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Eric's Autos: Reviewing the 2009 Land Rover LR3
Eric Peters
Land Rover is probably the only SUV brand that will outlast the SUV
craze - because it predates the SUV craze. The company may not sell
hundreds of thousands of vehicles each year, as Ford did during the
heyday of the Explorer and Expedition. But there has always been - and
probably always will be - a steady, if smaller, market for a
"gentleman's four-by-four."
Like the LR3.
WHAT IT IS
The LR3 is a luxury SUV and Land Rover's middle model. It is priced (and sized) just under the larger, range-topping Range Rover - and above the smaller, less capable entry-level LR2. It replaced the long-serving, iconic Discovery - and has been out for about three years now with just a few changes and updates here and there. Prices start at $48,525 for the base SE model and run to $54,025 for the HSE.
The main thing - other than price - which separates it from other expenso SUVs and crossovers is that Land Rover, the brand, is an institution - arguably the Porsche of 4x4s. Despite all its luxury touches, this is a serious vehicle that can tackle terrain and take abuse that would cripple most of the poseur-mobiles that try to compete with it.
WHAT'S NEW
Only a few changes for the 2009 model year - the biggest one being that both trims now come standard with V-8 power. The previously available V-6 has been dumped. Unfortunately, U.S. versions still won't get a diesel - at least, that was the word at the time of this writing.
WHAT'S GOOD
Tremendous off-road capability; standard V-8, exclusivity.
WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD
Too nice (and expensive) to actually take off-road. Horrendous gas mileage; not so great record for quality control.
ENGINES & PERFORMANCE
The LR3 comes standard with a 4.4 liter V-8 that differs from most SUV/large truck V-8s in that it is an overhead cam design and also made entirely of aluminum - so it weighs much less than the more common cast iron block/alloy head (or just plain cast iron) pushrod V-8s.
This engine is rated at 300 hp and produces 315 lbs.-ft. of torque. It is teamed with a modern six-speed automatic that feeds power to a full-time four-wheel-drive system with Hi and Low range gearing as well as locking center and rear differentials. The four-wheel-drive features Land Rover's unique, driver-adjustable terrain sensing system - which optimizes power delivery, throttle tip-in and wheel slip through the ABS and traction control systems for five different types of driving: normal on-road, snow-grass-grave, mud and ruts, sand - and rock crawl.
Acceleration is very good; 0-60 in about 8 seconds (quick for a big SUV), with a max tow rating of 7,700 lbs. Gas mileage isn't so good - 12 city and 17 on the highway. But this is a rich man's vehicle, after all - so that probably doesn't matter. And, while premium fuel is recommended, it's not required. So you can save a few bucks there, if that golden parachute doesn't open up for you.
RIDE & HANDLING
While most mass-produced SUVs have become softer and more about image than actual off-roading ability, the LR3 remains extremely capable off-road but noticeably better, in the on-road handling department especially, than its Discovery predecessor. The Disco was an animal off-road but felt (and was) too tipsy for comfort (and, let's face it, liability) on road. This was one of the chief reasons why it was retired and replaced by the LR3 - which you'll notice immediately, just by looking at it, has a much lower profile/center of gravity than the Disco did.
This - along with an updated, all-independent suspension system - massively improves the LR3's on-road manners. But it hasn't lost the safari qualities that made the Disco a favorite of serious four-by-four fans. Like other Land Rover models, it has "up high" theater-style seats, which, along with almost vertical (and tall) front glass and lots of side and rearward visibility, conveys the feeling of a commanding position without the turning turtle perils of a high center of gravity.
The LR3's suspension is also adjustable, with air springs at each corner that let you raise or lower the ride height - which normally provides 7.3 inches of clearance.
STYLING & UTILITY
Nothing else looks like a Land Rover. The company has - smartly, in my opinion - retained the iconic look of its vehicles over a span of more than 30 years while constantly updating them where it counts. Where other SUVs are all-too-often garish, overdone monstrosities, the LR3 and its kin are tasteful, dignified country squires.
Few vehicles, meanwhile, can match the LR3's off-road abilities - which are extreme.
The LR3 is fully capable, right off the showroom floor, of competing in grueling desert races, rock-climbs and other such stuff. Land Rover even provides a school (several, actually, on both coasts) to teach owners how to make use of their vehicles in severe driving conditions. Probably, you'll never subject your LR3 to things like slogging through mud more than two feet deep (or water that comes up to the door handles), attempt to climb rocks that put the front end nearly vertical - and you looking at the blue sky - or make a sphincter-clenching descent down a grade so steep you need your seat belt cinched just to keep from sliding forward into the steering wheel. But it's nice to know you could.
The LR3 also has some good on-road points - including third row seating and room for up to seven - which is generous for a mid-size SUV. Granted, the third row is tight. But it's there - and that means you've got room in a pinch for more people than the typical 5-passenger mid-sized SUV can take. Cargo capacity is generous, too - 90 cubic feet with the third row dropped. And the high roofline allows you to cart around oversized/unwieldy stuff that would be challenging to deal with in other SUVs.
QUALITY & SAFETY
Land Rover has had some issues with inconsistent build quality - kind of like GM and Ford back in the '70s, when a car produced on Monday might be just fine but another one - otherwise identical but built on Tuesday - has a few glitches. An inherent problem with such a complex, high-end vehicle - one with lots of electronics, especially - is that these gizmos sometimes have hiccups. This is equally true of other complex, high-end vehicles, though. Just ask a BMW or Mercedes owner. The good news is the dealerships are usually very swanky - and they do try to make it right.
Every LR3 comes equipped with both traction and stability control (with the latter specially designed to cope with SUV-specific handling characteristics and prevent tip-overs from happening). Also included: ABS brakes, front seat side-impact air bags and head/curtain air bags for all three rows of seating. In addition, the LR3 comes standard with Hill Descent Control - a system that keeps the vehicle from building too much speed when negotiating a steep grade, off-road - without the driver having to ride the brakes.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The LR3 is big but doesn't feel enormous (or overweight) as many other SUVs tend to. It has good power - and a crisp feel to it - with reasonably nimble on-road handling. Its turning radius (37.6 feet) means it is easier than you'd expect to maneuver in tight places (such as crowded parking lots) and can execute U-turns without having to stop, back up and try it again.
The upright - and up-high - seating position gives a commanding view of the terrain around you, whether you're slogging it out on I-95 or rooster-tailing your way through the jungles of Central America.
Most of the controls are direct and comprehensible - including rotary-type knobs for the dual-zone climate control. The optional GPS system features off-road mapping - including terrain topography - which can be extremely helpful by keeping you away from danger areas.
I especially liked that the fog lights (front and rear) actually provide useful illumination (on many vehicles, the "fog lights" are for looks only, with minimal effect on visibility) and the Land Rover's unique windshield, which has an embedded defroster grid just like the rear defroster grids on other cars. This is super useful on cold winter days.
The V-8's 300 hp delivers plenty of passing and high-speed power, with its sole weakness being its appetite for fuel - but that's a given in a vehicle of this type.
And the LR3's terrain-sensing 4WD system is simply magnificent - the off-roading equivalent of the most elite high-performance sports car in terms of the control/capability it gives the driver. If you buy an LR3 - or any Land Rover - be sure to take advantage of the off-road driving schools the company offers. You will come away from the experience with new skills - and a fresh appreciation for what your vehicle can do.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The LR3 may not be a Joe Sixpack SUV - but that could prove to be its saving grace.
For the lucky - and well-heeled - few who can still afford a $50,000 SUV in the bleak economic landscape of tomorrow, Land Rover will probably still be around to fill the need.
========
www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.
This news arrived on: 05/18/2009
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