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| photography courtesy of Wieck Media Services, Inc. |
Here’s the thing. I figured if Land Rover wanted to give me one of its toughest, most advanced, and most expensive SUVs—the 2008 Range Rover Supercharged—then it was my duty to try to roll the thing over.
Didn’t happen.
I wouldn’t usually be so hard on an SUV, but this remarkable machine has a big pedigree as the adventurer’s go-to vehicle. So I took it to some country trails with steep inclines, rocks, fallen trees, deep mud, and rutted fields. It didn’t miss a beat. The Range Rover’s power, independent suspension, terrain-response system, and hill-descent control worked brilliantly, in spite of the fact that this sport-ute has settings I’ll never understand. It owned those trails.
Back in civilization, the road performance of this behemoth absolutely belies—denies—its mass. The 4.2-liter engine’s 400 horses leap at the slightest touch. This thing has the speed and acceleration of a sports car, though not the agility and high-performance handling. You’re probably more likely to roll it speeding on a cloverleaf than out in the bush. (Truth is, you’re not apt to roll it at all.)
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| STRAIGHT UP: The Range Rover’s enhanced interior includes features like a terrain-response system (left), which helps on hills. photography courtesy of Wieck Media Services, Inc. |
The Rover’s refined cockpit is loaded with gadgets and gizmos, including a solid navigation system, DVD players in the rear seats (which come with wireless headphones—thank you, Jesus), and a better sound system than its Jaguar cousin. Goes without saying that it’s roomy, comfortable, tough, and yet still the height of elegance.
I found no serious faults. Even the price is reasonable for what you’re getting. But as manly as this brutish, British Rover is in the field, driving it in Dallas makes you feel a little like a well-kept Parkie wife, since every other one of them seems to drive a Range Rover, too.
Still, if the worst you can say is it’s Indiana Jones in the country and Bridget Jones in the city, how can you go wrong?
THE DETAILS
Sticker price: $96,100
Engine: 400 HP 4.2-L V-8
MPG: 12 city, 18 highway
