Land Rover’s compact SUV is an exceptional bit of industrial design that’s light on its feet, with better driving characteristics than most compact sedans, plus fairly sophisticated off-roading capabilities, short of rock-hopping on the Rubicon Trail. Land Rover is trying to split the difference between fully-optioned Japanese compact SUVs and the more expensive BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
Prime Numbers
Price: MSRP: $35,375. As Tested: $43,700
Engine: 3.2-liter DOHC transversely mounted inline six
Horsepower: 230 hp @ 6,300
Torque: 234 lb ft @ 3,200
Drivetrain: All-wheel-drive with six-speed automatic transmission
Suspension F/R: MacPherson struts, lower control arms, long-travel coils springs, anti-roll bar/Independent struts with lateral and longitudinal links, anti-roll bar
Length: 177.1-in.
Width: 85.7-in. (including mirrors)
Height: 68.5-in.
Wheelbase: 104.7-in.
Weight: 4,255 lbs
Who’s The Buyer
This car is for you if:
- You can’t live without a luxury badge, will pay a premium to get it, but you want to be different.
- You spend most of your days driving in suburbia, but occasionally take a weekend camping trip.
- You highly value clean, principled industrial design and what it says about your values.
This car is not for you if:
- You’re value-conscious and don’t mind a more prosaic Honda CR-V, Kia Sedona or similar Asian CUV.
- You’re a serious off-roader who likes rock-hopping, in which case the LR2 will NOT be robust or capable enough to satisfy.
- You’re most concerned with social perceptions of the Jones family down the street and thus will only be satisfied with a BMW X3 or Audi Q5 and haven’t the strength of character to be a little different.
Alternatives To Consider
Acura RDX. The slightly larger CAD-derived clone of the Honda CR-V (it’s not really the same, but was developed in parallel in the same computer tube as the CR-V). Japanese products rarely have the same feel, style or cachet, but RDX should prove reliable, and will retain excellent resale value, but it’s also $38,000+ with comparable equipment, so certainly no bargain when judged against the Land Rover.
Volvo XC60. The Volvo fraternal twin to the Landie, the XC60 offers an available turbo engine with greater power, a few interesting passive safety devices, and styling that some might call more expressive, and others might call tortured. XC60 is priced equal to or greater than the Landie, and Volvo resale value is debatable.
BMW X3. BMW is the gold standard among European SUVs. If you go for a new one, explore the leasing options as a business vehicle, then step out of it two years later after taking tax write-downs. Comparably equipped with the LR2, an X3 can cost a few grand more.
Audi Q5: VW Tiguan’s Audi brother is new to the market, but runs over the LR2 and Volvo XC60 on its way to compete with the BMW X3. Downside? It’s a VW Tiguan with an Audi reskin and Audi engine, so the bargain-conscious should look to the VW dealer. It’s not hard to spend $50,000+ on the Q5, which is a shock to American senses.
For folks who love to dump on the US carmakers, we offer Land Rover, the new Jaguar XF and XJ, Aston and Volvo. Ford did right by these companies, and demonstrated what its Ford of Europe engineers could accomplish in the luxury field.
Jac Nasser’s dream of turning a passel of old European brands into a profit center for a new Ford has come to an end, and how these companies will manage on their own is open to question. Jaguar and Land Rover were lucky to be bought by an East Indian billionaire with a significant industrial operation behind him.
Land Rover’s LR2 and its fraternal twin the Volvo XC60 are part of the Richard Parry-Jones swansong at Ford of Europe. Like anything from RPJ, who was a leading development engineer at Ford, the Land Rover LR2 is an exceptionally nice car to drive. Thanks to Volvo, the engine is not a typical RPJ afterthought, being far more than just a propulsion unit. The LR2 is a well-engineered compact SUV with a good measure of off-road competence and a character all its own when compared to the Germans, Swedes and Japanese.
Engine, Transmission, Drivetrain
LR2’s 3.2-liter straight six is shared with the Volvo XC60. It’s smooth, and the upper intake and valvetrain make a nice sound at higher revs. Though the six-speed automatic has well-chosen ratios with no big gaps, it also tends to mask the engine’s finer traits. We found kickdowns in full-auto mode were sometimes sluggish followed by a big leap in revs, giving you high engine revs and more acceleration than you wanted. Land Rover needs to work on how it measures throttle position so it’s easier to give a light squeeze to drop a gear. If you like to drive quickly, we highly recommend using the “CommandShift” semi-auto shifter to fully enjoy this vehicle; changing gears for yourself really brings the engine and ultimately the entire driving experience to life. Besides, just saying the words “CommandShift” makes me think of Laurence Olivier playing Air Marshal Dowding in The Battle of Britain.
Putting power to the ground is a Haldex all-wheel-drive system similar to those in the Volvo XC60, XC70 or XC90. This is not a four-wheel-drive system as in an LR4 or Range Rover, with a Torsen center differential and all the capabilities that allow a big Land Rover to conquer jungles and deserts. Instead, it’s a Haldex system, meaning it’s primarily a front-wheel-drive system that shoots power to the rear wheels when needed via a multi-plate clutch system. Because the Haldex system can be “pre-loaded,” it has the hallmarks of a locking center diff without the constant-engagement headaches if it’s not needed.
For a compact SUV that’s most likely to spend its days trolling suburban boulevards, picking up kiddies at school, and carrying a small nuclear family to a well-groomed campground or lake house, this is acceptable, and in many ways better-suited to everyday driving than the more complex and heavier Torsen systems in the bigger Land Rovers.
LR2 has all the expected electronic tricks to help it perform in mild off-road conditions. Thanks to ABS sensors and actuators, the LR2 has functions like Descent Control. It maintains a speed of less than a few miles per hour by alternately grabbing and releasing individual brakes. All the driver must do is focus on steering.
Terrain Response, on the other hand, gives you four distinctly different sets of software coding to meet the needs of driving on the road, in mud and gravel, in ruts, and on sand. Twist the knob on the center console to the appropriate setting and the torque delivery and the intervention of ABS and stability/traction control is tailored to conditions. Rather than bore you with a tedious explanation of the technology, follow this link to see a suite of videos that will explain better than anything we can write.
Suspension, Steering, Brakes
This is where the LR2 shines, and where Richard Parry-Jones had his greatest effect. The suspension is independent links at the rear, and car-like MacPherson struts up front (we assume this and the Volvo are evolved from excellent Ford of Europe components, probably the Mondeo and/or Kuga). Before you cringe and whine, remember that Ford of Europe is known in the car business for its gold-plated engineering. The cars are remarkable performers that we would be lucky to get here in the US (the Fiesta is coming soon). Fords in Europe are known for exceptionally good handling, steering and braking. They’re engineered to be very, very enjoyable to drive. The LR2 is an indication of the quality of Ford of Europe engineering.
LR2 is light on its feet around town, and downright cat-like. Why cat-like? Get a bit aggressive and you’ll find exceptionally well-done shock absorber tuning and springing makes this “car” enjoyable to play with. It leans into corners in a predictable manner, and stands back up straight in an equally progressive, smooth style. It’s graceful, a word one rarely applies to an SUV, even the crossover car-based variety. You’ll get a fair amount of front-end dive in a panic stop, but the LR2 stops quickly and recovers its composure.
The Land Rover LR2 has that enigmatic trait of all well-sorted cars: an unbearable lightness of being. It feels lighter and more playful than any SUV or wagon should, and that’s all down to carefully thought-out suspension tuning. Well done, lads.
Body, Design, Quality
LR2 is a handsome vehicle, even if one might describe it as a sharply ironed and creased refrigerator box—the design holds tremendous appeal, masking its small dimensions. Several times when walking away from the LR2, I did a double-take: it reads bigger and more substantial than it is. To paraphrase Bill Mitchell, head of GM design in the Sixties, trying to make a small car elegant is like putting a midget in a tuxedo. In this case, Land Rover has succeeded: LR2 is an elegant bit of industrial design.
The front fender grilles are well executed. Panel gaps are not as slim and tight as on an Audi or Toyota, but the gaps are even and panels are sharply aligned. Best of all, there’s no sign of iron-mongery in the door hinges or other areas where work can get sloppy in lesser vehicles. The body engineers designed the pieces to go together properly and well. Get it finished in a darker color and the even, straight but slightly wider than expected panel gaps won’t matter a bit. I like the deep green Land Rover has on offer for the LR2, which makes me think of original Land Rovers “roving” through Kenya on safari.
You’ll also note LR2 has very short overhangs from and rear, which means the approach and break angles are not bad. You can actually take on interesting off-road trails.
The body engineering team did a great job, too, not taking any guff from designers. The door openings are big, there is very little lower door sill, and the doors swing open very wide. In short, it’s easy to get in and out.
At first glance, interior materials are one of the few weak points, the dash being a black matte swath of indifferent material, with lots of matte-black switchgear. The door panels and dash don’t feel cheap, but they do not meet the expected luxury standards one gets in a BMW. On the other hand, the panels are not shiny and thus don’t reflect light, a real advantage. Even the alloy-finish trim is muted enough not to flash light around the interior. The seats in our test car were faced in leather, but there’s a cool nature to it all. Then again, it’s not like the water-proofed interior of a Nissan Xterra or Honda Element, where you can use a hose to clean out mud. But you could mop up the interior fairly easily if you played on an unpaved road, or one of the kids has a food-throwing tantrum. That’s when you’ll begin to appreciate the purposefully utilitarian nature of the materials.
LR2 has twin moonroofs, complimenting the airy nature of the upright passenger cabin. LR2 is a light-filled and pleasant place to spend time. Best of all, it is not plagued with C- and D-pillars the size of bridge abutments. The passenger cabin is airy, and you can clearly see vehicles to your rear three-quarter, and backing up in a crowded parking lot is not a situation to cause fear and loathing: you can see what’s around you. Again, a sign of intelligent industrial design that is NOT a slave to fashion.
Ergonomics, Interior
LR2’s primary gauge pack has an old-time machine-like quality to it, but compared to the electro-luminescent gauges we’re seeing in other cars, the weak green light seems dim, the numbers a bit small. When using the semi-auto CommandShift for the transmission, it’s difficult to read which gear you’re in—that information appears in a small green window often obscured by the steering wheel. On these smaller and seemingly less important gauges and controls, the lads didn’t completely think through their sightlines. Most cars fail this test in some respect, but I do wish the gear ratio display was easier to see because it is so much fun to drive the little Landie with CommandShift.
The secondary switchgear on the center stack is designed to give a purposeful, conquer-the-Serengeti feel. Buttons and knobs are all large, easy to work, and give a sense of robustness (a favorite word with automotive engineers—robust). This is only brought down, again, by the sense of the material being utilitarian. But here again, you can chalk it up to a desire to make the little LR2 seem purposeful.
Seating is excellent up front with ample adjustment, including an inflatable cushion for the driver’s lower back. Out back, it’s best for smaller adults or children, though with the driver’s seat set up for me (I’m six foot three), I was able to wiggle into the rear seat and could have tolerated a short drive to dinner. And let’s face it, this is for a younger person who takes friends along now and then, or has a starter-kit family.
Because LR2 is designed like a box, the cargo area is large and useful, with a flat floor, nearly flat sidewalls, and a huge opening thanks to a rear door that hinges at the absolute top trailing edge of this “box.” The liftover is no higher than in any similar compact SUV.
Another point? You get a functional spare tire, a rarity these days, but certainly important in a vehicle with off-roading pretensions. You might not venture far enough into the boonies to blow out a tire five miles from a paved highway, but it’s nice to know you’ve got a spare that can carry you back to civilization.
LR2 has seven airbags, which means two up front, seat-mounted side bags, plus side curtains airbags. The driver gets a knee airbag.
Audio, Video, Navigation
Our LR2 was heavily optioned, a point we’ll cover in a moment. A sat nav system, a decent audio upgrade, rear-seat outlets for headphones and the like to entertain the little savages strapped in the rear seat. Plus Bluetooth capability. Nothing unexpected here, nothing shocking, and these options are no pricier than in other cars.
Conclusion
Simply put, the LR2 steers, corners, and behaves better than almost any compact US or Asian sedan we can think of, and has that exquisitely unbearable lightness of being one rarely gets from the Germans. If you enjoy driving and live in the suburbs or exurbs, you’ll enjoy the LR2. It’s a truly delightful station wagon.
LR2 is an exceptionally well-designed compact SUV that steers, corners and brakes better than most similarly sized cars, is a sterling example of intelligent and purposeful industrial design, and has far better than average build quality. It has dull interior materials and slightly wonky gauges, but both also add a bit of charm to the experience. A few simple upgrades to materials will end any criticisms, and Land Rover must upgrade the gauge pack and particularly the lighting to end any complaints at all about the interior.
So, what’s the catch? Like its Volvo cousin, the LR2 is expensive for a compact SUV that not only competes against the BMW X3, but also against more mainstream Asian compact SUVs like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Acura RDX. You want perspective? Our well-optioned LR2 cost just over $43,000, but it was definitely loaded up and a great vehicle. A loaded-to-the-gills Honda CR-V EX-L is a few dollars shy of $29,000. So, you pay a $14,000 premium for the Land Rover badge, a bigger six-cylinder engine, the distinctive design, for superior, airy architecture, and the clearly (and I do mean clearly) superior ride, handling and steering.
On the other hand, it’s not hard to spend well over $50,000 on an Audi Q5, which astounds me considering it’s related to the VW Tiguan and thus a Jetta. BMW’s X3 is more price-competitive, but even it can push $50,000.
If you have the sense and ability to appreciate superior driving dynamics, must have an upscale badge, and like standing out from all the German CUVs with a car that remains intriguingly rare, then LR2 is a good choice. We’d recommend carefully selecting the option packages, enjoying the car fully, and hanging onto it for the long-term to get your money’s worth, or working Land Rover for a really smoking two- or three-year lease.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }
You must log in to post a comment.