Regular readers will have noted that this has been a good season for SUVs. I liked the Ford Expedition for being a real truck. I liked the Volvo XC70 for its car-like driving habits and its capability, and I liked the Nissan XTerra for its rugged capability in the worst weather we’ve had in Oregon in the last10 years. Now I have to say that the Land Rover LR2 is my favorite SUV ever - the LR2 combines the best aspects of driveability and capability and it does it all at a great price - it’s a Land Rover for people who thought they couldn’t afford a Land Rover.
Hill Descent Control is a standard feature
And this is all from a guy who generally doesn’t like SUVs that much. I’m a sports car enthusiast and I like my MINI Cooper S and my Miata. So what’s the deal here?
The deal is that automakers from Land Rover to Nissan to Jeep to Volvo to Mitsubishi to Ford are making really good SUVs these days. Gone are the clunky, tippy, uncomfortable rigs of decades past. A modern SUV tends to be smaller, handles great, has plenty of power, and is as nice inside as any car in the same price range.
Fun to drive
About the only area where SUVs still lag behind comparable passenger cars is in fuel mileage, and that’s because the U.S. Federal Government exempts SUVs from the CAFÉ standards that apply to cars. But with gas north of $3 a gallon everywhere in America and no sign of that price ever coming back down, I’d look for the automakers to improve fuel economy on the SUV lines, or risk losing sales.
So, back to the LR2. The first thing you notice about it is that this is a handsome car - Land Rover has always made SUVs that look nice and look like they’d be fun to drive. The body lines suggest that this is a rugged and capable rig. But the exterior also says that the LR2 is a premium product - this is a Land Rover, and you know it when you see it.
Inside, the LR2 is nicely put together. The Navigation system has a good interface, you get a great stereo, heated leather seats, and a nice interface to the climate controls. It’s quiet on the road, and easily holds 5 adults with ample storage in the back. Once again, you’ll know you’re in a Land Rover with the LR2.
Nice interior
The driving experience in the LR2 is nothing short of excellent. In the week that I’ve had the car, I haven’t once felt that I’d rather be in my Mini or anywhere but behind the wheel of the Rover. The LR2 feels solid on the road, but it’s also punchy and fast, corners well, and is just generally fun to drive. The 3.2-liter straight 6 engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with Sport and manual shift modes - but really, plain old Drive is where you want this SUV - it works fine.
The AWD system in the LR2 has four settings - dry pavement, mud, sand, and snow. The LR2 also offers a hill descent control that safely brings you down the steepest grades. The drivetrain package on the LR2 is just fantastic. Fuel economy is decent at 16/23, but I think that this will have to improve in the next year or two to keep the LR2 at the front of the pack. In my real-world roaming, I got about 20 MPG combined. I think a turbocharged or supercharged 4-cylinder engine could be a viable powerplant for this size of SUV.
Capable SUV
But the real dealmaker on the LR2 is the price. If I had to guess, I’d expect to pay about $50,000 for the LR2. It’s that nice. But the base price is just $33,985, and as tested, this LR2 books out at $40,050. The difference is made up in a $700 cold weather package, which is cheap at the price almost everywhere in North America. There’s also a lighting package at $1,050, which gets you a set of fantastic Xenon HID lights and fogs, and some other stuff like puddle lights - but you want this for the headlights. They turn night into day and give great roadside visibility. Then there’s a $3,500 “Technology Package” that includes your GPS navigation system, fancy stereo with satellite radio, rear seat audio controls, and Bluetooth for your hands-free cell phone - now required in many states.
Usually I can find a few options I could live without and bring the price down a bit - but with the LR2, I think I’d order mine with all these options. The difference between $34,000 and $40,000 is not that much, and Land Rover gives you a lot for your money. And that’s really the remarkable thing about Land Rover - the least expensive model is just as nice as the top of the line. I’ve driven all the Rovers, right up to the Supercharged Range Rover Sport, and the LR2 is the one I’d choose to have in my own garage. So if you thought you couldn’t afford a Land Rover, it’s time to think again.
