[J77]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/land-rover/discovery-sport/first-drives/2015-discovery-sport-22-sd4-diesel-hse-manual

Having driven the manual car I think this guy is talking bollocks, at no time did I find the gears "graunching" through the gate. Also he says it's difficult to drive with precision due to the clutch, maybe if he spent more time behind the wheel of a manual he would know how to drive one.

Agree it ain't as swift as the auto, but if it's anything like the 8 speed in my D4 which can't make up its mind at times as to which gear it should be in, I'll take the manual.

Where do we stop with the amount of gears in a car? My coach at work (Volvo B13 Elite) has 12 through Volvos I-shift automated manual transmission. Will we see as much as that in a car?

Overall though it gets 3.5 out of 5

 

[Triple7]

Don't tell me marked down coz of the engine! :yawn:

 

[xxtrail]

Nothing wrong with either box. I've had the 6 speed auto for 7 years in my FL2, and it's always been beautifully smooth, I just flick her into clutchless manual on long hills to keep a higher gear. Seamless in either mode. The extra cogs in the 9 speed just mean she cruises at much lower revs.

Drove auto and manual DS and both were quiet, smooth and precise. Certainly no notchiness in the manual (perhaps he didn't put the clutch in!). Driving style comes into it - I drive smoothly, some clog it, but the boxes are adaptive. Most of these hacks are Beemer freaks anyway, so they want a jacked up hot hatch with a Teutonic interior. That's not what LR are about.

 

[J77]

I believe the auto is a cracking drive, a bit problematic on the Evoque but believe those gremlins have been ironed out.

Not driven the auto DS yet, just incase I regret my choice :lol:

Yes, Triple 7 marked down for its engine and its gear box.

 

[asl1956]

Like everyone else getting tired of this engine rubbish. Yes there is a new engine on the horizon, but there was always going to be a new engine at some point. JLR are not going to keep buying these Ford/PSA units for ever!! They are a good engine and I know they exist in the Mondeo, Volvo, Citroen Crosser, Misubishi Outlander and Peugeot 5008, all with different plastic engine covers on them. Take a look at any electrical connector or sticky label under the bonnet of my 2012 FL2 and there's FoMoCo stamped over everything. Question is will the new engine really be the deal breaker when it comes out in DS. Will JLR drop the price because they won't have to pay Ford's profit element on every unit they buy? Will our residuals for being early adopters sink without trace when the EU6 engine is in? Actually who cares, if you worry about things like this then a DS is not for you, perhaps a 1.6D Quasqui is more your thing.

Roll on April when I get my noisy, vibration laden, uneconomic, polluting 2,2D :lol:

 

[Moose]

I may have said before on here somewhere, I was lucky enough to go on a LR press event in which we drove for a couples of hours fisrt a manual and then an auto over a mix of roads and surfaces, at no point did I find the engine or either gearboxes anything other than worthy of being installed in a upmarket SUV.

 

[Lofi]

I borrowed a manual for a few hours. I've not driven a manual car for years. I had no problem. It was a delightful gearbox. Almost made me miss manual (almost).

 

[Lofi]

Having now read the review I do agree with the following:

Around town, the steering is lethargic, too. Rather than having weight, it would be more accurate to say it has resistance and, when pulling out of side turnings, at times a reluctance to self-centre.

That's how it felt to me although it seemed pretty accurate and easy to place the car (certainly better than our merc) but then this is my first experience of electric steering (I presume it is electric).

 

[J77]

The D4 has EPAS so I don't really notice any difference, also had it on the Evoque.

 

[Moose]

I found the steering has a nice positive feel, certainly an improvement over the D3

 

[mattrix299]

I was surprised when I read this review. When I drove the manual I found the gear change and clutch action to be as smooth and responsive as any other high-end manual car I've driven. I've also read a couple of other online reviews that have slated the JLR nine speed auto, so who do you believe? Am I alone in this, or do most car reviewers these days appear to favour automatic boxes? I love driving my wife's new Q3 Quattro Automatic, but for me, day to day, I still prefer to shift my own gears.

 

[KaikouraDiscoSport]

I found the DS steering to be sharper and directer than my current Evoque. Recent CAR magazine test noted the same