1998 Land Rover Range Rover

The aristocratic British Range Rover--the only vehicle ever displayed at the Louvre art museum in Paris--created the market for luxury sport/utility vehicles long before upstarts such as the Lincoln Navigator and Lexus LX 470 came along.

Many Range Rovers aren't even sold at regular dealerships. Rather, they're bought at Land Rover Centres, which have an off-road driving demonstration course and custom attire and luggage suited to the upscale Range Rover lifestyle.

The 190-horsepower Range Rover 4.0 SE costs $56,300 and the 225-horsepower 4.6 HSE model lists at $64,500. Both are anvil-solid and packed with equipment such as anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic air spring suspension, all-wheel drive and nearly every interior comfort item one might desire.

The windshield and rear window even are heated, and a ``Superlock'' feature deadbolts doors so they can't be opened even if a window is broken.

The go-anywhere, all-wheel-drive Range Rover definitely is for affluent folks who like the outdoors--or at least the outdoors image.

Land Rover Ltd. makes the Ranger Rover and the smaller, less-costly Land Rover Discovery sport/ute. The outfit has been owned since 1994 by Germany's BMW. But Land Rover Ltd. remains distinctly British.

For instance, its Range Rover's walnut-and-leather interior has a feeling of cozy opulence that only comes from England. The British Jaguar and Aston Martin autos have the same type of interior.

Land Rover Ltd.--or the Rover Co. as it first was called--began making motor vehicles in 1904. But it wasn't until 1948 that it introduced a simple, strong vehicle for use by farmers and developing Third World countries. Called the Land Rover, it was an instant hit not only with farmers--but also with police departments, military forces, foresters and even estate owners.

Land Rovers were sold in the United States from the 1950s until 1974, and then returned in 1987. Sports Cars Illustrated tested a Land Rover in 1961 and the magazine's car reviewer wrote: ``After a few hours behind the wheel, I became convinced that the only limit to the vehicle is the bravery (or foolhardiness) of the driver. Better yet, it's a tremendous kick to drive.''

But that Land Rover was highly utilitarian, and the magazine added: ``You won't see many on Park Avenue or Wilshire Boulevard, but in pith helmet or parka country, a Land Rover is the height of fashion.''

Of course, Range Rovers and Land Rovers have been a common sight on Park Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard for years; Land Rover Ltd. managed to make its vehicles--particularly the larger Range Rover--the most snobbish sport/utility on the market while keeping its rugged go-anywhere nature.

That nature was familiar to Americans who had never seen one of the early Land Rovers in person because they saw it in dozens of movies and television shows from the 1950s and 1960s set in exotic locales, notably Africa.

The Range Rover model debuted in 1970--decades before the luxury sport/utility vehicle became hot. Other sport/utes just were four-wheel-drive trucks with long roofs. But the Range Rover had a mixture of luxury items and go-anywhere capability, a strong V-8 and a comfortable coil-spring suspension.

The Range Rover constantly was refined, but the first ``clean-sheet'' revision was the Range Rover 4.0 SE, which debuted in 1995. It was followed late that year by the Range Rover 4.6 HSE, which was a 1996 model.

The larger, heavier new Range Rover had everything from crisper styling and a much-improved cockpit to a better suspension. And the 1998 model is virtually the same.

As with the ``clean-sheet'' model, power still somes from the old aluminum Buick V-8 that was bought from General Motors in the 1960s. Although refined, the V-8 has pushrods instead of overhead camshafts. It also has two valves per cylinder, instead of the four-valve setup found in some modern sport/ute engines. Even the Range Rover V-8's valve cover design will cause older motorists to think about 1960s Detroit V-8s.

Both the 4-liter V-8 and higher-horsepower 4.6-liter version of that engine are smooth and provide punch to give the enormously heavy, 4,960-pound Range Rover spirited performance. However, the 4.6-liter version provides more punch above 60 m.p.h. And the 65-75 m.p.h. passing time is just average with the 4-liter version--although 70 m.p.h. cruising is effortless with it.

The V-8s work with a very responsive four-speed automatic transmission. But there is too much transmission noise at lower speeds. And fuel economy is dismal--an EPA estimated 13 m.p.g. in the city and 17 on highways with the 190-horsepower V-8 and 12 and 16 with the 225-horsepower V-8.

Land Rover North America sells mostly Land Rover Discovery models here because they are cheaper than Range Rovers, at $35,000 to $38,000. But the Range Rover is the real thing as far as Range Rover fans are concerned. Never mind its conventional appearance, it has incredible heritage and legendary off-road prowess few sport/utes can beat.

The few new items for 1998 include a better sound system, sharper looking alloy wheels and a revised seat stitch pattern.

The electronic air suspension allows the vehicle to ride on a cushion of air and provides 5.2 inches of height adjustment over five settings. While ``access'' mode lowers the Range Rover for easier entry and exit, extra effort still is required to get in and out.

The advanced all-wheel-drive system will be appreciated both off-road and when pavement becomes slippery. It needs no driver involvement--unless a driver needs to manually shift into low range for rough off-road going.

There's ample room for five tall adults and plenty of cargo space in the church-quiet interior, which has ultrasupportive front seats. But the driving position is rather bus-like. And console-mounted controls for the power windows are positioned so that it's easier to operate the rear windows than the front ones. And the rear windows don't even roll all the way down.

The suspension provides a good ride, although occupants still feel some bumps and it might be too firm for some luxury sport/utility buyers. Handling and stability are above-average for such a high, heavy sport/ute.

The steering is fine, but the brake pedal has an unnaturally stiff feel. And the extra-long throttle travel will puzzle drivers who aren't aware that such travel is needed for more secure off-road motoring.

While the Range Rover is impressive, its price does give one pause. Why pay so much for this sport/utility vehicle when lower-cost ones offer similar features for less money?