Home » Car Reviews » Land Rover » LR3 » 2005 Land Rover LR3 Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle
2005 Land Rover LR3 Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle
…Continued
Interior
The LR3 interior is equally as modern as the exterior, and is nonetheless a Land Rover. Luxury SUV amenities like a plush leather are standard. And missing amenities, like door-mounted, water-bottle holders, and front and rear cup holders, are now in ample supply. The numerous cubbyholes, map pockets, nets and gewgaw holders are gone, reflecting the change in the vehicle's targeting; this Land Rover is about 'how you get there' versus 'where you're going.'
One of the best reasons to own an LR3 is the navigation system. It's stellar and worth the extra expense, especially if gizmos are your thing. It has a fantastic monitor depicting graphics of most of the vehicle's technologies. It shows you what those technologies are doing, and the function they are engaged in. The navsys has a touch-screen interface, voice-actuated directions, and controls for the audio system, all in one. Fantastic!
This system should be standard in every luxury vehicle.
We had plenty of seat time, both in the front and back seats. While driving around the Biltmore Estate, we traded places to experience different types of terrain. All positions are comfortable and supportive holding you in place when the vehicle gets at odd angles - which it definitely can do. And LR3 has stadium seating. Passengers in the rear two rows sit higher giving them a better view of the road ahead.
The rear doors are small and the step up to get into the second row is high. Getting in and out of the rear seats is a little difficult, especially for kids, shorter adults, and people with mobility considerations. Running boards help, but they aren't a good idea if you actually plan to drive the vehicle off road.
Performance
The LR3 is powered by the same 4.4-liter, V8 engine found in Jaguars. They generate 300-hp and 315 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. This power plant provides plenty of getupandgo for both on, and off-road use. The V8 engine is strong with plenty of torque for pulling the $50,000 truck over most any rock or obstacle. On the highway it is smooth and quiet with plenty of power for passing. A smaller, more gas thrifty, 4.0-liter, V6 engine with 216-hp and 269 lb-ft torque at 3,000 RPM will be available in July 2005.
LR3 is equipped with a 6-speed, electronically-controlled "CommandShift" transmission. It has normal, sport and manual modes useful for the variety of driving conditions Land Rover owners experience, especially on the highway. Permanent all-wheel drive, coupled with traction control provide rugged capabilities, and can come in very handy when the vehicle hits snow, ice, mud or heavy rain.
Ride and Handling
LR3 features Land Rover's new Terrain Response™ system, which is not yet available on the more expensive Range Rover. The system manages all of the electronic driver-aides including: traction control, stability control, Hill Descent Control and the air suspension (which levels the vehicle and smoothes the ride.) The Terrain Response™ system provide the driver with maximum control over the vehicle on all most surfaces regardless of conditions.
The driver selects the appropriate setting for the conditions using a rotating knob on the center console. It operates much like the setting mechanism on digital cameras, and the information is displayed on the dash-front monitor. There are five settings to choose from: a general driving program, ‘grass/gravel/snow’(for slippery surfaces,) and three special off-road modes: 'mud/ruts', 'sand' and 'rock crawl'.
The trails around the Biltmore Estate, in Asheville North Carolina, afforded an excellent demonstration of the system's capabilities. The driver need only select the surface conditions and the system sets the suspension and controls the vehicle appropriately. It makes moving from one type of driving condition to another interesting, and accurate.
The 4-channel, all-terrain, anti-lock braking system with electronic brake distribution and cornering brake control add to the fun. There are also power-assisted, 4-wheel, ventilated disc brakes all around for great stopping power.
One of our favorite LR3 features is the automatically deploying, hill-descent control -- a feature we like to see on any vehicle. On steep hills the system kicks in to control downward speed keeping it below 4 miles per hour. Hill ascent control also prevents the vehicle from rolling backwards in the case that you have to stop on a hill. Try this when parking in San Francisco as it makes getting out of an uphill parking space, on a rainy day, really easy. These are incredibly useful technologies.
The on road drive of the LR3 is excellent compared to luxury SUVs like the Aviator, Envoy, or the Cadillac SRX. But it is not as refined as the Volkswagen Touraeg, or the six-cylinder Cayenne.
Daily commutes on pavement will be comfortable thanks to the LR3s air suspension which, in addition to providing a smooth ride, levels the car. If the rear cargo area has a heavy load the system makes sure that the front wheels stay on the ground, so it is possible to steer. Off road the LR3 is a true Land Rover capable of traversing the toughest terrain, from the Amazon to the mud bogs in your local off-road park.
