1 best of : 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic SE Long-Term Update 4: Playing With Eco Mode

With the latest climate-change disaster consensus coming from 13 U.S. government agencies, I must admit to a bit of shame when I embark on my solo commute in the Range Rover Velar.

I mean, it’s a beautiful, graceful vehicle, with an impressive 5.7-second 0–60 time for imposingly darting through traffic, and an elegantly posh interior that gets me to the office (or home) feeling none the worse for wear. And its 18/24 EPA mpg (and our EQUA MPG testing outperforming EPA estimates at 20.7/27.5 mpg) ain’t half bad for a 4,547-pound vehicle with the phrase “R Dynamic” in its name.

I also have a motorcycle in the garage with a much smaller carbon footprint. That might make better sense on my traffic-choked commute. Still, SUVs are the most popular type of vehicle in America that isn’t a pickup truck, and research on behalf of the consumer must be performed.

To assuage my guilt, I have started experimenting with Eco drive mode. Normally I am a Sport mode personality. But my commute up Pacific Coast Highway through the South Bay beach cities is such a predictable slog that I rarely dip into the throttle.

I’d say that 90 percent of the time, Eco mode is sufficient for my needs. On a hot day, having the car’s computer cut the engine to save fuel also crimps the air conditioner’s cooling abilities, but that’s a minor, temporary inconvenience. Over the course of a couple tanks of gas, I found Eco mode improves fuel economy by 1 mpg. Every little bit helps.

Conversely, MotorTrend social media maven Carol Ngo (who lives her life in Eco mode) nonetheless was captivated by occasional forays into Sport mode. That said, she is not a fan of the Velar’s rotary gear-selector, which resulted in mis-shifts into the wrong gear due to user error—in addition to just being an ergonomic annoyance compared to a traditional PRNDL gearshift.

Automakers also have different learning curves when it comes to their infotainment systems. We’ve already grimaced over the clunky user interface, in contrast to the beauty of the glossy twin-screen layout. The system’s user experience also leaves something to be desired, as copy editor Jesse Bishop discovered on a 3,000-mile run from L.A. to Washington state with his new bride.

When playing music through his phone and also using onboard navigation, the system didn’t pause the music while reading out directions—meaning missing out on a vital passage of music or podcast. There have also been a couple occasions—usually when engaging reverse gear quickly after engine start—that the infotainment system freezes or merely goes black. If you want it to work, you have to reboot the system by turning off the Velar, waiting about 10 seconds, and starting it up again—just like you have to do with your cable modem at home after a blackout.

Yeah, yeah, #FirstWorldProblems, but it points out that Land Rover’s telematics team has some catch-up to play.

2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic SE Long-Term Update 4: Playing With Eco Mode

Read more about our long-term Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic SE:

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