Hi all,

I've been thinking about this for ages, but am starting to wonder whether now is the right time to trade in my 08 Vogue for a new / nearly new L405.

I'm keen on a few options and would appreciate opinions from those on here who have them:

* My kids are reaching the age where I think rear seat entertainment could be a good idea. I'd prefer something integrated, rather than worrying about iPads - is the L405 system any good? Does it just rely on DVDs? Do both screens play the same DVD?

* My kids also get travel sick so I'm keen on the active ride you get with the V8 engine (am I right in thinking it's not even an option on the smaller engine car?) - has anyone noticed an improvement in passengers' travel sickness post having this active ride?

* I'm not keen on privacy glass - largely because I work in central London and there are so many black L405 limos being driven around with blacked out windows. The brochure lists "rear window blinds" but I've not seen any cars with these - do they exist? My dealer doesn't seem to think they do.

* I do about 10k miles a year, mainly on motorways with a little (i.e. tiny) potential for off road. I've seen a few petrol cars at reasonable prices, and wondered if it is totally a mad thing to consider?

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Ed

Ed,

The rear seat entertainment system can only play one DVD at a time (there is only one player). However, you can have one screen displaying the DVD whilst the other displays a TV channel. The audio is routed accordingly through the wireless headphones. This also means that you could listen to music on the main speakers when the kids are watching a DVD and the TV. If you add the dual view at the front with an extra set of headphones, you can have a nice peaceful journey with each of your passengers immersed in their own little world

I've driven the L405 with both active ride and regular suspension systems and did not notice a significant difference in normal driving conditions. Some say you notice the difference when throwing the car around corners, but it it a FFRR not a racing car so why would you?

Can't comment on the last two queries.

Paul.

One of my kids suffered from car sickness as a toddler, if they watched any screen it got 10 times worse, they need to be told to look out the window at the furthest object they can see...

She did grow out of it fairly quickly.... she's fine now but she is 24....

Have fun looking for a new one...  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Thanks for the replies - that's a good point about the rear screen entertainment possibly making car sickness worse - I hadn't thought about that!

Re the active ride, I certainly don't drive my L322 fast, but I do find those roads where you have multiple roundabouts every few hundred yards tends to hurl passengers around a bit.

I've just spent a while looking through every L405 on the Land Rover Approved list, and it's tough finding one that ticks every box. I'm still wondering whether a petrol one could be an option - I loved that 5.0 engine when I had it a few years ago in my Jag XKR, and I barely see 24mpg in my diesel V8 L322....

I barely see less than 30mpg in the 3.0TDV6

And that's the voice of reason (which I needed to hear...!)

Having test driven both the 3.0 TDV6 and SDV8 4.4 at speed and 'hurled' them round many corners, I'd go for the SDV8 for ride quality, it is better and less floaty and bouncy.

The rear ent' screens are not much improved over the ones I had in my 2008MY, yes, you can watch DVD and TV on separate screens BUT TV reception is rubbish on the move, even with Digital, it cuts in and out and is just a frustrating experience.

You will also have the option to plug in A N Other device via the rear sockets at the back of the cubby (if that's still where they put them in the L405 - I don't recall). So, I once had a journey where 2 kids were in the back, one watching a DVD, one watching a film via an iPad plugged in with an adapter cable from belkin with the red/yellow/white connectors and we sat in the front watching TV or listening to music.

It IS possible, but it's a total faff. A tablet for each kid seems much easier, plus the rear screen remotes are amazingly complex overall. Discovery 4 HSE
1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF
1982 Series 3 Hard Top

*Gone:L462 D5 HSE LUX, L663 Defender 110 HSE, Discovery 3 HSE, 2014MY Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged AB Dynamic; L405 Exec Vogue SE 4.4, 5.0 Supercharged Autobiography, Defender TDCi XS CSW, Defender TD5 HT, Vogue SE TDV8, Vogue TD6, RRSport SC 4.2V8, Classic 3.9 Vogue Auto, Land Rover Series 3 SWB

I dunno, whatever happened to "eye spy"  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

My ha'penny worth.

I was an early adopter on RSE systems. Keeping the kids quiet on a long journey made them worth their weight in gold.

However...

The kids don't always like wearing the infrared headphones. Mine didn't. So you have the soundtrack playing while you drive. But it also means they all have to watch the same thing. What are they going to watch? Arguments abound. Really boring arguments that need you to get Boutros Boutros on them. Then they can't operate the thing. So they are howls from the back about getting the DVD to play (which you can't see).

The iPads are totally intuitive, portable (we've had to sit in the car so the film can finish...) and are individual, so no arguments.

I had it in several cars but not my current one. I would never order RSE again.

On the petrol vs diesel, 10k is sufficiently little to make it viable to go petrol IMHO.

However...

The resale will be more difficult and you will feel that you spend too much of your life standing in petrol stations. The upside is that it will be a nicer driving experience when you aren't pumping petrol into the thing.

I do sometimes regret not going petrol.

Hi Ed,

I too wanted the 5.0 as on firing it up for the first time when I borrowed one for a week, it reminded me of my XFR too. That was at the start of the week - by the end, I was fed up with petrol stations (it's not the cost, it's the faff) and i just preferred the TDV8 overall. I'm not a fan of diesel - hate the fact that you stink of the stuff with the most minor contact but the TDV8 for me just suits the car more and is plenty quick enough.

Rear screens - on balance, I wouldn't pay for them as the kids (8, 10 & 13) prefer iPods, iPhones and iPads but they do watch the RSE on longer trips - mostly films on a memory stick in the rear socket. Any kind of screen makes the youngest travel sick though so it's off when we come off the motorway.

I noticed a big difference with active suspension - it's not about driving it like a sports car - it's just more pleasant when the road's a bit twisty - i.e. across the Yorkshire Moors.

Final thoughts on the privacy glass - there's a lot of glass in that cabin and I think it would get unbearably hot without it. I find the aircon only just keeps up when it's really warm and all the cooled seats are on.

Have fun looking,

H

Thanks so much everyone for the thoughtful replies!

OK, I think with regards to the petrol vs diesel, it's got to be diesel - even though my L322 barely makes 25mpg, I do like how the tank can get my 500 miles (according to the trip computer - I'm sure it's a bit less than that once I've done a bit of stop / start driving) and there's nothing worse than being stuck in a motorway traffic jam with a red light on the petrol tank showing.

On the RSE, we've always been big opponents as we've played music / eye spy / sung songs etc, but on a recent holiday to Cornwall (ended up being a 7 hour drive because we left at the wrong time) my wife was propping up an iPad on the centre armrest so the boys would stop complaining. My kids are 6 and 4 so I'm thinking we've done well to get this far without.

In terms of iPads vs RSE - one of the reasons my wife has "indicated" she's in favour of a new car is the RSE. I'm almost hesitant to suggest iPads as an alternative in case she then asks why we need a new car....! We use the TV in the current L322 Vogue whenever we're parked up or in traffic, and the boys always get frustrated when it switches off once we start moving again, so I quite like the way the RSE works - and of course you don't have to remember the iPads / hide them from view etc.

I've been speaking to a couple of dealers - one offered a pitiful sum for my L322 in part-ex, but I guess it's quite an old car now. Are the Approved Used prices pretty solid? Or is it worth pushing for something off? I've got my eye on a very nice 14 reg AB which has everything I want, except for 22" wheels (I would rather 20 or 21).

Anyway, thanks again for everyone's comments. I'll update when I've made some progress.....

If the car you like is on the wrong sized wheels, is it as simple as just buying some new ones and replacing them? Or are there other complications? (I'm wondering about brakes, suspension etc).

I've seen a car I like, but it's on 22" diamond turned wheels and they are a bit blingy for my taste. I prefer boring old 21" wheels.

Boring old 21” wheels will simply swap over sir... The only issues you will find is if you wish to drop down below a 20” wheel...

Worth while checking with your insurance company first too, as even though your technically “downgrading” the wheels, its still classed as a modification in some insurance companies eyes!

In cases of death due to collisions and millions of £££ at stake, some insurance companies will look to make sure you have declared every detail!

Well worth checking imho sir

Thanks, yes, that's a good point.

Given that most people seem to prefer the 22" wheels (judging by a 5 minute search on this site), I may keep them and think of the 21" tyres as "non-summer" tyres.

One last question, is the coloured side vent changeable? I'm not sure what I think about it, but if it's changeable, I won't let it influence my decision too much!