3rd party Videos Harrys Garage

[Cheshire cat]

I really enjoy Harry’s videos but felt disappointed at his dismissal of the Grenadier, its philosophy and the subtleties that will make it a success.
The biggest turn off for me of the new Defender is its demographic. That alone is reason not to buy.

 

[Trialmaster]

If you have a look at his vehicle collection you will see that he likes low, powerful, sporty sedans and coupe's.
He does a bit of driving around on muddy grass at his farm but no off-roading for fun.
For his farm he should have the 2 seat utility for test
He was never going to be a fan.

Dave, I know about his car collection. He is a wealthy car collector and serious farmer. His farm 4x4 is a Range Rover and in previous videos he stated that he disliked the original Defender, he never was going to like the Grenadier. I do respect his car choices and one I would follow is the F-Pace SVR! I worked at RAF Brize Norton and his farm is only a couple of miles from the base.

But who in their right mind from the press office would send a vehicle out with missing fasteners? Lucky it didn't display any faults on the dash

I do agree, that the weight is extreme and maybe a fraction over sized for UK roads, but until I get mine in the next couple of weeks I cannot judge properly.

 

[DaveB]

Dave, I know about his car collection. He is a wealthy car collector and serious farmer. His farm 4x4 is a Range Rover and in previous videos he stated that he disliked the original Defender, he never was going to like the Grenadier. I do respect his car choices and one I would follow is the F-Pace SVR! I worked at RAF Brize Norton and his farm is only a couple of miles from the base.

But who in their right mind from the press office would send a vehicle out with missing fasteners? Lucky it didn't display any faults on the dash

I do agree, that the weight is extreme and maybe a fraction over sized for UK roads, but until I get mine in the next couple of weeks I cannot judge properly.

I also enjoy his usual video's and subscribe to both his channels.
From memory he said the new Defender he had on 6 month trial was too expensive for a farm vehicle but performed extremely well, except when he tried to load it up.

 

[Ever Pragmatic]

He makes some good points and some that I disagree with. Like all reviews, it’s subjective.. Comparing Grenadier to new Land Rover, or the old one is pretty pointless.. New Defender is really a Discovery replacement and it’s a great car, very capable, great on road and off but is one of the more popular cars I see on the school run…. a great family car you can take anywhere but will never see anything more challenging than a school playing field.. Old defender is agricultural, I grew up with them, and am very but they’re horrible to drive and live with..

My own Gren is a month and bit old now, and today it was used for taking family and two labs to the wood for exercise, a trip to the dump with a builders skip bag full of fermenting green waste, including a resident ant colony, and this afternoon was spent off road in the lanes with one of my lads.. he did a little video which I’ll post later in the “what did I do today” thread. It got properly mucky, scratched, dusty inside and had to be pressure washed (wheels and undercarriage) afterwards, including pulling green crap out of all the external door hinges that seem to snag..

I’m not a car reviewer, just a normal bloke, but for me and my mob, the Gren is has “rolled all the sixes.” I can’t remember which forum member said that his kids described the Gren as the Unimog Sport.. So I guess that unless you’ve never lusted after a Unimog, you’re just not going to get the Grenadier..

 

[JOB]

I thought he was really nit-picking when saying “it felt heavy when towing”. Meanwhile he laboured the 90 without air was the tail wagging the dog with a trailer on! I think in reality the Grenadier was perfectly good with 2.5T behind it.

 

[2wheelfish]

After watching his reviews on the Defender and his reasoning for liking it, I figured he wouldn’t probably like the Gren. I thought he might consider other use cases, but he only considered his own and yeah, he is not an off-road guy. I’ll watch his farm review, but I am not a farmer and I’m sure his viewpoint will be limited to grassy fields, hauling hay, and maybe pulling tree stumps.

 

[Pipm4000]

I really respect his analysis and opinion. He loved the new defender as a car and in that review said he never liked the old defender. Given I love the old Defender and have one I will likely never sell I knew our opinions on the finer points of vehicles would differ. Basically put - if you like the old Defender you’ll like the Grenadier, if you wanted a more reliable version of the new Defender you won’t like it. His knowledge of cars, their handling, performance and heritage is second to none though.

 

[Pipm4000]

I’m not a car reviewer, just a normal bloke, but for me and my mob, the Gren is has “rolled all the sixes.” I can’t remember which forum member said that his kids described the Gren as the Unimog Sport.. So I guess that unless you’ve never lusted after a Unimog, you’re just not going to get the Grenadier..View attachment 7813882View attachment 7813882

I describe my Grenadier as like driving a Unimog

 

[ADVAW8S]

I didn't mind the review because it's a personal opinion piece. I did laugh at him turning, it seemed like he over exaggerated the return to prove a point.

 

[DaBull]

He's a farmer and influencer who started Evo mag with a farm loan...made a massive profit when he sold it and being a personable classic and sports car chap has the same appeal as Jay Leno.
Harry's Garage = entertainment
Harry's Farm = educational , and appealing to those who like to understand how things work .

I thought Harry's review was thought provoking. On one hand I get what he is saying about the new Defender, as owning one it is an incredible vehicle in everyway. After owning 3 Jeep Grand Cherokee's, I then owned a 2007 & 2011 Land Rover Sport and loved the boxy look. I then purchased a 2019 Range Rover Sport and missed the boxy look of the prior ones and just felt it was too over the top lux for me. Although I enjoyed it, I just did not feel like it fit my idea of a Land Rover, (yes I know they were Range Rovers). I toyed with buying an old Defender and getting it road worthy, however that was going to take too much time and money. Since Land Rover quit making the old Defender, who's DNA I aspired too, I purchased the new Defender only to find out about the new Grenadier being birthed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe 2 months after purchasing my new Defender. It was immediately obvious to me that this was the track that Land Rover should have went down with their new Defender as it carries forward the original DNA of the old Defender. Started following the Grenadier, this incredible forum and took a test drive. Incredibly impressed and looking forward to placing my order on May 31, 2023. I feel like my long journey in owning 3 Range Rovers and the New Defender has all been meant to be, and that is to be in the New Grenadier. DaBull

 

[DDG]

Harry Metcalfe is one of the good guys. He’s a lifelong car nut. For his success, he is remarkably humble and self-deprecating. He definitely does not need the YouTube $, but likely earns a fortune from it. I’ve disagreed with many of his reviews in the past, but usually because he will pull punches to avoid overly harsh criticism. Additionally, he is very much involved as a consultant to Jaguar (at least historically). Every reviewer should be weighed based on their body of work. His take on the Grenadier seems to be an honest one. The issues he highlights, however; are things most Grenadier enthusiasts won’t care about (turning radius, perfect fit and finish, nvh isolation, etc).
Clarkson is pure entertainment from what I have seen. So many reviewers are compromised. Internet influencers are even less trustworthy. Their literal existence depends upon the largesse of big manufacturers. I can not think of a single one (off the top of my head) whose review I would trust.
This is why I place so much value on a good forum. Actual owners. They’ve evaluated the vehicle just like I have and have invested passion, time, and treasure.
At the end of the day, one must decide for oneself. The one caveat in owners forums is “beware the zealot”. They are the ones who will criticize frames rusting through on Toyotas as poor maintenance and death wobble jeeps as bad drivers. Their overly enthusiastic optimism hides real problems and never helps a brand, long term.

 

[Earthwatcher]

I've just watched Harry's review and thought it was spot on and very fair, at least for road handling. I expect his "on the farm review" will be kinder. It's only natural that Grenadier owners are seeking validation for their choices. I don't think he said one thing that hasn't been said before on various aspects of the car. I bet the PR people will be getting the hairdryer treatment from Ratcliffe over those missing screws. He's a stickler for detail. Harry was probably a bit narrow with his "niche within a niche" comment, I think the car will appeal to many more people than off-roaders and farmers. It will certainly need to do so at the price.

 

[DaveB]

I've just watched Harry's review and thought it was spot on and very fair, at least for road handling. I expect his "on the farm review" will be kinder. It's only natural that Grenadier owners are seeking validation for their choices. I don't think he said one thing that hasn't been said before on various aspects of the car. I bet the PR people will be getting the hairdryer treatment from Ratcliffe over those missing screws. He's a stickler for detail. Harry was probably a bit narrow with his "niche within a niche" comment, I think the car will appeal to many more people than off-roaders and farmers. It will certainly need to do so at the price.

I think if you were going to be towing loads like that regularly you would want something better than a 3 litre diesel.
Particularly one that has been derated like the Grenadier.

 

[Jeremy996]

I enjoyed Harry's review and accept that it will not suit everyone. I don't like the new Defender; I did not give JLR my money on the basis of an extended test drive and too many dealings with my local dealer, OK for sales but terrible at fixing faults and will only deal with warranty issues when their hand is pressed into the fire.
My wife whinged about the size of the glovebox today on our 300+ mile round trip to Newcastle, my mobile phone goes into the lockable cubby and I don't have much clutter in the cab - most gets chucked into the load space and bungeed to the sides.

Towing will have to wait until I have a towball, (still on the missing list), but in the UK the Grenadier is about as good as you will get to tow loads up to 3.5tonnes. I used my old LR110 to tow car trailers, boats, box trailers and plant trailers.

 

[AnD3rew]

I look forward to his Harry’s Farm video to see if it is a different view. He was very careful to say that this review was in the context of a Harry’s Garage review, and he reviews supercars and such, classic and new. I understand his view of a gentleman farmer in England that for him a New Defender feels more modern and comfortable and to be fair it is, I love the New Defender. But for those who might want to do longer range and remote offroad touring the New Defender does not feel like it will be long lasting enough and the reliability is in serious question. He is right, time will tell on that for the Grenadier but on paper it looks good and that’s what us early adopters are gambling on.

 

[revanthmatha]

After watching this video and a few others i’m officially out. The price to value is not there in this vehicle. I love the exterior look and inside manual switches but that’s really about it. I wish the car had more performance for the mpg, more leather everywhere and an instrument cluster in front of the driver with a heads up display. I cannot justify spending 100k+ on this. Hopefully it will improve over time as i really do want Ineos to succeed.

Officially submitted my refund order. Best of luck to everyone here and enjoy your new vehicle.

 

[Davman]

After watching this video and a few others i’m officially out. The price to value is not there in this vehicle. I love the exterior look and inside manual switches but that’s really about it. I wish the car had more performance for the mpg, more leather everywhere and an instrument cluster in front of the driver with a heads up display. I cannot justify spending 100k+ on this. Hopefully it will improve over time as i really do want Ineos to succeed.

Officially submitted my refund order. Best of luck to everyone here and enjoy your new vehicle.

That was a quick 180 turnaround.

Plenty of USA forum members signing off, but looks like plenty are jumping on as well.

 

[DenisM]

Who is Harry? And why do we care what he thinks?

The old "360 deg Feedback" ...one more subjective opinion to add to the other 359 subjective opinions!
So it is with Harry! or ASPW or Uncle Tom Cobley....

As long as he ventures solely in "green fields", then the other vehicles he mentioned will do nicely and he'll be content... and I am happy for him

But the world is a bigger place.... The massive hydro-formed chassis , heavy duty axles and "big squishy tyres" ...serve a purpose for places dear Harry has probably never considered but which are an every day experience for others....

 

[grenadierboy]

Harry knows cars - his review was OK.

He highlighted the trade-off between on & off road - it is NOT a fine line b/w the two.

In effect he was saying: Are you prepared to sacrifice steering responsiveness & turning circle & gain extra weight and solid axle ride to get the best off road manners?

Yes if you drive a lot off road but the more you drive on road maybe harder to keep saying yes. What if you drive 90% on sealed roads?

 

[DaveB]

Harry knows cars - his review was OK.

He highlighted the trade-off between on & off road - it is NOT a fine line b/w the two.

In effect he was saying: Are you prepared to sacrifice steering responsiveness & turning circle & gain extra weight and solid axle ride to get the best off road manners?

Yes if you drive a lot off road but the more you drive on road maybe harder to keep saying yes. What if you drive 90% on sealed roads?

Valid points
It is also impacted by what other vehicles you own, or is this your only vehicle
How long are you planning to keep it?
Many people trade at end of warranty or before, others are looking at this vehicle lasting for 20+ years.
There is no way I would let a JLR product get out of warranty as they are proven to be unreliable.
The Grenadier hasn't been proven to be long term reliable or unreliable.