Teresa’s View
Whether on safari or sabbatical, Land Rover has been a perennial favorite for its stalwart off-road capabilities. Throughout the years, many of the rough edges have been softened, yet the dear old boy remains so proficiently road worthy, every new Land Rover ought to come with a full complement of pith helmets.
This week’s tester, the mid-size LR3, is offered in two trims — the SE, which comes in a choice of 216-horsepower V-6 or 300-hp V-8 versions, and the HSE, which is only offered with the larger engine. All variations are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The LR3’s stump-jumpin’ heritage shows through in its pleasant, but not exactly posh cabin. The interior is not so much luxurious as it is premium. Oh, sure, leather upholstery is standard. So is the large sunroof and marvelous Harmon/Kardon audio system; and the HSE adds navigation and an audio upgrade with 14 speakers. Still, compared to other luxury sport-utes, the LR3 is rather spartan.
It is surprisingly quiet for such a blatantly mechanical beastie. A tight turning radius makes the LR3 light on its feet, despite a weight of more than 5,000 pounds.
Yes, fuel economy is a bit disappointing — a mere 14 mpg city and 19 mpg on the highway. And the V-8 prefers premium petrol. Still, there’s an unmistakable Land Rover cache. A fact brought home to me when my sister-in-law recently announced she and her husband had purchased an LR3 to squire their two girls around the mean streets of South Hampton. Pip, pip, cheerio, indeed.
What Is It?: The 2007 Land Rover LR3 is a premium, mid-size SUV that seats up to seven passengers. All V-8 varieties are set up with standard third row seating — an option on the V-6 models. Prices for the V-6 SE start at $42K including destination charges. The top-of-the line HSE starts at $54K.
Gadget Rating: 8.3 out of 10: A plethora of knobs, controls and switches grace the LR3’s dash and center console. Plan on spending some face time with the owner’s manual to become familiar with each gadget’s function. Some are small and oddly placed, so expect true competency to take some time.
Favorite Feature: The Terrain Response System allows the driver to dial in the appropriate suspension, powertrain calibrations and various control systems depending on driving conditions. With a simple switch on the console the LR3 automatically adjusts to rain, mud, gravel, sand and snow. A low-range is available for true off-roading, although it’s hard to imagine someone risking the LR3’s clear coat on such activities.
Safety: Each LR3 is equipped with standard front air bags and side curtain-style air bags that protect all outboard passengers. ABS is also standard, as is all-wheel-drive, traction and anti-skid control.
Grocery Sack Test: I rather liked the two-piece, clamshell tailgate, although others have complained that the two-step process is overly complicated.
Trivia: Although the LR3 replaced the Discovery in 2005, outside of the U.S. it’s known as the “Discovery3.”