Hi guys, now I get to summarize some new experiences again, even though other circumstances do not allow me to drive the Grenadier every day and extensively.
- So far I have 1400 km on the clock
- The consumption is currently at 12.3 liters, where I am with the exception of two highway trips exclusively on small country roads. I am sure that it comes with good driving on longer routes on less then 11 liters of diesel.
- I hardly have any electrical faults anymore. Only the seat belt warning for the back seat (but no one was sitting there) always appears after turning on the ignition, but goes out immediately after starting the engine.
- After the ignition is switched on, error messages regarding transmission, pdc and ecall still come up from time to time. However, these disappear after starting the engine.
- Heating, air conditioning, ventilation basically work. However, the air outlet is not always exactly where it is indicated on the dial. Sometimes there is still little air coming out of nozzles that I have not selected. However, the changes to the settings only take effect after a few seconds delay. So wait and see. For me, this is not a problem.
- On the subject of vibrations, people have repeatedly asked about this. First of all, this does not mean a comparison with a vibrating plate. Every engine, every gearbox, every machine has natural frequencies, resonance frequencies, which lead to slight vibrations and thus noises. At about 1800-1900 rpm, regardless of the speed, you can feel them on the accelerator pedal or hear them very slightly due to the excited vibrations in the plastic trim or sheet metal.
However, I think that many of you do not notice this at all because they do not pay attention to it. I can provoke these vibrations by holding the speed accordingly. For me it is not a cause for concern, but unsightly, as I am often driving at 100 km/h in 8th gear and that is exactly the 1800-1900 rpm.
- It copes well with bumps or holes in the road.
- I washed it with a hose, brush and water (no shampoo) and held it intensively on the roof and windshield frame. Until now I could not detect any water penetration. I do not have safari windows in the roof.
- My family uses the side runners all the time. Without them, getting in would be really really difficult for them. I am very tall (>1.9 m) and do not use you to get in, only to get out. When getting in, I already slide easily over the side bolster of the seat. Let's see if he can stand it in the long run. In the Defender with Scheelmann seat it has then at some point slight cracks in the cover.
Pure wear and tear would not be a problem for me, as I will use seat covers.
Little things that are not disturbing and not in my focus:
- No storage compartments in the boot. I'll build something there. - You can't get to the drink holders in the rear side doors while driving because the seat blocks access. - The shelves on the dashboard in front of the steering wheel and in front of the gear lever are unusable because the plastic is far too hard and slippery. - Due to the side panels I have instead of the windows, the background noise in the vehicle is more than in a vehicle with rear side windows. But I deliberately chose the panels and I was aware of that.
Unfortunately, since I use the Grenadier for driving and not for entertainment, I can hardly report any experience with infotainment. That will probably come later. All in all a great vehicle! It's fun to drive. Look forward to it!
