Bosch European Motors
The Range Rover has set a high bar for luxury SUVs. It was one of the first of its kind and few can compete with its ability to go anywhere, any time, in any weather in a leather-lined interior. Introduced for the 2013 model year, the current Range Rover has aged with grace, but it is aging as new competition arrives in the form of Bentayga and Cullinan. For 2018, Land Rover has given the Range Rover a tech overhaul with a handful of screens inside the cabin, a few updates on the exterior, and more luxury options than ever before. I spent a long weekend with the updated luxury liner to see if those changes spoiled the serene mood鈥攊f they were more tech overload than tech overhaul. The Range Rover has elegant, even minimalist style, compared to the Bentley and Rolls SUVs, but it鈥檚 a look that has needed almost no updates. For 2018, the front fascia has been smoothed out and features new LED headlights.
Like the Porsche 911, its design language has evolved over time, but the Range Rover still can be instantly recognized around the globe. Its squared body, rounded corners and upright traditional SUV stance have a timeless air. It鈥檚 far from flashy, but it has understated presence and class few vehicles can match. Inside the Range Rover is where most of the upgrades took place for 2018. Fire it up inside a dark parking garage, and the glow of 32 inches of digital displays can be overwhelming. The 12-inch digital gauge cluster was familiar enough. It does have odd touch-sensitive and clickable steering wheel buttons to control it but they鈥檙e not hard to figure out. For true confusion, just look down at the twin 10-inch touchscreens mounted on the center of the dashboard. They control nearly every function in the Range Rover, and can be very confusing to navigate quickly without any previous exposure.
It took about a day to become familiar with the setup, but making changes on the fly while driving down a highway never became easier. The Td6 badge means a turbodiesel 3.0-liter inline-6 with 254 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque sits under hood; it sends power to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Push the start button and the turbodiesel clatters to life with far more noise, and less bark, than one expects from a Range Rover. It鈥檚 like a silky-smooth pickup truck for the well-heeled individual without the associated vibrations in the steering wheel. Mat the accelerator and the turbodiesel forgets any notion of turbo lag. It just grinds out a wave of low-end torque, one that feels pretty close to the Range Rover plug-in edition. Range Rover states 0 to 60 mph happens in 7.5 seconds, and that seemed about right. The thin-rimmed steering wheel points the Range Rover whichever way I want with slightly less weight than I would like, but it鈥檚 accurate and tracks down the highway well. On the highway the Range Rover鈥檚 active lane control wasn鈥檛 as accurate or as active as Volvo鈥檚 ProPilot Assist, and doesn鈥檛 even come close to Tesla鈥檚 AutoPilot or Cadillac鈥檚 Super Cruise systems. The Range Rover鈥檚 sensors read the markings accurately, but didn鈥檛 provide any correction or steering input until the luxury barge started to veer out of the current lane. 108,040, my tester was far from cheap and the competition at that price is fierce. 325,000 base Cullinan price tag. But nothing鈥攁nd I mean nothing鈥攃arries the understated presence that the Range Rover does. For 2018, the Range Rover raises the bar for luxury SUVs with a healthy dose of modern, if not a bit overwhelming, technology.
Working with Bob Pope @ The Exchange was a pleasure and what the car buying experience should be like! After visiting McGrath in Skokie and being 'pitched', mislead and had failing to navigate around young and inexperienced salesmen, I made my way to The Exchange. I was given a fair value on my Chevy Tahoe trade-in and the Sales Rep, Bob, helped walk me through the Audi options. I ended up with a Q8. I never felt pressured and Bob really knows the 'product'. Closing' on a car can also be a hassle but Shawn in finance was great. If you're in the market, don't just stop by but call this dealer and specifically make an appointment with Bob. Waited 3 months since my purchase to review. I guess if you buy a new car, or an Audi, you get top quality service. I purchased a used Subaru in January. First issue may be my mistake, but the car had to be jumped before our test drive.
Ok, my bad on believing "you know, it happens" and "salesman from yesterday left everything on" like i was told. Second, several days after i get it home i notice the miles was past what the oil change reminder sticker was. So i called and asked if they do oil changes before selling used cars. Passed around to 3 people(including used car sales manager), and finally back to salesman Alex. He said they checked it and it looked ok, to mail him my receipt from an oil change if i felt i should get one and I'll get reimbursed. 2 months later still never got reimbursed. 3rd, that battery issue. Car died 4 times in 2 months, when tested was basically running on nothing. So now i had to buy a new battery on a car i thought was inspected before i drove it away. I gave 1 star because the salesman Alex was very nice and professional (nice for a sale? I have my own opinions on that one). Ever since I was a 8 year old little boy I dreamed of driving an Audi.