Thank you Jon and Craig, it is exactly as you say and I now feel empowered and in charge of my car

I wonder why the RR manual is so silent on these features?

Sorry for the thread resurrection.

I need side steps for my vertically challenged wife and elderly family members. For me there is no competition as i think the deployable side steps look so much better and have the "cool" factor. The only thing which put me off was the price - i was quoted 3.5k from an official dealer.

I have decided to go for this but have a few questions.

Can i expect the dealer to install a button/switch near the map lights (as mentioned in the posts above) or is this only when specced from new? I asked the dealer if there was a way to lock out the side steps and he said no which leads me to think they won't install any such button/switch?

Second, i take it there is no way to keep the steps deployed when parked to act as door guards? I say this because from the posts above it seems that this is not possible since as soon as you lock the car, the steps deploy back underneath the vehicle.

Any comments or responses gratefully received!

Was at my mates garage waiting to use his ramp, the type where there are four legs that tuck two under each side. Before I used it, he wanted to put a rangie on which had side steps. The amount of messing about with blocks of wood to enable the car to be lifted with out damaging the side steps was enough to put me off.

The side steps can be locked down (as long as you are stationary) - they can also be locked up.

And yes if it is a main dealer fitting the genuine LR deployable steps then they will install the proper switch up near the reading lights. - they should also give you an instruction booklet on how to operate them.

Bear in mind that even if you ordered deployables on a brand new RR - they are fitted at the dealership not the factory - so the dealer should have plenty of practice.

OUCH to the price you have been quoted though....I didn't pay near that!

they are cool though - I get no end of positive comments from folk who see them.

(not sure about the pfaffing the previous poster mentioned about them getting in the way to do work....each step is held to its articulated brackets by 4 fairly easy to remove bolts.) - 5 minutes and they are off. (note when retracted you can't "un-slot" the step so don't worry about some smelly oik stealing them )

I have been looking into these as well - there are a number of places that sell them and the best price I've found so far is through 'super tweaks', £1560. There are a number through ebay at around £1800. That gives you a lot of spare tin to fit them!

I hate the things - I have deployable & always have them turned off.

If you're reasonably fit, then you are likely to be quicker than the steps - mine kept catching me in the back of the calves as I stuck my leg out to get out of the car

They managed to get my wife nicely in the shins as she opened the door & leant in to get something.

Very frustratingly, despite there being a button - you can't just press it & deploy them manually - you have to go through an extended procedure to turn them back on (atlas on an L405)

Maybe one day when I'm properly old I will need them