2008 Land Rover Range Rover

Review

There's a saying among the rich and famous that goes, if you've made it big in life

you should get yourself a Porsche 911 Turbo to satisfy your childhood dreams, a Mercedes Benz S-Class so that you can be driven around by a chauffeur (with a British accent, no less), a Bentley Continental GT for devouring up the miles in cross-country journeys when work becomes too much of a chore, and a Range Rover if you've always wanted to own a proper truck (or to tow the requisite Sea Ray Sport Yacht). Don't get me wrong, sir (or ma'am), as your lifted Toyota Tacoma monster truck certainly more than qualifies as a “proper truck,” but can you really pull up to the Ritz-Carlton in that and call yourself “stylin'?” Well, unless you're a regular at stylintrucks.com or if you reside in Dallas, Texas, there's really no other truck that'll do it better than a Range Rover.

The Land Rover Range Rover is a pure classic, literally. From 1970 to 1995, a full 25 years in the making, a Range Rover Classic actually existed. Yes, now that sounds just about right to those who don't know their Land Rover history, but to an enthusiast it was this first generation model that started the three-part series to the Range Rover story. The second generation Range Rover, also known by its codename P38A, followed from 1995 to

2002 and carried a characteristic rectangular headlamp design. Like its predecessor, which instead featured round headlamps, it kept its overall boxy proportions and was offered in a variety of limited editions, including the Bordeaux, Borrego, Rhino, Vitesse and Westminster. It was during this seven-year time span that crucial events took place. As some of you may recall, it started with BMW taking over the Rover Group in 1994, followed by the Freelander's introduction in 1998 (and now hardly missed), and ending with BMW selling Land Rover to Ford in 2000. So, you might presume that a few tears were shed as BMW came and went, but it was a foreshadowing to something sensational and revolutionizing. And that, my friend, is this third generation Range Rover you see here – well, in its most updated guise.

Known as the L322 or just the “new Range Rover,” it first saw light when it debuted in 2002. From first glance, it's instantly recognizable as nothing less than a Range. Its headlamp cluster design incorporates the circular features of the Classic, while maintaining the rectangular visage of the P38A. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without its box-like shape, and as viewed from its side profile, it looks much like any of the Ranges

that came before. You'll also notice the 18-wheeler rig-sized front windshield that matches its tinted rear tailgate window. For those who frequently travel off the beaten path (it's been estimated that less than 15-percent of SUV buyers actually do), there's a “larger than life” rear windshield wiper that's capable of sweeping over just about all of its surface area. Sure, its toaster-oven silhouette doesn't quite win brownie points in the aerodynamics arena, but boy is it purposeful for carrying up to five passengers (headroom galore!) and all of their cargo. And if you've got the spare dough to do so, upgrading to the Supercharged model adds an aggressive front mesh grille, towering vertical side vents, an SC badge, and dual exhaust pipes. Wait, there's more, but before we get ahead of ourselves here, let's slow down and take a look at the range (no pun intended).

So when you arrive at your local Land Rover dealership, the friendly salesman (or saleswoman) will kindly ask you what Range Rover you would like to purchase. As I'm certain, you'll be told that for 2008, there are two models to choose from. For $78,450, you'll get a base HSE that's powered

by a 4.4-liter V8 making 305 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. That sounds familiar, doesn't it? Well, BMW also produced an M62 4.4-liter V8 – used in the X5 4.4i, 540i, and 740i/740iL – that produced 282 horsepower, which trickled its way into the Range Rover between 2002 and 2005. At the time, it was the only engine available for the Range in North America, while other markets had the choice of a 6-cylinder diesel. However, in 2006, Land Rover decided to use a Ford engine. Well, not just any Ford engine, but a Jaguar AJ-V8. Realizing that 305 horses didn't quite cut the mustard or generate enough oomph for the 15-20 percent of its most elite clientele, Land Rover, then owned by Ford (and just recently sold to India's Tata Motors), dropped Jaguar's very own 4.2-liter Eaton-supercharged AJ-V8 into the bay. As a result, the Range Rover Supercharged cranks out a substantial 400 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque that's good for 0-60 mph sprints in 7.1 seconds (the HSE will do the same in 8.3). Considering that the Range weighs in at a pavement-crushing 5,858 pounds, that's quite a feat. You'd think its baby brother, the Range Rover Sport Supercharged (well, more like its long lost baby brother, since its based off of an LR3 and isn't considered a true Range) could do it quicker, but you'd be wrong. In fact, with 10 fewer hp and 10 fewer

lb-ft of torque, and between 94 to 187 pounds less lard to haul around, it'll muster the same run in 7.2 seconds (one-tenth of a second slower). Either way, both Ranges consume fuel like there's a hole in the tank, so you can forget about hypermiling these beasts as you may as well spend the time making your own premium unleaded. But that's only coming from me, mind you, as I'm just your average Joe. So unless I'm doing it for this review, you'd never find a guy like me behind the wheel of a $95K SUV, as I assume that if you can afford the truck in the first place you'd be able to afford the fill ups in between. And be forewarned that you'll struggle to achieve the EPA's 12 / 18 mpg results during city/highway commutes – on a good day. But look on the brighter side, as they're identical to the 4.4-liter 305-hp V8 HSE's ratings. I, for one, as a testament to my claims, was only able to achieve 11.0 mpg, so the On Board Computer (OBC) displays on the handy-dandy “GPS off-road-enhanced navigation system/touchscreen interface/4x4 Information Center.” Mated to either engine is a BMW-developed ZF HP26 six-speed

automatic that features the oh-so familiar Steptronic manual mode. Its shifts are quick and smooth, with ultra-fast DSG-like rev-matched downshifts. And did I mention that the whine coming from the supercharged V8 sounds fantastic?

Standard on all Range Rovers is the Electronic 4-corner Air Suspension (4CAS), which has five settings (not to be confused with Terrain Response, which also has 5 settings). One of the settings is automatically selected by the computer, while the other three can only be used at low speeds. So that leaves just one for everyday driving. Let me explain. For normal everyday use, there's what's called on-road height. As you guessed, it suggests that there's also an off-road height, which, according to the owner's manual, is 2.2 inches higher, for improved ground clearance and approach, departure, and break-over angles. It can be selected at any speed up to 24 mph. When set at off-road height, it'll automatically revert to on-road height if you travel any faster than 30 mph. Then there's access height, which is 1.6 in lower than the standard on-road height, for easier entry, exit, and loading. A high-speed height also exists, which is 0.8 in lower than standard, to improve stability at higher speeds above 100 mph for more than 5 seconds. It's automatic and cannot be over-ridden, and will return to on-road height when the vehicle slows down to 80 mph for 30 seconds. Not that I was ever tempted to cruise along at those velocities, but a warning in the manual that reads “Never exceed the speed limits” makes it even harder to resist. We're not quite finished here yet, as there's also a crawl mode, which is locked at access height, to give increased roof clearance in low car parks. It can be selected when below 22 mph, and will return to on-road height when vehicle exceeds 24 mph – whether you like it or not. So can you remember all of that? Sure you can, as this truck requires the driver to be quite brilliant, which I assume you are if you can afford to spend $95,000 on your daily ride.... So that's good, we're covered. Are you ready for more?

Well, that “whether you like it or not” phrase can be quite threatening, but you'll have to get accustomed to it if you're going to own a Range Rover. It doesn't help much either that “it's confused with itself,” which was my initial impression of the Range when I first rode along with fellow journalist Dan Heyman. The Range has so much electronic gadgetry that it hasn't quite figured out how to properly manage itself yet, so I thought. With messages on the on-board computer that read “Suspension will lift when system cooled,” “Vehicle lifting slowly,” “Slow down or vehicle will raise / lower,” and “Suspension fault max speed 30 mph,” it becomes annoying, especially when accompanied by two beeping chimes as if the vehicle was cursing at you. It's just four of 78 messages that can be digitally displayed to you (or rather at you) by the message center that's integrated into the gauge cluster. It's not so disturbing now, as it initially was, once I understood its rules of play as outlined in the previous paragraph. And, a lot had to do with the fact that Dan and I kept hitting the mysterious “mirror button,” which we never could figure out what it accomplished after 15 minutes of flipping through the entire owner's manual – thrice. It turned out that just one sentence in the manual identified that this access switch on the

driver's door panel allowed for quickly selecting access height. It all made sense after that.

Once you have all that figured out, it's blue skies and sunny plains from there. Unlike some of its direct competitors, the Range Rover offers class-leading off-road capabilities. In the city, I managed to find a one-block-length side street that had just recently been crushed into gravel due to a mega high-rise construction project. It had potholes left, right, and center, and churned up a big cloud of dust whenever I'd drive through. It's got signs that warned “Road Closed” and “Local Traffic Only.” Perfect. I took this week's fully loaded Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 through the raucous and it handled the challenge with ease, but it was quite a bumpy experience as my girlfriend insisted, right after dinner, that if I went through it again she'd have my driver's license suspended herself. But with the Range Rover, we could barely feel any bumps at all, feeling totally pampered. In fact, every single road imperfection was cushioned, and we could do it all day long if we wanted to, except that the locals living nearby wouldn't appreciate us doing so.

What I didn't tell you was that I had the Terrain Response, accessed via a rotary dial switch at the center console, set to Grass/Gravel/Snow mode. It's just one of five modes that can be easily selected by you, the driver. The other modes, which are also quite obvious, are Mud/Ruts, Sand, Rock Crawl, and General. As indicated, the latter is what you'll be using on dry and wet pavement. Terrain Response is a highly advanced system that's capable of tweaking the engine/gearbox management, intelligent differential control, traction/stability/hill descent control, and air suspension to suit the needs of the driver and to allow the vehicle to react accordingly to the various terrain. One of its capabilities is to vary throttle response, which can range from being very lazy (where “nice and steady” is desired) to very responsive (where “just go for it!” is needed). The latter, for example, would be useful in sand, whereas the former was useful in my brief metropolitan jaunt.

You'd have to be completely insane or have just been sniffing glue to be able to crash a Range Rover. It's not so much in the dry, but in the wet that the DSC (developed by none other than Bosch) keeps you in control at all times. It's absolutely the most restrictive system I've ever experienced. Take a corner hard, and mash the gas pedal midway. Immediately, the system cuts all available power and slams on the brakes (14.2-inch Brembo front brake calipers stop this near 3-ton behemoth with authority, by the way) so hard you suddenly lunge forward with such force that your face would become part of the windshield if it weren't for its pretensioning seatbelts. But, it does keep you out of the ditches, and that's the most important thing. Push the DSC button once, and the system is disabled – well, partially (sorry, I lied). It won't allow you to completely shut it off. But, in partial-DSC mode, if you repeat the same crazy procedure it'll keep the power on throughout the turn while making ever so slight, but necessary, adjustments to keep you locked onto your intended path. With DSC “disabled,” it functions exactly like any AWD SUV would that's equipped with a good traction control system (like the BMW X5!). Quite impressive, to say the very least.

If you're now impressed by its moves, wait until you hear about what's on the inside. By far, this is the most accommodating interior I have ever spent time in. In fact, I'd live in it if I could. You'll find such niceties as a heated front windshield (the vertical filament lines are barely noticeable), a heated steering wheel, automatic starting (once the sequence has been initiated, à la Chrysler 300C), foldable and removable cargo area load-space cover, four center console/dash-mounted air vents (the more the merrier), height adjustable front seat armrests that can be locked at any desired level via a twisting knob, and rear seats that fold and tumble forward for an almost completely flat cargo loading area. And those are just the basics. There's also a 710-watt, 14-speaker harmon/kardon LOGIC7 audio system that sounds absolutely phenomenal. With this unit, much more vocal clarity can be achieved by simply tuning the subwoofer and bass level to negative values (don't worry, there's still a good amount of overall bass available as set). A GPS system in a Range Rover wouldn't be complete without both on- and off-road navigation. The latter allows the user to define up to 35 waypoints per route with a maximum of 20 routes available to be stored (that's 700 in total). The Guidance Screen includes

a compass, and degrees heading, latitude, longitude, altitude (if available) so that getting lost is never part of the game (unless you want it to be). Safety? Well, there's no shortage here. How about some of these: ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), CBC (Cornering Brake Control), EBA (Emergency Brake Assist), EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution), EPB (Electronic Parking Brake), DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) working in conjunction with ETC (Electronic Traction Control), and HDC (Hill Descent Control). And let's not forgot Superlocking, which immobilizes the interior door handles so that a would-be intruder wouldn't be able to open the doors, even if the windows were smashed. In fact, if you Superlock your passengers inside, they'll never be able to get out either, except by breaking the windows (kind of like your very own leather and timber-clad British prison cell, if you will).

Complaints? Well, the Range's rear view backup camera was obsessed with horizontal and vertical “static” lines and proved to be useless at night, except for viewing bright orange cones. In comparison, Dan says his Acura RDX's camera lit up as bright as the sun, and that car cost $36,695 maxed out. In addition, the CD player's 6-CD autochanger is from the ‘80s and ‘90s, as you have to load the magazine manually. At least it plays MP3s from CD-Rs and CD-RWs, and an AUX plug for MP3 and iPod players is standard – that is, if you can find it. It's located inside the rear center console ashtray, where you'll also find two 12V power sockets (one with a nifty “cigar lighter,” as Land Rover likes to call it). And if your rear-seat passengers smoke, they'll also appreciate the pop-out ashtrays integrated into the rear doors. The center console features a beautifully crafted analog clock; however, it's mounted way too low and nowhere near eye-level.

So is this $94,100 Range Rover Supercharged right for you? Well, let's take a look. For a whopping $38,110 less than the Range, you could purchase

the King of Blingville, otherwise known as the Cadillac Escalade. That's right folks, as $55,990 will get you a 403-hp American icon that'll do 0-60 mph in the 6-second range. But if you're into American fast (a lot more than the GTI's Fast), a 420-hp Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 ($41,145) will do the same sprint in 4.5 seconds. Almost as quick is the 395-hp Chevrolet Trailblazer SS ($31,815), which will blast to 60 in 5.5 seconds. And what a bargain. Got more money? Well, more in tune to the Range's price range, and target market is the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG that's good for 503 horsepower (100 more than the ‘Slade). For a cool $87,000, it'll do 62 mph in 5.0 seconds flat. And how can we not forget about the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. With 500 horsepower on tap and an $93,700 asking price, it'll haul to 60 in 4.9 seconds and take you to the top of the mountain... although not quite so quickly. The Range Rover Supercharged can get costly too, if you pile on the $2,500 Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE) system (they love their acronyms, don't they?). But is a top-of-the-line Range, at $96,600, a worthy investment considering a 500-hp Porsche will save you almost $3K?

That depends on what you'll be using the Range Rover for. If you're in the market for a true off-roader with better-than-average on-road manners, get the Range. There are really only a handful of real 4x4 capable competitors in its league, such as Lexus LX 570 and that Porsche Cayenne Turbo I just mentioned. For the 85-percent who don't regularly take their Range off-road, it's comforting to know that if an earthquake were to strike or if your co-workers suddenly decided to run off into the boonies, you'd be able to get yourself out or at least tag along for the adventure. Just knowing you could is more than enough. But if speed is all you're after, as if the Supercharged isn't quick enough, then any one of the choices above will suffice. Still, none is as classy as the Range. In Java Black, it screams R-E-S-P-E-C-T. There's a reason why the British Royal Family owns a whole fleet of them, and it's not because it's British (well, maybe so). For me, though, it's a simple decision: just drive one, and you'll know what I mean. It's more so an investment than a mere purchase. The Range makes you feel special, like you're flying business class on land. But no matter where life takes you, you'll be glad you got there in a Range Rover. Let the journeys begin.