New car

[anglefire]

Now done about 1500miles - and had to fill up coming home - didn't do a Clive - 650ish miles and about 44mpg. Mostly just cruising on the motorway, but some driving around town in Sheffield and a couple of quick blasts to avoid lorries coming out of the services.

[anglefire]

Filled a few times now - well 5 and not been below 40 - average about 43 - my latest tank after 200 miles is saying 47

I've also found the battery - sits in the "spare wheel" well in the boot - and has a very handy fuse box on the right hand side.

The battery is huge! Its got regen when braking/on the overrun so I guess it has BMS as well (Which has to be reset when changing the battery - I can do that with an addon on the Carly tool I have) - no idea what all the +Ve feeds do!

[benp]

....power to the indicator lamps ....

[anglefire]

Fair point

[PillowSmuggler]

Ben, I'm crying here

[JF Lux]

Where do you take the split-charge feed from so you can power the fridge...?

[anglefire]

Fridge. Yeah that is a snag currently. I've not tried it in the car yet. But the cover won't go over the top that's for sure.

It's amazing how small the interior space is of a car that is to all intents and purposes the same size as the D3.

[JF Lux]

Exactly ! Which is why Mrs JF Lux is now saying she can't see us having a "normal" car for a long time...You do get used to the usable space.

[anglefire]

I must admit, I can live with the smaller space - it's not that small to be honest - just the disco is huge!

It's the space for the nick-naks is the biggest pain. Door pockets are small, only one glove box and only 4 cup holders. The rear 2 can't be used if there are 5 in the car. Mind you the 5th seat is not a huge one so definitely an occasional position.

Satnav is much, much better than the D3 - bigger, has fast, shortest and one called eco or some such - which is a mix of the two. Not fastest, not slowest but takes you down some nice roads that you can press on nicely. Makes the drive interesting.

She is keen on doing a u turn when possible whereas the D3 would find an alternative loop. The only downside so far - apart from entering the destination which using the idrive is not the fastest, though it can be sent from the phone/iPad/pc to the car which is what I do most of the time. I've not tried the voice control yet.

But the drive is fantastic- pick up is everything the disco isn't. So much more confidence to go for the gap and not have the engine decide to bog down. Torque is massive so acceleration is both instant and rapid. I've got flappy paddles but haven't really had to use them much, the box is so nice and dropping it into sport drops a couple of gears and puts you right in the power band. I'm guessing the D4 with the 8speed is similar as I guess it's the same box. The brakes are firm but very reassuring and it stops on a sixpence. And handling. Just brilliant, balanced, poised and making good progress is just so easy.

And 40+mpg.

But it's not a D3/D4 and whilst I don't see myself back in one anytime soon, it may happen one day. Or the new defender. When it's not new. So could be a while yet.

[mzplcg]

It's going to take you a while to turn the BM into Trigger's Broom 2 anyway bud