New forum member here, I currently own an Audi Q7 and though it drives quite well I have had issues with my Q7, not sure local dealer best option or more issues to come, and bugged by no spare tire and runflats.

I was considering looking at a Land Rover Discovery and I see there are still some 2020s left and the 2021 inventory is sort of sparse on option selection.

I was curious if anyone has come over from Audi or a Q7 and general impressions.

Also any thoughts on 2020 vs 2021. I am unsure how I would feel about the rotary/dial gear selector versus a gear selector lever. It seems like there have been some issues of gears getting stuck and I am not sure how to parse information out int he wild around roll-away complaints. So does the rotary dial fail to raise sometimes? Or does some of the stuck gear complaints mean the gear selector just did not respond to the rotary dial? Also on the roll-aways are people just getting confused what they put the vehicle in or was it a stuck gear thing.

When I bought the Audi I was actually coming from a Mercedes sport wagon (so lower to the ground) and I did not test drive BMW SAVs. I briefly test drove a Land Rover Discovery back in 2018 (unclear what model) and it did not feel as connected to the road as the Audi or a Volvo did The dealer had me drive a used Range Rover Sport and it was more of a drive style that was natural to me on handling. What draws me to the Discovery still is really the space as I use my vehicle to be the family hauler including the dogs on vacation, etc. I just felt the space and layout would be better in a Discovery for my needs. Curious if the new engines make the vehicle more snappy to drive and if really certain models (either 2020 or 2021) can lower more in a sport mode. Did I just got get a good test drive back then.

How bad are the pivi pro gremlins on the new models? Seems like that interface, the gear selector, and engine choices are the main things to push one either to 2020 or 2021 if it matters. Again unclear if rotary dial should concern me.

Is it hard to get a discount off of MSRP for Land Rovers/Range Rovers either in general or due to new model changes or does that apply more to leasing? I found a thread that implied it was hard to get a discount off of MSRP and one can leverage Costco auto buying to try and get some money off. I am used to Audi and Mercedes dealing so this would be new to me. For the first time I am considering leasing though to make sure I do not get a lemon and maybe trading the Q7 in for a smaller car that I buy as one child will be learning to drive soon.

I tried searching threads but did not really find matches on if someone highly recommends a certain dealer in Maryland for either purchase or service.

So I have a lot of questions but any impressions or information is appreciated as I consider options.

Thanks,
dminahan

2019 Audi Q7 Prestige

 

Lot to digest in your post, but just a couple observations (have owned our 2017 Disco 5 since new).

• I have never driven an Audi, but I moved to the Discovery after 6 yrs in BMW X5s (2010 and 2013) and can say that if you are looking first and foremost for a sporty, car-like drive, then the Discovery is not it. Don't get me wrong it is not a Tahoe, but definitely not a BMW either (because it is not meant to be one!). What the Discovery offers is a spacious and comfortable family car (with a much more usable third row) that can also take you to places others can't take you to (it is unfortunate that 90% of the Discovery's won't ever see anything different than your typical urban/suburban setting...)
• As for the 20 vs 21 part, have not driven either, but will say that with LR (and arguably with any manufacturer) you want to avoid any "new" things (e.g. new engines, new designs, new technology, etc.). I broke that rule by getting one of the first new Discovery, and have been relatively lucky, but that was because my only alternative was waiting a year or two... With this in mind, the 20's gasoline engine is a proven and relatively issue free one, whereas the 21 introduces relatively new engines to JLR. Similarly the 20 introduces Pivi Pro which is supposedly better than the previous infotainment, but seems to be suffering from a lot of gremlins. I have the old one (upgraded by JLR to support CarPlay and Android Auto) and have never had a problem with it and consider it fairly decent (remember I came from BMW which, at least back then, had terrible infotainment...).
• I have the rotary gear dial and have never had an issue with it. Not crazy about it and definitely prefer a lever, but is not a game changer for me. As mentioned above there are more relevant points to consider than the lever.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

I have had no issues with the rotary gear selector in my Discovery or in the Jaguar XF I had back in 2013. Personally I think the new center console looks cheap but the bigger screen looks more modern so a wash.

You will likely find a fair few bugs in the Pivi system but they will be fixed over time with software updates. The system in my 2019 had a few bugs (it was about 2 version behind when they under it to me) and after updating and a further couple of updates I haven’t noticed any issues.

As for the driving experience, it won’t drive as well as your Audi. I find the steering too light, the brakes being brake by wire lack feel and modulation, but the suspension is firmer then say the LR4 and due to that in a huge weight drop it drives much better than Discoveries of old, but Volvo and Audi are better.

However it is extremely comfortable, much more practical for cargo and obviously off-road the difference is basically another world between this and pretty much any other luxury SUV. I’m happy with that kind of trade off.

My only complaints:
1. Steering is too light
2. Hard to make smooth stops due to grabby brakes
3. The navigation system takes ages to boot
4. The 2nd row seats are too low
5. The (uprated) sound system is only ok but inexpensive
6. I wish the inner tailgate always opened automatically
7. I’d have preferred the air suspension was softer given the roads around here are straight but rough

That’s about it really and the last 3 are so nit picky as to probably be not worth mentioning...

The positives are basically everything else about it.

 

Similar views from me. Had my 2018 for 2+ years and over 40k miles and been great. Have had the rotary dial on 3 LR and Jags over the past decade and never any issues

Brakes are slightly grabby but strong. I like them personally. Stops much better than my old LR4 given the massive weight difference. And the driving position, ride height etc is excellent.

Infotainment is the one weak spot vs Audi and others. Just fees a bit dated and not the best UI. But to be honest I connect the phone on CarPlay and have waze and Spotify running so it doesn't matter to me!

Overall think it's a great vehicle. No regrets!

 

I just traded my SQ5 for a 2019 D5, so perhaps can provide some perspective...

Very few models LR/RR offers are going to touch the driveability my SQ had. I certainly am not getting to 60 in 4 seconds like I was in my Audi. But nothing I was looking at was going to do that for me... I needed a larger vehicle for the family and dogs. Looked at a 2020 Q7, but kept coming back to the Disco. It was larger, more utilitarian, more rugged...and it has a terrific on road presence. The car just has personality. My girlfriend has a Q7, and while it certainly is more of a driver’s car, I actually prefer the D5 for road trips. It feels larger and is superior from a comfort perspective. Worth noting I was also considering a newer Tahoe or Yukon, so landing on the discovery felt like a terrific medium between my Audi and a full blown land yacht. My parents have X5s, and I find the performance roughly comparable to the 6 banger x5 or probably 2.0L Q7. Doesn’t drive as good or grip corners like a German car, but it’s not a slouch. Coming from what I consider to be a high performance SUV, I haven’t regretted the move once.

From a tech perspective...I think it depends what year Q7 you’re coming from. If you have a 2017+ with the newer MMI system, the D5 will probably be comparable what you’re used to. I had a 2016 SQ5 with the older MMI and analog gauges. The D5 is miles ahead of my Audi from a tech perspective. My 2014 Grand Cherokee had more tech than my 2016 Audi. InControl is slow (but not as terrible as everyone says). That said, I spend 99% of my time in the car on CarPlay and it works great. I will go one step further and say that the D5’s widescreen CarPlay format has a better layout than any other CarPlay I’ve seen (you can see maps and music + calendar at the same time). The digital dash is pretty neat too. Actually might be my favorite feature (although Audi invented that game and I don’t think it’s quite as refined as their version).

Reliability....is not LR’s selling point. I had the ground stud recall come knocking 3 weeks into owning the car. But it was fixed quickly and knock on wood haven’t had other issues. Buy one with a warranty and acknowledge that you’re trading some level of reliability for a vehicle that is pretty unmatched in the segment otherwise (in my opinion). I had issues with my Audi and if you’re coming from a European car it probably won’t be much of a departure from what you’re used to. **** happens and it’s expensive to fix.

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far.

One forgotten question, on the 2nd row back seat can you fold the center position seat top down without folding down the other passenger seat since it is 60/40 split? Oddly that feature of my Audi is a nice feature when hauling everyone and the dogs.

I certainly have seen some people come tearing into the school parking lot in Discoveries like it was a performance SUV so I think one can get used to the driving characteristics. I could stand to slow down my driving anyway. Part of me was wondering if any model would raise and lower the air suspension based on either driving speed or sport mode. My Audi does as it has the dynamic chassis and I believe the Volvo with the certain package did as well.

But this information is great. Thanks.

 

yep - you can fold each of the seats individually, so if you wanted to just fold down the middle one, you can.

 

I purchased a used 2019 LR Disco in January 2020 with 20k miles. This was my 1st LR. I love the horsepower and performance of the supercharged 3.0. Open the hood and you'll notice the engine is massive, that's because it's a 8 cylinder engine block with only 6 cylinders heads. I was a little concerned about LRs mechanical and reliability issues but the test drive felt awesome, and like so many still went forward with the purchase anyway. FYI the 2020-2021 Consumer Reports Auto Reliability rankings don't even list LR in the top 25 of manufacturers.

The only issue I've had is the leaking windshield. Literally, overnight went from no problem to getting into the vehicle after a heavy rain storm and finding the entire center console, cup holders, etc. full of water. Yikes! Wasn't aware of the potential issue. After a lot of research on Internet was even more frustrated to learn LR knew about the problems for years. It took almost 8 weeks to get it replaced. I took lots of photos showing the water damage hoping that the electronics/infotainment display don't have issues later.

Couple things that aren't really big issues but annoying...
∙ I didn't love the automatic engine shut-off feature. I hated having to disengage it each time I started the vehicle. I ended up disconnecting it.
∙ 2nd row center headrest lines up perfectly to block the view of the rearview mirror.
∙ The automatic inner tailgate doesn't always work on opening, actually it rarely works. I'm more surprised when it does work.
∙ Had some glitches after OTA upgrades of infotainment software, eventually got worked out.

I've done some upgrades and modifications since purchase, e.g. swapped out silver 19" rims for 20" gloss black and did my own version of nightshade/black package with aftermarket accessories.

It might be my 1st LR, but it won't be my last.

 

My 2017 HSE has 60/40 2nd row. You can fold down one outboard seat or 2 adjacent outboard seats but not just the middle seat.

 

Maybe they vary by year but my 2nd row center headrests can be folded down to not obstruct rearview mirror. I can fold them manually or via the dashboard screen.
And my automatic inner tailgate always opens if I use the kick gesture to open the tailgate door, but inner tailgate does not open when the tailgate door is opened via the outside button or key fob.
In those cases there's a button just inside tailgate that opens the inner tailgate.
Actually it's kind of good that you can open the tailgate door without the inner tailgate. I've had cargo get loose back there that spilled out upon opening the big tailgate door on other vehicles. By opening the tailgate door without the inner tailgate it will contain those escaped items.