LR simply abandoned the US market and handed it over to Jeep...
LR abandoned the US market?
Yes, they absolutely did.
Handed it over to Jeep?
Not hardly. The US belonged to Jeep from the get-go.
That's like saying Ferrari handed over the US market to General Motors.
I remember back when i had my first RR, reading that Honda sold more of their minivans in December of some year than LR sold Range Rovers the entire year.
LR has always been a niche market item.
It's a "look at what I have" car, always has been.
Did I love my Rovers? Yes. Yes I did.
Luxury vehicle? Without a doubt.
I always thought it was the little things that made my Rover special;
the rear wiper being synchronized to the front
outside mirrors that tilted down when i put it in reverse
electro-chromic rear-view mirrow
matched-down-the-centerline woodgrain & hide
The reality is many as-offroad-capable SUVs have many of the LR features I thought were "special", and at a fraction of the price.
"But it's not a Land Rover".
You're right. But I'm not a trustafarian, and I didn't choose my grandparents as well as some of you apparently did.
Unfortunately for me, Land Rover is no longer a club where I can afford to be a member.
Maybe the Range Rovers were my mid-life crisis cars.
I need reliable transportation that isn't going to make me worry about which overly-complex system is going to shit the bed.
I assume the newer models are more reliable.
I fucking hope so, jesus.
They're priced out of my range.
Yes, I could afford a 15+ year old used LR.
But LR sucked 15 years ago. Just because I know what the problems are doesn't mean the problem don't exist.
I LOVE the way disco1 & disco2 looked. That's one of the things that drew me to the brand in the first place.
I just couldn't see out the windshield from the driver's seat because of the roof coming down into my line of sight.
My P38 & certainly the L322 had style.
Yeah, Yeah, I know. The P38 sucked compared to the Classic. I get it.
Classic RR. L322. Discos.
Shit, even the LR3 kinda grew on me a little.
Now LR makes products for rappers & NFL players.
I am neither, nor do I particularly care for either group.
They've always been the car of choice for BarbieWives. Still are.
They're Ford Fucking Explorers with a different badge.
Or maybe Chevy Goddamned Trailblazers.
Or Hyundai whateverthefucks.
Or Toyotas, or Hondas.
They're the same.
Rounded, effete, style-over-substance, appearance-not-reality, beta-male mobiles.
Which is perfect for the world today.