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Evoque review ?


mad_pete

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Well, here goes...

I've owned the evoque since March this year. Spec as a "pure tech" which gives the HDD premium nav system and heated leather. I also opted for some bling. 20s, panoramic roof, front led fogs, mudflaps, full size spare, fancy mats, rear privacy glass. It's a 2.0sdi, 4wd with 190hp and 9spd ZF auto.

First impressions? Going from my 2012 3.0SDV6 D4 to the evoque was a bit of a learning curve. I'd had Discovery models for 14yrs so was used to the size, driving position and abilities. I hated it!

But, now that I've grown accustomed to it not being a disco it's a really good vehicle. Refinement is top notch: it is noticeably quieter than the d3/d4s I've owned and build quality is good..tight shut lines, no rattles or squeaks. I was amazed that the boot lid and front wings are plastic (no rot!)', however I was slightly peeved to find the rear arch liners to be that felt stuff rather than real plastic...the horse and cow poo really stick to this stuff! The rear doors don't tend to trap dirt as much as the discovery though and the rear arch mouldings don't suffer from gravel rash like the disco did. The "tech" inside the car is very good and has all the features that the rest of the range rovers have although there are some dependant on which boxes you tick.

The driving sensation is different from the discovery in that you are quickly aware that the evoque is lighter and lower. It's quite interesting to have the 4x4 info screen up when giving it some beans and it shows you to what extent the diffs are locking and where power is being transferred. The 190 diesel is a pokey unit and it can go like a scalded cat when needed. The car is so quiet that it's very easy to stray into licence losing territory without really noticing....a similar trait that it shares with the bigger RRs. Running costs are a stark improvement, with RFL at £170 p/a and so far fuel averaging in the mid 40s. Highest mpg is 51 on a nice run. The driving position is a fair bit lower than a discovery and the high centre console creates a more wrap around cockpit although I do find with my particular seating position that my knee rubs on this and can be annoying...doesn't affect the Mrs tho!

Interior space: it does seem to lack some stowage bins. The glove compartment is adequate, the centre cubby is dinky and the door pockets are only good for some cloths, but a full size ipad sits in the front bins nicely. The kids like the rear seats better as they are more sculpted than the d4 and the legroom is actually quite spacious. The boot however is dinky in comparison to the d4. It's more than enough for the weekly shopping but the disco could carry almost anything you desired (fridges/washing machines etc!)

My biggest gripe thus far is the gearbox. It seems to be a lot slower to react than the 8spd ZF in the disco. It's fine when driving but shifting from D to R seems to have some delay. If executing a quick 3 point turn it takes a bit of patience for the box to decide if it's giving you reverse and the same going back to D. The D4 would swap cogs as quick as the rotary was turned....if I had no previous experience then I would just have assumed that this was normal for the type though.

As for towing I chose not to fit a towbar. My trailer is a 17ft flat bed and the wife's horses are Clydesdales not little ponies so I wouldn't contemplate using it. It's primary role is family transport and SWMBO commuter and it does this very well. Yup it's a poseur car, it's been across some muddy fields and not got stuck with its road based michelins. The terrain response and 1st crawler gear does an adequate job of replacing a low ratio and it does have a fair degree of wheel travel. I'll see how it copes should we get a bad winter.

The acid test was when I asked the wife her thoughts ( she drives it more than I do). Her reply was that she would have the D4 back tomorrow even although it did 22-25mpg and cost £450 for road tax. So, I'll run it for a year and see what the new disco sport looks like but I'd imagine a full size discovery will replace this.

Would I recommend one? As an alternative to the q5, x3 etc then yes as it will actually perform in the rougher stuff. As an alternative to a Discovery then no. Is it a real Land rover...well we've had the debate and the result was this sub forum so that's yes. Looks wise it has grown on me.

Would I work on one? The engine stuff is perfectly accessible, the suspension looks easy enough to work on and having had a look under the dash it has a load of FoMoCo parts fitted ( is it me of is there more than the hint of Kuga to an Evoque?) and like most modern vehicles it's has the EPB set up too. So, I reckon serviceable stuff is doable.

That's about all I can think of at the moment. If there's anything more specific the ask, I'll try my best to answer/give my opinion ;)

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Sounds a bit like I felt with my brief foray into Freelander ownership 12 years, ago, when I briefly had a Td4 because I couldn't afford a Discovery at the time and I drove them a bit at work and decided it seemed nice to drive. Could not particularly fault it for what it was meant to do but it just wasn't "me" and I sold it after six months and got a Discovery ... which I still have :)

I think I'd feel the same way about an Evoque ... plus it looks like a Focus hatchback with big wheels on.

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Well its based of a Ford Mondeo. That is the reason for the plenty FOMOCO parts.

I don't mind them, very good to work on most of the jobs. Experienced some weird electronic concerns, but must say very random weird stuff, all fixed eventually, I think its just like teething problems, but must add other than that, very reliable, good suspension, like the 2.0 petrol pick up and go, they are a live wire.

The diesel is good too, power and economy is pretty good.

It is not a vehicle I would buy, way to small windows for me and just not me.

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  • 3 weeks later...

That would be good. Guess we will get more of your brethren when the cars get a bit older.

Maybe as suggested some faults may be common with Freebie 2`s / RR Sports? Either way I have come to accept that they are part of the green oval and I have to stop being a bigoted old git!!!!

Cheers

Barry

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  • 2 weeks later...

That would be good. Guess we will get more of your brethren when the cars get a bit older.

Maybe as suggested some faults may be common with Freebie 2`s / RR Sports? Either way I have come to accept that they are part of the green oval and I have to stop being a bigoted old git!!!!

Cheers

Barry

Well done. If I can accept those things with coil springs as (almost) proper landrovers, then anyone can!

G.

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  • 1 month later...

Just a little update...the forum evoque membership is back at zero....

SWMBO has been promoted and now gets a company car so the evoque (which she used more than me) was going to be an expensive garage ornament. So, i sold it back to the supplying dealer without too much of a loss (8mths old). It ran faultlessly but it was one of those cars I just couldn't "love" so it wasn't a hard decision to get rid.

I've had a bigger grin on my face driving my 90 than I ever had in the evoque...sad, eh? Lol

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  • 1 month later...
  • 8 months later...

I must admit, that I am starting to think about maybe getting one of the early Evoques used at the launch. This is after driving the wife's Freelander 2 a lot, and actually quite liking it. My daily drive V70 is getting long in the tooth at 160,000 miles, so it will be time to change soon. As I do 25,000+ miles a year a car now needs to be 40+mpg. Evoques now fall into that, so maybe...still not convinced though.

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  • 1 year later...

My neighbour just sold his X5 for one, it's in full pimp spec....everything's black :ph34r:, on first drive by when I saw the garage door open I thought it was an RRS but alas just the baby one.

An even bigger shock was my mate at work who has 1yr old twins and a 3yr old replaced his LWB Shogun for an Evoque...he must have Krypton factor packing skills to get enough stuff in the boot!

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  • 1 year later...

Just tumbled across this thread, ..... I asked my step son about Evoque a little while back when he was working as general sales manager at a JLR dealer in NSW down under. In the dealer statistics the range had the lowest repeat business index of the whole JLR catalogue. (ie nobody buys a second one).

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I’m rather liking the new convertible Evoque. Although I’ll probably have to wait a few years, say 10. Before they are in my price range. But they sort of appeal for some mild green lane use with the roof down. But then I do love open top motoring and having something able to seat more than 2 people and drop the roof at a push of a button had a whole heap of appeal on or off road. 

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  • 1 year later...
On 4/28/2018 at 12:04 PM, Chicken Drumstick said:

I’m rather liking the new convertible Evoque. Although I’ll probably have to wait a few years, say 10. Before they are in my price range. But they sort of appeal for some mild green lane use with the roof down. But then I do love open top motoring and having something able to seat more than 2 people and drop the roof at a push of a button had a whole heap of appeal on or off road. 

Would agree that open top motoring is nice. I have a Mini Cooper but it is just me and my, very large, dog. The Evoque looks appealing however to much money for me just now.

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