ASPW wants a Grenadier

[Shopkeep]

All part of the process of building a following. Regardless of the real situation he absolutely has to find and call out the controversial to generate this sort of on line banter. Given he loved it (despite previous rants with the same objective) it wouldn’t have done to just leave it at that without generating robust online banter, all aimed at building profile and clicks.

Reckon if Ineos gave him one gratis he could do Perth to Broome return without even breaking a sweat.

 

[trobex]

I just returned from 5 days away in the Gren.

Love everything about the vehicle and with several long stints of driving, except two terrible driver outcomes with one simply unavoidable or fixable:

A. The lumbar support is terrible and I'm looking at options now for a good quality adjustable support. The seat seems ok for snail drives but is bad more uncomfortable but below point B...
B. The RHD footrest is the single worst design stuff up of the Grenadier in my view. 3 hours straight and I find myself doing nothing but trying to adjust and move the left foot and knee into positions that try to relieve from the prior 5, 6, 7 and 8th positions used.

ASPW pretty much sums up my thoughts entirely. This vehicle off road and in rough track is very assured. Steering for me personally is fine and I'm quite used to its behaviour both on and off road. My left knee is getting a callous where it is forced in to the centre console which itself is too wide and me left foot gets achy after the 1st hour... requiring constant moving. I can drive my tray back ute 350kms straight and not once have to think about foot or knee resting positions... oh and I'm not about banter or click bait socials. Just a day too day user of the vehicle with my view.

 

[trobex]

No I wouldn’t change it, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

Things I would change are:

Larger wing mirrors and a wide angle strip at the bottom (like on a transit)
Slightly longer loadbed and 1000kg carrying capacity
Rear sunroof
More cabin storage
Rear cupholders
Rear centre armrest
Heated rear seats
Larger glovebox
Option to default start stop to off
Ugly ass shifter

In calling you out. The footrest is on your list and you won't admit it. If rear heated seats bother you...

 

[Baron von Teuchter]

In calling you out. The footrest is on your list and you won't admit it. If rear heated seats bother you...

Isn’t the internet great, makes people feel they can tell other people what to believe.

The heated rear seats don’t bother me but my passengers would like them.

The footrest, honestly, literally, does not bother me in the slightest. Perhaps it’s a physical build thing, perhaps it’s a driving position preference thing. Perhaps it’s what you are used to driving. I wouldn’t change it, not a problem for me at all.

 

[ADVAW8S]

I just returned from 5 days away in the Gren.

Love everything about the vehicle and with several long stints of driving, except two terrible driver outcomes with one simply unavoidable or fixable:

A. The lumbar support is terrible and I'm looking at options now for a good quality adjustable support. The seat seems ok for snail drives but is bad more uncomfortable but below point B...
B. The RHD footrest is the single worst design stuff up of the Grenadier in my view. 3 hours straight and I find myself doing nothing but trying to adjust and move the left foot and knee into positions that try to relieve from the prior 5, 6, 7 and 8th positions used.

ASPW pretty much sums up my thoughts entirely. This vehicle off road and in rough track is very assured. Steering for me personally is fine and I'm quite used to its behaviour both on and off road. My left knee is getting a callous where it is forced in to the centre console which itself is too wide and me left foot gets achy after the 1st hour... requiring constant moving. I can drive my tray back ute 350kms straight and not once have to think about foot or knee resting positions... oh and I'm not about banter or click bait socials. Just a day too day user of the vehicle with my view.

Did you see that someone put a padded piece on the console in RHD to help with their knee touching.

 

[bakepl]

Almost everyone with a RHD Grenadier knows deep in their heart that the left footrest design is complete rubbish (but many won't admit it).

Most will not be affected by it for a variety of reasons, (age, flexibility, fitness, can't change so it's not really a problem, etc.).

Those that are impacted by it's ludicrous width and height can ameliorate it's impact by adjusting seat height & position and steering wheel position.

The reminder will just put up with it.

The golden question is: if you could flick a switch and change the footrest's height, width and shape - would you ??

I'm not an apsw fan generally but have to agree with a lot he's said and at least he hasn't given the normal car company sponsored dribble that we hear over and over. Most reviews have become tiresome as they all seem to reading from the same script. I am a little disappointed by some stuff given the clean sheet they had to work with and can't cop the explanation for the rhd bump as 'that's how bmw designed the exhaust bits so it couldn't be changed' - crikey just change it, it's an exhaust after all - yes it would have cost $$$ but hey, it's not a $30000 Jimny. The steering for me is fine and I don't do fast 180 turns with my hands off the wheel, my knee bumps or rests on the centre consul as apsw says and I notice the bump when I notice it, the door mirrors are less than ideal then there's the lack of grab handle for driver and rear passengers.......BUT am I keeping it.. hell yeah, overall it's an absolutely fantastic vehicle, built like a tank, firmly planted, fantastic towing heavy and with loads of charisma. Every time I look at it I have a smile and want to drive it and I hope that continues. Just a little more gvm (which has been resolved in Aus) and larger fuel capacity (which is likely to be resolved aftermarket) and I suspect it'll sell like hotcakes once it's seen around a little more and they start advertising. Anyone in the market for a 2003 LC100 sahara with front and rear bars, winch - it's up for sale?

 

[Earthwatcher]

Not another Grenadier review! Have to say I find this bloke a proper PITA. All the stuff about the steering and the lump have been said many times before. I couldn't give a monkey's whether he likes it or not. I like it and I'm enjoying it more and more. I will say, however, that the car featured looked brilliant in those dunes, love the paint job.
He's so full of himself, as if we'd all been waiting these months for his verdict. We can make our own minds up thankyou. I'm still running mine against the new Defender and I appreciate both for different reasons. Six months ago if one had to go it would have been the Grenadier. Now, I'm not so sure! It's so solid. I love it!

 

[trobex]

Did you see that someone put a padded piece on the console in RHD to help with their knee touching.

I have ordered a boating rubber which I can cut to size, yep - thought of this the day I bought the Gren just finding time now to get on to these things.

 

[DenisM]

Did you see that someone put a padded piece on the console in RHD to help with their knee touching.

Road safety advises keeping both hands on the wheel...

 

[rovie]

Road safety advises keeping both hands on the wheel...

I thought: Always keep both hands on her knees.

 

[AnD3rew]

After all his hot air, it was a decent review. The footrest is I believe an issue that is entirely dependent on the individual driver. It isn’t consistent even between drivers of similar height etc. I am 6’2” I don’t love the footrest and would like it to be different, but I have done several 1000km days in mine and it doesn’t cause me pain or unreasonable discomfort. I can work around it.

 

[Krabby]

Did you see that someone put a padded piece on the console in RHD to help with their knee touching.

Is that more of a RHD issue caused by the proverbial hump? Or is it a potential problem solver for LHDs? I'd expect the former, but I'm truckless.

 

[Krabby]

I thought: Always keep both hands on her knees.

Much easier to eat my ramen that way.

 

[stickshifter]

Much easier to eat my ramen that way.

I was rear-ended at a stop light by a college kid eating a hot bowl of ramen; he was holding the bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. For real.

 

[Rubicon Maybe]

I was rear-ended at a stop light by a college kid eating a hot bowl of ramen; he was holding the bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. For real.

Welcome to self-driving cars and Elon Musk

 

[Krabby]

I was rear-ended at a stop light by a college kid eating a hot bowl of ramen; he was holding the bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. For real.

That's why he crashed - he should have been using chopsticks.

 

[Baron von Teuchter]

I was rear-ended at a stop light by a college kid eating a hot bowl of ramen; he was holding the bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. For real.

Poor kid probably scalded his balls

 

[ADVAW8S]

Is that more of a RHD issue caused by the proverbial hump? Or is it a potential problem solver for LHDs? I'd expect the former, but I'm truckless.

I think it's a rhd issue not lhd depending how you drive.

 

[Zimm]

Not another Grenadier review! Have to say I find this bloke a proper PITA. All the stuff about the steering and the lump have been said many times before. I couldn't give a monkey's whether he likes it or not. I like it and I'm enjoying it more and more. I will say, however, that the car featured looked brilliant in those dunes, love the paint job.
He's so full of himself, as if we'd all been waiting these months for his verdict. We can make our own minds up thankyou. I'm still running mine against the new Defender and I appreciate both for different reasons. Six months ago if one had to go it would have been the Grenadier. Now, I'm not so sure! It's so solid. I love it!

Actually, I think part of a successful life isn't knowing everything, but recognizing those that do have the knowledge and experience that's important to your goals, and reflecting on their observations. To that end, he tends to have similar observations as my own, and maybe it's a bit of confirmation bias, or maybe it's a bit of experienced people agreeing, but, in the end I really was looking forward to an in depth review by Andrew.

For example a stock New Defender is good for getting shezimm to the store, or maybe getting in and out of the dirt tracks in the winter on my highland property, but, if you're juggling that with the Gren as similar for your uses, I already know your needs are much less rugged than mine, and your opinion on the truck won't be of much use to reflect upon. At least for me, that is.

Now, I know I know how to drive, and I know Andrew knows how to drive, and I can take Andrews opinion, and reflect upon the similarities and differences. RHD lump? I'm in America. Stupid design that suggests Steyer was expecting a V configuration engine but that sounds like the passengers issue. The steering? It sucked off road in the demo, and he took the time to demonstrate how sub par it is on road and now I know it wasn't just me. Everyone keeps blaming the type of box, but frankly it makes me think the supplier doesn't know what caster is. (beware lifting this truck, methinks). Fuel tank. Yea, that sucks, but once again, I'm in America. One extra Jerry is all I'll need. Ground clearance? It may be fine for australia, but it's a tad low for here from what I saw, and I'm wondering if a 1 or 2" lift will induce death wobble at some point of wear with that apparent lack of caster.

So, sorry, but yea. I was looking forward to his observations, and they do give me somthing to ponder.

 

[Xrford]

I think that people in general will go to great extents to blame why they will not buy something, on a minor flaw in the product, rather than have to look at their own limitations as the real reason. I do this all the time when looking at things that I cannot afford, I will pick the product apart in my mind and make everything in to a big problem, but in reality if i took my inability to afford it out of the equation, then that product would be the one I would get. I am not saying ASPW cannot afford it, but I do think his in ability to get one is the real reason he is making this mole hill into an impassible mountain. It is human nature to blame something or someone else, when the real reason is you or your own shortcoming. It is even harder if you have to admit this to the world over YouTube. I also see this a lot in others who pick this flaw as the reason they will not buy the Grenadier, then they buy a substantially cheaper 4x4 instead, which tells me it was about “I cannot afford this” rather than the issue with the foot rest.