[jabba1900]

Got our 2017 HSE with driver's tech, convenience, black pkg and navigation just about a month ago and 1,000km just rolled over. I thought this would be a good time to start detailing some initial impressions.

Just to set the stage a little bit, our previous car was a 2002 Mazda Protege5 that we owned since new. Loved it, but it was getting a little rusty in some critical spots (strut towers), and with the kids getting bigger (7-year old twins) we needed more space. Having had an economy car for so long, we figured it was time to treat ourselves, so we wanted something a little more upscale. Before getting the DS we thought long and hard about the Volvo XC90, the BMW X3 and X5, the Mercedes GLE and GLC, the Lexus RX (kill me now!) and the Audi Q7 and Q5. We test drove most of them and actually went pretty far in negotiating on both the X5 40E and the XC90 T8. By fluke one Saturday morning, when we yet again set out to visit various dealerships, we dropped by Land Rover. We had seen the DS at the auto show a couple of years earlier, and had liked it, but it had dropped off our radar. We were offered an extensive test drive (on our own!) and we loved it. The following Tuesday we signed the papers and a week later we picked it up.

Now, just to set the stage further, over the years with Protege5 ownership we have test driven and rented a large variety of cars both here in Canada and on our travels in Europe and the US, so I feel I have some good reference points as to what is good handling, what is a comfortable ride and what are good interior ergonomics.

So, let's get into some specifics about the DS:

First of all the negatives so far (and some this is nitpicking):

Infotainment:

• This has been covered before, but why we can't cycle through radio presets using the steering wheel buttons is a grand mystery. Every single car that I have ever driven with steering wheel buttons can cycle the presets, so I have no idea what LR was thinking.
• The touchscreen is set a little bit far from the driver, so I often find it to be a reach to get to the top right hand corner of the screen. That is of course where they put the cacncel button for whatever screen you are in (red x). This makes sense on MS Windows on your computer, but it makes no sense to mimic that on a touchscreen in a car. Put all touch controls closer to the driver.
• Scrolling through the sets of radio presets on the touchscreen is annoying. Only 6 presets show up at a time, and you can't go back to page 1 when you're on page 3. Just stupid design and such a simple fix.
• The FM tuner is downright awful. I was so disappointed in the sound from the standard stereo when I was first listening to radio that I thought I had made a terrible mistake in nit getting the Meridian upgrade. However, listening to music from other sources lets the system redeem itself. It will never be mistaken for a high end stereo, but it is more than adequate for a base system. It's just the FM that is annoying.

Interior:

• There is no up/down adjustment for the lumbar support. The button is there - you can feel the plastic notches that were clearly designed for this to be a feature, but it is not there. Very disappointing.
• There's definitely some cheap plastics in the interior. Even my old Pro5 had better quality plastics than this. Just brings down the quality feel of an otherwise very nice looking interior.
• The Button for lane keeping assist is way down to the left of the driver - very inconvenient, and just means this feature won't be used much.
• The heated steering wheel is great, but my hand always brushes against the very cold plastic trim around the buttons and this is annoying. It's such a contrast of temperature that it makes me hold the steering wheel differently when it's cold.
• The auto mirror fold feature can only be changed by the dealership. This is stupid. It should be driver configurable. I want to turn this off in the winter since there can sometimes be snow and ice jammed in beside the mirror and I don't want to break anything, while in the summer I want to turn this feature back on again. I'm not going to go into the dealership just for this, so I'm planning to go there to get them to turn it off, and then I'll just control it manually by pressing the left and right mirror buttons simultaneously.

Driving:

• The 2l turbo engine and the 9-speed transmission are just not very good friends. They seem to have no idea what each of them want at any one time, so throttle response sometimes seems lighting fast and other times it's glacial. I know this has been discussed up and down here and in the automotive press, but I find it to be really annoying. My wife and I are different types of drivers, so the learning transmission will always be confused, so I have no confidence that this will sort itself out. Never had this kind of problem in any other car I have driven. It's how unpredictable it is that really gets me. Trying to drop a few gears to quickly get through a yellow light yields no response and by the time I've decided to brake instead the surge is suddenly there. I'm just hoping for a diesel engine in the future that will give more linear and predictable response.
• It definitely handles a bit like a truck. It rolls a bit in the corners, it bounces on the bumps, it dips when you come to a stop - obviously very different from our old Pro5. This is also a contrast to the X3/X5 and even the XC90. I'm not asking them to make it like the F-Pace, but tightening the handling up a little bit would be nice.
• Only 1,000km on it and mostly city driving, so I know this may change, but the fuels consumption is really bad. Measuring at the pump we have yet to see below 13.5l/100km (~21mpg). I know I shouldn't really complain about this as it is actually in line with the EPA rating. However, it is a bit of a shock coming from a smaller car, and it is massively different from the X3 diesel we almost got. It's also a lot thirstier than the Nissan Murano we rented a couple of months ago which has a V6. Again, hoping for a diesel in the North American DS in the future.

With that out of the way, let's turn to the positives:

• It's a looker. I feel there really isn't any SUV out there currently that comes close to the looks of the DS. Makes me feel good every time I drive it - makes me turn around for a look every time I park it. Yes, it's superficial, but darnit - it matters!
• Love that the mirrors dip when reversing. I'm sure other cars have this feature, but even with a reverse camera I find it extremely useful to follow the curb or the line in the mirrors.
• One button turns off everything. This is like having a master light switch for your house. When you stop the car, you just hit that ignition button and the car puts itself in park, engages the parking brake, turns off the lights, turns off the wipers - you just have to open the door and go - fabulous!
• The kids love the back seat that slides and reclines and they love gazing out of that enormous pano roof! The centre tunnel hump is also very small which is a bonus for back seat space. The centre tunnel in the X3 is massive.
• It's so spacious inside. I'm 6'4" and I often have trouble fitting into cars - even SUVs. No trouble here - lots of headroom. Lots of room in the backseat too where even I can sit without being hunched over. The trunk is a decent size with the added bonus of the sliding back seats which can make it even bigger. It's definitely bigger than the X3, and probably bigger than the X5 as well in turns of usable space.
• Can't comment on the seat comfort yet as we haven't done a long trip yet (although I must say the Murano seats will be a hard act to follow), but I love that the driver and passenger seats have the exact same adjustments, including memory. Often they will skimp on the adjustments for the passenger, but not on the DS. Great for me and my wife who often switch and are very different size.
• Really like some of the storage solutions. There's rubber lining on the cubby at the front of the centre console and on the shelf above the glove compartment - this is a nice touch so that phones and other items put there don't slide around. Also really like the little compartment under the front cupholder.
• Two 2.1v USB outlets for the back seat is fantastic. I don't think any competitors have this standard.
• The glove compartment closes with a satisfying click - just feels really solid. This is a litmus test we do with all cars we try. The glove compartment lid on our old Pro5 is dead solid, so we figure this is a good indicator.
• The touchscreen is a little slow to respond to touches, but overall we really like the combination of buttons and touchscreen. Really, really hope Land Rover will not change this on future iterations. We couldn't stand the touchscreen only controls in the XC90 - just makes things unnecessarily complicated. Good old buttons and dials and a clean layout is a recipe for success and the DS has gotten this just right (except that lane keeping assist button as mentioned above). Everything is easy to operate and all controls are intuitive.
• This last one might come as a surprise. I actually really like the auto start/stop feature! I have driven many other cars with this feature and they are generally way too aggressive. They will often shut off the engine before it has even come to a full stop. In the DS you have to come to a complete stop before it kicks in and this makes it so easy to control. I'm always watching conditions ahead and if I see that the line I'm coming up to will be moving shortly I just feather the brakes and crawl forward cm by cm to prevent the engine from stopping. However, if I see that we will be stopped for a little longer (e.g., red light) I just press the brake all the way and the engine stops. It's perfectly executed and so easy to control, I just hope they never change it.

That's it for now. We're going on a long trip for Christmas, so I'll return with more impressions then. I've posted some pictures in the New Members Intro section.


And btw, so far we have no squeaks or rattles - absolutely nothing. Just hope it stays that way as it seems that is the main concern for other more unfortunate DS owners. Now, if you want to read about REAL problems spend some time on SwedeSpeed and read about the XC90...

 

[MGLarry]

Very interesting and comprehensive report, well done!


I generally agree with most you have said, though for my 2 cents I don't feel like it handles like a truck. Certainly not a sports car/sedan, but not a truck either (from my perspective).


The transmission is a bit finicky. Most times I have no issues, and it responds wonderfully, but there are those times it acts like its thinking what to do, and then bam... Jerky (passengers think I don't know how to drive). Sport mode and paddle shifting can help that.


I have about 2,500 miles on the clock, almost all city (the longest "highway" trip of 20 miles). Mileage is averaging just about 21, with short runs in the low teens (less than 3 miles with lots of start/stop), and the "long" run was over 28. So not too bad.


Interesting comment about the Volvo and problems noted on the SwedeSpeed site - I'll have to check it out.


Cheers!

 

[bjwhite]

* Start/stop. If I could disable that bullshit I would. I hate it on any car. I usually turn it off in the DS after the first stop happens. haha.....you can turn it off but it doesn't stay off after restarting the vehicle.
* lane departure button. I think the location is perfect. Down and out of the way, because I turn that crap off and leave it off. Removing the feature altogether would be even better.
* Heated seats can't be operated when in backup camera mode because it requires the touchscreen to select heat. Just allow multiple button pushes to enable and set temp. No need for a screen. This is a bit of an oversight.
* There are too many controls that are twisting the stalks to set. I prefer my headlight controls on the dash like on the Discovery 3/4 LR3/LR4. Also, the rear wiper operation on the LR3 is much better. No twist, you just push forward and its intermittent. Or you can flip and flip back for a quick wipe. On the DS this is a twist at the end of the right stalk. Annoying....too many controls on the stalks.
* I don't share your take on the heated steering wheel. I think it's fine.....if I had to change one thing on the steering wheel is that I hate cars where the horn operation is a center pad in the middle. Again, look at the LR3 steering wheel.....actual horn buttons.
* I agree with the 2.0T and the 9 speed transmission. I'd give my left nut for a manual transmission in this vehicle, diesel or not. (only the diesel is available in manual in Europe).
* I don't like the backlit "crystal plastics" in the gauge cluster....the little graduations. I'd prefer a more "normal" looking cluster. I also hate how the displayed Speed Limit display takes over the coolant temp gauge. There is plenty of screen real estate to do both.
* I hate the shifter dial. Obviously I'd rather have a manual transmission, but I really don't like the circle dial. I wish it was at least like the Range Rover Sport with a "real" shifter. The only advantage is the one push button that turns the car off and puts it in park. I sort of like that--but I'd rather have a real shifter.
* The 2.0T "feels" a little unrefined. A little buzzy, unsubstantial. I know, sign of the times, but I was thinking the other day how I wish it was a V6. But that's a minor thing.
* The day I bought the DS, I drove it 2500 miles home. The seats were fine and the thing just eats up highway. It is extremely comfortable on long distance trips.
* the audio upgrade (2016 version, non-Meridian) is quite underwhelming. Is it the speakers? Is it the enclosures? I am not sure. It's also seemingly dependent on source. 1st Wave on sat radio sounds horrible like clock radio speakers but the EDM channel sounds great. Could be dynamic range lacking in the sat signal on different channels. Who knows. Bluetooth seems to sound ok. It's just a bit muddy and boomy. My Harmon/Kardon stereo in the LR3 sounds AMAZINGLY better. And it's 10 years older.

 

[4sallypat]

OP: Good write up.

My impressions up to 10,000 miles = almost all negative items covered.

My impressions after recent service = long list of complaints - now very happy with my "Driver feel" compared to BMW & Mercedes. The recent change in the Powertrain update has dramatically changed the 9 speed tranny mated to the 2L engine - almost as good as my BMW 8 speed 5 series!
YES that much of a change compared to when I first took delivery of the DS!!!

Just note that Land Rover has made huge improvements in the electronics / infotainment compared to the older LR3 and Discovery II cars of yesteryear....

The DS is just that much better and will become more refined and awesome like BMW has done which took decades of changes.

 

[bjwhite]

My impressions after recent service = long list of complaints - now very happy with my "Driver feel" compared to BMW & Mercedes. The recent change in the Powertrain update has dramatically changed the 9 speed tranny mated to the 2L engine - almost as good as my BMW 8 speed 5 series!
YES that much of a change compared to when I first took delivery of the DS!!!.

Oh that's great news. Mine goes in on the 27th for its 20,000 mile service. They mentioned 6 or 7 items that they are going to update including the transmission pattern. I hope it's awesome now.
Still would rather have a manual.

 

[4sallypat]

Oh that's great news. Mine goes in on the 27th for its 20,000 mile service. They mentioned 6 or 7 items that they are going to update including the transmission pattern. I hope it's awesome now.
Still would rather have a manual.

Yes, the list of 6 items are recalls.
You should ask them to make sure they will do the Infotainment and Powertrain updates.
Made a huge difference to mine.

 

[Bill F]

Got our 2017 HSE with driver's tech, convenience, black pkg and navigation just about a month ago and 1,000km just rolled over. I thought this would be a good time to start detailing some initial impressions.

Infotainment:

• This has been covered before, but why we can't cycle through radio presets using the steering wheel buttons is a grand mystery. Every single car that I have ever driven with steering wheel buttons can cycle the presets, so I have no idea what LR was thinking.
• The FM tuner is downright awful. I was so disappointed in the sound from the standard stereo when I was first listening to radio that I thought I had made a terrible mistake in nit getting the Meridian upgrade. However, listening to music from other sources lets the system redeem itself. It will never be mistaken for a high end stereo, but it is more than adequate for a base system. It's just the FM that is annoying.

Interior:

• The auto mirror fold feature can only be changed by the dealership. This is stupid. It should be driver configurable. I want to turn this off in the winter since there can sometimes be snow and ice jammed in beside the mirror and I don't want to break anything, while in the summer I want to turn this feature back on again. I'm not going to go into the dealership just for this, so I'm planning to go there to get them to turn it off, and then I'll just control it manually by pressing the left and right mirror buttons simultaneously.

Driving:

• The 2l turbo engine and the 9-speed transmission are just not very good friends. They seem to have no idea what each of them want at any one time, so throttle response sometimes seems lighting fast and other times it's glacial. I know this has been discussed up and down here and in the automotive press, but I find it to be really annoying. My wife and I are different types of drivers, so the learning transmission will always be confused, so I have no confidence that this will sort itself out. Never had this kind of problem in any other car I have driven. It's how unpredictable it is that really gets me. Trying to drop a few gears to quickly get through a yellow light yields no response and by the time I've decided to brake instead the surge is suddenly there. I'm just hoping for a diesel engine in the future that will give more linear and predictable response.
• It definitely handles a bit like a truck. It rolls a bit in the corners, it bounces on the bumps, it dips when you come to a stop -
• Only 1,000km on it and mostly city driving, so I know this may change, but the fuels consumption is really bad. Measuring at the pump we have yet to see below 13.5l/100km (~21mpg). I know I shouldn't really complain about this as it is actually in line with the EPA rating. However, it is a bit of a shock coming from a smaller car, and it is massively different from the X3 diesel we almost got. It's also a lot thirstier than the Nissan Murano we rented a couple of months ago which has a V6. Again, hoping for a diesel in the North American DS in the future.

I actually really like the auto start/stop feature! I have driven many other cars with this feature and they are generally way too aggressive. They will often shut off the engine before it has even come to a full stop. In the DS you have to come to a complete stop before it kicks in and this makes it so easy to control. I'm always watching conditions ahead and if I see that the line I'm coming up to will be moving shortly I just feather the brakes and crawl forward cm by cm to prevent the engine from stopping. .

On my last car you had the option of going to the next preset or the next station on the radio and it would scan for all station in a new city when driving on a trip so in that regard the radio is bad, but I find the FM to be very good with great stereo separation. The USB is great and it really sorts all the songs. Tried the free satellite stations but to many drop outs.

I can set my mirrors to fold or not to fold, have you tried all the set up screens?

After my last software update the car performs much better no need to use the paddle shifters any more. Like the way the car goes back in "D" mode after a few minutes if you forget to shift. ( not in sport mode.)

Very little lean and the stiff suspension gives a great ride on the highway and pleasant in the city. No dips when braking and the brakes are much better than my Benz and NO DUST !

Fuel consumption in the city is rated at 11.9L/100KM and I have averaged 12.9L/100KM with about 95 % city driving The car readout assures me I am getting 11.9 LOL but thinks nobody knows how to do simple calculations to get the actual readings. So your reading of 13.5 are not to far off my results.

For our US friends 13.5L/100Km is equal to 17.42 MPG US or 20.92 MPG Imperial/ British

 

[MGLarry]

Still trying to figure out if bjwhite likes the DS or not! I came from an Infiniti FX-37, and have to say of the two - I'd stick with the DS. That's not saying the Infiniti didn't do some things better:


* 6 cyl engine felt/sounded much better
* Was able to actually scan radio stations and scan through presets! I know!
* Seats had better side bolster support, but the DS seats are comfortable
* Center touch screen easier to access
* Heated seats controlled by a knob - no need to go to the touch screen (pain in the ___)
* Did a better job of cameras/parking assist


But, the DS brings other improvements beyond that (the 2017 Infiniti (now QX-70) improved very little from the one I had.


So, if I had the opportunity to go back to the Infiniti - I'd stick with the DS. No car is perfect - but love it so far!

 

[jabba1900]

All right - I'm back! Busy weekend and finally got to try the DS in some semi-serious snow here in Toronto. Obviously it's all good. No problem getting the tail out, even with the snow setting, but super easy to control, and actually really fun! Liking the Continental WinterContact SI tires. Now, for some specific responses:

Very interesting and comprehensive report, well done!

I generally agree with most you have said, though for my 2 cents I don't feel like it handles like a truck. Certainly not a sports car/sedan, but not a truck either (from my perspective).

The transmission is a bit finicky. Most times I have no issues, and it responds wonderfully, but there are those times it acts like its thinking what to do, and then bam... Jerky (passengers think I don't know how to drive). Sport mode and paddle shifting can help that.

I have about 2,500 miles on the clock, almost all city (the longest "highway" trip of 20 miles). Mileage is averaging just about 21, with short runs in the low teens (less than 3 miles with lots of start/stop), and the "long" run was over 28. So not too bad.

Interesting comment about the Volvo and problems noted on the SwedeSpeed site - I'll have to check it out.

Cheers!

I agree that it doesn't handle and drive like a Suburban type of truck. I've driven a Suburban (rented one for a family trip to Chicago a few years ago) and the DS is obviously a lot better handler than that. However, it is nowhere near the handling of my old Protege5, and I found that the handling in the BMW X3 and X5 was definitely more competent when going around corners, and even when soaking up sharp bumps. This is not to say that the handling of the DS is bad, I just found that BMW in particular had better handling. I do find that the DS dips a little when braking as well, but that is also something I experienced in a Cayenne, so I might just be particularly sensitive to these kinds of movements having driven a low to the ground car for so long (previous to the Protege5 I had an RX7...). Now, I find the ride has improved considerably on the 18" winter tires over the 19" all seasons. I actually really like the look of the winters as well, with the aggressive, pronounced tread which seems to go well with what Land Rover is supposed to be all about.

As for fuel economy, on the latest fill-up we averaged 16.2l/100km, which is around 15mpg. Now, that was with heavy winter weather here in Toronto with tons of stop and go. My wife drove home from work last Thursday which took her over 2 hours - usually takes her around 20 minutes... So, I'm not surprised the fuel consumption is through the roof with these conditions. Long trip to Ottawa on Friday will give me a better picture I think.

OP: Good write up.

My impressions up to 10,000 miles = almost all negative items covered.

My impressions after recent service = long list of complaints - now very happy with my "Driver feel" compared to BMW & Mercedes. The recent change in the Powertrain update has dramatically changed the 9 speed tranny mated to the 2L engine - almost as good as my BMW 8 speed 5 series!
YES that much of a change compared to when I first took delivery of the DS!!!

Just note that Land Rover has made huge improvements in the electronics / infotainment compared to the older LR3 and Discovery II cars of yesteryear....

The DS is just that much better and will become more refined and awesome like BMW has done which took decades of changes.

I hear a lot of people talk about this powertrain update, and I assumed it would have been applied to ours which is a 2017 that we picked up about a month ago. Still, I guess I should check with my dealer just to make sure. I have logged into Topix with my VIN and see nothing outstanding.

As for infotainment, I generally really like how the DS is set up. I just wish it would respond a little faster and that some ergonomics and functionality would be tweaked. Both my wife and I much prefer it over BMW's iDrive. A friend of mine has an LR3, and yes, there are definite signs of progress...!

On my last car you had the option of going to the next preset or the next station on the radio and it would scan for all station in a new city when driving on a trip so in that regard the radio is bad, but I find the FM to be very good with great stereo separation. The USB is great and it really sorts all the songs. Tried the free satellite stations but to many drop outs.

I can set my mirrors to fold or not to fold, have you tried all the set up screens?

After my last software update the car performs much better no need to use the paddle shifters any more. Like the way the car goes back in "D" mode after a few minutes if you forget to shift. ( not in sport mode.)

Very little lean and the stiff suspension gives a great ride on the highway and pleasant in the city. No dips when braking and the brakes are much better than my Benz and NO DUST !

Fuel consumption in the city is rated at 11.9L/100KM and I have averaged 12.9L/100KM with about 95 % city driving The car readout assures me I am getting 11.9 LOL but thinks nobody knows how to do simple calculations to get the actual readings. So your reading of 13.5 are not to far off my results.

For our US friends 13.5L/100Km is equal to 17.42 MPG US or 20.92 MPG Imperial/ British

It drives me bonkers that I can't use the steering wheel controls to cycle through presets - should be such an easy change for LR! I agree, stereo separation is not bad for FM, but I find the bass is muddy and undetailed and the treble has too much sibilance. I really like the fade and balance controls, though, which enables you to set it for any point in the car. Saw this on the XC90 and really liked it. However, I wish the DS would have the equalizer controls that the XC90 has. That would enable me to dial in exactly the sound I want - and I could at least tweak out some of that sibilance. Anyway - I clearly should have gotten the Meridian!

As for the folding mirrors, I have searched through every available menu and I haven't found anything. The manual actually states that you have to take it to the dealer to disable this feature. I called the dealer and they said to bring it in anytime (no appointment necessary) and they would take care of it. Curious that you're able to do it yourself. Where do you find that feature?

Still trying to figure out if bjwhite likes the DS or not! I came from an Infiniti FX-37, and have to say of the two - I'd stick with the DS. That's not saying the Infiniti didn't do some things better:

* 6 cyl engine felt/sounded much better
* Was able to actually scan radio stations and scan through presets! I know!
* Seats had better side bolster support, but the DS seats are comfortable
* Center touch screen easier to access
* Heated seats controlled by a knob - no need to go to the touch screen (pain in the ___)
* Did a better job of cameras/parking assist

But, the DS brings other improvements beyond that (the 2017 Infiniti (now QX-70) improved very little from the one I had.

So, if I had the opportunity to go back to the Infiniti - I'd stick with the DS. No car is perfect - but love it so far!

Interesting comparison with the Infiniti. We rented a Murano previously and there were definitely things we liked. I know the Murano and QX70 are on different platforms, but there are similarities in drivetrain and interior. Definitely loved the seats in the Murano - never felt so rested after a long trip! Curious how the DS seats will perform after a few hours on the highway. Loved the naturally aspirated V6 in the Murano. Wish we could get something similar in the DS, or a diesel which would provide more low RPM torque.

Now, you mention something about using the touch screen for the heated steering wheel. We have a button right on the steering wheel for the heater. No need for the touch screen. It's super convenient - even more so than on the Murano which had that button on the dash IIRC. I've also read reviews stating that for the heated seats you need the touch screen. Not so for us - just two buttons on the dash (one for driver, one for passenger) which cycle through the three heating levels - very convenient and just the way I like it. Leads me to wonder if the 2017 has some different controls than earlier models?

 

[jabba1900]

Here's someone with pointed opinions (I like it!), so I figured a separate reply would be appropriate! My responses in blue below:

* Start/stop. If I could disable that bullshit I would. I hate it on any car. I usually turn it off in the DS after the first stop happens. haha.....you can turn it off but it doesn't stay off after restarting the vehicle.
In other cars I would have disabled this thing, because I've found it to be way too aggressive. However, I find the DS to get it just right. I can feather the brakes with mm precision to know exactly when it will kick in or not. I like control and this gives me control over what is otherwise an automatic system.

* lane departure button. I think the location is perfect. Down and out of the way, because I turn that crap off and leave it off. Removing the feature altogether would be even better.
Not sure how much we will use this feature, but if you want blind spot monitoring (which we find useful) you have to get lane departure warning as well - all part of the package. However, if you do want to use it, it sure is inconvenient to have the button hidden way down there in the dark.

* Heated seats can't be operated when in backup camera mode because it requires the touchscreen to select heat. Just allow multiple button pushes to enable and set temp. No need for a screen. This is a bit of an oversight.
Don't have this problem. Heated seats are just a button on the dash. Why is yours different?

* There are too many controls that are twisting the stalks to set. I prefer my headlight controls on the dash like on the Discovery 3/4 LR3/LR4. Also, the rear wiper operation on the LR3 is much better. No twist, you just push forward and its intermittent. Or you can flip and flip back for a quick wipe. On the DS this is a twist at the end of the right stalk. Annoying....too many controls on the stalks.
Agree with the rear wiper operation. Sounds like the LR3 is better. A friend of mine has an LR3 - I should ask him to show that feature to me.

* I don't share your take on the heated steering wheel. I think it's fine.....if I had to change one thing on the steering wheel is that I hate cars where the horn operation is a center pad in the middle. Again, look at the LR3 steering wheel.....actual horn buttons.
Haven't actually tried the horn yet - the DS is so comfortable I just get into this serene mental space and never see the need to honk anyone...! Now, that ice cold trim around the steering wheel buttons truly is annoying when the car is otherwise cold and the steering wheel is all that's keeping me warm. Gives me a jolt every time my hand brushes against it!

* I agree with the 2.0T and the 9 speed transmission. I'd give my left nut for a manual transmission in this vehicle, diesel or not. (only the diesel is available in manual in Europe).
Manual would be nice, but my wife wouldn't agree. We'd both be happy with a diesel.

* I don't like the backlit "crystal plastics" in the gauge cluster....the little graduations. I'd prefer a more "normal" looking cluster. I also hate how the displayed Speed Limit display takes over the coolant temp gauge. There is plenty of screen real estate to do both.
I don't quite follow. I like the gauge cluster. With the digital speed readout at the top (I think this can be configured) I never even look at the actual speedometer. The speed limit sign is just annoying. It seems to get it wrong half the time (time limited speed limits in school zones for example), and it looks tacky. What the gauge cluster or dash in general really needs is a proper clock. Those puny digits at the top of the touchscreen look like something out of a $15k Corolla - not befitting a car of this stature.

* I hate the shifter dial. Obviously I'd rather have a manual transmission, but I really don't like the circle dial. I wish it was at least like the Range Rover Sport with a "real" shifter. The only advantage is the one push button that turns the car off and puts it in park. I sort of like that--but I'd rather have a real shifter.
I actually really like the shifter dial! The only problem I have with it is that I tend to overshoot revers and go straight into P. Wish there was a bit more resistance for putting it into P.

* The 2.0T "feels" a little unrefined. A little buzzy, unsubstantial. I know, sign of the times, but I was thinking the other day how I wish it was a V6. But that's a minor thing.
Yes - give me a V6 or a diesel!

* The day I bought the DS, I drove it 2500 miles home. The seats were fine and the thing just eats up highway. It is extremely comfortable on long distance trips.
Can't wait for Friday when I finally get to try it on a long trip.

* the audio upgrade (2016 version, non-Meridian) is quite underwhelming. Is it the speakers? Is it the enclosures? I am not sure. It's also seemingly dependent on source. 1st Wave on sat radio sounds horrible like clock radio speakers but the EDM channel sounds great. Could be dynamic range lacking in the sat signal on different channels. Who knows. Bluetooth seems to sound ok. It's just a bit muddy and boomy. My Harmon/Kardon stereo in the LR3 sounds AMAZINGLY better. And it's 10 years older.
Couldn't agree more - I realize I definitely should have gotten the Meridian. My wife is perfectly happy with the stock system, but I'm more of a hifi guy, and I find the base system lacking.

 

[jabba1900]

Btw, forgot to mention before that we have the heated windshield and we love it! No need to preheat the car - just get in, turn on the engine, heated windshield and heated rear window turn on automatically, turn on heated steering wheel and heated seats and off you go!

Yes, at night with brake lights lighting up the windshield I can see the little squiggly lines, but I don't find it distracting, and I'm usually really sensitive to these kinds of visual details.

 

[MGLarry]

Now, you mention something about using the touch screen for the heated steering wheel. We have a button right on the steering wheel for the heater. No need for the touch screen. It's super convenient - even more so than on the Murano which had that button on the dash IIRC. I've also read reviews stating that for the heated seats you need the touch screen. Not so for us - just two buttons on the dash (one for driver, one for passenger) which cycle through the three heating levels - very convenient and just the way I like it. Leads me to wonder if the 2017 has some different controls than earlier models?

I was talking about the seat controls - I do have the heated steering wheel control on the steering wheel. On my '16 when I hit the seat heat button, the control pops up on the center display, which allows setting heat or cool intensity (I hadn't tried pushing the dash button multiples times to see if it cycles through without having to adjust on the touch screen). If you are reversing and hit the heat control button it won't allow adjustments, etc. until you engage drive. I just try to remember to adjust seat temps before starting off.

 

[bjwhite]

* heated seats. try this......go out to the DS, start it, then put it in reverse and then realize, I want to turn the heated seats on........but you can't because it's in reverse and the camera has taken up the screen. I tend to do things in a car with controls a bit by habit, etc. This little hiccup means that I need to wait for two button presses and a screen change to turn on the heated seats BEFORE putting it in reverse, or waiting until moving forward, and then again with two button presses and a screen change. I'm just not fond of the screen being required in the workflow to enable the heated seats. That's all. A nitpick, and not the end of the world. But the beauty of having a physical button for the heated seats is a bit ruined by needing the screen to actually set it.

* This is my wife's first automatic anything. She had a 2005 Audi S4 Avant 6-speed prior to the DS. Of course, I'm never letting that Audi go.....340hp V8 AWD manual transmission smallish wagon. An amazing car. The DS is manual would be perfect...and my wife would agree.

* I don't like the little backlit crystals as the graduations for the speedo and tach. Know what I mean? Regarding the clock, I like it--I also like it can be set easily to proper 24h time. Did you end up disabling the speed limit sign? I did for a while....

* hate hate hate the shifter dial. Such a messed up design. Whomever came up with it should take a nut shot. And yes, overturning into P is a problem. Unlike a real shifter where going between R through N into D and back is smooth and quick. Again, fixed by having a manual transmission.

* Yeah the Meridian wasn't available for the 2016.....there was simply an "audio upgrade" for $800 that added amps, a sub, and sat radio. I may look into improving it....but yeah, my wife thinks it's fine but I'm more of the hifi guy. It just sounds a bit muddy....depending on the source though I think.

 

[jabba1900]

Do both of you have climate seats? I wonder if that changes the controls? We don't have climate seats - just heated seats, and we just have a button on the dash. No touchscreen involved and no problem when backing up.

Disabling the speed limit info - I might just try that and see if I'll miss it...

Audi S4 Avant - what a fantastic car! When I put the Pro5 out to pasture I'll start looking for a second fun car that can still carry the family in a pinch. That S4 might just make it to my shortlist. A friend of mine has a Golf R for that purpose. That's on my shortlist too... Problem is my Pro5 refuses to die and I'm emotionally attached to it.

 

[Bill F]

jabba1900

On mine the mirrors did not fold when I got it but I believe under one of the screens on the centre cluster was the one that allowed me to do it. But it may have been programmed by the dealer to allow me to do that. I definitively did not go back to the dealer. On the UK forum owners report that new vehicles do not all come with the transmission update.

But it seems like every car is different. Land Rover told me that while "global open" of the windows is standard "global close" is not available. Yet the base model loaner I had showed "global close" as available on the car. Yes it did work.

I like the gear selector as well it looks stylish, easy to use and makes the car seem roomier. I can't figure out why some cars still have a luge lever that controls nothing in the transmission, only operating a few electric switches.

 

[MGLarry]

jabba - The seat issue may be what you mention - I do have climate seats (heating and cooling). So, when I hit the dash button a screen pops up on the center screen to allow selection of heating and cooling and to what degree (1 through 3). That may be the difference!

 

[bjwhite]

Yes, I also have the Climate Package (heated and cooled seats, heated windscreen, steering wheel, etc). Touching the heated seat button changes the screen so you can set heat or cooling and to what level.
Interesting those without cooled seats don't have this workflow issue.

I will say the cooled seats are very nice....first vehicle I've had with them. Heated windscreen? This is my third.....since it is my third Land Rover. Don't know why more vehicles don't have that.

 

[ChuckStein]

do all new DS's come with AWD with auto-disconnecting power, otherwise known as torque vectoring, or is this an upgrade option? do you get fwd only when cruising the hwy?

 

[4sallypat]

do all new DS's come with AWD with auto-disconnecting power, otherwise known as torque vectoring, or is this an upgrade option? do you get fwd only when cruising the hwy?

The 2015-16 Discovery Sport uses the Haldex 4WD system - it does not disconnect the front/rear axles like the newer JLR cars such as the F Pace.

I love having the ability send power back and forth between axles within milliseconds - reminds me of the past 2 BMW X5 I had which had X Drive...
BTW X drive and other AWD systems on crossovers I have seen are not really 4WD. Did you know that AWD is on demand not locked ? 4WD is the serious way to keep you gripped.
The Discovery Sport has a REAL 4WD system that keeps your traction in all conditions.

You can see the power distribution on the axles by navigating to the 4x4i screen.

And yes standard equipment includes Torque Vectoring by braking which is just AWESOME.:laugh:

Torque Vectoring is key to getting a strong grip while making turns accelerating into it.

If the Discovery Sport did not have Torque Vectoring, I would have went to Porsche Macan S which has it standard as well.
Before deciding on the Disco - I was torn between the Porsche and Land Rover...

Glad to have decided with the Disco with Torque Vectoring as it offers a much larger cabin space, 3 row seating, and $10,000 less than the Macan S.

 

[ChuckStein]

i was talking about the Active Driveline option that allows disconnect of rear diff for a fwd experience. my dealer guy kept saying he thought that was built into the trans already.