Land Rover LR3
Choices, choices |
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By Richard J. Newman
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Nits: Horrendous fuel economy. The average EPA rating is 16 miles per gallon, and the government's numbers are usually overstated. Plus, the LR3 requires premium fuel. I spent nearly $50 per rapidly vanishing tankful.
G forces: There's a power problem in the LR3. The standard engine is a 216-horsepower V-6, seriously lacking for a 5,500-pound vehicle. Even the optional 300-horsepower V-8 strains. Handling is strong, however. For a tall, heavy vehicle, the LR3 is sure on curves and supremely stable on the highway. And standard features like stability control and enhanced emergency braking are a reassuring sign of safety-conscious engineering.
Gizmology: There is an awful lot happening on the dashboard. Mystifying symbology—arrows going this way and that, X'd-out figures, even a cactus—left me wondering what in the world some of those buttons were for. If you were an owner, I guess you'd figure it out over time. The climate system is at least easy to use, and the radio comes with a 10-button, phone-style keypad instead of the usual six presets, which I like. I did appreciate the engineering that allows you to fold flat one or all of the rear seating positions. One thing that's very cool is the "Alpine" roof over the second and third rows, basically two skylights that let in lots of sun.
Kidmarks: The ability to configure the LR3 for any combination of kids and cargo is an outstanding feature. The climb in is a bit high, but raised "stadium seating" in the second and optional third row gives kids a particularly good view of the road. Getting back to the third row is tight fit for grown-ups.
Hot or not: Hot. The boxy design is counter-trendy and announces that this is no me-too vehicle.
Envirometer: The EPA rates the LR3 below average for pollution and tailpipe emissions. Mileage ranges from 14 mpg/city to 19 mpg/highway. For details, search www.fueleconomy.gov.
Crash course: Not crash tested by the government or by private testing organizations.
Price points: Base prices range from $38,950 to $49,995. Price as tested: $53,245.
More info: www.landroverusa.com
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Model year tested: 2005
I've done my spring cleaning, and a huge pile of toys, furniture, and doodads is in my driveway, ready to go to the thrift shop. I look at the mountain of stuff, then glance inside the LR3, and figure two trips, maybe three, and I'll be done with the whole ordeal.
Half an hour later I am giggling with delight, having fit every bit of the haul into the SUV. And done so gracefully. The test vehicle had the optional third-row seat, and once I figured out which buttons to push and straps to pull, I was enthralled with how elegantly all the folding pieces fell into place. Same with the second-row seat. Many newer SUVs have this capability, but not with the same precision—such as the ability to fold down the second-row seat in thirds, for example. I delivered the load, and for the rest of my week with the LR3, I configured the back of the vehicle based on how many of those five seats I needed in place at any given time.
The LR3, in fact, may be the most configurable vehicle I've ever driven. There are more choices than most people will know what to do with. First there's the cutting-edge off-road technology, which Land Rover is famous for. I can't imagine too many Americans needing it—or even knowing how to use it—but just in case, a dial lets you select different suspension modes for sand, mud, rock crawling, or gravel and snow. The six-speed automatic transmission has normal, sport, and manual-shift modes. The optional GPS navigation system has both on-road and off-road settings. The dashboard brims with buttons. Gearheads will be in their glory, but I, for one, got bored trying to figure out all the settings and modes in this vehicle.
Of course, you can just get in the LR3 and drive, and that is pretty satisfying, too. The LR3 resides in the swank part of SUV-land, where it competes with the likes of the BMW X5, the Cadillac Escalade, and the Lexus GX 470. The LR3's off-road credentials give it a seriousness of purpose that sets it apart, making it seem like more than just a big, luxurious chariot. Then there is that supersquare, double-box design that brings to mind safari vehicles on the African savannahs. There is at least one outright shortfall under the hood, where even the top-line 300-horsepower V-8 engine seems underpowered. But there is little else that this vehicle lacks—except a driver who can multitask.
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