[PortImperialBMW]

Any one else consider the RR Velar instead of X3? I drove both today and something has me really leaning toward the Velar but scared at the same time. Economics point me to the X3. I've had 4 BMWs with no issues so the comfort level is there. The Velar just seemed a little more special. Obviously not as fast or nimble but definitely better quality ride IMO. I will be driving it way outside of warranty so that has me concerned. Are they still the money pit they used to be? Also the infotainment is horrible and that's a big negative. I know it's going to be a Pro-X3 response but looking to hear other opinions if possible. Thanks in advance

[K911]

Consumer Reports gives it 76/100 on the road test but 1/5 on reliability. I've never heard anything favorable about the Range Rover's reliability.

[Bimar]

Saw it again this weekend, it is more special inside than then X3 and ride is better, but it feels heavy and slow in the P380 supercharger and has cheap hard plastics visible. Reliability is questionable

[FastMarkA]

It's definitely more special than an X3 (which, in a few more months, the G01 will be every other car).

RR does a nice job with style and finish. I didn't enjoy the Velar's touchscreen(s) interface(s).

Both are great cars to have under warranty. If you're keeping your next vehicle for a point beyond the warranty, I'd be skeptical of both as neither are cheap repairs, but the X3 is less likely to cause trouble (compared to the RR).

[gearcritic]

Originally Posted by FastMarkA

It's definitely more special than an X3 (which, in a few more months, the G01 will be every other car).

RR does a nice job with style and finish. I didn't enjoy the Velar's touchscreen(s) interface(s).

Both are great cars to have under warranty. If you're keeping your next vehicle for a point beyond the warranty, I'd be skeptical of both as neither are cheap repairs, but the X3 is less likely to cause trouble (compared to the RR).

I actually haven’t seen many G01s around my area. Have yet to run into another M40i.

[OJ MINI]

Originally Posted by PortImperialBMW

Any one else consider the RR Velar instead of X3? I drove both today and something has me really leaning toward the Velar but scared at the same time. Economics point me to the X3. I've had 4 BMWs with no issues so the comfort level is there. The Velar just seemed a little more special. Obviously not as fast or nimble but definitely better quality ride IMO. I will be driving it way outside of warranty so that has me concerned. Are they still the money pit they used to be? Also the infotainment is horrible and that's a big negative. I know it's going to be a Pro-X3 response but looking to hear other opinions if possible. Thanks in advance

VELAR is the beautiful car, interior exterior, everything is top-notch design. Even though I like the X3 I have to admit that the Velar is nicer. BUT. The big BUT for me is the ride. The X3 (M40i in my case) is completely different animal in case of handling and overall driving dynamics which will be every time more important to me the the looks.

[Bimar]

The things that struck me even though it’s much nicer is it felt soulless. A Porsche has more souls

[FastMarkA]

Originally Posted by OJ MINI

VELAR is the beautiful car, interior exterior, everything is top-notch design. Even though I like the X3 I have to admit that the Velar is nicer. BUT. The big BUT for me is the ride. The X3 (M40i in my case) is completely different animal in case of handling and overall driving dynamics which will be every time more important to me the the looks.

I agree with all of this, and I think it nicely summarizes the situation.

Another aspect where the X3 wins is iDrive/technology. The Velar has like 47 different iPads on the dash, so it's a glass-tapping fiesta in that cockpit. As well, the integration isn't as good as BMW's (and theirs is far from perfect!).

The Velar is great for rolling up to the valet.

[greg2step]

I find the Velar as well as the bigger and smaller RR models to be very unattractive. The X3 looks so much better. In fact so does all of the competition. When I was car shopping, my local RR dealer is also a Jag dealer, I looked at the F Pace, wouldn't even look at the Velar on looks alone. IMHO it is ugly.

[jjl]

Considered the Velar, but TBH the M40i runs circles around the Velar in terms of performance and EVERY single person I know who has had any LR product has had issues, some very significant (drive axle falling off in the middle of a freeway, for example).. Read the Velar forums, stories of repurchases are everywhere, and the electronics seem to be a mess. The Velar and RR Sport definitely feel more special than the X3 X5 but i would never be able to accept the reliability/quality control issues you will likely encounter.

[jbtco]

The Velar in the UK appears to be very much more expensive than the X3

[midster]

No doubt the velar is a very stunning and futuristic looking car. The noblest interior layout and design do make you feel special, but the infotainment system can really turn you into gordon ramsay if you fiddle it while you are driving.

[MostlyHarmless]

Wouldn't a more appropriate comparison be the X3 against the F-Pace? More aligned with each other when it comes to performance and price.

Either way, the X3 wins for me. I owned the F-Pace and put 15,000 miles on it before Jaguar bought it back for a non-compliance issue.

[BobsM3Coupe]

Originally Posted by Qgarage

I actually haven’t seen many G01s around my area. Have yet to run into another M40i.

I've had my M40i since November and to date, I haven't seen another 2018 X3 (let alone an M40i) on the road. Fine by me.

[PSU335i]

Originally Posted by PortImperialBMW

Any one else consider the RR Velar instead of X3? I drove both today and something has me really leaning toward the Velar but scared at the same time. Economics point me to the X3. I've had 4 BMWs with no issues so the comfort level is there. The Velar just seemed a little more special. Obviously not as fast or nimble but definitely better quality ride IMO. I will be driving it way outside of warranty so that has me concerned. Are they still the money pit they used to be? Also the infotainment is horrible and that's a big negative. I know it's going to be a Pro-X3 response but looking to hear other opinions if possible. Thanks in advance

My buddy is the lead tech/mechanic at a Land Rover dealer. He told me to stay far away from the Velar. Tons of issues some of which they do not even have correct fixes for.

Also my neighbor picked one up in Jan....it's been in the shop since March.

[kozzi]

Originally Posted by PSU335i

My buddy is the lead tech/mechanic at a Land Rover dealer. He told me to stay far away from the Velar. Tons of issues some of which they do not even have correct fixes for.

Also my neighbor picked one up in Jan....it's been in the shop since March.

This and it is unfortunate. IMO, they make some of the best looking vehicles but the reliability issues and public perception will persist until they get their issues in order.

[ParadigmDawg]

Originally Posted by kozzi

This and it is unfortunate. IMO, they make some of the best looking vehicles but the reliability issues and public perception will persist until they get their issues in order.

That doesn't seem to slow down the rich people in Texas. Every family with over a 200k/yr salary seems to have one. My wife wants one and I love the looks of the RR Sport but I don't want a car that is in the shop all the time.

[Bimar]

Originally Posted by MostlyHarmless

Wouldn't a more appropriate comparison be the X3 against the F-Pace? More aligned with each other when it comes to performance and price.

Either way, the X3 wins for me. I owned the F-Pace and put 15,000 miles on it before Jaguar bought it back for a non-compliance issue.

What do you mean by non compliance issue? They oversold it attributes?

[MostlyHarmless]

Originally Posted by X4guy

What do you mean by non compliance issue? They oversold it attributes?

It had a manufacturing defect in the roof panel near the a pillar that could not be fixed.

[SenseiSimple]

This was my dilemma before sticking with BMW for another lease round. I was also looking at the smaller Volvo XC40 which is a nice new toy car.

The Velar looks like a hot concept car that actually went into production with its trade show design. And all the screens inside are a treat for the technophile.

In the end, there were a few things that influenced my decision to stay away from Land Rover altogether:
1. The turnaround time for a new custom build RR, especially a Velar is astounding... Ordering in March would have gotten me in the car by around November regardless of the configuration or package choices. An XC40, around July. BMWs usually around a month if assembled in the US, a month and a half otherwise (excluding exotic builds).

2. The sales agent himself lamented that the Land Rover infotainment software
is entirely proprietary and closed-off (i.e. no standardized 'smart' connectivity options like android auto or connected drive's association with other apps/apple car play) which leaves no room for any additional features.

3. At least at my local Land Rover dealership, the purchasing process is archaic which is NOT ok for those of us who have become accustomed to instant gratification for just about everything -- If i fill out a financing/lease application online, I expect an immediate result, not a form that goes into a black hole for 30 hours. And ultimately, between their financing bank (Chase) and the dealership, they blessed me with 4 new hard inquiries on my credit with on one lease application.

4. The dealership itself leaves much to be desired, sure it's in affluent midtown but the premises felt crowded (not by customers) and not very fancy for their product, front desk receptionist looks like she's floating out in space in her little round desk with a chair that's way too low their only refreshment choice is a healthy off-brand bottle of wate. By comparison, the local BMW dealership is like a palace, a palace that has free Starbucks and a variety of different drinks and snacks while you wait. Now in Land Rover/Range Rover/Jaguar world, it's more likely that you wouldn't be at the dealership too often since for most things they will come to you or your authorized representative will handle everything for you, including the vehicle delivery, but I like to be hands-on/involved and their sales/service environment is not well suited for that. Where they make you feel weird for being there, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Lexus - hell... even Toyota or Hyundai - make you feel special throughout the process.

5. A top tier P380 Velar configuration test drive was less than impressive, a supercharger doesn't account for much in the car. The tech is nice, the design/fit/finish (on the surface) is exceptional but the performance is just... not there.

In fact the whole dealing with Land Rover was a subpar experience for a luxury line, perhaps I'm not their target demographic so wasn't a priority. Considering how much I was prepared to plunk down with them and the equivalently priced purchase with BMW I expected better quality of vehicle and quality of service. Whatever apparent snobbery on their part is wholly unwarranted.

At BMW, I can walk in looking like i just rolled out of bed and still get attentive service. And even then like this past weekend, get a fully spec'd vehicle (lucked out) fresh off the truck tinted and ready to take home within a day with the leasing or financing step only taking about 10 minutes. Painless and efficient.

LR makes me think of that story where joe schmoe dude goes to the Lamborghini dealership ready to buy, cash in hand and gets treated like sh*t or ignored. That's not me, but between doing things on their website and meeting with their internet sales advisor, the experience was memorable for all the wrong reasons. It's like they're now trying to emulate Tesla and be more modern in their processes but penny pinching all the way there.

And looking back, I'm glad I was scared away from the Velar since I've long been wary of UK built vehicle reliability in this class for normal/long-term commuting so there's that. One thing I did like about the velar is how easily you can replace the SIM card for your own cell service.


By the way, while all the new gadgets and screens are nice, losing the knobs and buttons (or making critical knobs multi purpose) is a huge mistake... having to take your eyes off the road to switch screens to adjust your climate is just bad.

[No1Cares]

you'll split the time between your home garage and your mechanics garage nicely in the velar. probably 50/50.

[TreDirtyFive]

To each his own...for me, the Velar looks and feels so much more special inside and out. It looks more expensive sitting at a valet and is probably the best design proportioned medium-sized SUV in the market. Of course, you have to pay for the label and the looks of the Velar....but, at the moment, I am content with my X3 despite the somewhat choppy ride for Los Angeles crappo streets. Yes, it is a bit rougher on the edges, overall, than the Rover but feels more utilitarian and functional somehow. Also, despite some tactile luxuries, such as the M-Steering wheel & Galvanized buttons, that are not available in the US versions, I think it is above average in this segment.

At this size I'm less concerned with brute speed and probably more concerned with ride quality, which the velar wins in spades, but the price and lease deals just can't compete with BMW in terms of value and it's nice to know that the X3 has the performance guts we all love and covet. Now, I gotta wait to see if anyone will make All-Seasons for these 21's or else I gotta go down to 20s or 19s. Yikes!