boot!
PPS: I find it easy to tell a D5 from the front, despite it looking just like a DS. The slightly odd proportions are the tell tale.
I would agree with the seating position and if you read the write ups I have done have said that it takes a lot to get the seat in the right position, but once there it is a superb place to be.
As for slow and not inspiring to drive, either you had your foot on the brake instead of the accelerator, or it was a 2.0 instead of a 3.0 or it was faulty as it is definatley quicker and more spritley than a D4, although again i have sad it before, it feels like you need to apply more pressure to the accelerator as this feels stiffer to operate MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
MY11 D4 HSE Stornaway Grey Sold and gone
D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
11th May 2017 6:26 am
J77
Member Since: 03 Mar 2008
Location: Fife
Posts: 6261
Down on power against the D4 something wrong with your loaner. You sure it's a 3.0? My one pulls like a train with silky smooth gear changes up and down the box
It took me a while to get the right seat adjustment but I'm not a fan of electric seat adjustment to much options.23.5MY Defender 90 X-Dynamic SE D250 MHEV Pangea Green
11th May 2017 6:46 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26698
In my experience they are just about the same. D5 has it in mid range, but D4 has power to catch up.
11th May 2017 7:00 am
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7438
I've managed to get the seat position a little better this morning, which is a good thing
You're right Russell, the throttle certainly is stiffer and that may be part of the issue, but it does need to change down a lot more often despite the gearing being very similar. For instance, driving along flat dual carriageway (a rare thing in Cornwall!) this morning, at around 65-70, if you need to accelerate to get into the right lane, it pauses for a moment....., then changes down and only then will it start to accelerate.
I shall be driving another example on Wednesday, so I'll be able to check if this one isn't right then.
I've checked under the bonnet; there's a surprising amount of fresh air under there but I've removed the acoustic hood and it's definitely a V6. I'd still be interested to know if it's a single or twin turbo though.
11th May 2017 7:09 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26698
They are single turbo. Notice the large gap at the front of the engine? Enough room for a couple of extra cylinders.
11th May 2017 7:16 am
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7438
The single turbo would explain the lack of power beneath around 1,500rpm. I wonder why that was done? Maybe that helps explain the improvement in fuel consumption?
Yes, it's a huge gap at the front - I thought that it might have been a 2.0 after all - until I lifted the hood off and saw two cylinder heads. I'm imagining that the belts might be a bit easier to change, or they might just be leaving plenty of room for the straight 6, but a V8 would certainly help spice it up a little
11th May 2017 7:39 am
Dexter
Member Since: 21 Sep 2007
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 1391
I was parked next to a white D5 HSE the other day. Must admit that the side and front styling made my D4 look a bit 'van like'
The bonnet is higher and the roof lower, so a sleeker look all together.
I'm still not won over at all on the back end tho.
11th May 2017 8:35 am
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7438
Personally, I like the "van like" look of it. Park it next to a Defender 110 and the lineage is obvious. It also makes the ultra practical nature of it possible.
Having now run a D5 as my work car for the last two and a half days, I've had an opportunity to properly look at and get used to the styling. The DS might, at a push, be called "sleek". This is, however, an over extended version of the DS' styling and rather than "sleek", it looks to me like a fat and middle aged version of the same car; it may not have eaten all of the pies, but it's certainly had most of them
13th May 2017 5:09 am
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7438
Gareth wrote:
In my experience they are just about the same. D5 has it in mid range, but D4 has power to catch up.
A fair point. But the thing I'm finding is that it's sluggish to get going then, only once it's had time to change down a gear and get the single turbo up to speed, it feels slightly quicker than the D4. The dramatic change from "power off", to "power on", does feel impressive, but it also makes it hard to drive smoothly at slow to medium speeds.
13th May 2017 5:23 am
tayaste
Member Since: 15 May 2013
Location: Chester
Posts: 7633
How come you have ended up with a D5 loan car? I thought I'd read on one of your posts you had specifically driven miles out of your way to another dealer to avoid this embarassment. And said dealer would reserve their Defender for you?
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Call me old fashioned but I liked it when each model had its own distinct look.
The driving position felt awkward too and no amount of seat and steering wheel adjustment fixed it.
