Reviews - Land Rover

Overall Rating

Range Rover fuses Land Rover heritage with style and prestige. This is the car that created the luxury sport/leisure 4x4 market niche, and it still sits confidently near the top of its class.

• Badge heritage, excellent bloodlines, space and status
• Overall ability and refinement leave most rivals behind
• Finely crafted cabin is luxuriously equipped

• 4.4 V8 is thirsty - 17 mpg if you're lucky
• 3.0 TD could use a little more power
• Some lingering doubts about reliability

Range Rover has it all: size, presence, style, prestige, refinement, a famous badge, and a price tag high enough to keep the riff-raff away. The post-2002 car is the best yet, even though it's no bargain. That monumentally imposing body is over 16 feet long; it could be a bit of a bus to drive, but it's not. Its size means that it needs fine judgement in town, especially when parking, but on the open road it's light and surprisingly poised. The ride is astonishing; the electronic air suspension flattens bumps yet controls body roll well. But Range Rover is no SUV softie; its off-road abilities remain almost unchallenged. There's a choice of BMW-sourced engines: the 4.4 V8, with its unruffled 8 second 0-60mph performance; or the more measured but more economical 3.0 TD. The roomy cabin is tastefully trimmed, luxurious and comes with most creature comforts. There's a long options list, too.

NCAP: 4

Best Models: 4.4 V8 HSE and TD6 SE

Worst Models: None

Replacement: 2010

• BMW X5
• Porsche Cayenne
• Volvo XC90