Funny that , a few years back I went to look at a Golf . I pulled up on the forecourt of the VW dealer in Wakefield . I was riding a Triumph 955i Daytona . I’d barely got off the bike before some self important oik told me to move it . Now I wonder how many people he had that day who were considering dropping their company car and therefore had £550 a month buyout to lease or buy a personal vehicle . Still his loss . I moved the bike , right out of the gate . 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

A coupe of years ago I went with my son to an evening launch event at the local Porsche dealer. There wasn't a lot of parking space so they did a valet parking system and took your keys and drove your car off to a school playground down the road for return later. The vehicles turning up were a mixture of builder's vans and pickups as well as various smart saloons and SUVs including the odd Range Rover (and my FL2 of course) . Customers dress ranged from suits to working clothes. I mentioned it to one of the sales guys and he said that it was a different market and that no one actually needs a Porsche and everyone will have another vehicle for everyday use and it was an inspirational purchase where they know that you want one so that they are not aiming at exclusivity.
I feel with JLR that it used to be that if you wanted off road capability then LandRover was the market leader in 4x4 technology but that they are trying to leave that behind now and become a exclusive llifestyle/uxury brand . Hence they don't want the likes of us cluttering up their showrooms. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

In the mid 1990s I worked at a Ford dealership. We'd just had one of the first 24v Mondeos wheeled into the showroom and it was getting a fair bit of interest.

Older, scruffy chap in a boiler suit and covered in cement dust was taking a look and being ignored by the sales staff. Now my role was fleet and finance - I wasn't allowed to "poach" retail. Despite that, I saw this guy trying to speak with the retail sales guys and getting a disinterested rebuff and a roll of the eyes, so I wandered over and had a chat with him. The retail sales staff openly mocked me as I walked away with the customer.

A little over an hour later I made a point of walking back over to them with a signed order and deposit cheque for 2 Mondeos and an Escort Cabriolet. plus a request to quote on 3 Transits. He didn't need the transits, but the "threshold" for me being able to sell as fleet/small business vs retail was 5 vehicles  Current driveway contents:
2021 V60 Cross Country B5
2009 FL2 dog bus and shooting wagon

On Order: 2023 Fisker Ocean Ultra - deposit paid.

Nicely done  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

When Guy Salmon was in Stratford upon Avon I used their parts dept. That was a good few years ago now, but they would send smaller parts in the post or leave bigger items at the reception desk for me to collect st the weekend as they only worked Mon to Fri. I think it was a rare thing for them to sell parts direct to Joe Public though...

I buy all the bits I need online now from various sources and even some main dealers have eBay shops.

By contrast for my wife's car I have used the local Fiat main dealer and their parts people are very helpful on the phone and in person and they e-mail me copies of the parts diagram to make sure the right part is sourced. They're even there on a Saturday morning. How refreshing!

Local LR dealer near to me is open mon-sat!

I am still waiting for the main dealer at Stafford to get back to me re key replacement for my 09 plate FL2….

Think the parts departments are pants?
My DS is due a service and I rang around the dealers for prices as she is under extended warranty.
Remember the services are>
21k / 2 years - oil & filter & pollen filter.
42k / 4 years - oil & filter, fuel filter, air filter, pollen filter and brake fluid change
63k / 6 years -oil & filter and brake pipes
84K / 8 years - same as 42K
106K / 10 years - the biggie, engine out timing chain, oil & filter, pollen filter. - £980+

So mine has done 53k and will be 4 years old, had the 42k service done early last year at 35k

Answers ranged from:
Next service is 42k - but will invalidate the warranty unless you have the brake fluid and brake pipes done as well.
Next service is 63k - and no they cannot do the other filters as it will invalidate the warranty.
Next service is 106K ! because I have had an oil change every 10K the car must have had a hard life so the timing chains will be knackered. Oil changes were my idea as I don't like oil in for 21K.
We will get back to you sir - still waiting.

There was a time when the Service co-ordinator was a technician who had been promoted to the office, rather than a youngster who had no interest in cars but was cheap.

So it looks like the "genuine" 63k service and doing the rest of the filters on the driveway.

Then next year when I am not going the pay £91/m for a warranty, I get the timing chains done at my local specialist for half the price of the dealership and they can change the gearbox, rear axle, steering and PTU oils at the same time - a proper service. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

I still get my FL2 serviced (2014 SD4 XS with 67k miles) at Yeovil LR on the 3+ scheme as it's under extended warranty. They seem OK but asfar as I can see not many places are doing the 3+ scheme now.
My wife has a Suzuki Swift which is now 4 years old and the dealer does a 3+ scheme. Last service was £129 and an extended warranty comes in at £165 per year. They also give you a one year free AA cover if you have a main dealer service. Land Rover are certainly looking expensive and after 25 years of LR ownership this one might be my last.. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Our i3 is now almost seven years old and under the BMW extended warranty so we have it serviced at the main dealer in Plymouth but they also have a (I think it’s a 4+ scheme) service discount for older cars and it’s literally cuts the bill in half actually making the cost of the service seem very reasonable, not that they do much on an EV but we have the range extender so it does need oil and filter changes every two years (each service).

And we get a free loan car or a pickup/delivery if we want on the car, not to mention as much expensive coffee and biscuits as we want while there  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

dorsetfreelander wrote:

I still get my FL2 serviced (2014 SD4 XS with 67k miles) at Yeovil LR on the 3+ scheme as it's under extended warranty. They seem OK but asfar as I can see not many places are doing the 3+ scheme now.
My wife has a Suzuki Swift which is now 4 years old and the dealer does a 3+ scheme. Last service was £129 and an extended warranty comes in at £165 per year. They also give you a one year free AA cover if you have a main dealer service. Land Rover are certainly looking expensive and after 25 years of LR ownership this one might be my last..

That makes me feel even better, the service every two years on the i3 is £340 (had it just two weeks ago) and reading your good ladiy’s Suzuki service cost it’s actually about the same

Mind you I cannot touch that extended warranty cost….bloomin’ell £165 a year for a full warranty? That is a bargain. Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

The Suzuki warranty cost of only £165 a year probably says something about the reliability of Japanese cars. ! Incidentally Toyota were advertising not long ago that if you had your car serviced by a dealer you got a free year's warranty. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

If you start with a new or Toyota approved car and keep it in the dealer network for service , I think the warranty will be 10 years / 100000 miles . We’re ( me snd new partner ! ) getting a 2018 plate Swift in a couple of weeks , it’s on lease and I’m paying the current driver £ WBAC plus a grand . He walks away with a bit of cash after the lease is settled rather than handing it back ., 33k miles , it’s a 1.0 3 cylinder turbo booster jet . Ideal runaround will do mid 50 mpg with a light foot . Japanese cars have always had a reliability that’s second to none . In the past I’ve had HiLux , Celica GT , SJ410 and Shogun , all from new and boringly efficient . 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

dorsetfreelander wrote:

This is what we are up against

"Materiality?"


https://twitter.com/i/status/1550752584327053313

What language were they speaking?  I've decided to stop being a good example and will now just be a terrible warning.....
2008 TD4HSE - gone but much loved.
2014MY SD4 Metropolis - very much loved.

dorsetfreelander wrote:

The Suzuki warranty cost of only £165 a year probably says something about the reliability of Japanese cars. ! Incidentally Toyota were advertising not long ago that if you had your car serviced by a dealer you got a free year's warranty.