[NGH]

I am about to place an order after extensive test-driving and have more or less made up my mind. I thought I'd pick the brains of those of you who have gone through the test-drive process and bought your vehicles already, just to see if your opinions chime with my own.

I have three decisions to make:

1. D150 or D180. The D150 seems smoother and marginally quieter. The D180 has more on tap. I don't tow.

2. Standard or R-Dynamic. The only thing I'd really want out of R-Dynamic is the foglights. The rest of the package is more or less cosmetic.

3. Manual or auto. I have always preferred manual transmission and found the E-Pace auto box to be a bit laggy, but less than 10% of E-Paces sold in the UK have a manual box, which has implications for selling on.

Any thoughts on these or any other points?

 

[Guest]

NGH

I had a two hour test drive and then spent hours and hours on the configurator online.

I chose the D180 but I am not opposed to the D150 it's just that I thought with it being as heavy as my last car then the extra few HP might be prudent

I chose the S as it had everything that was important to me and I thought the R Dynamic might be a bit harder on the suspension

I will always choose Automatic and don't find any lag and it is smooth and responsive

After six months with my E-Pace and driving some other jags and land rovers I would definitely go for the digital dash as it looks great and I am sorry I don't have it.

At the last minute I chose a stock car and therefore I had to compromise on some choices but got other ones so don't get too rigid on your choices or be prepared to wait for delivery

From other forums and on here the one selection you must choose is the Powered Tailgate. Owners find the tailgate heavy and difficult so put that on your choices

Hope that helps

 

[NGH]

Thank you for putting so much thought into your answer. You're pretty much bang on with my own opinions. I am specifying the powered tailgate and the digital dash and I'll do without R-Dynamic.

I might retest the auto box before I commit. The temptation is to go manual SE rather than the Auto S with extra spec. These work out at roughly the same price.

Decisions. Decisions.

 

[murchison2003]

NGH
Totally agree with ctoneman and his response. The only thing he didn't mention was the fog lights, i wouldn't worry about it, the headlights on the Epace are excellent and for all the time you use foglights, it's not worth the extra expense. I added AHBA too which now i wouldn't do without. Auto for me too any day of the week.

 

[NGH]

Thank you, Murchison. Good to hear unbiased opinion. It's all useful to me.

 

[Jagster]

Hi NGH
I am going to stir the pot of decisions and say the difference between 150 and 180 is less that a second 0-60 time and both engines have sufficient pull especially if you never tow, and the 150 is slightly on the greener side so depends if you want one second faster 0-60 or better mpg, and the price jump from 150 to 180, for the difference it makes, you might prefer to go for the 150 and spend the savings on extras. Sounds like the digital dash, power tailgate and meridian system are popular choices although I will add that I have no problem manually lifting the tailgate but I do think it's a nice touch to a great car.
The r dynamic as you said is more or less cosmetic value only as you'll probably use the fog lights very rarely.
And lastly I'm going to vote for manual gearbox, personal preference for me, as I also found the auto box laggy but unless your planning on shooting off from every traffic light you stop at you probably won't have much of an issue with living with it and it's definately worth considering auto if you spend a reasonable amount of time sat in traffic and as far as resale goes, I think a well kept manual would sell just as easily as an auto, automatics are not for everyone there will always be customers seeking manual cars.
Hope this helps

 

[Guest]

Jagster

I will certainly think about the D150 next time but it is almost impossible to find one to test drive in my opinion. My days of tearing off at lights are long gone so a D150 Auto makes sense and get lots of gadgets to get me to £39,999 😀😀

 

[Jagster]

Jagster

I will certainly think about the D150 next time but it is almost impossible to find one to test drive in my opinion. My days of tearing off at lights are long gone so a D150 Auto makes sense and get lots of gadgets to get me to £39,999 😀😀

Ctoneman, had a feeling you might pop up
Your right they are hard to find, I ended up having to go to a separate dealer and it was a staff car that apparently they let customers drive? There wasn't a noticeable difference to me and I agree, I would rather spend the difference on gadgets.

 

[NGH]

Thank you, Jagster. I am interested in your views about manual v auto, and I am pleased that so many people seem to agree that R-Dynamic is more cosmetic than functional. I must admit that I had expected more support for it, considering that 70% of sales at our local dealer are R-Dynamic, and that's roughly the proportion showing up in the Approved Used list.
One of my builds last night, frustratingly, came to £40,005. I'm sure the dealer can arrange to fit half a mudflap in the workshop to bring me back under.

 

[JJitalia]

Just a couple of thoughts on this topic. I believe that the suspension is the same on the R Dynamic version, the sportiness gained from this version is purely cosmetic, apart from the front seats which have larger side bolsters that offer more support. The integration of the head rest is different too.

 

[NGH]

Yes, I believe you are right, JJitalia. The suspension set-up is identical (at least according to my dealer). R-Dynamic is for people who like their car to have a little more road presence. The standard car has more than enough road presence for me, especially from the back.

 

[JJitalia]

The back is gorgeous, I agree NGH. I have ordered the R Dynamic version because I preferred the seats & the extra body coloured parts that this gives.

 

[alan969]

On the automatic, R-Dynamic gives you steering column paddles to change gear manually if you so wish.
You mentioned mud flaps. I have them and they don't protect the bodywork much from mud splatter. In fact they are a bit of a pain to clean inside as they are slightly concave and collect mud/roadkill etc.

 

[NGH]

Yes, Alan, I did wonder about the mudflaps. They look so small that they can't do much. My problem is that I live in a farming area and I have a suspicion that without them I'll have mud across the side windows within 10 minutes of leaving the house. They also seem remarkably expensive for four small bits of injection-moulded plastic, even including fitting.

 

[Jagster]

Just don't order the mud flaps when you order the car but then from your dealer separately and have them fitted when you pick the car up

 

[sixpot]

Here's something to bare in mind, if you are starting to creep over the dreaded £40k once you start adding options, the on-the -road price includes the first year road tax, which doesn't get included in the £40k tax limit. So for example if the first year road tax is £830 your car can still be up to £40830 on the road, and you won't have to pay the extra road tax in year 2 onwards..

 

[Guest]

Here's something to bare in mind, if you are starting to creep over the dreaded £40k once you start adding options, the on-the -road price includes the first year road tax, which doesn't get included in the £40k tax limit. So for example if the first year road tax is £830 your car can still be up to £40830 on the road, and you won't have to pay the extra road tax in year 2 onwards..

Quite right, and your salesman should be in a position to manipulative the final contract to add extras and deduct discounts to keep it below the 40k threshold but at the end of the day we are only talking a few hundred quid each year and if that means your not adding something you really like and want then go for it !

I love the rear view and would have liked my S to have dual exhaust 😀

 

[Pete 1952]

Having my E Pace p200 r dynamic s for just under a week only 75 miles on the clock .Early days but the auto box with a choice of paddle shift is very good. Full Memory seats ,privacy glass and animated winkers, Full Memory seats, spare wheel. My wife has no trouble with the boot lid weight, and she is quite short and light . PS. You will find you can buy up to 40830 as you have to take into account the tax.

 

[NGH]

Thanks, Jagster, sixpot, ctoneman and Pete. One supplementary question: the salesman at our dealership, who knows I prefer comfort to handling, is trying to talk me out of the SE, with its compulsory 19-inch wheels, and into an S, with 18-inch wheels. I appreciate his advice that a smaller wheel can travel more in the arch and provide a more supple ride, but I would be interested to hear the real-life, longer-term suspension experience of those of you with S or SE models. Does the SE really clatter over road repairs and *** packets compared to the S? I can't think it would make THAT much difference. Still, I am pleasantly surprised that a salesman is trying to point me to a less expensive car.

 

[Pete 1952]

A very comfy ride on the 18 inch wheels with All Seasons tyres fitted. P200 R Dynamic S