New Discovery Owner (July 7th)
Overlanding
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From:
I currently have an LR3 as my daily driver and about 16 months ago wanted to trade in my VW CC so the choice was between the Discovery Sport and the Touareg. Based on VW service vs the LR service dept. I picked the Touareg, it's a 2016 and really a nice vehicle but it just doesn't have the solid feel to me the Rover has. Looking at reviews for the Discovery sport I'm glad I went with the VW. But, I still am thinking about trading the Touareg for a Disco 5. I need to drive one I guess, and I'm also like a couple of you all, waiting to see how the reliability is compared to the Disco Sport.
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 73
Likes: 15
Well I've had the new diesel Discovery for about a month now. Initial thoughts and comparisons to the Touareg TDI:
Fuel mileage is the same or better than the Touareg. Got 31 on a trip from Chicago to Nashville. Getting 21-23 around Chicago. Will be towing a 6k pound trailer to Wyoming in a couple of weeks so will see how it does
Feels significantly bigger than the Touareg but in measurements it isn't as much bigger as it feels. Think that's largely due to the more boxy shape, and the height. And you see the hood, which you don't as much on the TDI. It's mostly aluminum and only 200 pounds heavier than the Touareg. Feels just as torquey and powerful.
Has more initial bugs than the 2012 Touareg, but not as many as the 2004. I expected that, since it is a first year car, and its British. I have other British fun cars and always liked them. They have more personality but less reliability historically, but that's changing. I took it in last week for the first round of bugs, the worst of which is occasional serious engine miss. The dealer was able to duplicate it and says it is happening on another one so they are talking to the factory. The CD loader doesn't eject. (CD player, but it is only really there to load CDs to the hard drive). The center console tray is broken.
The onboard connectivity is via ATT cell and supports 3GB per month. All included with no monthly fee for the first 4 years. Plenty for all the live stuff like traffic and fuel prices. Also has Trip Advisor for locations you select and does a Google Street view-style view of locations as you arrive, or you can view maps as satellite view.
Connectivity has been spotty or takes a while to connect though, even in the Chicago area. We hop in the car to take off and it can be a few minutes before we can check traffic.
The app software is what I would call Alpha quality. All the App Store reviews are terrible. Remote start has worked only once so far, and it continually says the car is unlocked when it isn't. As a former software developer, this doesn't bother me as software can be fixed over the air and the car isn't out of service. There is already an update which I haven't tested yet and I'll have fun being an early Beta tester and bugging them. If they don't get it all fixed by winter then I'm sure myself and others will be screaming.
And weirdly, even though ATT supplies the in-car service, the app is incompatible with an email address of att.net! Took the dealer an hour to figure that out, buried in some fine print.
Many cool features we like. Awesome storage and cubbyholes. Really good A/C because you can choose how it runs. We have it on Soft and you can't even hear it but it works fine. One hot day I did try Powerful but too much for Chicago. But should be good for places that are really hot. Have the 12 way seats not the 16 way and 12 is plenty. Love the front camera which reads road signs and displays them on the dash. (If it can't find a speed limit sign it then pulls it from the nav database. ). The trailer hitch area is better laid out. Has both 7 and 4 way plugs, easy to access. No crawling on the ground or feeling around blindly to plug in the power as on the TDI. Love the ability to drop the rear headrests to see out the back better by just hitting an option on the screen. I have yet to figure out the use case for being able to raise and lower the rear seats from my phone. I guess I could freak out the mechanics at the dealer by playing with them from my couch as they try to work on the car. Or if my daughter borrows the car and I see the rear seats go down, I could raise them again. Grin
There are tons of cool technology features I'm slowly figuring out. Doesn't support CarPlay or Android Auto but has their own phone app integration method for Spotify or whatever but haven't tried that yet. Seems to have all the high priority technology stuff. (My career has been in advanced vehicle electronics, especially safety, and that was a priority)
Didn't get the exact set of options I wanted but I searched within 500 miles and only found a couple and no one was willing to deal. Didn't want air suspension due to concerns about reliability, but this one had it. Although it may be fun to try roads in Wyoming that I couldn't do in the VW due to clearance. It also has 3rd row seats which we don't need but oh well. And I wanted the more advanced 4 wheel drive with lockable differentials but we will see if I really need that or not. There are a number of settings for Ice, Mud, Ruts, etc. I'm trying to find out what they actually do so if anyone finds out, please post it! I asked them what setting do I use on a muddy, icy road with deep ruts as we have in Wyoming and they didn't know.
Feels much classier inside than the Touareg Lux. Higher grade materials, softer leather. But, I really liked the double sun visors on the TDI, so you can one in front and the other one the side at the same time. Really miss that already. Such a pain when on a curvy road driving into the sun and having to flip the visor back and forth.
Something like 6 or 7 USB power plugs throughout the car. The one in the console though automatically connects the phone to the car electronics which I don't always want so I end up using one from the back of the console which just charges. And a nice touch -- a tray to put phones in in the console with space for the charge cord. The TDI console lid would pinch the cord.
Kicking to open the tailgate is nice. But the backup warning system is fooled by a bike carrier. Loud warning tones whenever you back up. The blind side backup warning is excellent. Even when you can't see anything in the image, if something is approaching from the side, it warns.
Has an actual spare tire, which is becoming rare these days. Good in our case, since we are often in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming and a space saver spare wouldn't survive if we had a flat. Some vehicles we looked at (Mercedes?) don't even have that and their answer is "just call emergency Mercedes roadside service". Really? From the middle of nowhere with no cell service?
The windshield has a heat shielding component in it which interferes with GPS and toll tags. I knew this before since dashboard products I've been responsible for developing always have issues with Land Rovers, among other cars. There are special places at the top of the windshield for toll tags, but my phone and GPS devices sometimes get lost. They work in clear sky, but any other interference such as rainstorms, trees or urban canyons can make you lose location. Doesn't matter for navigation since the in vehicle one is pretty decent, with the ability to send destinations from your phone to the car easily. The navigation itself though, sure has a bias for major roads. The quickest way between Chicago and Nashville is US 41, which Waze and others find. This nav system kept trying to take us off that and go an extra 60 to 100 miles farther to take I65 or I57.
All in all, very happy with the car so far. Hoping it ends up being as great as the TDI was over time. Purchased extended warranty coverage for the TDI for around $2k from the dealer and never used it. For the Discovery, it would be over $5k but going to wait and see how it goes.
Fuel mileage is the same or better than the Touareg. Got 31 on a trip from Chicago to Nashville. Getting 21-23 around Chicago. Will be towing a 6k pound trailer to Wyoming in a couple of weeks so will see how it does
Feels significantly bigger than the Touareg but in measurements it isn't as much bigger as it feels. Think that's largely due to the more boxy shape, and the height. And you see the hood, which you don't as much on the TDI. It's mostly aluminum and only 200 pounds heavier than the Touareg. Feels just as torquey and powerful.
Has more initial bugs than the 2012 Touareg, but not as many as the 2004. I expected that, since it is a first year car, and its British. I have other British fun cars and always liked them. They have more personality but less reliability historically, but that's changing. I took it in last week for the first round of bugs, the worst of which is occasional serious engine miss. The dealer was able to duplicate it and says it is happening on another one so they are talking to the factory. The CD loader doesn't eject. (CD player, but it is only really there to load CDs to the hard drive). The center console tray is broken.
The onboard connectivity is via ATT cell and supports 3GB per month. All included with no monthly fee for the first 4 years. Plenty for all the live stuff like traffic and fuel prices. Also has Trip Advisor for locations you select and does a Google Street view-style view of locations as you arrive, or you can view maps as satellite view.
Connectivity has been spotty or takes a while to connect though, even in the Chicago area. We hop in the car to take off and it can be a few minutes before we can check traffic.
The app software is what I would call Alpha quality. All the App Store reviews are terrible. Remote start has worked only once so far, and it continually says the car is unlocked when it isn't. As a former software developer, this doesn't bother me as software can be fixed over the air and the car isn't out of service. There is already an update which I haven't tested yet and I'll have fun being an early Beta tester and bugging them. If they don't get it all fixed by winter then I'm sure myself and others will be screaming.
And weirdly, even though ATT supplies the in-car service, the app is incompatible with an email address of att.net! Took the dealer an hour to figure that out, buried in some fine print.
Many cool features we like. Awesome storage and cubbyholes. Really good A/C because you can choose how it runs. We have it on Soft and you can't even hear it but it works fine. One hot day I did try Powerful but too much for Chicago. But should be good for places that are really hot. Have the 12 way seats not the 16 way and 12 is plenty. Love the front camera which reads road signs and displays them on the dash. (If it can't find a speed limit sign it then pulls it from the nav database. ). The trailer hitch area is better laid out. Has both 7 and 4 way plugs, easy to access. No crawling on the ground or feeling around blindly to plug in the power as on the TDI. Love the ability to drop the rear headrests to see out the back better by just hitting an option on the screen. I have yet to figure out the use case for being able to raise and lower the rear seats from my phone. I guess I could freak out the mechanics at the dealer by playing with them from my couch as they try to work on the car. Or if my daughter borrows the car and I see the rear seats go down, I could raise them again. Grin
There are tons of cool technology features I'm slowly figuring out. Doesn't support CarPlay or Android Auto but has their own phone app integration method for Spotify or whatever but haven't tried that yet. Seems to have all the high priority technology stuff. (My career has been in advanced vehicle electronics, especially safety, and that was a priority)
Didn't get the exact set of options I wanted but I searched within 500 miles and only found a couple and no one was willing to deal. Didn't want air suspension due to concerns about reliability, but this one had it. Although it may be fun to try roads in Wyoming that I couldn't do in the VW due to clearance. It also has 3rd row seats which we don't need but oh well. And I wanted the more advanced 4 wheel drive with lockable differentials but we will see if I really need that or not. There are a number of settings for Ice, Mud, Ruts, etc. I'm trying to find out what they actually do so if anyone finds out, please post it! I asked them what setting do I use on a muddy, icy road with deep ruts as we have in Wyoming and they didn't know.
Feels much classier inside than the Touareg Lux. Higher grade materials, softer leather. But, I really liked the double sun visors on the TDI, so you can one in front and the other one the side at the same time. Really miss that already. Such a pain when on a curvy road driving into the sun and having to flip the visor back and forth.
Something like 6 or 7 USB power plugs throughout the car. The one in the console though automatically connects the phone to the car electronics which I don't always want so I end up using one from the back of the console which just charges. And a nice touch -- a tray to put phones in in the console with space for the charge cord. The TDI console lid would pinch the cord.
Kicking to open the tailgate is nice. But the backup warning system is fooled by a bike carrier. Loud warning tones whenever you back up. The blind side backup warning is excellent. Even when you can't see anything in the image, if something is approaching from the side, it warns.
Has an actual spare tire, which is becoming rare these days. Good in our case, since we are often in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming and a space saver spare wouldn't survive if we had a flat. Some vehicles we looked at (Mercedes?) don't even have that and their answer is "just call emergency Mercedes roadside service". Really? From the middle of nowhere with no cell service?
The windshield has a heat shielding component in it which interferes with GPS and toll tags. I knew this before since dashboard products I've been responsible for developing always have issues with Land Rovers, among other cars. There are special places at the top of the windshield for toll tags, but my phone and GPS devices sometimes get lost. They work in clear sky, but any other interference such as rainstorms, trees or urban canyons can make you lose location. Doesn't matter for navigation since the in vehicle one is pretty decent, with the ability to send destinations from your phone to the car easily. The navigation itself though, sure has a bias for major roads. The quickest way between Chicago and Nashville is US 41, which Waze and others find. This nav system kept trying to take us off that and go an extra 60 to 100 miles farther to take I65 or I57.
All in all, very happy with the car so far. Hoping it ends up being as great as the TDI was over time. Purchased extended warranty coverage for the TDI for around $2k from the dealer and never used it. For the Discovery, it would be over $5k but going to wait and see how it goes.
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 73
Likes: 15
Well I've had the new diesel Discovery for about a month now. Initial thoughts and comparisons to the Touareg TDI:
Fuel mileage is the same or better than the Touareg. Got 31 on a trip from Chicago to Nashville. Getting 21-23 around Chicago. Will be towing a 6k pound trailer to Wyoming in a couple of weeks so will see how it does
Feels significantly bigger than the Touareg but in measurements it isn't as much bigger as it feels. Think that's largely due to the more boxy shape, and the height. And you see the hood, which you don't as much on the TDI. It's mostly aluminum and only 200 pounds heavier than the Touareg. Feels just as torquey and powerful.
Has more initial bugs than the 2012 Touareg, but not as many as the 2004. I expected that, since it is a first year car, and its British. I have other British fun cars and always liked them. They have more personality but less reliability historically, but that's changing. I took it in last week for the first round of bugs, the worst of which is occasional serious engine miss. The dealer was able to duplicate it and says it is happening on another one so they are talking to the factory. The CD loader doesn't eject. (CD player, but it is only really there to load CDs to the hard drive). The center console tray is broken.
The onboard connectivity is via ATT cell and supports 3GB per month. All included with no monthly fee for the first 4 years. Plenty for all the live stuff like traffic and fuel prices. Also has Trip Advisor for locations you select and does a Google Street view-style view of locations as you arrive, or you can view maps as satellite view.
Connectivity has been spotty or takes a while to connect though, even in the Chicago area. We hop in the car to take off and it can be a few minutes before we can check traffic.
The app software is what I would call Alpha quality. All the App Store reviews are terrible. Remote start has worked only once so far, and it continually says the car is unlocked when it isn't. As a former software developer, this doesn't bother me as software can be fixed over the air and the car isn't out of service. There is already an update which I haven't tested yet and I'll have fun being an early Beta tester and bugging them. If they don't get it all fixed by winter then I'm sure myself and others will be screaming.
And weirdly, even though ATT supplies the in-car service, the app is incompatible with an email address of att.net! Took the dealer an hour to figure that out, buried in some fine print.
Many cool features we like. Awesome storage and cubbyholes. Really good A/C because you can choose how it runs. We have it on Soft and you can't even hear it but it works fine. One hot day I did try Powerful but too much for Chicago. But should be good for places that are really hot. Have the 12 way seats not the 16 way and 12 is plenty. Love the front camera which reads road signs and displays them on the dash. (If it can't find a speed limit sign it then pulls it from the nav database. ). The trailer hitch area is better laid out. Has both 7 and 4 way plugs, easy to access. No crawling on the ground or feeling around blindly to plug in the power as on the TDI. Love the ability to drop the rear headrests to see out the back better by just hitting an option on the screen. I have yet to figure out the use case for being able to raise and lower the rear seats from my phone. I guess I could freak out the mechanics at the dealer by playing with them from my couch as they try to work on the car. Or if my daughter borrows the car and I see the rear seats go down, I could raise them again. Grin
There are tons of cool technology features I'm slowly figuring out. Doesn't support CarPlay or Android Auto but has their own phone app integration method for Spotify or whatever but haven't tried that yet. Seems to have all the high priority technology stuff. (My career has been in advanced vehicle electronics, especially safety, and that was a priority)
Didn't get the exact set of options I wanted but I searched within 500 miles and only found a couple and no one was willing to deal. Didn't want air suspension due to concerns about reliability, but this one had it. Although it may be fun to try roads in Wyoming that I couldn't do in the VW due to clearance. It also has 3rd row seats which we don't need but oh well. And I wanted the more advanced 4 wheel drive with lockable differentials but we will see if I really need that or not. There are a number of settings for Ice, Mud, Ruts, etc. I'm trying to find out what they actually do so if anyone finds out, please post it! I asked them what setting do I use on a muddy, icy road with deep ruts as we have in Wyoming and they didn't know.
Feels much classier inside than the Touareg Lux. Higher grade materials, softer leather. But, I really liked the double sun visors on the TDI, so you can one in front and the other one the side at the same time. Really miss that already. Such a pain when on a curvy road driving into the sun and having to flip the visor back and forth.
Something like 6 or 7 USB power plugs throughout the car. The one in the console though automatically connects the phone to the car electronics which I don't always want so I end up using one from the back of the console which just charges. And a nice touch -- a tray to put phones in in the console with space for the charge cord. The TDI console lid would pinch the cord.
Kicking to open the tailgate is nice. But the backup warning system is fooled by a bike carrier. Loud warning tones whenever you back up. The blind side backup warning is excellent. Even when you can't see anything in the image, if something is approaching from the side, it warns.
Has an actual spare tire, which is becoming rare these days. Good in our case, since we are often in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming and a space saver spare wouldn't survive if we had a flat. Some vehicles we looked at (Mercedes?) don't even have that and their answer is "just call emergency Mercedes roadside service". Really? From the middle of nowhere with no cell service?
The windshield has a heat shielding component in it which interferes with GPS and toll tags. I knew this before since dashboard products I've been responsible for developing always have issues with Land Rovers, among other cars. There are special places at the top of the windshield for toll tags, but my phone and GPS devices sometimes get lost. They work in clear sky, but any other interference such as rainstorms, trees or urban canyons can make you lose location. Doesn't matter for navigation since the in vehicle one is pretty decent, with the ability to send destinations from your phone to the car easily. The navigation itself though, sure has a bias for major roads. The quickest way between Chicago and Nashville is US 41, which Waze and others find. This nav system kept trying to take us off that and go an extra 60 to 100 miles farther to take I65 or I57.
All in all, very happy with the car so far. Hoping it ends up being as great as the TDI was over time. Purchased extended warranty coverage for the TDI for around $2k from the dealer and never used it. For the Discovery, it would be over $5k but going to wait and see how it goes.
Fuel mileage is the same or better than the Touareg. Got 31 on a trip from Chicago to Nashville. Getting 21-23 around Chicago. Will be towing a 6k pound trailer to Wyoming in a couple of weeks so will see how it does
Feels significantly bigger than the Touareg but in measurements it isn't as much bigger as it feels. Think that's largely due to the more boxy shape, and the height. And you see the hood, which you don't as much on the TDI. It's mostly aluminum and only 200 pounds heavier than the Touareg. Feels just as torquey and powerful.
Has more initial bugs than the 2012 Touareg, but not as many as the 2004. I expected that, since it is a first year car, and its British. I have other British fun cars and always liked them. They have more personality but less reliability historically, but that's changing. I took it in last week for the first round of bugs, the worst of which is occasional serious engine miss. The dealer was able to duplicate it and says it is happening on another one so they are talking to the factory. The CD loader doesn't eject. (CD player, but it is only really there to load CDs to the hard drive). The center console tray is broken.
The onboard connectivity is via ATT cell and supports 3GB per month. All included with no monthly fee for the first 4 years. Plenty for all the live stuff like traffic and fuel prices. Also has Trip Advisor for locations you select and does a Google Street view-style view of locations as you arrive, or you can view maps as satellite view.
Connectivity has been spotty or takes a while to connect though, even in the Chicago area. We hop in the car to take off and it can be a few minutes before we can check traffic.
The app software is what I would call Alpha quality. All the App Store reviews are terrible. Remote start has worked only once so far, and it continually says the car is unlocked when it isn't. As a former software developer, this doesn't bother me as software can be fixed over the air and the car isn't out of service. There is already an update which I haven't tested yet and I'll have fun being an early Beta tester and bugging them. If they don't get it all fixed by winter then I'm sure myself and others will be screaming.
And weirdly, even though ATT supplies the in-car service, the app is incompatible with an email address of att.net! Took the dealer an hour to figure that out, buried in some fine print.
Many cool features we like. Awesome storage and cubbyholes. Really good A/C because you can choose how it runs. We have it on Soft and you can't even hear it but it works fine. One hot day I did try Powerful but too much for Chicago. But should be good for places that are really hot. Have the 12 way seats not the 16 way and 12 is plenty. Love the front camera which reads road signs and displays them on the dash. (If it can't find a speed limit sign it then pulls it from the nav database. ). The trailer hitch area is better laid out. Has both 7 and 4 way plugs, easy to access. No crawling on the ground or feeling around blindly to plug in the power as on the TDI. Love the ability to drop the rear headrests to see out the back better by just hitting an option on the screen. I have yet to figure out the use case for being able to raise and lower the rear seats from my phone. I guess I could freak out the mechanics at the dealer by playing with them from my couch as they try to work on the car. Or if my daughter borrows the car and I see the rear seats go down, I could raise them again. Grin
There are tons of cool technology features I'm slowly figuring out. Doesn't support CarPlay or Android Auto but has their own phone app integration method for Spotify or whatever but haven't tried that yet. Seems to have all the high priority technology stuff. (My career has been in advanced vehicle electronics, especially safety, and that was a priority)
Didn't get the exact set of options I wanted but I searched within 500 miles and only found a couple and no one was willing to deal. Didn't want air suspension due to concerns about reliability, but this one had it. Although it may be fun to try roads in Wyoming that I couldn't do in the VW due to clearance. It also has 3rd row seats which we don't need but oh well. And I wanted the more advanced 4 wheel drive with lockable differentials but we will see if I really need that or not. There are a number of settings for Ice, Mud, Ruts, etc. I'm trying to find out what they actually do so if anyone finds out, please post it! I asked them what setting do I use on a muddy, icy road with deep ruts as we have in Wyoming and they didn't know.
Feels much classier inside than the Touareg Lux. Higher grade materials, softer leather. But, I really liked the double sun visors on the TDI, so you can one in front and the other one the side at the same time. Really miss that already. Such a pain when on a curvy road driving into the sun and having to flip the visor back and forth.
Something like 6 or 7 USB power plugs throughout the car. The one in the console though automatically connects the phone to the car electronics which I don't always want so I end up using one from the back of the console which just charges. And a nice touch -- a tray to put phones in in the console with space for the charge cord. The TDI console lid would pinch the cord.
Kicking to open the tailgate is nice. But the backup warning system is fooled by a bike carrier. Loud warning tones whenever you back up. The blind side backup warning is excellent. Even when you can't see anything in the image, if something is approaching from the side, it warns.
Has an actual spare tire, which is becoming rare these days. Good in our case, since we are often in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming and a space saver spare wouldn't survive if we had a flat. Some vehicles we looked at (Mercedes?) don't even have that and their answer is "just call emergency Mercedes roadside service". Really? From the middle of nowhere with no cell service?
The windshield has a heat shielding component in it which interferes with GPS and toll tags. I knew this before since dashboard products I've been responsible for developing always have issues with Land Rovers, among other cars. There are special places at the top of the windshield for toll tags, but my phone and GPS devices sometimes get lost. They work in clear sky, but any other interference such as rainstorms, trees or urban canyons can make you lose location. Doesn't matter for navigation since the in vehicle one is pretty decent, with the ability to send destinations from your phone to the car easily. The navigation itself though, sure has a bias for major roads. The quickest way between Chicago and Nashville is US 41, which Waze and others find. This nav system kept trying to take us off that and go an extra 60 to 100 miles farther to take I65 or I57.
All in all, very happy with the car so far. Hoping it ends up being as great as the TDI was over time. Purchased extended warranty coverage for the TDI for around $2k from the dealer and never used it. For the Discovery, it would be over $5k but going to wait and see how it goes.
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 73
Likes: 15
First month Disco V experience by former Touareg owner
Well I've had the new diesel Discovery for about a month now. Initial thoughts and comparisons to the Touareg TDI:
Fuel mileage is the same or better than the Touareg. Got 31 on a trip from Chicago to Nashville. Getting 21-23 around Chicago. Will be towing a 6k pound trailer to Wyoming in a couple of weeks so will see how it does
Feels significantly bigger than the Touareg but in measurements it isn't as much bigger as it feels. Think that's largely due to the more boxy shape, and the height. And you see the hood, which you don't as much on the TDI. It's mostly aluminum and only 200 pounds heavier than the Touareg. Feels just as torquey and powerful.
Has more initial bugs than the 2012 Touareg, but not as many as the 2004. I expected that, since it is a first year car, and its British. I have other British fun cars and always liked them. They have more personality but less reliability historically, but that's changing. I took it in last week for the first round of bugs, the worst of which is occasional serious engine miss. The dealer was able to duplicate it and says it is happening on another one so they are talking to the factory. The CD loader doesn't eject. (CD player, but it is only really there to load CDs to the hard drive). The center console tray is broken.
The onboard connectivity is via ATT cell and supports 3GB per month. All included with no monthly fee for the first 4 years. Plenty for all the live stuff like traffic and fuel prices. Also has Trip Advisor for locations you select and does a Google Street view-style view of locations as you arrive, or you can view maps as satellite view.
Connectivity has been spotty or takes a while to connect though, even in the Chicago area. We hop in the car to take off and it can be a few minutes before we can check traffic.
The app software is what I would call Alpha quality. All the App Store reviews are terrible. Remote start has worked only once so far, and it continually says the car is unlocked when it isn't. As a former software developer, this doesn't bother me as software can be fixed over the air and the car isn't out of service. There is already an update which I haven't tested yet and I'll have fun being an early Beta tester and bugging them. If they don't get it all fixed by winter then I'm sure myself and others will be screaming.
And weirdly, even though ATT supplies the in-car service, the app is incompatible with an email address of att.net! Took the dealer an hour to figure that out, buried in some fine print.
Many cool features we like. Awesome storage and cubbyholes. Really good A/C because you can choose how it runs. We have it on Soft and you can't even hear it but it works fine. One hot day I did try Powerful but too much for Chicago. But should be good for places that are really hot. Have the 12 way seats not the 16 way and 12 is plenty. Love the front camera which reads road signs and displays them on the dash. (If it can't find a speed limit sign it then pulls it from the nav database. ). The trailer hitch area is better laid out. Has both 7 and 4 way plugs, easy to access. No crawling on the ground or feeling around blindly to plug in the power as on the TDI. Love the ability to drop the rear headrests to see out the back better by just hitting an option on the screen. I have yet to figure out the use case for being able to raise and lower the rear seats from my phone. I guess I could freak out the mechanics at the dealer by playing with them from my couch as they try to work on the car. Or if my daughter borrows the car and I see the rear seats go down, I could raise them again. Grin
There are tons of cool technology features I'm slowly figuring out. Doesn't support CarPlay or Android Auto but has their own phone app integration method for Spotify or whatever but haven't tried that yet. Seems to have all the high priority technology stuff. (My career has been in advanced vehicle electronics, especially safety, and that was a priority)
Didn't get the exact set of options I wanted but I searched within 500 miles and only found a couple and no one was willing to deal. Didn't want air suspension due to concerns about reliability, but this one had it. Although it may be fun to try roads in Wyoming that I couldn't do in the VW due to clearance. It also has 3rd row seats which we don't need but oh well. And I wanted the more advanced 4 wheel drive with lockable differentials but we will see if I really need that or not. There are a number of settings for Ice, Mud, Ruts, etc. I'm trying to find out what they actually do so if anyone finds out, please post it! I asked them what setting do I use on a muddy, icy road with deep ruts as we have in Wyoming and they didn't know.
Feels much classier inside than the Touareg Lux. Higher grade materials, softer leather. But, I really liked the double sun visors on the TDI, so you can one in front and the other one the side at the same time. Really miss that already. Such a pain when on a curvy road driving into the sun and having to flip the visor back and forth.
Something like 6 or 7 USB power plugs throughout the car. The one in the console though automatically connects the phone to the car electronics which I don't always want so I end up using one from the back of the console which just charges. And a nice touch -- a tray to put phones in in the console with space for the charge cord. The TDI console lid would pinch the cord.
Kicking to open the tailgate is nice. But the backup warning system is fooled by a bike carrier. Loud warning tones whenever you back up. The blind side backup warning is excellent. Even when you can't see anything in the image, if something is approaching from the side, it warns.
One odd thing is the trailer hitch height assist. You can lower the rear of the car with a button in the rear area, but when you are close enough to a trailer to use it, you can't open the rear hatch to get to it! It just beeps and indeed, opening the hatch would hit the trailer.
Has an actual spare tire, which is becoming rare these days. Good in our case, since we are often in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming and a space saver spare wouldn't survive if we had a flat. Some vehicles we looked at (Mercedes?) don't even have that and their answer is "just call emergency Mercedes roadside service". Really? From the middle of nowhere with no cell service?
The windshield has a heat shielding component in it which interferes with GPS and toll tags. I knew this before since dashboard products I've been responsible for developing always have issues with Land Rovers, among other cars. There are special places at the top of the windshield for toll tags, but my phone and GPS devices sometimes get lost. They work in clear sky, but any other interference such as rainstorms, trees or urban canyons can make you lose location. Doesn't matter for navigation since the in vehicle one is pretty decent, with the ability to send destinations from your phone to the car easily. The navigation itself though, sure has a bias for major roads. The quickest way between Chicago and Nashville is US 41, which Waze and others find. This nav system kept trying to take us off that and go an extra 60 to 100 miles farther to take I65 or I57.
All in all, very happy with the car so far. Hoping it ends up being as great as the TDI was over time. Purchased extended warranty coverage for the TDI for around $2k from the dealer and never used it. For the Discovery, it would be over $5k but going to wait and see how it goes.
Fuel mileage is the same or better than the Touareg. Got 31 on a trip from Chicago to Nashville. Getting 21-23 around Chicago. Will be towing a 6k pound trailer to Wyoming in a couple of weeks so will see how it does
Feels significantly bigger than the Touareg but in measurements it isn't as much bigger as it feels. Think that's largely due to the more boxy shape, and the height. And you see the hood, which you don't as much on the TDI. It's mostly aluminum and only 200 pounds heavier than the Touareg. Feels just as torquey and powerful.
Has more initial bugs than the 2012 Touareg, but not as many as the 2004. I expected that, since it is a first year car, and its British. I have other British fun cars and always liked them. They have more personality but less reliability historically, but that's changing. I took it in last week for the first round of bugs, the worst of which is occasional serious engine miss. The dealer was able to duplicate it and says it is happening on another one so they are talking to the factory. The CD loader doesn't eject. (CD player, but it is only really there to load CDs to the hard drive). The center console tray is broken.
The onboard connectivity is via ATT cell and supports 3GB per month. All included with no monthly fee for the first 4 years. Plenty for all the live stuff like traffic and fuel prices. Also has Trip Advisor for locations you select and does a Google Street view-style view of locations as you arrive, or you can view maps as satellite view.
Connectivity has been spotty or takes a while to connect though, even in the Chicago area. We hop in the car to take off and it can be a few minutes before we can check traffic.
The app software is what I would call Alpha quality. All the App Store reviews are terrible. Remote start has worked only once so far, and it continually says the car is unlocked when it isn't. As a former software developer, this doesn't bother me as software can be fixed over the air and the car isn't out of service. There is already an update which I haven't tested yet and I'll have fun being an early Beta tester and bugging them. If they don't get it all fixed by winter then I'm sure myself and others will be screaming.
And weirdly, even though ATT supplies the in-car service, the app is incompatible with an email address of att.net! Took the dealer an hour to figure that out, buried in some fine print.
Many cool features we like. Awesome storage and cubbyholes. Really good A/C because you can choose how it runs. We have it on Soft and you can't even hear it but it works fine. One hot day I did try Powerful but too much for Chicago. But should be good for places that are really hot. Have the 12 way seats not the 16 way and 12 is plenty. Love the front camera which reads road signs and displays them on the dash. (If it can't find a speed limit sign it then pulls it from the nav database. ). The trailer hitch area is better laid out. Has both 7 and 4 way plugs, easy to access. No crawling on the ground or feeling around blindly to plug in the power as on the TDI. Love the ability to drop the rear headrests to see out the back better by just hitting an option on the screen. I have yet to figure out the use case for being able to raise and lower the rear seats from my phone. I guess I could freak out the mechanics at the dealer by playing with them from my couch as they try to work on the car. Or if my daughter borrows the car and I see the rear seats go down, I could raise them again. Grin
There are tons of cool technology features I'm slowly figuring out. Doesn't support CarPlay or Android Auto but has their own phone app integration method for Spotify or whatever but haven't tried that yet. Seems to have all the high priority technology stuff. (My career has been in advanced vehicle electronics, especially safety, and that was a priority)
Didn't get the exact set of options I wanted but I searched within 500 miles and only found a couple and no one was willing to deal. Didn't want air suspension due to concerns about reliability, but this one had it. Although it may be fun to try roads in Wyoming that I couldn't do in the VW due to clearance. It also has 3rd row seats which we don't need but oh well. And I wanted the more advanced 4 wheel drive with lockable differentials but we will see if I really need that or not. There are a number of settings for Ice, Mud, Ruts, etc. I'm trying to find out what they actually do so if anyone finds out, please post it! I asked them what setting do I use on a muddy, icy road with deep ruts as we have in Wyoming and they didn't know.
Feels much classier inside than the Touareg Lux. Higher grade materials, softer leather. But, I really liked the double sun visors on the TDI, so you can one in front and the other one the side at the same time. Really miss that already. Such a pain when on a curvy road driving into the sun and having to flip the visor back and forth.
Something like 6 or 7 USB power plugs throughout the car. The one in the console though automatically connects the phone to the car electronics which I don't always want so I end up using one from the back of the console which just charges. And a nice touch -- a tray to put phones in in the console with space for the charge cord. The TDI console lid would pinch the cord.
Kicking to open the tailgate is nice. But the backup warning system is fooled by a bike carrier. Loud warning tones whenever you back up. The blind side backup warning is excellent. Even when you can't see anything in the image, if something is approaching from the side, it warns.
One odd thing is the trailer hitch height assist. You can lower the rear of the car with a button in the rear area, but when you are close enough to a trailer to use it, you can't open the rear hatch to get to it! It just beeps and indeed, opening the hatch would hit the trailer.
Has an actual spare tire, which is becoming rare these days. Good in our case, since we are often in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming and a space saver spare wouldn't survive if we had a flat. Some vehicles we looked at (Mercedes?) don't even have that and their answer is "just call emergency Mercedes roadside service". Really? From the middle of nowhere with no cell service?
The windshield has a heat shielding component in it which interferes with GPS and toll tags. I knew this before since dashboard products I've been responsible for developing always have issues with Land Rovers, among other cars. There are special places at the top of the windshield for toll tags, but my phone and GPS devices sometimes get lost. They work in clear sky, but any other interference such as rainstorms, trees or urban canyons can make you lose location. Doesn't matter for navigation since the in vehicle one is pretty decent, with the ability to send destinations from your phone to the car easily. The navigation itself though, sure has a bias for major roads. The quickest way between Chicago and Nashville is US 41, which Waze and others find. This nav system kept trying to take us off that and go an extra 60 to 100 miles farther to take I65 or I57.
All in all, very happy with the car so far. Hoping it ends up being as great as the TDI was over time. Purchased extended warranty coverage for the TDI for around $2k from the dealer and never used it. For the Discovery, it would be over $5k but going to wait and see how it goes.
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 73
Likes: 15
I must be doing something wrong. Responded to the thread with a long review of my findings after one month of ownership but it hasn't appeared. Did it as a quick reply and as a separate advanced reply. Maybe it was too long? Can't find any rule as to the limit. Trying this to see if a shorter one works. If so will divide it up.
Thread Starter
|
6th Gear
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Southern Central California
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 73
Likes: 15
Awesome website, TechDr! Agree with all your thinking. Your list of must haves to replace the TDI was the same as mine, except for 3rd row. Now on my first long trip with trailer from Chicago to Wyoming for the eclipse. Taking US20. Mileage towing is averaging 12.5 at 60-65 which is less than the TDI towing, but not towing it has been over 30 at that speed which is better than the TDI. Of course the TDI being illegal means it's not apples to apples. The 2004 gas V8 Touareg I had got 6-8 max with the same trailer. The dealer was able to fix the engine miss problem that others are seeing. 2 wires were reversed from the factory. What I miss most on this trip are the double sun visors from the TDI. Was spoiled not having to flip the sun visor from front to side on curved roads.
Will now divide up my comments that wouldn't post and try again.
Dave
Will now divide up my comments that wouldn't post and try again.
Dave
Last edited by FormerTouaregFan; Aug 11, 2017 at 07:25 AM.
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 73
Likes: 15
Part 1
Well I've had the new diesel Discovery for about a month now. Initial thoughts and comparisons to the Touareg TDI:
Fuel mileage is the same or better than the Touareg. Got 31 on a trip from Chicago to Nashville. Getting 21-23 around Chicago. Will be towing a 6k pound trailer to Wyoming in a couple of weeks so will see how it does
Feels significantly bigger than the Touareg but in measurements it isn't as much bigger as it feels. Think that's largely due to the more boxy shape, and the height. And you see the hood, which you don't as much on the TDI. It's mostly aluminum and only 200 pounds heavier than the Touareg. Feels just as torquey and powerful.
Has more initial bugs than the 2012 Touareg, but not as many as the 2004. I expected that, since it is a first year car, and its British. I have other British fun cars and always liked them. They have more personality but less reliability historically, but that's changing. I took it in last week for the first round of bugs, the worst of which is occasional serious engine miss. The dealer was able to duplicate it and says it is happening on another one so they are talking to the factory. The CD loader doesn't eject. (CD player, but it is only really there to load CDs to the hard drive). The center console tray is broken.
Well I've had the new diesel Discovery for about a month now. Initial thoughts and comparisons to the Touareg TDI:
Fuel mileage is the same or better than the Touareg. Got 31 on a trip from Chicago to Nashville. Getting 21-23 around Chicago. Will be towing a 6k pound trailer to Wyoming in a couple of weeks so will see how it does
Feels significantly bigger than the Touareg but in measurements it isn't as much bigger as it feels. Think that's largely due to the more boxy shape, and the height. And you see the hood, which you don't as much on the TDI. It's mostly aluminum and only 200 pounds heavier than the Touareg. Feels just as torquey and powerful.
Has more initial bugs than the 2012 Touareg, but not as many as the 2004. I expected that, since it is a first year car, and its British. I have other British fun cars and always liked them. They have more personality but less reliability historically, but that's changing. I took it in last week for the first round of bugs, the worst of which is occasional serious engine miss. The dealer was able to duplicate it and says it is happening on another one so they are talking to the factory. The CD loader doesn't eject. (CD player, but it is only really there to load CDs to the hard drive). The center console tray is broken.
Three Wheeling
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 73
Likes: 15
Part 2
The onboard connectivity is via ATT cell and supports 3GB per month. All included with no monthly fee for the first 4 years. Plenty for all the live stuff like traffic and fuel prices. Also has Trip Advisor for locations you select and does a Google Street view-style view of locations as you arrive, or you can view maps as satellite view.
Connectivity has been spotty or takes a while to connect though, even in the Chicago area. We hop in the car to take off and it can be a few minutes before we can check traffic.
The app software is what I would call Alpha quality. All the App Store reviews are terrible. Remote start has worked only once so far, and it continually says the car is unlocked when it isn't. As a former software developer, this doesn't bother me as software can be fixed over the air and the car isn't out of service. There is already an update which I haven't tested yet and I'll have fun being an early Beta tester and bugging them. If they don't get it all fixed by winter then I'm sure myself and others will be screaming.
And weirdly, even though ATT supplies the in-car service, the app is incompatible with an email address of att.net! Took the dealer an hour to figure that out, buried in some fine print.
The onboard connectivity is via ATT cell and supports 3GB per month. All included with no monthly fee for the first 4 years. Plenty for all the live stuff like traffic and fuel prices. Also has Trip Advisor for locations you select and does a Google Street view-style view of locations as you arrive, or you can view maps as satellite view.
Connectivity has been spotty or takes a while to connect though, even in the Chicago area. We hop in the car to take off and it can be a few minutes before we can check traffic.
The app software is what I would call Alpha quality. All the App Store reviews are terrible. Remote start has worked only once so far, and it continually says the car is unlocked when it isn't. As a former software developer, this doesn't bother me as software can be fixed over the air and the car isn't out of service. There is already an update which I haven't tested yet and I'll have fun being an early Beta tester and bugging them. If they don't get it all fixed by winter then I'm sure myself and others will be screaming.
And weirdly, even though ATT supplies the in-car service, the app is incompatible with an email address of att.net! Took the dealer an hour to figure that out, buried in some fine print.