[Finlin]

Hi, everyone! I’m about to be a first time Land Rover owner (hoping to pick up my 2015 DS HSE later this week)! I have dreamed of driving a Land Rover for years and I’m finally in a position to buy. I plan to finance rather than lease- I want this to be a vehicle I use long term. I do, however, keep seeing claims regarding unreliability that are plaguing me, sadly making me feel a little hesitant about pulling the trigger. After a good bit of time scouring the internet for information, it’s tough to tell if they’re being labeled unreliable because of minor annoyances/glitchiness or straight up major system failures with hefty repair costs. I will say that this forum has been helpful in boosting my confidence so far. Overall themes seem to be that most people post complaints online and all cars definitely have their pros and cons, especially with all of the new tech out there. So, I do know to take what I read with a grain of salt. However, I still want to try for some words of wisdom/advice from more seasoned owners.

Anyone out there have some friendly advice on buying and maintaining a 2015 HSE? What are some things I should ask and check on before I buy? Any red flags I need to watch out for?

I’d love some honest feedback on experiences too- the good, the bad, the ugly etc. I’m trying my hardest to make an educated decision, as this is a large purchase. Thanks in advance!!

 

[MGLarry]

Welcome, Finlin -

Yes, there are lots of complaints on this forum about the DS. But, remember, that is kind of the point on these things. People will write in about problems, complaints, etc., either trying to find a solution, or others to commiserate with. Not many people are going to start a thread saying how wonderful things are! I've got about 18,000 miles on my '16 DS, and have had very few issues (knock on wood) - none of the B-pillar rattle, rear gate opening, exhaust smell, etc. that others have experienced. I come here (or did initially) to get some advice/hints about the various technical aspects of the car (i.e. how to reset service notification).

That's not to say that I don't think there are things that can be improved on the DS - not a big fan of the turbo 4 or gearbox (awfully peaky); interior layout could be better with the infotainment; etc. Some picky, others not so much.

Overall, I am really happy with my decision (my first LR), but that is far from saying the car is perfect, and that there aren't issues that others have experienced which have led them to hate the vehicle. I would bet good money that if you went on to similar forums for any modern vehicle you will find a similar contribution of complaints, issues and warnings to "never buy a (insert car name here)".

Here's hoping that your experience is positive with few issues - but enjoy!

 

[Bill F]

Finlin
Comfortable seats, great driving position, lots of leg and head room and nice A/C and heater. I find the engine peppy on the highway and no problem passing or driving in the mountains I keep transmission in sport mode most of the time. The brakes operate better than my Merc I traded in and stop this heavy car quickly and smoothly.
Wife has severe arthritis and she finds the steering to be the easiest of all cars we have owned. I find it to be responsive



I like the dash layout not in your face like some cars but that is me and all controls are easy to use.


I would buy the car again! and plan to keep it for a long time.


Problems
Transmission would slip out of gear had a software update and no more problem ( I hope)
Poor fuel economy. I drive way to many kilometers in the city with lots of hills and it eats up fuel:crying:. Highway is as advertised.


As MGLarry says people will write about problems that may have only happened once and only to them.

 

[Paul]

as others said...while all forums are generally full of complaints - best to hear from people who owned different brands of similar vehicle.... so that we are comparing apples to apples or close enough.
Also - you need to think about your priorities and what YOU consider important

In my experience...while the vehicles isn't bad...I would NOT buy it again.... will be going back to Audi or other brand....Speaking based on my experience with 4 different models of Audi (models from 2004 to 2009) vs. my current 2017 DS HSE

Also....as a matter of principle - If I were you I would NOT buy 2015 DS...I believe this was the first year model...so you will be in fact getting the "most of the problems"....meaning (just like with other new introductions for all other brands) - the first year vehicles would have the most issues and weird kinks that are resolved in the following years.

If you still believe this is the right car for YOU....go for 2016 or 2017

Also, make sure to check service and repair cost.... 2015 will be out of warranty not long from now.... anything going bad - will be out of pocket...

One more note.... take under consideration the vehicles sold / level of complaints.....
.. .when company sells 100,000 vehicles a year and get 10,000 complaints that's really bad..... When you see complaints about F150....you should probably ignore it...since the inception of that model, Ford sold something like 32 million units....so can't really be that bad.
I never owned one - just doing some basic statistic for you here....and putting into perspective the comments about complaints..... when you should pay more attention to them and when you can take them with a grain of salt.

Good Luck whatever you pick

 

[4sallypat]

Getting the first year released model DS is a good thing and bad thing.
Good in that all the issues, campaigns, recalls, and warranty have been done.
Bad in that it has aged and falling out of warranty which means more maintenance / repairs down the road.

You should have a good independent mechanic instead of going to the dealer.

I have a 2015 manufactured unit and love mine when it runs well which wasn't the case the first year when I spent more time in a Jag loaner than my car.
The last 2 years has been very good - no issues - just normal complaints of laggy turbo, shifty tranny, and slow to rev engine.

Would I buy this again ? NO
Would I switch to a different JLR? YES

Currently looking at the Range Rover Velar and Jaguar F Pace to replace the DS.

Let us know if you pull the trigger!

 

[UtraStyle]

Reliability Question

We have a 2017 Discovery Sport built in Feb 2017. Our warranty issues included: cup holders failed, door seal adhesive failed, updated transmission software, and updated entertainment system software. We had the dealer add extra hardware underneath to keep some shields from dragging in weeds off-road. It hasn’t been perfect, but we haven’t spent much time or money resolving here issues and are very happy with the car.

Also, after the introduction, the transmission was changed from a 6 speed to a nine speed, resolve the turbo lag issues. With ECO mode off, our car will pin you back against the seat leaving the line. Our other car drives like ECO, so we stick with that.

You mentioned finances. We have done a 3 yr lease and a six year loan on similar cost vehicles and also a used car with a much lower initial purchase cost. We spent more on the used car in maintenance by far. We keep our cars for ten years. We selected options very sparingly to keep our cost down.

 

[UtraStyle]

Reliability Question

We have a 2017 Discovery Sport built in Feb 2017. Our warranty issues included: cup holders failed, door seal adhesive failed, updated transmission software, and updated entertainment system software. We had the dealer add extra hardware underneath to keep some shields from dragging in weeds off-road. It hasn’t been perfect, but we haven’t spent much time or money resolving here issues and are very happy with the car.

Also, after the introduction, the transmission was changed from a 6 speed to a nine speed, resolve the turbo lag issues. With ECO mode off, our car will pin you back against the seat leaving the line. Our other car drives like ECO, so we stick with that.

You mentioned finances. We have done a 3 yr lease and a six year loan on similar cost vehicles and also a used car with a much lower initial purchase cost. We spent more on the used car in maintenance by far. We keep our cars for ten years. We selected options very sparingly to keep our cost down.

 

[Paul]

......Also, after the introduction, the transmission was changed from a 6 speed to a nine speed, resolve the turbo lag issues. With ECO mode off, our car will pin you back against the seat leaving the line. .....

UltraStyle; don't mean to pick on you but this is a good example of different expectations and then different opinions shared on the Forums.....

Finlin - reading my comments vs. the above comment you'd think we are talking about two different vehicles....It's true - I am what one would call an aggressive driver but to describe a DS with its 0 to 60 at almost 8 sec as a vehicle that will pin your back against the seat to me clearly means that other people have different concepts of speed and best that YOU - YOURSELF test the several different vehicles and set your priorities.

In my opinion DS is slow...even for a heavy SUV - it is slow......I red-lined it on many occasions waiting for it to take off...to accelerate.... BUT I still drive it because I bought it for its great looks, off-roading capabilities and cargo. I was missing a lot of fun camping and hunting as my only other car was a small sporty car. As you see from my comments above...I would not buy it again for a number of reasons but it is still a good vehicle....I just hope that in a few years I can get a faster SUV.... while I still have a sedan that does 0 to 60 in 5 sec flat..... I do need the SUV and I made the choice based on a number of priorities...

There is always a compromise - just make sure you are OK with it.

 

[4sallypat]

.......
Also, after the introduction, the transmission was changed from a 6 speed to a nine speed, resolve the turbo lag issues. With ECO mode off, our car will pin you back against the seat leaving the line. Our other car drives like ECO, so we stick with that.

.......

??
When did the Discovery have a 6 speed tranny ?
It always had a 9 speed....

 

[UtraStyle]

We test drove the first examples in late 2014, and bought ours 2-3 yrs later. This was based on a comment from the salesperson about the lag issue being improved, but I did research and don’t see any versions with a 6-speed. Thanks for the correction!

 

[4sallypat]

The salesperson may have been referring to the previous version of the DS that replaced the LR2.

The Discovery Sport was supposed to replace the slow selling LR2 which was a small platform and entry level LR product.

Based on the amount of current DS on the road, I can say that LR did a better job marketing the DS based on the numbers of DS I am seeing...