Hear hear!

Very interesting comments, a lot of it is indeed down to how you are perceived and the attitude and behaviour of other people as well as where you are. People are always going to make assumptions based on appearance its nothing new. I look at the Mini (BMW one) and its the sort of car a millionaire or someone on a below average wage could drive its virtually classless. I see the Range Rover in a similar way to that but it has a higher entry level. One thing I like about the FFRR is that you really dont see many adverts for it, like a Rolls Royce or a Rolex - people know what its about. But you have to expect no matter what you have that people are always going to judge.

Also for Ranges in particular there is now a trend against the big SUV (although I see more Ranges now then ever!), I look at the new Lexus RX450h and its looks were toned down from its original concept which was alot more aggressive looking:
(http://jalopnik.com/5058253/lexus-lf+xh-co...atte-black)

Even the new M Class (http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/frankfur...eiled.aspx
) has been toned down Perhaps this is due to the brands wanting to change how these 4x4's are perceived or it could just be aerodynamics but I think with better emissions and electric variations people cannot complain as much regarding gas guzzling cars anyway this is the way most cars are going.

A view from the west side of the pond...
I've never experienced any vandalism or verbal abuse about the RR.
When I got my 2000 RR back in about 2003, my coworkers gave me some good-natured grief about it.
Until they saw what an entirely unreliable and expensive-to-keep-running sort of thing she is.
Now they place bets on what will fail next.

We've only had the '05 FFRR since last April. I still like my 2000, but the '05 is SO much nicer!
We got the FFRR for our son who just turned 19.
He commutes to college, about 50 miles round-trip daily.

Why a Range Rover for an 18-year old?
In April 2009, I was driving my RR in a blizzard & hit some "black ice".
Vehicle went off the road, hit a concrete thing. Bent the front axle, cracked the oil pan, broke both alloy wheels on right side.
I was uninjured, except for my pride.
The guy who did the repairs for us explained to my wife that had I been driving anything other than a Range Rover, I would have at the least sustained some injuries.
My wife & I wanted a "tank" for our son to drive.
Despite whatever "crash test" data there is, the simple reality is that, generally speaking, being inside a more massive vehicle is safer than not. More or less, that Prius becomes my crumple zone.

For some perspective, in my neighborhood of about 120 homes, there are no other RRs; 1 Disco3 & 1 Disco2.
I know the guy with the D3, have only seen the D2 recently in the area.
Less than a mile from where I live is a gated community; do you have those?
All the homes are huge, and none are less than $1,000,000. I see RRs coming in & out of there occasionally.
My daughter's high school parking lot has 2 Rovers, driven by students.
There's 1 FFRR, and 1 D3 with a body kit; a RR Sport.

And there's the whole weather thing.
Our house is at 7,500 above sea level.
It snows here. Last Thursday we got 2 feet overnight. Last night, a mere 6 inches.
4-wheel drive is, as far as we're concerned, required.
(Our third vehicle, my wife's, is a Jeep Grand Cherokee)

Don't get me wrong, with our federal government promoting class envy as a virtue, we have the same sort of jacknuts here as you have there. I think they're just spread out a bit more here than there.
And we don't live in a city. Perish the thought.

Besides, with the number of driving blinged-out Escalades, the understated elegance of an FFRR is totally lost on the silver-plastic-rolling-on-24s crowd. Of course the blacked out windows on the FFRR means the chavs can't see me pointing at them and laughing, either.

For now, over here, the RR is still something to "aspire" to.
And we don't have nearly as many Aston Martins tooling about.

A comment fro an ex-owner...

(Hi all)

I don't think there is as much of an anti-RR feeling like there was some years back.

Let's face it, there are a lot of older ones now, chavved up ones with powerfuluk stuff and some newer ones with cheapo private plates that make them look older.

If anything the Full Fat Range Rover has actually become quite common in many areas.
And with a new model Range Rover (which does have the same badge, even if it's an Evoque) advertised at starting around the 30k mark they are losing that upper class snob image they used to have.

The only issue is SOME owners who are regular people that buy one and then think they are the dogs danglies, lords of all they can see.
Fine out on the road, but it's hard to keep that image when it's parked outside your two bed terraced ex-council house.

Edit:

I sit corrected, you can get a new "Range Rover" from £27,955.

Fox wrote:

it's hard to keep that image when it's parked outside your two bed terraced ex-council house.

I hope you don't count 2-bed ex-council semi's in that statement There's the FFRR on my drive, a 61 plate Merc E-class next door and various other £30-40k motors on the street as well!

Yes, there was the typical and jokes when the neighbours and my mates saw it for the first time, but they only lasted a few days before they realised it's actually a very useful and functional vehicle as well as being pure luxury to sit in and now they are all more than happy to accept a lift in it!

I'm just someone that doesn't like throwing thousands away on expensive to buy, run and maintain houses I don't need and which are dropping in value faster than a new FFRR! I'd rather have hard cash to enjoy my youth and spend fewer thousands to buy, run and maintain decent cars and still afford to stick some away for retirement at which point I'd probably end up downsizing to the same 2 bed semi anyway!

That said, with the missus now expecting our second child, this may well change....its nesting time again....

Fox wrote:

I sit corrected, you can get a new "Range Rover" from £27,955.

I definatly notice a different attitude depending on what car i drive.

In my bimmer (which is in chavvy alpine white with rubber band low profile tyres) i thought i was disliked on the road, but when we got the FFRR it was a different league - if there is a queue of traffic, i never get let out in it and always have to force my way in. Doesn't bother me though, as if people are that hateful of the marque (or the drivers of the marque) then its only because they are jelous, which i can feel smug about. Interestingly though, if i'm ever with it on a single track country road queues of oncomming traffic will back up out of the way before i can even reach for the gear stick - the only exception being the white van.

I had a succession of VWs, in which i was always afforded every curtosy of the road, especially from other VW drivers - my wife once had a mint green polo and would get flashed by matching cars wherever we went. Later she had a silver SLK complete with a viper stripe, that was the only car that complete strangers would walk over and complement us on if we had the top down.

Like it or not the FFRR is a status symbol, and whether you drive it because its a fantastic limo, 4x4 or achievement of engineering or because it is a status symbol it doesn't matter - we all get tarred with the same brush as the Rooneys, Jordons et all.

I would like to think that your car (or at least out of the ordinary cars) does say a fair bit about you - i mean anybody buying a KIA clearly doesn't give a rats-arse about cars, while those with a porsche (especially those a few years old and not just a trapping of the wealthy) are probably control freaks. __________________
2015 FFRR SDV8
2011 FFRR TDV8 4.4 - Gone
2005 FFRR TDV6 - Gone

FWIW for the 6 weeks I've owned the FF I've been surprised just how many people DO let me out at junctions etc, I've had a very positive feel about peoples attitude to the car. Long may it last. 03 4.4 V8 petrol / lpg. 1st of many hopefully. I love my Rangie

jim2RRs wrote:

A view from the west side of the pond...
I've never experienced any vandalism or verbal abuse about the RR.
When I got my 2000 RR back in about 2003, my coworkers gave me some good-natured grief about it.
Until they saw what an entirely unreliable and expensive-to-keep-running sort of thing she is.
Now they place bets on what will fail next.

We've only had the '05 FFRR since last April. I still like my 2000, but the '05 is SO much nicer!
We got the FFRR for our son who just turned 19.
He commutes to college, about 50 miles round-trip daily.

Why a Range Rover for an 18-year old?
In April 2009, I was driving my RR in a blizzard & hit some "black ice".
Vehicle went off the road, hit a concrete thing. Bent the front axle, cracked the oil pan, broke both alloy wheels on right side.
I was uninjured, except for my pride.
The guy who did the repairs for us explained to my wife that had I been driving anything other than a Range Rover, I would have at the least sustained some injuries.
My wife & I wanted a "tank" for our son to drive.
Despite whatever "crash test" data there is, the simple reality is that, generally speaking, being inside a more massive vehicle is safer than not. More or less, that Prius becomes my crumple zone.

For some perspective, in my neighborhood of about 120 homes, there are no other RRs; 1 Disco3 & 1 Disco2.
I know the guy with the D3, have only seen the D2 recently in the area.
Less than a mile from where I live is a gated community; do you have those?
All the homes are huge, and none are less than $1,000,000. I see RRs coming in & out of there occasionally.
My daughter's high school parking lot has 2 Rovers, driven by students.
There's 1 FFRR, and 1 D3 with a body kit; a RR Sport.

And there's the whole weather thing.
Our house is at 7,500 above sea level.
It snows here. Last Thursday we got 2 feet overnight. Last night, a mere 6 inches.
4-wheel drive is, as far as we're concerned, required.
(Our third vehicle, my wife's, is a Jeep Grand Cherokee)

Don't get me wrong, with our federal government promoting class envy as a virtue, we have the same sort of jacknuts here as you have there. I think they're just spread out a bit more here than there.
And we don't live in a city. Perish the thought.

Besides, with the number of driving blinged-out Escalades, the understated elegance of an FFRR is totally lost on the silver-plastic-rolling-on-24s crowd. Of course the blacked out windows on the FFRR means the chavs can't see me pointing at them and laughing, either.

For now, over here, the RR is still something to "aspire" to.
And we don't have nearly as many Aston Martins tooling about.

I find i get let out a lot more than if im in the wifes SSS. I dont often tare around in the FF though, more gentlemanly cruiser i feel like most of the time, specially when on the way to work and back as i just sit at the speed limit and slowly build up my speed and my car isn't too chaved up (bar the front SC Grille and bling bling wheels that im still not sure about!) so find its ok and not many people bother you too often, specially if its got a bit of mud or muck on it as they tend to think your more 'normal' then, than if its super clean all the time...

I do tend to let a lot of people out but do get scared by the amount of people that can't see a 3tonne xenon lighted brick coming down the road.... FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

bergxu wrote:

jim2RRs wrote:

A view from the west side of the pond...
I've never experienced any vandalism or verbal abuse about the RR.
When I got my 2000 RR back in about 2003, my coworkers gave me some good-natured grief about it.
Until they saw what an entirely unreliable and expensive-to-keep-running sort of thing she is.
Now they place bets on what will fail next.

We've only had the '05 FFRR since last April. I still like my 2000, but the '05 is SO much nicer!
We got the FFRR for our son who just turned 19.
He commutes to college, about 50 miles round-trip daily.

Why a Range Rover for an 18-year old?
In April 2009, I was driving my RR in a blizzard & hit some "black ice".
Vehicle went off the road, hit a concrete thing. Bent the front axle, cracked the oil pan, broke both alloy wheels on right side.
I was uninjured, except for my pride.
The guy who did the repairs for us explained to my wife that had I been driving anything other than a Range Rover, I would have at the least sustained some injuries.
My wife & I wanted a "tank" for our son to drive.
Despite whatever "crash test" data there is, the simple reality is that, generally speaking, being inside a more massive vehicle is safer than not. More or less, that Prius becomes my crumple zone.

For some perspective, in my neighborhood of about 120 homes, there are no other RRs; 1 Disco3 & 1 Disco2.
I know the guy with the D3, have only seen the D2 recently in the area.
Less than a mile from where I live is a gated community; do you have those?
All the homes are huge, and none are less than $1,000,000. I see RRs coming in & out of there occasionally.
My daughter's high school parking lot has 2 Rovers, driven by students.
There's 1 FFRR, and 1 D3 with a body kit; a RR Sport.

And there's the whole weather thing.
Our house is at 7,500 above sea level.
It snows here. Last Thursday we got 2 feet overnight. Last night, a mere 6 inches.
4-wheel drive is, as far as we're concerned, required.
(Our third vehicle, my wife's, is a Jeep Grand Cherokee)

Don't get me wrong, with our federal government promoting class envy as a virtue, we have the same sort of jacknuts here as you have there. I think they're just spread out a bit more here than there.
And we don't live in a city. Perish the thought.

Besides, with the number of driving blinged-out Escalades, the understated elegance of an FFRR is totally lost on the silver-plastic-rolling-on-24s crowd. Of course the blacked out windows on the FFRR means the chavs can't see me pointing at them and laughing, either.

For now, over here, the RR is still something to "aspire" to.
And we don't have nearly as many Aston Martins tooling about.

Jim,

And from a fellow resident of The Colonies, I must say; Great post!

THE best bit about that whole post..............the last sentence at the bottom....The Colonies.....LOVE IT!  If you have nothing nice to say,say nothing at all.

James bond did drive a range rover in both the Daniel Craig films. Although they were sports and he smashed one up.

I seriously thinking about buying a ffrr to replace my 110. I am worried what customers would think. But will go and quote in the 90.

I first thought about buying a nearly new d4 and the lads at work were very anti. Said I was looking at a 08 plate ffrr and they think it's a great idea.

Funny old world.

For driving to drop quotes and bits off better with an estate type car thats dirt cheap to run and not too old

Any 4x4 i've found gives the impression you get paid too much as I've found out from customers in the past  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

I have two trades, one is as a Sparkie. I was doing an full rewire on an office refit and the job supervisor who is a mate of many years told me he would not be getting the bloke who just dropped off a heat pump quote to do the job as he drove a far too flash car so must be earning heaps of money. I was gob smacked. At the time I drove a 300 TDi Discovery as personal and work vehicle.
Since getting my FFRR customers have liked my choice of vehicle.
My other trade is as a Gaffer for films. I turned down a film and the DoP who was trying to get me to do the job got really snakey and made a comment along the lines of me driving around in my Roll Royce as I was mainly doing TVC's at the time. Funny thing was I have never owned a Roller nor would and I think I was driving a Triumph 2.5PI Mk1 Estate at the time.
Now I have the FFRR my work colleagues reckon its bloody fantastic and congratulate me for buying it. They always offer to pick up any gear as long as its in the FFRR. I reckon they are running a sweep on when it will break down though

Adrian

i also think it depends on what kind of person you are that reflects on peoples perceptions.. if you're arrogant then people will think of you as a fecking a$$hole range rover driver, but be good natured and polite on the road and you will get respect.... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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