Anybody else going to the test days at Gleneagles during the first week of December? 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

No.. My dealer must not love me anymore.  Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI

It wasn't the dealer, I was called direct by Land Rover 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

If LR are reading then "pick me, pick me"

Not a squeak

Not a peep!  Got - 2017 SDV8 Autobiography in Loire Blue
Had- 2008 TDV8 Vogue SE in Java black
Had - 2007 S/C in Stornoway Grey

They must have called when I was out damit.

Well............................. what a day. Get up to 5cm of snow and wonder if it is sensible to venture forth on a 50 mile trip to Gleneagles, but noticed traffic moving freely on the main road so gingerly ventured out from my drive 30 minutes earlier than necessary. Clear run up to Gleneagles in the Evoque and find a carpark completely full of Land Rover products and an awful lot (40?) new L405's in a selection of Grey's, Luxor (metallic Beige!), White and Santorini Black. There was also a Baltic Blue with Silver contrast roof which looked really good. Of course Gleneagles being the place it is there were crowds of ground staff out ploughing and brushing up snow so we punters didn't get damp through the soles of our expensive shoes! Inside reception I was asked which cars I would like to drive - settled for the least expensive and the most expensive! TDv6 Vogue with pano roof followed by a 5.0Ltr Autobiography Executive with what appeared to be every extra on the list. After a briefing where we were advised that due to poor driving conditions on the roads round the Gleneagles area that the test route had been changed and we would all drive up to Dunkeld along the A9 instead and then decamp into another fleet of 30 or so cars at the LRE centre. This was probably better than driving the back roads round Gleneagles as I'm sure most owners will use their cars on motorways and dual carriageways in the cut and thrust of everyday motoring. Loads of snow but the A9 was clear.

So Tdv6 Vogue................ fanbloodytastic - more than enough get up and go and if your car is used for commuting it's all you will need. Not silent but the engine note is muted and next to no wind noise thorugh the double glazed glass. The seats are way more comfortable that I had in my last FFRR, certainly up there with the Plus pack chairs of the Evoque. Great to have proper arm rests again but one noticeable omission - no analogue clock and the digital ones are hidden away and not obvious. Audio is what I am used to (825w Meridian) although with the bigger cabin the surround sound effect is much better. Fuel economy over the 40 odd miles to Dunkeld at some very high speeds was a great 31mpg and as soon as I eased off the loud pedal you could see it notching up to higher figures. Ingear acceleration is almost indecent for a turbodiesel! Whether it was the cold weather or high ancillary load I could not get the stop start to work when we were lined up waiting to pull away.

TDV6 Vogue Offroad - you can let the car work it out or press the TR yourself. All the cars were on 19" wheels with summer rubber and not even the compacted snow over ice could phase the TR, there was no stopping the cars. Incredibly slippery slopes (and Dunkeld LRE has a lot of them) and deep pools covered with an1" of ice where conquered with distain, it was like there was nothing out there that would hold the car back! One driver did manage to stop on an incline and end up with all four wheels spinning but a short reverse of 6ft and and he gave it some welly and was gone. Slippery cross slopes went passed almost un-noticed.

Supercharged Executive - I was chauffuered back to Gleneagles in this. The seats are amazing and the headrestraints are more like pillows as your head sinks back into the deep soft padded cushioning. Seats that can heat, cool, recline, massage in any combination are a must for the plutocrats who will travel in the back, BUT ticking this option means you cannot fold the rear seats forward to extend to boot. The S/C was silent until my driver pushed his right foot into the shag pile and then there was a distant whoosh as we accelerated away from the junction. The gearbox appeared to just go straight from 2nd to 8th and it stayed there, acceleration is mind boggling for a Range Rover and it doesn't fall over in the bends and do we have potholes and speed humps on our roads - not if you are travelling in an L405 the suspension tuning is really good. The guy driving us did comment that after the TDv6 he could tell the S/C was shod with 22" wheels with a huge foot print, the feeling of the steering was totally different.

I think I have found the car to replace my Evie and it's the base L405 TDv6 Vogue, the next RRS is really going to have to be special to persuade me to spend my hard earned on it now I'm afraid. I don't need the 20mm extra length of the new FFRR over the old one (it looks way bigger but it's a trick of the eye) but as a way to travel there really is nothing to beat any L405, basic spec or top spec they really do rank up their with the very best cars in the world.

Photos to come 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

Last edited by Tim in Scotland on 4th Dec 2012 8:12pm. Edited 2 times in total

Great write up... And I am not even slightly jealous  Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI

Due to go tomorrow

How did you wangle that jim? did they eventually contact you? Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI

Had a moan to Stratstones in Cupar and hey presto within an hour I got the phone call from Land Rover and it was all sorted

^^^ Hope it's p*ss*ng down with sleet and snow tomorrow along with lots of black ice

Double post

Damn, that's my local dealer.. I was going to do that as well. Mind you, as I haggle like hell with them every year about the service price, they probably guessed I was not going to buy a new one this year  Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI