We'd been wanting to drive a Land Rover Discovery from the first day we saw one on the road. We loved the styling -- two small windows next to the roof on either side of the trunk bed, huge windows everywhere, incredible visibility and a car body that didn't look like a pain killer gel cap. We just thought it was one of the coolest cars on the market. It is a true off-road vehicle and it was on the top of our list of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to test drive.

After seeing the impressive Land Rover booth at the New York Auto Show, hearing the powerful presentation given by the staff, and talking to Bill Baker and Rob Walsh (the two guys responsible for marketing the Discovery in the U.S.), we knew our readers would want more information on--

"the car that could go almost anywhere".

We were ecstatic when Rob called to schedule our test drive. Brian and I discussed the trip every day trying to find a location where we could take it off-road to REALLY test it. Our excitement was compounded when Rob's package of literature arrived. It included a fantastic instructional video with footage of the Discovery in a Camel Trophy style event, showing a variety of off-road driving conditions and how to deal with them. The video explained how the gear ranges and locking differential setups worked -- something we were totally unfamiliar with before viewing the tape. These features give the SUV eight forward, and two reverse gear options enabling it to climb most any hill and obstacle. The marketing literature was clear, concise and easy to understand, something we found also to be the case with the owner's manual. Most manuals don't live up to their name and are more bother than information, something the leather-bound, Discovery Manual did not mirror.

Land Rover (now owned by BMW), more than any auto manufacturer we have encountered, has gone out of its way to educate their vehicle owners on the safe and fun use of their products. The Land Rover Centers (dealerships) have small off-road courses where you can learn the capabilities of the SUV in a safe environment. Land Rover and The Land Rover Centers each coordinate trips for customers. Those provided directly from Land Rover are swanky, expensive trips that take you off-roading in places like Oman, the Australian Outback, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Himalayas, Singapore and the Rockies. The Land Rover Centers offer less pricey journeys, closer to home, where you can meet Discovery owners in your neighborhood. What a great idea for vehicle ownership to provide a social life that includes off-roading.

We were getting the impression that the Discovery was a rugged car, meant for real world use, designed by and for intelligent people. We definitely thought the marketing reflected that attitude. The literature was designed to educate people who would treat the vehicle with respect and want to care for it. Thus, keeping it around and running perfectly for a long time, something you'd have to want considering they cost 25% more than other vehicles in their category. However, the Discovery is really in a class all its own.