ad210358 wrote:

" yet when I had the Saturday with a Defender the FL2 was parked and not used yet yet two days before I had the booked the Defender they were fully booked for the FL2 using the LPR vouicher.

Possibley but after four attempts gave up yet if your paying not a problem, could fit you in straight away. It seems they only get a handful of LRE dates a month, they obviously cater for the paying customer first and foremost and the LRE vouchers are for the slack days.

I have just come back from a freebie (Facebook) offer at the Luton Experience. Very disappointed tbh.

I have been lucky to have had another freebie experience in the past at the old chilterns center. Much much better in my opinion. The instructor was better at the chilterns. Much more focused on customer time behind the wheel and letting them experience the vehicle for themselves. The Luton instructor, tho good, was, i felt, reading from a script.

The course at Luton is, as others have stated, laughable. Why someone decided it would be good to move from the great chilterns course to that course is beyond me.

The fact that i was originally booked in for a morning experience but had to be moved to an afternoon one didnt help matters but that was due to staff sickness and they did recompense very well. No complaints there. But in the future I would avoid the Luton experience. The best part was going through 2 fords that are on a public road nearer to my house than the experience and anyone can play in them!!!

The Chilterns venue was really good, I had a half day in a Range Rover Vouge the other year did a bit of road around Woburn and then hit the off road course. That day was one of the factors in me ordering a Freelander.

Why did they move site, was the lease up or something? Freelander 2 TD4 GS Manual MY11 - 61REG Stratstone Mayfair
Sumatra black, cloth, DAB Radio, Park Distance Control Front, Privacy Glass, 17" Full Size Spare Wheel.
Aftermarket: Mudflaps

I was told when there just before is closed as a LRE that it will still be operating but, it seems there is money to be made with people wanting to upgrade the current licence that limits them to towing trailers and having a limit of 3.5t GTW so they will be using the venue more as a traning centre for trailer towing, it will still be operating apparantly as an off road centre but not LRE.

I will echo previous comments re Luton Hoo.
I have previously had a half day at Chilterns in an FL2 which I enjoyed - lots of time behind the wheel off-road and some interesting tracks and obstacles.
I got a free half day voucher with a service recently and thought I'd have a go in a Defender.
The reception is nice and modern and we were well looked after. Lots of other people there and we were told we had an hour on-road and an hour off-road. There was no choice in this, I think due to the number of people there they did not want everyone on the off-road bit at the same time.
The on-road bit seemed fairly pointless on an "off road" day. We went through a couple of fords but the rest was A and B roads.
The off-road area seemed very artificial. Whilst it presented all the necessary technical challenges, they were combined into a short course area that felt more like a skate park with semi-concrete obstacles. there was no "long drop" like the one at Chilterns. It did not take very long to complete a lap. It didn't help that there had been so little rain recently the course was very dry, although obviously this was nobodies fault.
On a positive note the instructor was very knowledgeable and explained the technical issues well.
Overall I would not recommend Luton Hoo, it felt artificial and was too crowded. If I did this again I would make a day of it and drive a little further to one of the older LRE centres.

I have done the old Milton keynes and the new Luton, all I can say is avoid Luton, as others have said it is not a patch on the others, very artificial and short.

To be frank, i don't think any of them can be much cop.
I've not used them all, but what you are paying for and getting is a nice shiny car and a course designed with damage limitation in mind. Fine if that's all you want. But it's not much of an 'experiance'.

Been on a private course since, old beat up disco, wasn't half good! Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

I have to put in a word for LRE North Yorkshire. Located near Skipton and the franchise (yes they are all franchised) is owned by Ronnie Dale [he who did the D3 launch at Wick and oversaw the famous Clarkson drive up the mountain - exiting by helicopter with the car keys )].
Great set-up and great terrain. Did my Level 1 and Level 2 certificates in Disco 2 and Disco2/Defender followed by pre-purchase drive in FL2 to convince me that it can hack it off-road.
Cheers Gone... 2013 XS TD4 Manual Firenze Red
Gone... 2008 (09MY) XS Td4 Manual Stornaway Grey
Prior... 2003 G4 Discovery 2, 1998 Disco 1 and 1997 Disco 1 Company car before that
Also gone in Nov'13, after 7.5 yrs, to new owners with time for more TLC - 1980 Series III 88
Current 2015 Discovery Sport HSE 2.0

Lutun Hoo is poo, the instructor I had Brian was great, but the artificial course was not really trying, and the wood is now off limits due to I'm told the estate manager and locl planning body ?
I did get to go through some muddy (level) tracks, but really not a patch on Honiton.
at tleast I didn't have to pay for it.
The food at the Golf club though I can recommend. And a visit to the House itself did make the trip a little more intersting.
Mike.

Only one mention for Dunkeld so far. Absolutely marvellous, great instructors and at one stage we were over 1000 ft above the A9 in a FL2. Have also done Dunkeld for the full day, Range rover auto, defender, discovery, freelander. Wonderful experience.
For the benefit of the gentleman from Stockton he must have driven through the LOCH, we don't have lakes.

cheers

Jim A.

Last edited by dunroof on 1st Dec 2012 8:41 am. Edited 1 time in total

Just booked one at Rockingham, slightly further than Luton Hoo but on the basis of the comments here decided the extra few miles was worth it

It may be a freebie but with the cost of fuel Rockingham is far enough  Prog rock is cool!
2012 XS SD4 Indus Silver

Missing Link wrote:

Just booked one at Rockingham, slightly further than Luton Hoo but on the basis of the comments here decided the extra few miles was worth it

It may be a freebie but with the cost of fuel Rockingham is far enough

Well out of the blue and for no particular reason I have received today a freebie Experience Half Day.........Hurrah!!

Luton Hoo is only about 5 miles away from Where I live. There are some negative comments dating back to 2012 regarding Luton Hoo. Does anyone have any more up-to-date experience?? Has anything changed??

Many Thanks Steve