Replacing an Evoque.

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I started a thread on 4x4's a couple of years ago and I ended up getting a used diesel Evoque. I've been into small open sportscars and have only had a few cars that weren't so I just fancied and SUV for the experience and I have to say that I absolutely love the Evoque and that did surprise me. I bought a used one to limit the damage if I decided I didn't like it and I don't really regret doing this but like me it's getting a bit old now and I've been thinking of replacing it with something maybe not new but newer, while I still can and before electric takes over or I'm too old to bother. Maybe 1-3 years old for the big depreciation discount :D

At the time of the last thread people bemoaned Land Rover reliability but I have to say that I've been very happy and have only had two problems in the last two years. One problem was inherited from the previous owner who did a DIY repair and seriously bitched it but I was ok with that as I got the car at way under book price and I used the saving to fix the problem, a mangled wiring loom. The other issue was a sticking bank of switches and although I can't prove it I suspect that a mechanic fettling the wiring loom spilt something on it. A garage just 15 minutes walk from home changed the display/switch unit (an all in one thing which made it annoying and more expensive.) I have to say that the LR dealer has also been excellent when I've used them. So, reliability hasn't been an issue, which is nice.

I've been looking at other Evoque sized things but it's time consuming and frustrating and sometimes even the dealers can't give a clear answer to questions but I thought people here might be able to. Wants are...

Evoque sized as I'm at the limit width wise of what will fit the drive and I don't really want anything longer so that rules out a Discovery Sport.
Petrol or as a last resort a mild hybrid.
4x4 and auto.
A flat back load space / tailgate / back seats down area as one thing we like to do is sit in the back and have a picnic and we've slept in it while camping and that might be something we do again.
A panoramic glass roof and a nice interior.
Power tailgate.
The Evoque has lots of other nice features such as folding mirrors, lights in the mirrors ets. so these bells and whistles would be nice too.

Interiors seem to be a weak thing with a lot of cars basically being an ocean of black or grey plastic. This really is an area in which the LR products stand out imo, nice interiors. I'm a bit resistant to German marques because the quality and reliability surveys I looked at a couple of years ago had them even further down the list than the Evoque but this might be something I need to check up on again. For quality and reliability I have therefore been thinking Japanese or Korean rather than German or even wider European.

I could always go for a newer Evoque but can anyone think of anything different I could put on a shortlist to look seriously at? Suggestions might save me a lot of time on the build you car sections of the websites as so far every time I've done this the options have been limiting.

Please. Can we keep electric, global warming and SUV's which are the same footprint on the road as a family car but are evil to other threads. Pretty Pls.

Mrs WW sat in the Evoque. Nice interior :D

DSC00493.jpg

Suggestions of things to look at please :D
 
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Volvo XC40 would be my choice at that size, I'm an XC60 owner but thats quite a bit larger, however I'm gobsmacked taht something that weighs 2 tonnes, with teh aerodynamics of a housebrick has veraged 38mpg since new (30K miles) and regularly return 42mpg+ on long journeys (B5 mild hybrid variant). I'm a big fan of Swedish cars, having ownwd Volvo's and Saabs for the last 20+ years (covering well in excess of 500K miles in that time! They are a nice place to sit, with decent seats, aircon stereo, etc They don't overly impress on a test drive but after several months of ownership nothing pi**es you off, and thats a very good thing!
 
Mr Perceptive said:
Volvo XC40 would be my choice at that size, I'm an XC60 owner but thats quite a bit larger, however I'm gobsmacked taht something that weighs 2 tonnes, with teh aerodynamics of a housebrick has veraged 38mpg since new (30K miles) and regularly return 42mpg+ on long journeys (B5 mild hybrid variant). I'm a big fan of Swedish cars, having ownwd Volvo's and Saabs for the last 20+ years (covering well in excess of 500K miles in that time! They are a nice place to sit, with decent seats, aircon stereo, etc They don't overly impress on a test drive but after several months of ownership nothing pi**es you off, and thats a very good thing!
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Thanks.

This Evoque is easily the most economical car I've ever had. I got 49.4mpg the other day on a trip to the seaside. I usually get well over 40mpg.
 
I would have said Mini Countryman, though I'm not sure if you get a flat load area the current version. I very much enjoyed my countryman, and it could take a very wide load when needed. Also gave around 55-60mpg from the 1.6 diesel and cruised happily at 85-90 if needed. It was a nice drive, very stable, planted and at ease.
 
ancient_mariner said:
I would have said Mini Countryman, though I'm not sure if you get a flat load area the current version. I very much enjoyed my countryman, and it could take a very wide load when needed. Also gave around 55-60mpg from the 1.6 diesel and cruised happily at 85-90 if needed. It was a nice drive, very stable, planted and at ease.
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The John Cooper Works version should be a fun drive :p
 
I'd suggest looking at Mazda CX5. I'm a big fan of Mazda for reliability and value for money - they include loads of extras as standard. Also they tend to depreciate badly so a used or ex-demo tends to be very attractively priced. I don't have a CX5, I am on my second Mazda 6 estate (this one top of the range with all leather trim etc), having had three Discovery's I prefer the driving experience by and large of the estate car. Check the CX5 SUV's out though, they look good to me.
 
woof woof said:
I'm looking at the Volvo now.
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I'm another Volvo owner, but mines an old one.... a 2009 C30.. .Admittedly it's a "Ford era" Volvo but the build quality is excellent..... In 11 years of Volvo ownership it's always started first turn of the key..... and even at 15 year old it still manages to pass MOT's without advisories.... :)

A friend of mine , a previous Volvo owner has returned to Volvo after going through a series of Hondas, BMW's and Mercs...
 
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Being an ex-Mini fanatic, when I decided to change my Clubman I looked seriously at the Countryman. It is very expensive for what it is, in either Cooper S or JCW format (both 4x4). My next port of call was an XC40, but again they are very expensive, and trying to find a lightly used one which didn't get hit by the "posh car tax" was impossible. That led me to VW & the T-Roc. I almost bought a 2.0 4x4 petrol, it had only done 5,000 miles but, at 6 months old, it again hit the £40k new bracket so the road tax for the next 5 years was over £500 PA.

I settled on a new Audi Q2 35 S-Line (1.5L, 150bhp) and I can't believe how much fun it is to drive, I get over 40 mpg on most trips (I had 55 mpg once, but then that included a long stretch of 50mph motorway roadworks.) It's not 4x4, just FWD, but the quality is brilliant and it's easy to drive. Not too big but more boot space than the Clubman. The XC40 is very nice, it's just difficult to find one that won't get hit for the surpus road tax, and if you do, it will be a basic model with no toys inside.

My Q2, in front of the Clubman on collection day.
IMG_2345 by Steve Jelly, on Flickr
 
lindsay said:
I'd suggest looking at Mazda CX5. I'm a big fan of Mazda for reliability and value for money - they include loads of extras as standard. Also they tend to depreciate badly so a used or ex-demo tends to be very attractively priced. I don't have a CX5, I am on my second Mazda 6 estate (this one top of the range with all leather trim etc), having had three Discovery's I prefer the driving experience by and large of the estate car. Check the CX5 SUV's out though, they look good to me.
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Yes. I watched a review of them recently and the guy did like them. I'd forgotten about that. Thank you.
 
Jelster said:
Being an ex-Mini fanatic, when I decided to change my Clubman I looked seriously at the Countryman. It is very expensive for what it is, in either Cooper S or JCW format (both 4x4). My next port of call was an XC40, but again they are very expensive, and trying to find a lightly used one which didn't get hit by the "posh car tax" was impossible. That led me to VW & the T-Roc. I almost bought a 2.0 4x4 petrol, it had only done 5,000 miles but, at 6 months old, it again hit the £40k new bracket so the road tax for the next 5 years was over £500 PA.

I settled on a new Audi Q2 35 S-Line (1.5L, 150bhp) and I can't believe how much fun it is to drive, I get over 40 mpg on most trips (I had 55 mpg once, but then that included a long stretch of 50mph motorway roadworks.) It's not 4x4, just FWD, but the quality is brilliant and it's easy to drive. Not too big but more boot space than the Clubman. The XC40 is very nice, it's just difficult to find one that won't get hit for the surpus road tax, and if you do, it will be a basic model with no toys inside.
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I test drove an Audi S line years ago and the suspension and ride were just criminal. I hope they've got better. Re the Q2. Can you tell me if there's a lip on the load area or not? I really want a flat floor all the way to the end so our feet can stick comfortably out, don't want a lip under our legs :D

As above I had ruled Audi out for quality and reliability reasons but any car can have a fault and perhaps the service you get from the dealer is what matters. I might look into this as when trying to get a car booked in to some main dealers you can wait weeks and some don't have the best reputations if you can get booked in. I'll look into the local Audi dealer but that "boot" lip thing could be an issue.
 
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I had discounted Mini's as I watch "High Peak Autos" on Youtube and the guy rants about the quality and reliability but I suppose I could take a look.
 
Jelster said:
To be fair, we are talking about the smallest current version of a Land Rover, and the largest model available from the Mini brand, but yeah, I get you.....
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I'd really like a Discovery Sport but I think it's just too big. The seats do go flat though and they don't in the Evoque. You can take the base of the back seat out of the Evoque but it's one of those things that either goes like clockwork in 20 second or if it doesn't it takes 45 minutes of pushing, pulling and swearing.
 
woof woof said:
Can you tell me if there's a lip on the load area or not? I really want a flat floor all the way to the end so our feet can stick comfortably out, don't want a lip under our legs :D
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This is why I haven't recommended the Tiguan/Karoq/Ateca like we have - the load floor isn't flat.
 
If you want Japanese reliability ,space ,fun to drive then I would look at the Honda CRV range .i have just bought my second one after months looking at the various opposition.. spec wise go for the EX models and they come in 2.0ltr petrol , 1.6turbo diesel ,and 2.2 turbo diesel variants auto or manual options on all . They drive like a car and the 4x4 versions only kick in when needed .
I have the 2.2 and am getting between 45 to 50mpg worth a look
 
woof woof said:
I test drove an Audi S line years ago and the suspension and ride were just criminal. I hope they've got better. Re the Q2. Can you tell me if there's a lip on the load area or not? I really want a flat floor all the way to the end so our feet can stick comfortably out, don't want a lip under our legs :D

As above I had ruled Audi out for quality and reliability reasons but any car can have a fault and perhaps the service you get from the dealer is what matters. I might look into this as when trying to get a car booked in to some main dealers you can wait weeks and some don't have the best reputations if you can get booked in. I'll look into the local Audi dealer but that "boot" lip thing could be an issue.
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Alan, to rule out Audi on quality & reliability when you currently own a Land Rover is, to be blunt, bloody ridiculous. You may not of had many issues with yours, but JLR are regularly way down the list when it comes to quality & reliability (and security). The rear has a "false floor", and there is a small lip, photo attached (excuse the mess, the boot still has our walking gear in it from a day out....)
 

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We have an Audi Q5. It’s now 6 years old and covered 60k, we’ve owned it since virtually new. It’s been faultless throughout that time, just needed normal servicing, one set of tyres and one lot of brake pads so far. Ours is the S Line version so has lots of toys. It’s a 2L turbo petrol version and easily does 40+ on a run. Servicing at a non main dealer isn’t too steep.

On the negative side, I do have to say the ride is harsh, though coming from the Jaguar XF we had before everything was going to feel worse as the Jag had easily the best ride of any car I’ve owned (shame about the reliability!). Also ours has 20” rims so that exaggerates it.

If I was getting another car I’d go Volvo though. Our neighbour owns an XC40 and it’s really nice.
 
My XF is on 20s - the only thing I'd change about it. Despite it being 11 years old, it's not given me any problems in the 4 years I've had it.
 
Jelster said:
Alan, to rule out Audi on quality & reliability when you currently own a Land Rover is, to be blunt, bloody ridiculous. You may not of had many issues with yours, but JLR are regularly way down the list when it comes to quality & reliability (and security). The rear has a "false floor", and there is a small lip, photo attached (excuse the mess, the boot still has our walking gear in it from a day out....)
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Well, it wasn't "bloody ridiculous" last time I looked as the Evoque scored higher in the quality and reliability surveys. Yes, JLR have some iffy scores but so do the German marques. I'll look at the relative merits of the cars I'm interested in not the scores other cars get or the overall scores of the brands. Sorry if that ruffles any feathers. As I said above, things may have changed and I may take another look. I haven't looked at specifics yet but 30 seconds googling got me this with Audi two places below LR, Merc one place above and BMW bottom.

2019 UK Vehicle Dependability Study

LONDON: 9 May 2019 — The race by manufacturers to cram new vehicles with the latest technologies is turning into a headache for owners, with audio/communication/entertainment/navigation (ACEN) systems comprising half of the 10 most problematic issues that owners cite in their new vehicle...
europe.jdpower.com europe.jdpower.com

I'll take a look at specific models when I make a shortlist. If there are any howlers out there I'll cross them off the list and I'll also consider the performance of local dealers. Things are changing, for example Toyota used to be top of the reliability rankings but on that table they're only two places above JLR.

I'll look closer when I can compile a shortlist.

PS.
I have watched a few vids on JLR security and so far I'm not too worried. For example I watched a vid by a critic and even he stated that half of the Range Rovers stolen weren't locked at the time. I don't understand why owners of cars costing around £100k don't lock them but there you go. My car is always double locked when I park it with a Disklok fitted and when it's in the drive it's double locked, the Disklok is fitted and there's a car parked behind it. The security upgrades are I believe good and put the affected cars near the top of the market for security. I will keep this in mind when looking at cars.

Oh and a PPS.
The key fobs go in a Faraday pouch.
 
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Nod said:
My XF is on 20s - the only thing I'd change about it. Despite it being 11 years old, it's not given me any problems in the 4 years I've had it.
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I do like the look of the Jag saloons but I fancy another SUV. I did have a 4ltr S Type and I really liked that car and I do still have a fondness for Jags.

There are a few reasons for looking at SUV's including space and comfy ride and getting away from the sportscar mindset of chucking it into every bend and Mrs WW has an XTrail which she left in Thailand so hopefully she'll be open to driving something similar in the UK now she has her licence,
 
FWIW we have friends that recently replaced their Jag saloon with an F-Pace. General impression is that it's not great, both as a drive and reliability wise, after developing electrical problems with the gearbox quite quickly. If that's one you were thinking of then I would stay clear.
 
ancient_mariner said:
FWIW we have friends that recently replaced their Jag saloon with an F-Pace. General impression is that it's not great, both as a drive and reliability wise, after developing electrical problems with the gearbox quite quickly. If that's one you were thinking of then I would stay clear.
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AFAIK the E Pace is based on the Evoque and the F pace is based on the Velar. I don't think the E or F Pace or the Velar are on going to be on my list. One reason being the last two are just too big.

I think this thread is going in the direction the last one did which is a shame. Can we keep to the original request and look at possible Evoque replacements and trust me to look at other factors including reliability, security and customer service?

On the subject of possible lemons... I did briefly think about including any similar Fords but then I read about wet belt issues and that and other specific known issues are definitely things that I'd factor in.
 
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Just a thought: Kia Sportage? I've only ever hired one for a weekend about 5 years ago, but I liked it.
 
lindsay said:
Just a thought: Kia Sportage? I've only ever hired one for a weekend about 5 years ago, but I liked it.
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That's definitely one to look at. The High Peak Auto review guy I mentioned above gives these a very good report. Options seem a bit limited but I suppose a chat with a dealer will be needed. I also might include Hyundai as there's a dealer within walking distance and the old Getz has been a really reliable car.
 
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I am on my 5th JLR product, the current one being an Evoque from 2012, which I bought when it was one year old. Normally, I would have traded it in after 3 or so years but have been so pleased with it that I still have it. Only ever been in for a once a year service and (touch wood) never had a problem with it. It's done just under 140K km. (86K miles)
To all those who knock the reliability of LR vehicles, then how come all police forces use them, as well as official government and royal vehicles? Hmmm...

If you are so pleased with yours, why not make it easy on yourself and save a lot of time and effort and go for a newer Evoque, as you suggested yourself above.
 
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saltireblue said:
I am on my 5th JLR product, the current one being an Evoque from 2012, which I bought when it was one year old. Normally, I would have traded it in after 3 or so years but have been so pleased with it that I still have it. Only ever been in for a once a year service and (touch wood) never had a problem with it. It's done just under 140K km. (86K miles)
To all those who knock the reliability of LR vehicles, then how come all police forces use them, as well as official government and royal vehicles? Hmmm...

If you are so pleased with yours, why not make it easy on yourself and save a lot of time and effort and go for a newer Evoque, as you suggested yourself above.
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I might but I just thought it was worth looking at the alternatives first. I have to say that nothing I've seen yet has as nice an interior but I know this is just down to taste. What I don't like are interiors which make me feel like I'm in a cave, just an ocean of black plastic with black seats. I want to avoid that and this is one thing which I find the panoramic roof can help with as it makes the interior feel better.
 
One of the best cars I've ever owned was a Subaru Forester....in my opinion not that pretty looking but I treated mine like dirt and it was as reliable as a sunrise . I put 100k on mine without any single thing needing done other than a standard service . I've heard the same from many owners and it seems to be the car of choice for many landowners in the Highlands of Scotland which speaks for itself
 
stumac said:
One of the best cars I've ever owned was a Subaru Forester....in my opinion not that pretty looking but I treated mine like dirt and it was as reliable as a sunrise . I put 100k on mine without any single thing needing done other than a standard service . I've heard the same from many owners and it seems to be the car of choice for many landowners in the Highlands of Scotland which speaks for itself
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Nearest dealer might be a bit far away from me though. Ideally I want something which can be taken to a local garage for run of the mills stuff and to a main dealer when I think necessary. Some do offer a collection and delivery service so dealer reputation and services offered are something I am going to look at.

For example, Porsche used to collect my car and deliver it back no problem and they always left a car if I wanted it or not but in reality this was just because sending a guy in a car was a good option for them. My local JLR dealer will give courtesy cars if you book far enough ahead and they do offer a collection service for £20 which I think is reasonable as a taxi both ways will probably cost me more.
 
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woof woof said:
That's definitely one to look at. The High Peak Auto review guy I mentioned above gives these a very good report. Options seem a bit limited but I suppose a chat with a dealer will be needed. I also might include Hyundai as there's a dealer within walking distance and the old Getz has been a really reliable car.
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We have a Kia dealer in our village and I really "wanted" to like the Sportage. It's a very nice interior on the all but basic models, but to get a sun roof you will need to go for the top spec, and again they are over £40k new, so you get hit with the extra tax. The Sportage is quite big, and the reason we didn't go with the GT Line model was that my wife thought it too big for her to drive. Hyundai have the Kona (same as a Kia Nero, but nicer) similar size to my Q2, and it has the wrap around digital dash from the Sportage. It is only FWD and is only 135bhp in auto, or 195bhp as a manual.

As you can tell, we did some extensive testing before we settled on the Audi. The other contenders are the Cupra Formentor, Seat Arona, and Seat Ateca. I would spend a couple of days visiting a few dealers to see what's out there, and what deals you can get.
 
woof woof said:
On the subject of possible lemons... I did briefly think about including any similar Fords but then I read about wet belt issues and that and other specific known issues are definitely things that I'd factor in.
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AFAIK, the "wet belt" issue is on the smaller Ecotec engines (like the Puma) which is why we walked away from that one, but the Kuga has a 2.5l option,
 
Thanks all.

Lots to look at now.

That wet belt issue just smacked me in the face. What were they thinking? I've read that it's now been replaced with a chain but it's just one more thing / example thing to check if a Ford or anything else that appears on my radar.
 
Just ruled the Subaru and surprisingly the Rav 4 out because they're bigger than the Evoque. This comparison thingy will help me make a shortlist as I definitely don't want anything wider and don't want anything significantly longer.

www.carsized.com

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque 2015-2018 vs. Toyota RAV4 2019-present

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque SUV 2015-2018 vs. Toyota RAV4 SUV 2019-present. Compare car dimensions (length, width and height) vs. street perspective.
www.carsized.com www.carsized.com
 
Shame you ruled out the RAV4 - great car. I have a hybrid and with mixed running, it is returning 51.6mpg since last fill. 230 hp plus electric motor and 4WD does for me.
 
Whitefiver said:
Shame you ruled out the RAV4 - great car. I have a hybrid and with mixed running, it is returning 51.6mpg since last fill. 230 hp plus electric motor and 4WD does for me.
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It looks like it's just a bit to long for me.

Our drive and getting in and out of it are limiting factors as width wise I'm at the limit and I'm getting to the limit length wise too not for the length of the drive but for getting in and out as we're not as bad off as many but with neighbours parking all over including directly opposite our drive car size has to be thought about and the Rav 4 is I think longer than the Evoque and that's only going to make things a bit harder.
 
I spoke to a near neighbour recently regarding the white line the council painted across his drive, sticks out about 2’ wider than the dropped kerb, seems if you ask nicely and explain idiots park too close they’ll do this for you to dissuade people stopping too near.
 
No help at all from me I am afraid but this morning I was behind a modest sized RR that said Velar on the back :thinking:
 
Box Brownie said:
No help at all from me I am afraid but this morning I was behind a modest sized RR that said Velar on the back :thinking:
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Yes. They do look nice but they're quite a bit bigger than an Evoque and they have one or two known issues one of which doesn't have a fix at the moment. I can't remember exactly what it is but some component is housed in an aluminium case which is known to rot and let water in which then leads to a failure. The vid I watched said that when this happens it's replaced with a same spec component and the cycle just starts again. German quality letting the side down. The Velar does look a nice car but the size puts me off and that known issue doesn't help. No offence to any happy Velar owners.

Mrs WW has said that she wants a car when she comes back (she's in Thailand) and I'm hoping she'll warm to the idea of driving whatever gets to the top of my shortlist :D

Evoque v Velar. Velar is both wider and longer.

www.carsized.com

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque 2015-2018 vs. Land Rover Range Rover Velar 2017-present

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque SUV 2015-2018 vs. Land Rover Range Rover Velar SUV 2017-present. Compare car dimensions (length, width and height) vs. street perspective.
www.carsized.com www.carsized.com
 
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