Teresa’s View
Despite its quirky nature and serious snob appeal, the Land Rover Discovery just wasn’t practical for us Americans. Sure it was a superhero among sport-utes, but unfortunately the hero it most closely resembled was the Thing. Rock-solid off-road, the Discovery was somewhat out of its element in the ‘burbs where most Land Rovers are kept in captivity.
Enter the all-new LR3. Sent to replace the Discovery, it represents a giant leap forward in comfort and handling. That’s not to say it’s a dumbed-down version of the all-terrain-capable Discovery. The LR3 is still the Thing, but with substantial sensitivity training.
To appeal to American tastes, the LR3 features seating more accommodating to bigger backsides, improved ergonomics and some serious cupholders.
Compared to the Discovery, the LR3 is longer, wider and lower, giving it a sturdy road feel that the top-heavy Discovery lacked.
A new fully independent suspension helps smooth out the ride on urban streets and highways. These are cuss words for devoted off-road enthusiasts, but cool new stump-jumping technology will soothe their hurt feelings. A unique Terrain Response system, for example, provides a dashboard switch that adjusts the engine, transmission, throttle and traction controls to tackle five different topography settings from sand to boulders.
Two trims are motivated by a 4.4-liter 300-horsepower V-8 originally derived from Jaguar. (Trivia Moment: Ford owns Land Rover and Jaguar.) Matched with a dandy 6-speed automatic transmission, on-road behavior is also a pleasant improvement. A V-6-powered trim is also offered.
The LR3 is a jolly good SUV, so, what’s to dislike about it? Well, the gas mileage, for one. Poor fuel economy is a problem with most sport-utes, but 14 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway hurts. Also, the high-tech features take some getting used to. Owners should plan to spend some quality face time with the manual.
What Is It?: The LR3 is a premium midsize SUV offered by Land Rover in three trims, the SE V-6, SE and HSE. Owning a Land Rover isn’t cheap. Prices for the V-6 LR3 start at just under $40K.
Gadget Rating: 7.5 out of 10. Luxury features abound including dual-climate controls, navigation, Rear Park Distance Control and a harmon/kardon sound system. Safety features include eight airbags. Options include adaptive headlights that swivel in the direction of the steering wheel and the ubiquitous DVD player.
The Back Seat: Extra head- and legroom make this a back seat that even adults can love. An optional third-row seat increases passenger capacity from five to seven. The entire seating area is illuminated by three sunroofs.
Grocery Sack Test: With the optional third-row seat in place there’s only the slightest sliver of cargo space. However, each of the five seating positions in the two back rows fold flat independently for exceptional flexibility.