Land Rover LR3 2008

By Benjamin Cyr

A comfortable and generous cab

When you slide in behind the wheel, you’re instantly struck by the height of the vehicle. The view from any angle is excellent. The dashboard’s style and the odd placement of certain controls looks English. We noted the quality of the and the superior interior lighting for night driving, plus the three windowed spaces on the roof that provide a flow of natural lighting during the day, and later offer a view of the starry sky at for all aboard, even those seated on the third row; in fact, they’ll find the comfort of the last row well above average. The only hitch pertains to the diminishing cargo space when the vehicle’s people quota is reached. If you plan a long outing with baggage, wiser it would be to limit the passenger roster to five and flatten the third row to maximize cargo volume.

Really only one choice for motorization

Though a certain 216hp, V6 of Ford origin could be available, don’t entertain the thought. Just imagine hauling weight superior to 2400kg with so little power and torque. The only real choice should be the 4.2 litre, V8 producing 300hp and 315lb-ft of torque. This engine use to be the 4.2 Jaguar to which now sports 200 extra cc. Given that it needs more torque below 3000 revs/, the motor performs well, helped along by a six-speed transmission. The hitch occurs at the pump. Ouch! I registered an average of 19 litres/100km. If you do a lot of highway driving, the ratio will improve because consumption at a constant speed (110km/h) circles the 13.5 litres/100km while constant city driving shoots over 20 litres for the same 100km.

As to handling, one could expect worse considering the size and height. The roll in turns is apparent but well controlled and braking manages to immobilize the 2.5 tons. Understand, however, that we’re a long way from the handling of an Acura MDX, a Buick Enclave or a Mazda CX-9. You certainly have to love driving trucks and not cars to appreciate this Land Rover. At this level, I think the other SUV displaying similar off-road aptitudes would be the Volkswagen Touareg V8.

Road-test likes:

• the impressive off-road ability;
• the high-level electronic systems improving security at all times;
• the cab’s comfort;
• the three glass roofs, one for each row of seats;
• interior space and passenger volume;
• the small turning radius;
• the cab’s different configurations, augmenting  the LR3,s versatility;
• the six-speed transmission which works rapidly and efficiently.

Road-test dislikes:

• the lack of torque at low revolutions (V8);
• the vehicle’s imposing weight;
• the wind sounds coming from the lateral wipers at more  than 115 km/h;
• the high consumption of regular fuel that reaches 19 litres/100km;
• the LR3’s total height can be cumbersome (inside parking);
• the seriously insufficient power of the V6.