Land Rover Range Rover Sport 2008 $35,995

Ride, Handling & Offroad Credentials Unlike the LX 570 and Escalade, which have body-on-frame constructions, the Range Rover is built on a reinforced unibody platform with a four-wheel-independent air-spring suspension. The setup delivers a comfortable highway ride with minimal road noise. Wind noise can creep up at higher speeds, but crosswinds never fazed my test car. Ride quality is exceptional the suspension soaks up bumps with little disturbance to the cabin, and its well-settled response has none of the lingering reverberations I felt in the GL550. Curvy roads induce plenty of body roll . The wheels stay on course if you hit any bumps, though, giving the Range Rover a well-grounded feeling that's uncommon in full-size SUVs. Land Rover says the HSE and Supercharged share the same suspension tuning. I'm not as big a fan of the steering setup. The wheel turns with a light touch, but turn-in precision can be inconsistent at times it yields quick response, but otherwise its movements seem a bit vague. In close quarters, the Range Rover's 39.4-foot turning diameter is midpack, within a foot of competitors'. Being born of offroad utility, the Range Rover has some serious mud-trekking credentials. Full-time four-wheel drive is standard, and in offroad mode the air suspension can raise the vehicle 2.2 inches above its normal ride height. That allows 11 inches of ground clearance, which is about an inch more than a Hummer H2 offers. A two-speed transfer case , locking center differential and Land Rover's Terrain Response system (see the thumbnail above) are standard. Serious off-roaders will want to get the locking rear differential, which is optional on the HSE and standard on the Supercharged. Exterior & Styling When the Range Rover arrived in early 2002, its nouveau-riche styling shared the spotlight with the then-radical Escalade. Most competitors have since been redesigned, but the Range Rover gained only a modest face-lift for the 2006 model year. These days, its lines virtually all of them straight embody European restraint, with simple dark textures where others might put chrome. The Range Rover is now the reserved one in its class, and that may still appeal to some. Nineteen-inch alloy wheels are standard. Twenty-inchers are optional on the HSE and standard on the Supercharged. The Inside Interior quality is generally outstanding, but some major features are starting to show their age and in an SUV this pricey, the sum of annoyances becomes a major shortcoming. Let's start with the good. Land Rover offers two grades of leather upholstery: Blenheim and Windsor. My test car had the fancier Windsor hides, which are optional on the HSE and standard on the Supercharged. Their quality would befit any six-figure car, though the raised stitching on the inserts dug into my back at times. In terms of firmness, the seats feel somewhere near the GL550's, though their side bolsters aren't nearly as confining. If you're a fan of cushier upholstery, the LX 570 is probably your ticket. Dashboard quality is luxury-car solid, with soft-touch plastics everywhere and plenty of high-grade aluminum trim. There's attention to details, too: The climate controls and seat heater dials feel expertly crafted, and the rubberized thumbwheels for the A/C vents click softly into their fully open or closed positions. The standard navigation system is no usability champion, but its touch-screen-and-knob interface is intuitive enough. Punch in a destination, and you'll be guided by a British voice that sounds like a nasally Patrick Stewart. (If he tells you to set a course for the Delta Quadrant, be advised it may take some time to get there.) Both rows of seats offer excellent legroom and headroom, though thigh support is lacking a bit in back. Thanks to tall windows and a mildly raked windshield, forward visibility is excellent, but the enormous head restraints on all seats can reduce side and rear visibility a bit. The issues add u

• COLD CLIMATE PKG
• Pwr sunroof
• Bi-Xenon single-piece headlamps w/auto headlamps pwr washers
• Front/rear fog lamps
• Puddle/footwell lamps
• Deep-tinted glass aft of B-pillar
• Pwr folding heated mirrors w/programmable auto dipping of passenger mirror in reverse
• Rain-sensing front windshield wipers
• Intermittent rear window washer/wiper
• Single tailgate w/opening glass
• Seating
• 65/35 split folding rear seat w/adjustable head restraints
• 3-driver memory
• Ebony center stack/console trim
• Twin needle top stich door inserts
• Noble finish trim accents on speaker/vent bezels gear knob glove box release
• Center console storage bin
• Leather-wrapped pwr tilt/telescopic steering wheel
• Instrumentation
• Outside temp display
• Front/rear park distance control
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Pwr windows
• Pwr central locking w/emergency key entry via concealed panel in drivers door
• Cruise control w/steering wheel mounted controls
• Premium navigation system w/4X4 info system
• Perimetric alarm system w/keyless entry
• Homelink system for garage doors & security gates
• 550-watt Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 audio system
• Steering wheel mounted audio controls
• 2nd row auxiliary audio input
• Voice recognition & driver microphone
• Personal telephone integration system
• Dual glass-mounted antenna system
• Dual-zone automatic climate control w/recirculation
• Front/rear window defogger
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• 12V pwr outlet
• Cupholders
• Brunel door inserts
• Front door map pockets
• Front seatback storage pockets
• Rear loadspace cover cargo net hooks
• 4.4L V8 engine
• 6-speed automatic transmission w/Commandshift
• 4-wheel electronic traction control (4ETC)
• Permanent 4-wheel drive
• Distributorless ignition system
• 2-speed electronic transfer gearbox
• Monocoque integrated body/chassis w/(3) steel subframes
• Integral class III trailer towing hitch receiver
• Enhanced electronic air suspension (EAS) system
• Double-wishbone front suspension
• Double-wishbone rear suspension
• 255/50HR19 tires
• 19 aluminum alloy wheels
• Reduced section spare tire
• Pwr rack & pinion steering
• Pwr ventilated front solid rear disc brakes
• Electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD)
• Emergency brake assist (EBA)
• Cornering brake control (CBC)
• Hill descent control (HDC)
• Dynamic stability control (DSC)
• Active roll mitigation (ARM)
• 4-channel 4-wheel all-terrain anti-lock brakes (ABS)
• Electronic parking brake
• 6-airbag supplemental restraint system (SRS)
• Front/rear three-point seatbelts & head restraints
• Height adjustable front seatbelt anchors
• Front seatbelt pretensioners
• Child locks for rear doors/windows
• LATCH (Lower Anchor & Tether for Children) system for child seat attachment
• Front crumple zones
• Collision-activated inertia switch to unlock doors turn off fuel pump activate hazard lamps
• Leather-wrapped gear selector