Another Look

2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE: Empires could be built on this

Every far-flung empire needs good transportation technology. Without the Roman Empire’s advanced road network, its soldiers would no more have been able to invade Gaul – becoming the first to hear the famous French “We surrender” slogan – than I would have of being able to get anywhere up Route 7 at rush hour.

Modern empires are no different. Planes, trains and automobiles have been essential to everything from the German blitzkrieg to the invasion of Iraq. The armed forces of many empires became identified with a particular mode or vessel of transportation, creating icons that marketers were only too happy to exploit.

For Americans, World War II and Korea meant the Jeep. Japan’s growing economic empire made the Toyota Land Cruiser a familiar face on unpaved trails in many a Third World country. For those of us who grew up in what used to be the British Empire, there was only one four by four worthy of the name: the Land Rover.

While Americans were more familiar – and awed – by the upscale Range Rover, the Queen’s soldiers and her subjects spent much more time and had more respect for the working class member of the family, which is what the Land Rover was. It carried soldiers and policemen across inhospitable terrain in places adventure travelers only now are starting to visit.

They’re probably using Toyotas now.

That’s not a commentary on the abilities of the Land Rover, which in its new LR3 V8 HSE edition is still able to take on any comers, but on its price and its market.

The 2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE replaces the old Discovery, but that hardly says enough about what, even in a year when many very good and near great automobiles were released, stand out as one of the best. More details on that later, but it’s enough to say that if Ford can keep the quality and reliability high, this Land Rover will be the first in a long time that should have the competition quaking in its boots.

But first, the bad news. Unless you’re one of those looking fondly on the huge Bush tax cuts, this may not be the car for you. This is no longer a working class vehicle. My top-of-the-line 2005 model came in at a hefty $53,245 (including $665 delivery), with a base price of $49,330. The pricing has changed some for the 2006 model year, as has the standard equipment. The 2006 LR3 V8 HSE has a MSRP of $53,700 (including a $715 destination charge). More affordable is the regular V8 SE at $45,700, or the V6 starting at $39,000.

The good news is that if this is your kind of neighborhood, the LR3 is a bargain. Land Rovers may not yet spring to mind as a value proposition, but once you see all the LR3 offers, they will. But back to the bad news.

The LR3 is not a cheap date. In addition to the chunk of change you need to get acquainted with it in the first place, your wallet will get a good workout keeping it on the road. EPA estimated mileage is 14 city, 18 highway, and EPA estimates tend to be a trifle optimistic. That’s premium gas, in case you’re wondering. And why shouldn’t it be? Everything else about this vehicle is premium.

My test LR3 was Zambezi Silver outside and black leather inside and gorgeous everywhere you looked. I really like the styling of this vehicle. It is proof that form following function can still look fresh and beautiful. Not for this Land Rover the million twists and curves; this is a rectangle, designed to provide as much space as possible for the people and cargo inside, as unadorned as fine Shaker furniture, and as attractive.

It only gets better inside.

Looking up, one first sees, depending on where one sits, the power and tilt sliding sunroof or the fixed alpine roof, letting the sun shine in. The HSE now comes with the third row seating standard (it was an option on mine), allowing for space for 7, though at the cost of drastically reduced cargo space. What’s special about the HSE, as opposed to so many SUVs where the third row is only useful for small children, is that adults can sit comfortably back there for extended periods. That third row is also raised so passengers back there get a good view out the front windshield. Second row seats also benefit from stadium seating.

I, being selfish, was most concerned about the front seats. No need to worry here. These were among the most comfortable, supportive seats I’ve ever been in outside a sports car. Sure, they’re that soft, buttery leather and can be adjusted a million ways till Monday, but the important thing is that if you fix them once, you don’t have to. There was no fidgeting or changing positions. These were seats that fit like gloves, and I don’t mean OJ’s.

Land Rover, at heart, is still about the driving experience, and on or off road, this Land Rover is supremely competent. It starts with tires specially developed for Land Rover – in the case of the HSE, big 19-inchers. This is powered by a 4.4-liter, alloy V8 engine developing 300 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 315 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm and controlled by a six-speed “intelligent shift” ZF automatic, which allows the driver full control over the gear shift, should the driver want it.

The Jaguar-derived V8 puts out sufficient power and torque even for this heavy (5,426 to 5,796 lbs.) SUV. According to Land Rover, with the V8, you get 0-60 times of 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 121 mph. Interestingly, the weight of the car makes the much less powerful V6 (216 horses, 269 lb.-ft of torque) almost identical performance to the V8 at the pump, with a 14 city, 19 highway estimated fuel consumption.

The drive system is, as expected, permanent four-wheel-drive with traction control and “Terrain Response.” As Land Rover explains it, “By selecting one of the five terrain programs, Terrain Response automatically selects the most appropriate settings for the vehicle’s advanced electronic controls and traction aids – including ride height, engine torque response, hill descent control, electronic traction control and transmission setting. The five programs are for general driving, grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts, sand and rock crawl.”

Towing capacity is 7,700 lbs. in low range, but the really important news is that the LR3 has 11 standard and one optional cupholders, with a total capacity of 37 pints. Don’t ask me how they measured it, and don’t ask me pints of what.

The LR3 being a complete luxury car, all the luxury and safety features one would expect are there, and they work well. From the voice-controlled navigation system to the two-piece aluminum tailgate, everything worked as well as it looked. The 550-watt, 14-speaker, 6-CD Harmon Kardon sound system worked perhaps too well for these aging ears, but the teenage princess loved it.

That’s perhaps the greatest prize of all. The teenage princess, who once turned down a ride in a BMW M3 because she didn’t like the color and has long insisted that a Porsche Boxster S is her designated - and the only suitable - graduation present actually was moved to enthusiasm by the 2006 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE. She would, she proclaimed, accept the LR3 instead.

If Land Rover knew how rare such praise from the teenage princess was, they’d forget mentioning the 20-plus awards the LR3 earned from the US press and focus on her approval instead.

I can’t imagine the Land Rover finding an audience that would be harder to please. If the build quality holds up, I can’t imagine any audience that would not be pleased by the 2005 Land Rover LR3 V8 HSE.

posted by Andy Mais @ 12:39 PM