I really wanted to like this thing more than I do. It has a lot going for it, but ultimately it's let down (for me, anyway) by some major flaws that are kind of inexcuseable in modern cars.
Flaw 1: Utter lack of buttons. Check out that center screen. yeah, that's it. That's all you get to control the functions of the car. And pretty much everything is at least one level deep in the menus. If the passenger wanted to change the volume of the stereo, they;d have to first navigate to the entertainment screen, then adjust the volume from there. Likewise with fan speed. Some controls should absolutely have first-order retrievability, and those are two of them in my opinion. Hiding them behind a submenu is kind of inexcuseable.
Flaw 2: Realy weird driveline surging. This one would almost send me to a dealer if I bought this thing. When downshifting approaching a stop, many downshifts are accompanied by a surge big enough to lurch the car noticeably. it makes it almost impossible to decelerate smoothly. That's kind of a dealbreaker.
And it's all kind of a bummer, because there's alot to like here. It's got the great driving dynamics of something like a Mazda CX-5—long one of the best small SUVs out there for driving enjoyment—with a decidedly more upscale feel to it. Seating position and presence from behind the wheel are great, it's just kind of ruined by some really dumb avoidable flaws.
It's also weirdly small in the back seat and cargo area. It's like a small SUV that completely takes the U out of the equation, at which point it may as well just be a car.
Oh well. Cool color. Looks neat. Big whiff pretty much everywhere else, though.
Duke
MegaDork
5/14/24 1:22 p.m.
JG Pasterjak said:
It's also weirdly small in the back seat and cargo area. It's like a small SUV that completely takes the U out of the equation, at which point it may as well just be a car.
The 2-doors are even worse. Do they even still make those?
I have to admit, of all the vehicles I have an implacable hatred for, the Evoque is near the top of my list, for that very reason. Lid for every pot, etc etc etc, but I cannot think of a single thing this vehicle does that couldn't be done better by something else... except for impressing the kind of people I have zero interest in impressing.
The color is its only redeeming quality. I'll give you that.
JG Pasterjak said:
Looks neat. Big whiff pretty much everywhere else, though.
I'd be fine if something similar got put on my grave stone.
It does seem like the right size, but I'd imagine there are better options available on the market–regardless of budget.
However, some might be more than willing to overlook that for the chance to have a Land Rover.
After a couple more days to reflect on my initial review I've had a chance to evaluate the car less emotionally and rethink things a bit.
Yeah it sucks even worse now.
I'm a little surprised something this mediocre made it through multiple rounds of product development and testing and became real. The chassis is actually decent I guess, although I can't imagine it's of much use off road. But the drivetrain is... well this just ain't it, hoss. Trying to beat a yellow light? Good luck. The transmission will still be deciding whether it wants to downshift when the cop is already done writing the ticket. And that deceleration surge? Make sure your cargo is secure if you intend on using the brakes.
It's just a car that doesn't need to be nearly as bad as it is, yet here we are.
Last night I passed a–wait for it–Evoque convertible.
Duke
MegaDork
5/17/24 1:55 p.m.
David S. Wallens said:
Last night I passed a–wait for it–Evoque convertible.
That would actually be an improvement, since at least you could pretend to enjoy driving it when the weather is nice.
I had once hypothesized that the Evoque Convertible was just the new VW Cabrolet
I have a friend who has owned a couple of Evoques. I think it's mostly because he's a Very Tall Belgian and he fits.
He also just traded in his Wrangler for a Corolla GR, so he's not the kind of guy who makes predictable vehicular choices.
