2008 Land Rover LR2

PROS
Comfortable ride, Maneuverable, Lots of standard features

CONS Noisy on the highway, Marginal passenger space, Poor fuel economy

A Land Rover in a reasonable package LR2 replaces Freelander as the least-expensive model in the Land Rover lineup. It is a luxury-priced compact SUV that competes with the Acura RDX and BMW X3. LR2 seats five on front bucket seats and a split-folding three-place rear bench seat. It is similar in size to the Ford Escape.

A single model is offered. It comes with a 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine that makes 230 horsepower and mates to a six-speed automatic transmission with separate shift gate for manual operation. The LR2 comes with all-wheel drive that does not have a low range. Hill-descent control and Land Rover's Terrain Response System are included.

Also standard are leather upholstery, heated windshield, keyless starting, and sunroof. The sunroof has a second, fixed glass panel over the rear seats. Options include steering-linked HID headlamps, heated seats and washer nozzles, navigation system, Bluetooth cell-phone link, rear radio controls, and satellite radio. A rear-seat entertainment system is not offered.

Base price for the LR2 is $34,700, which includes a$715 destination charge. Maximum towing capacity is 3500 pounds.

Get up and Go
LR2's 3.2-liter inline-six packs enough punch for most driving needs. Acceleration from a stop is good and passing response is above average. Land Rover claims a 0-60 mph time of 8.4 seconds for the LR2 and that sounds about right. The six-speed transmission upshifts smoothly and downshifts promptly.

Despite Land Rover's claims to the contrary, the LR2 isn't as off-road capable as a Jeep Wrangler or Nissan Xterra. One reason it can't keep up is the fact that it doesn't have a low range for off-road slogging. In place of a low gear is a sophisticated computer that controls wheel slip through the use of the brakes. That's a great system for short bursts of off-road driving, but a mechanical system makes more sense for serious off-road drivers.

The LR2 is EPA rated at 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. Those ratings are slightly lower than the RDX or X3, but both of those vehicles require premium-grade fuel. Land Rover only recommends premium-grade fuel for the LR2, meaning you can run fine on regular-grade if you don't mind a slight decrease in performance.

In typical commuting expect to average about 17 mpg. If your commute includes a good deal of highway driving you might be able to average 19 mpg. Either way those numbers aren't great for a compact SUV.

On the Road Despite its compact size and short wheelbase, the LR2 rides like midsize SUV. The soft suspension does an excellent job of absorbing impacts and smoothing bumps. The ride is free from annoying side-to-side motions found in other SUVs, and, even when the road gets choppy, the LR2 remains composed.

LR2 isn't as sporty feeling as RDX or X3, but it does feel more athletic than typical compact SUVs. There is some body lean in quick turns, but it's manageable. The steering has good feel and weight but seems to react too slowly to driver input. Brakes are strong and the pedal has a firm feel.

LR2 isn't as quiet as most luxury SUVs. There's a fair amount of wind rush at highway speeds and the engine is quite coarse in hard acceleration. In addition, the tires grow noisy on coarse concrete expressways.

Behind the Wheel LR2's interior is typical Land Rover. That means lots of buttons and switches and nice, but durable, materials. Also, the keyless starting system requires that you insert the remote fob into the dashboard, making the keyless point moot. Assembly quality is good and the rigid body was free from squeaks and rattles.

Gauges are easy to read--day or night. Audio and climate controls are placed low in the center stack. They are too close to the driver and force a long look away from the road to operate. In addition, many of the buttons contain cryptic markings and have multiple functions.

Front seats offer good support but are very firm. Head and leg room are simply adequate and anyone over 6-foot-2 is going to feel a bit cramped. Visibility is good, thanks to tall windows and thin pillars.

Step-in height isn't overwhelming, but it is higher than one might expect. Also, the rear door openings are quite narrow at the bottom.

Overall cargo space is less than the compact SUV norm but still adequate for a week's worth of groceries or a weekend's worth of stuff. The rear seat bottoms flip forward and the seatbacks fold flat, creating a long and even load floor. Front doors have generous map pockets with drink holders and there is plenty of storage around the center console.

Bottom Line
LR2 is a decent compact SUV. It rides more smoothly than most and has the features most buyers would expect. It is also cramped and very expensive when compared to most other compact SUVs. When matched against the Acura RDX and BMW X3, which have similar price tags, the LR2 isn't as nimble on road, but is more capable off road.

Land Rover smartly avoids a bargain-priced model that would hurt both brand image and reputation--since it isn't as off-road comparable as the under-$20,000 Jeep Wrangler. What the LR2 does for the British brand is make the Land Rover lifestyle available at a reasonable price and in a reasonable package.