Living with a Sport

By Kevin Girling, International Correspondent, LAND ROVER enthusiast Magazine

Much has been written about the technical attributes of the current models offered by Land Rover but all too often we ignore the basics - how does a current model fit with everyday living?

I have never been a great fan of the Range Rover and when the Range Rover Sport came along I was not swayed. I remained a fan of the Discovery simply for its looks, internal space, versatility and all round capability. With the right gear fitted it was the classic “go anywhere” Land Rover with that great expedition look that shouted at you - the world is beckoning!

At 6'5" I really didn't see myself squeezing into a short, squashed version of big brother Range Rover, however, on a recent trip to the Land Rover Experience in Montebello (See LAND ROVER enthusiast June 2008 Issue) my views changed. I could actually get into the vehicle and in a back seat no less! The vehicle performed well off-road and did everything a Disco could do. All of the girls on the trip loved it and my interest was aroused.

Land Rover Canada kindly loaned me a 2008 model year Range Rover Sport HSE to test and it was during a busy work week when we were really able to put the vehicle through its paces and test it in everyday life!

The North American model features a 4.4 liter V8 engine, capable of taking this 5550 lb vehicle from 0-60 mph in only 7.5 seconds. This none too shabby performance is thanks to technology borrowed from both Jaguar and the Aston Martin. Sure, there are vehicles that will go faster but in the real world of speed limits and radar traps what good is it?

First up was a simple road test - 200 kms of mixed highway, city and rural driving followed by an immediate tank refill. Although not terribly scientific I have found this test a good indicator of what to expect. 199.5 kms had consumed 30.7 litres of fuel so we were averaging, under mixed driving conditions, 6.69 kms per litre. Not bad for a heavy rig with a thirsty V8 under the hood.

On-Road:

Heading onto the highway to get to a business meeting the vehicle is unquestionably fast and loves to settle in the cruise at 130 kph, 30 over the posted limit in Ontario! It is smooth and sophisticated and almost an old man's car but stamp on the gas and the vehicle is transformed into a growling sports car disguised as an SUV. It corners as if on rails and handles rougher surfaces with ease. The braking is exceptional with a nice feel to the pedal. The interior is outstanding and very comfortable. The ergonomics on this vehicle really work for the driver with everything essential for driving, easily visible and reachable. PASS

Business:

Arriving for a business meeting this vehicle made a statement. The old Land Rover marque values we became familiar with in North America several years ago are still there: Individualism, Authenticity, Freedom, Adventure, Guts and Supremacy! I had arrived in style generating due reverence from my audience, employees of the company I was visiting. Whatever the truth might be this vehicle oozes success and was perfectly at home alongside Jaguars, Range Rovers, an Aston Martin as well as other high end models from unmentionable manufacturers. PASS

Shopping:

Another common use for the family car is shopping so it was off to our local grocery store for the weekly shop. Weight and size had no impact on parking in a crowded car park thanks to a light and well balanced steering system. Granted our parking spots are generally larger than the European equivalent, but then most of our vehicles are larger as well so it is all relevant. Sliding the Sport into a parking spot offered no challenges, or effort, however we did attract a few looks. Land Rover vehicles, outside of the main urban areas, are still a rarity so always stand out. Digesting a load of groceries and other supplies was actually an anti climax. We could not fill the load space and we began to worry how we would prevent our load from sliding around but here the vehicle performed well. The vehicle is so smooth and easy on the turns that our load never shifted. PASS

The Unusual:

Our next test was dealing with unusual loads. We went to visit with our friends at the world famous Jungle Cat World where species preservation is the number one priority, efforts that over the years have been supported by Land Rover Canada, its retailers and customers. When a young Siberian Tiger needed moving to another location at the site we were only to happy to offer the services of the Land Rover Canada Media Vehicle! Although lacking a dog guard to protect occupants and interior we can happily report that the vehicle passed the Tiger test with no damage to the interior and only minor scratches to the two handlers! How cool is it to have scratch marks inflicted by a tiger? Very cool! PASS

Vacation:

Vehicles are often used as a means of transportation for a vacation or at least to the airport and this evolved into another good test for the Sport. Could it handle luggage for my wife and daughter heading overseas. As you can see from the pictures the answer is a resounding yes with room for more. Had all four of us been travelling we could easily have loaded luggage for four in the load space although it would have been almost to the roof. Fully loaded with passengers and baggage the vehicle really feels no different, the handling remains the same and performance is not noticeably impaired. This vehicle has power to spare. PASS

Kids:

In family use this vehicle will need to transport kids in car seats. Access is an important issue for Mums as they try to maneuver kids in arms through rear doors and into a childs safety seat. Once again the Sport offered no surprises. Access room is plentiful so no strained back muscles for Mums with this vehicle. The Sport will handle the traditional North American family of 2.2 kids and a dog (or tiger) with ease. PASS

Off-Road:

Many feel that the Sport, and indeed other current Land Rover models, are no longer designed for off-road use but we know different! At the Land Rover Experience the Sport went everywhere the LR3 went and with ease. Even rock crawling proved easy thanks to the terrain response system, now standard in all models sold in North America. On-road so often becomes off-road in North America when a winter snow storm hits. Without ever leaving the tarmac driving conditions are transformed and for most owners this will be a real test. As long as they remember to dial in the conditions the Sport will do the rest.

Clearly no test is complete without venturing off road, and after heavy overnight rain my daughter and I felt compelled to take a Sunday afternoon drive along a trail close to home frequented by locals with vehicles fitted with the biggest lift kits and tyres possible. With lots of power under the hood the end result is huge amounts of wheel spin and these North American vehicles leave behind the inevitable deep ruts for others to negotiate. Tread Lightly is not something the locals seem to be able to grasp!

We dialed in mud and snow on the Terrain Response System, lifted the vehicle up, selected low range and, following the ancient Land Rover motto ‘as slow as possible, as fast as necessary’, we were off for a very sedate afternoon drive. We never once got stuck, never even came close and emerged an hour later feeling somewhat cheated. Where was the challenge, where were the recovery efforts, where were the obstacles that might have stopped my 2000 model year Discovery in its tracks? They were all there but the Sport had handled it all! Even more satisfying was the look on the faces of the locals. Standing beside tricked out jeeps dripping mud and water from every imaginable part of their vehicles the Sport came out relatively clean – very satisfying! BIG PASS

Conclusion:

I have to confess to being a convert. The Sport, much loved by celebrities, star football, ice hockey and basketball players, very clearly fits into family life and is capable of offering a safe and versatile transportation platform.

Recent price drops in North America (down from $78,300 to $71,600 in Canada) make the Sport an attractive proposition given its clear ability to fulfill a range of family duties in all conditions.

Sales, however, have recently dropped off significantly in North America thanks to record fuel prices at the pumps. At C$1.36 per litre for regular gas many are opting for smaller vehicles in the hope of saving money and helping the environment. The Sport is a very emission friendly vehicle, most high end vehicles are. Part of the price you pay for a good vehicle covers the cost of sophisticated and highly effective emission control systems.

There is no question that any Land Rover tends to be on the thirsty side. There is a price to be paid for all that strength although personally I am of the view that if you can afford the vehicle in the first place then you can generally afford the fuel. Along with the rest of us, you might still complain about the outrageous price at the pumps. If however you have scraped every last penny together to purchase your dream vehicle and fuel prices are a real concern then consider doing what we did recently and analyze carefully your patterns of use.

We discovered that at our time in life most of our driving was single occupant runs with some trips with double occupancy and only the occasional family trip. We then worked out that one Land Rover and one smaller car would satisfy our family needs. A second Land Rover, our project diesel 110, would likely spend much of its time at university with my daughter. Brief thoughts of a nice two seat Mercedes sports soft top were quickly discounted - my wife said no!. We needed something small with low gas consumption, good emissions and comfortable seating for tall people with the inevitable back problems. After some research we now own a Smart for Two by Mercedes Benz which has proved to be the perfect pairing for a Land Rover. Each morning we look at the trips planned for that day and use the Smart Car for the longest journey for either one or two people. We have reduced both our weekly fuel bill and our carbon footprint substantially. We have reduced the miles being put on our Land Rover but above all we can afford to keep our Land Rover and still use it at a time when many owners are looking to sell them and replace them with a boring fuel efficient alternative.

At the end of the test I stepped back into my own 2000 Discovery II and the quantum leaps in comfort, handling, and technology made by Land Rover over the years were all too apparent. Even allowing for wear and tear the contrasts are huge so I have probably arrived at the perfect combination for everyday family life; a Range Rover Sport HSE and a Mercedes Benz Smart Car! Anyone want to buy a used Disco?