2014 LR4 Test Drive Review - LR4 1st Drive

[Finlayforprez]

I found on here somewhere where you posted your specs and noticed that was the only difference between what we wanted.

I really like the Arabica interior because I love dark brown leather but my concern with the Tan carpets is keeping them clean. From the dog to muddy mountain bikes I am just concerned over time I won't be able to keep the carpets clean. I would say I am a little OCD with a clean vehicle and have taken a rather large interest in detailing so even with the knowledge and resources I have gained from studying that I don't know if over time it would work out.

Maybe you could talk me into it otherwise? The better half likes the Arabica as well after I showed it to her a few times. I also think since the LR4 doesn't have cooled seats that even dark brown might be better than black.

I love the Arabica seat combination, it's very nice and goes well with Fuji White. My 2011 was all tan and I like having the dark brown seats.

As for the carpets and tan trim, it's easy to keep clean and I am a bit OCD like you. With that said though, most of us do not leave the tan carpets on the floor, but rather get the OEM or after market protective mats. I have them in the front and second row and they do a great job protecting the interior flooring and are easy to clean.

Scuffs, sort, etc. seem pretty easy to clean on the tan trim. Foot scuffs on the door pockets come off easy with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

The one thing that is a pain in the butt is getting fingerprint smudges off the black trim on the outside of the doors (near the windows). My truck was delivered with so many fingerprints on that trim and it's tough to get off. I finally was able to clean it and then use a wax / black protectant to make it so fingerprints easily wipe off. But, I just close the door with the handle. It drives me crazy, more so than even the small trail scratches I have on the same trim. ;-)

-David

 

[epiclr4]

I love the Arabica seat combination, it's very nice and goes well with Fuji White. My 2011 was all tan and I like having the dark brown seats.

As for the carpets and tan trim, it's easy to keep clean and I am a bit OCD like you. With that said though, most of us do not leave the tan carpets on the floor, but rather get the OEM or after market protective mats. I have them in the front and second row and they do a great job protecting the interior flooring and are easy to clean.

Scuffs, sort, etc. seem pretty easy to clean on the tan trim. Foot scuffs on the door pockets come off easy with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

The one thing that is a pain in the butt is getting fingerprint smudges off the black trim on the outside of the doors (near the windows). My truck was delivered with so many fingerprints on that trim and it's tough to get off. I finally was able to clean it and then use a wax / black protectant to make it so fingerprints easily wipe off. But, I just close the door with the handle. It drives me crazy, more so than even the small trail scratches I have on the same trim. ;-)

-David

Do you have the black trim on the inside of the vehicle? While I think with the black package it would be nice with the black interior I also think the wood trim looks good.

 

[Surfrider77]

I have the gloss black trim interior and would swap it out for wood in a heartbeat. It's glossiness shows even the tiniest particles of dust and it's a fingerprint magnet. Looks nice after a detailing, but the vast majority of the time it is displaying every last blemish.

 

[Finlayforprez]

I have the gloss black trim interior and would swap it out for wood in a heartbeat. It's glossiness shows even the tiniest particles of dust and it's a fingerprint magnet. Looks nice after a detailing, but the vast majority of the time it is displaying every last blemish.

Exactly!!!

When I ordered my 2013, my sales guy tried to talk me into getting the gloss black trim, but I wanted the wood. I had a loaner with the black trim and I knew immediately it would drive me nuts - it absolutely shows every speck of dust. I also think the wood looks great with the Arabica leather.

 

[epiclr4]

I have the gloss black trim interior and would swap it out for wood in a heartbeat. It's glossiness shows even the tiniest particles of dust and it's a fingerprint magnet. Looks nice after a detailing, but the vast majority of the time it is displaying every last blemish.

This is what I assumed and I think the wood trim would lighten up the ebony interior.

 

[Finlayforprez]

This is what I assumed and I think the wood trim would lighten up the ebony interior.

Are you going with Ebony or Arabica/Almond?

I like the Ebony, but it's a lot of black. The loaner I had was a Lux package with Ebony and gloss black trim. It was very sharp, but the Ebony interior shows every speck of dust. If you are OCD, the Arabica/Almond is probably the best choice. I originally wanted Ebony, but decided against it. It would drive me crazy and my last few vehicles were Ebony interior.

 

[epiclr4]

Are you going with Ebony or Arabica/Almond?

I like the Ebony, but it's a lot of black. The loaner I had was a Lux package with Ebony and gloss black trim. It was very sharp, but the Ebony interior shows every speck of dust. If you are OCD, the Arabica/Almond is probably the best choice. I originally wanted Ebony, but decided against it. It would drive me crazy and my last few vehicles were Ebony interior.

My last few vehicles have had black interiors as well and while I love the Arabica seats my concern still goes back to the Almond carpet and muddy mountain biking gear. On top of this we have a Black Lab who sheds like it is his job. My hope with the black is that it will somewhat blend in and not drive me as crazy as it could with the Almond carpets. I am still open to the idea. The guy at the dealership was going to search 2014 inventory to see what was available with the options I want and if a Fuji white one is out there with Arab/Alm then I would probably be fine with it. Otherwise I will probably just wait the 6-8 weeks for delivery.

 

[danrhiggins]

David:

The one thing I am not sure about getting is the vision assist package. I would really like the adaptive headlights and auto high beams. Don't really care for the blind spot or multiple cameras. If anyone can give a reason as to why this package is a must have I am open to opinions.

Also, I have spec'd the truck with the HSE package and everything that makes up the HSE LUX package with what I want and the price difference is $3,150.

If there is something I am missing or should consider please let me know.

Thanks,
Heath

Regarding the Vision Assist package that is actually one of the things that has me waiting for the 2014. I have Blind Spot Indicator in my MDX and it is actually pretty useful for driving on 4-lane roads or interstates and I do a fair bit of that. Although my MDX does not have adaptive headlights with auto-high beams I miss those having had them on my previous Lexus. They auto-high beams were far more useful than I realized until I had to go back to doing it myself in the MDX. ;-)

As for the surround camera system I can see that being useful in tight parking situations in tight off road situations - especially with the elevated seating position. I make a lot of use of the backup cameras on my vehicles but have never had side or front view.

 

[danrhiggins]

I appreciate this color discussion. I was going to post a question on this - both for exterior and interior. My last 3 vehicles have been white exteriors with tan interiors. Although I will likely mix it up this time around with the exterior and will post a question about that as for the interior I don't think I could do black. We get lots of sun here in Colorado. Black gets hot. And it shows dust. (But of course our dog, when we had one, was a Golden, not black or even dark.) I think I will stick with "tan" but will do the dark or black rubber floor mats with OEM or Weathertech and will create some sort of dark or black liner for the back of the vehicle. In my MDX I have a soft, black OEM liner that works great but it is a conventional back section. The higher roofline and more spacious third row in the LR4 enables some interesting use cases for that space as you have pointed out. So I think I am going to need something that can be reconfigured to match how I am using the back in a given situation.

In any case, I think I will go "tan" and then figure out a solution for protecting those parts likely to get dirty. (I also often carry an old towel or two in the back for when I load my bike or some other filthy item back there - like our chocolate lab "grand dog".)

 

[suvowner]

Use ice brand wax on the black trim works great

I love the Arabica seat combination, it's very nice and goes well with Fuji White. My 2011 was all tan and I like having the dark brown seats.

As for the carpets and tan trim, it's easy to keep clean and I am a bit OCD like you. With that said though, most of us do not leave the tan carpets on the floor, but rather get the OEM or after market protective mats. I have them in the front and second row and they do a great job protecting the interior flooring and are easy to clean.

Scuffs, sort, etc. seem pretty easy to clean on the tan trim. Foot scuffs on the door pockets come off easy with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

The one thing that is a pain in the butt is getting fingerprint smudges off the black trim on the outside of the doors (near the windows). My truck was delivered with so many fingerprints on that trim and it's tough to get off. I finally was able to clean it and then use a wax / black protectant to make it so fingerprints easily wipe off. But, I just close the door with the handle. It drives me crazy, more so than even the small trail scratches I have on the same trim. ;-)

-David