Just Took A Test Drive of the 2014 Equus - Have Unanswered Questions

[PalmBeachRider]

Hi All,

It's been a while since I posted here and allow me to say that I appreciate all the information provided on this site.

When the Equus first came out, I took a test drive and enjoyed the car, but the dealership had a $5K upcharge on the car and honestly, I just didn't want to get involved. I went to a different dealer and they had a $10K upcharge. I didn't even bother with them. Now, nearly two years later, I'm back looking at the Equus.

When I arrived for my appointment and saw the car, I noticed another $5K upcharge on the window sticker and basically told the salesperson that if they thought it appropriate to charge over MSRP, to let me know now and I'll save them the time. The salesperson immediately backed off the price, so off on the test drive we went.

I'm very impressed with many of the changes/upgrades on the 2014, most notably the upgraded interior. However, there were a few items where I could use some owner experience and I'll thank you in advance for your help:

1) Adaptive Cruise Control: This will be my third car with ACC and I really like this feature. However, I'm confused, is the Equus system laser or radar based? The salesperson seemed to think it was laser. I will say that I liked the radar system that was on my Jaguar XF and my Volvo XC-70 much more than I liked the laser system that's on my Infiniti QX-56. Basically, the radar systems seemed to be more accurate and operated smoother than the laser as well as seeming to be more reliable. There were a few occasions during the Equus test drive when the ACC failed to brake and manual intervention was needed. Can anyone provide any insight on the Equus ACC and what I should expect?

2) I found it strange that the XM stations could not be accessed via voice. For example, if I wanted to listed to CNBC, can't I just press the voice button and say CNBC?

3) There's a glare in the driver's side mirror where the A/C vent was clearly showing. It appears it's the window tinting applied by the factory that is causing this. Any advice on getting rid of the glare?

4) I liked the camera system, however, when we would set it to the all-around view, the next time we would access it, it would jump to the right side view. Is there a way to set the all-around view as the default?

5) The salesman didn't know if I could view the individual tire pressures on the screen. Is this feature included?

6) Anyone else find it strange there were no headphone connectors for the rear seat passengers?

7) When testing the lane departure warning, the seat belts did not tighten or vibrate or whatever. Is this a setting?

Again, thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[Mark_888]

If you are interested, you might want head up to Orlando where you can probably get several thousand dollars off MSRP. I never heard anyone on this forum paying at or above MSRP, even for Equus. But you may have to wait a few months to get a good deal (week after Christmas, but before New Years Day is usually good).

If you go to www.hmaservice.com you may be able to download the owner's manual. Registration is free.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Hi All,

It's been a while since I posted here and allow me to say that I appreciate all the information provided on this site.

When the Equus first came out, I took a test drive and enjoyed the car, but the dealership had a $5K upcharge on the car and honestly, I just didn't want to get involved. I went to a different dealer and they had a $10K upcharge. I didn't even bother with them. Now, nearly two years later, I'm back looking at the Equus.

When I arrived for my appointment and saw the car, I noticed another $5K upcharge on the window sticker and basically told the salesperson that if they thought it appropriate to charge over MSRP, to let me know now and I'll save them the time. The salesperson immediately backed off the price, so off on the test drive we went.

I'm very impressed with many of the changes/upgrades on the 2014, most notably the upgraded interior. However, there were a few items where I could use some owner experience and I'll thank you in advance for your help:

1) Adaptive Cruise Control: This will be my third car with ACC and I really like this feature. However, I'm confused, is the Equus system laser or radar based? The salesperson seemed to think it was laser. I will say that I liked the radar system that was on my Jaguar XF and my Volvo XC-70 much more than I liked the laser system that's on my Infiniti QX-56. Basically, the radar systems seemed to be more accurate and operated smoother than the laser as well as seeming to be more reliable. There were a few occasions during the Equus test drive when the ACC failed to brake and manual intervention was needed. Can anyone provide any insight on the Equus ACC and what I should expect?

2) I found it strange that the XM stations could not be accessed via voice. For example, if I wanted to listed to CNBC, can't I just press the voice button and say CNBC?

3) There's a glare in the driver's side mirror where the A/C vent was clearly showing. It appears it's the window tinting applied by the factory that is causing this. Any advice on getting rid of the glare?

4) I liked the camera system, however, when we would set it to the all-around view, the next time we would access it, it would jump to the right side view. Is there a way to set the all-around view as the default?

5) The salesman didn't know if I could view the individual tire pressures on the screen. Is this feature included?

6) Anyone else find it strange there were no headphone connectors for the rear seat passengers?

7) When testing the lane departure warning, the seat belts did not tighten or vibrate or whatever. Is this a setting?

Again, thanks in advance for your assistance.

1. My recollection is radar. As for differences from the 2011, there are now 4 distances instead of 3: 180, 130, 100 (new), and 80 feet. In 850 miles I haven't had to apply the brakes (override) the system at all. Real test is coming on a 2500 mile trip in a couple of weeks.

2. You have to use exact words such as "play XM 152". Or "play preset 6". But yes, it works.

3. Have never seen that glare. Possible the mirrors weren't set properly? Not out far enough to be effective?

4. Apparently you're testing the Ultimate. I have the Signature, so only a rear camera.

5. They cannot.

6. Again, can't help.

7. Yes, that's a user choice to disable haptic.

As for price, MSRP is ridiculous let alone over sticker. Fair price (IMO) is perhaps $1K over invoice. As stated in Mark's reply, depends on how aggressive the dealer is to move product, time of month, year, etc. Right now you're likely a victim of people like me: trading in an '11 Equus for the '14. So demand is high and supply low, but that will even out over the next few months. IIRC, they sold 425 (?) in August, up big from July.

Another thing: if you have an iPad you can download the free 2014 Equus app. It has the OM's for the car and the DIS. Many of your questions are answered in those. I used it well before my new car arrived, knew more than the salesman. But that's not unusual.

Finally, have no idea if the Ultimate is worth the price. In 2 1/2 years I had only 3 passengers in the back seat. But I will say that the 2014 Signature is WELL worth every penny, a tremendous value actually considering the included features that require several "packages" from competitors.

Full review coming mid October when back from that trip.

Good luck!

 

[PalmBeachRider]

Thanks for the replies.

Can anyone shed any light on the effectiveness and accuracy of the Adaptive Cruise Control both on the highway and around town?

I'm one of those drivers who has become accustomed to using the ACC (on my other vehicles) when driving around town as it's a great safety feature. I like that the Equus can bring the car to a full stop and hold it...not all systems work that way. But, I'm wondering how dependable this feature is for daily driving. The test drive experience of the ACC left me with more questions than answers.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Thanks for the replies.

Can anyone shed any light on the effectiveness and accuracy of the Adaptive Cruise Control both on the highway and around town?

I'm one of those drivers who has become accustomed to using the ACC (on my other vehicles) when driving around town as it's a great safety feature. I like that the Equus can bring the car to a full stop and hold it...not all systems work that way. But, I'm wondering how dependable this feature is for daily driving. The test drive experience of the ACC left me with more questions than answers.

Then drive it again on your "daily drive" and see for yourself. Mine works perfectly so far, but you have issues. Not sure what they are, but additional opinions are worthless unless you're satisfied, right?
Fwiw, I use mine around town when speeds are 35 or lower and in known speed traps, rarely in 40-50 zones. When do you use yours?

 

[PalmBeachRider]

Then drive it again on your "daily drive" and see for yourself. Mine works perfectly so far, but you have issues. Not sure what they are, but additional opinions are worthless unless you're satisfied, right?
Fwiw, I use mine around town when speeds are 35 or lower and in known speed traps, rarely in 40-50 zones. When do you use yours?

The test drive was a combination of highway and city streets. On the highway, the ACC performed well. However, around town at 45mph, it would not brake when approaching a car moving slowly or a car that was stopped at a light.

The test drive was not a good experience as the salesperson (Equus Dealer Specialist) seemed to be ill informed about many of the car's features. To me, that's frustrating as I do expect the salesperson to have a good grasp of the various features. For example, he stated that the headrests didn't tilt, that the rear door sunshades could only be controlled by the rear passengers and didn't know how to turn on the ACC (I figured it out) as well as a giving incorrect responses to a number of other basic questions. After the test drive, I downloaded the manual and was surprised at some of the things I learned.

This brings up another question:

After this experience, I'm not to thrilled about working with this dealership and I'm fortunate that there's other dealers within a reasonable area. While this first dealer is the closest to me, if I buy a car from a different dealer, will there be any issues getting the Concierge service to pickup my car from my home and take it to the dealer and provide a loaner car when service is needed? Or, will this be problematic in the future?

I greatly appreciate the advice.