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Americas Build Quality

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I agree - steering is fine ( more on that later ) and it drives well and is solid and not easily unsettled on the road for such a big vehicle - but it is heavy and that's something to consider on small twisty road - the six BMW engine is smooth but the transmission seems to have some minor vibrations at certain RPM - it easily catches up in traffic - nothing new here , the petrol six was a production offering in the Defender when BMW owned Landrover - like having an old Defender with 7 people sitting in it before you get in ( Defender is almost 700Kg / 1500lbs lighter ) - 90 L/ 24 US gal is too small for places like Australia and Africa but that could be overcome - parking in tight spaces is possible but a bit of a challenge - but the mirrors are good and you can easily see down the side of the vehicle - the reversing camera is woeful , small and unclear - a decent two position camera on a full split of the infotainment screen would have made such a difference and could have been offered as an option - one camera looking backwards - on as default and one looking down from the top of the rear ( from reverse ) - so now i park nose in and its actually better to see - parking sensors seem to have a delay as you transition from forward and reverse etc - driving vision is good as you can generally see all around ( as the old defender is ) - i enjoy driving the car especially in a heavy traffic environment as the auto is so smooth and allows great control when you creep and the vision is great - the fit and finish is not so great but is functional and really what i expected but let down by some flimsy plastic parts - could be better

But and here is the big but ...

How much of the systems are dependent on the software ? and what sort of " limp modes " are explained - IE if something or some sensor fails what are the options ? and that is really where this journey begins ......
I also noticed a vibration at certain speeds on the highway. I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I thought it might have been in the drivetrain - i.e. somewhere behind the transmission (drive shaft, diff, axle), but I couldn't tell. Even though its obviously from a different source, it sort of reminded me of the thrumming you get from the hardtop in the Jeep Wrangler at certain speeds (its a weird pressure oscillation that can make your ears pop). If anyone can speak to the vibration in the Grenadier with some certainty - be great to hear from you.
 

Wayneos

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What's the worst that can happen 😁

This...

e1be887cc24e978d97bb5bdde499b78d.jpg
 

255/85

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- the reversing camera is woeful , small and unclear - a decent two position camera on a full split of the infotainment screen would have made such a difference and could have been offered as an option -

I wonder if the reversing cam was kept to only part of the screen so the engine parameters always visible? I've sometimes had to reverse for long distances when I run into a dead end out in the woods.

But and here is the big but ...

How much of the systems are dependent on the software ? and what sort of " limp modes " are explained - IE if something or some sensor fails what are the options ? and that is really where this journey begins ......

I'd hope various engine systems would fail-safe to a neutral position. I'd like to see the Valvetronic system default to maximum lift, Vanos to neutral cam timing, and the throttle valve to function with the TPS (or APPS?) input. You wouldn't get performance but that would eliminate some major sensors from failing and leaving you stranded.
 

James

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My '82 Porsche 928 cost more than a house when it was new, probably double an average house.
The tool holder in the rear hatch has a similar latch mechanism.
I have used it hundreds of times ; indeed every time I get home as that's where the battery disconnect switch is mounted.
Don't ask me how nut the flimsy mechanism , always exposed to the sun, still works fine.
1980s plastics eh , probably made from toxic chemicals and not recyclable...
Never heard any 928 guy complain about it!
I doubt I will ever use the safety kit in the rear door of the Grenadier.
But I might modify the opening , just to be different from everyone else!
Somewhere for my ferret to nest.
I think I’m going to remove the rear door hatch cover, file the vest in a cupboard at home, and use the little space behind the picnic table to store coffee beans, a grinder, stove, salt and condiments etc.. All the essentials to spice up coffee and a sandwich. Elastic net etc…
perfectly useful plastic hatch!
 
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Things have changed I think. I have multiple friends with Power Wagons, and they love them. Most have gone back to the dealer for something minor a couple of times in three to four years of ownership, but otherwise, they all say its the best truck they've ever owned. JD Powers is just one measure, and of course they are not the final say, but check out reliability for 2023 (below). Dodge and Ram are ranked first and second for reliability - meaning they have the fewest problems of any manufacturer in America. Jeep is better than the national average, but not great. This is also the first year in quite a while that Land Rover hasn't been dead last, so maybe things are looking up there. Big drops for both Toyota and Lexus, which have historically been in the top five.
View attachment 7832617
Check back after 100K miles.
 

alvan

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Re: the plastics. The only plastics I find unacceptable - be it in a $70,000 car or in a $50,000 car - are in the very back of the car, where there are two plastic "doors" to little storage cubbies. One is on your left as you are looking into the back of the vehicle (behind the left rear wheel-well), and one is on the large rear door (where the little pop-down table would go if you ordered one). Both of these are the cheapest plastics I have ever seen in any vehicle, maybe ever. The one on the rear door is worse than the one behind the left wheel-well. It is absurdly flimsy, and the little dials you turn to fasten or unfasten it are borderline useless. The plastic fasteners for this little plastic door are pathetic. In stunning contrast, the rear doors of the Grenadier open and close with a tremendous sense of quality. Of course, the rear doors are far more important than those little plastic cubby-doors, but I was really surprised at just how bad the plastic was in these two spots.

I also would have to say, that the shiny black piano trim on the inside of the four side doors in the Grenadier just doesn't make any sense. Its like some weird attempt to have up-scale trim in a vehicle that you are supposed to be able to wash out with a hose. This black trim, the transmission shifter, and the big screen, all feel like something out of an Audi S7 or the like, while the manual hand brake and the manual transfer case lever feel like things that actually belong in the Grenadier. Overall, it leaves me feeling like there were two different design teams for the interior, and they weren't allowed to talk to each other.
A tempest in a glass of water... Brigitte Bardot had horrible nails... :)
 

trobex

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Maybe they went a bit green on the plastics and put some Vegan stuff in it... would explain why it looks soft and is warped...
 

Skydance

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I also noticed a vibration at certain speeds on the highway. I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I thought it might have been in the drivetrain - i.e. somewhere behind the transmission (drive shaft, diff, axle), but I couldn't tell. Even though its obviously from a different source, it sort of reminded me of the thrumming you get from the hardtop in the Jeep Wrangler at certain speeds (its a weird pressure oscillation that can make your ears pop). If anyone can speak to the vibration in the Grenadier with some certainty - be great to hear from you.
I have a vibration too. Acceleration under load. Around 1500 to 2000 rpm. Diesel engine.
 

Krabby

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There was a heat-shield induced vibration on some early models. Might be worth combing through some of those threads.
 
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