2005 Land Rover LR3 Road Test

Though this particular example of Land Rover’s new LR3 reminded us of the old Discovery in more ways than just a bad fuel gauge, it is a huge improvement over the Disco in terms of drivability and design. With its more powerful V8 engine, better brakes, significantly improved handling, and high-tech traction control systems, combined with no loss of off-roading capability in an effort to soften it for the mass market, the LR3 is a dynamic success. Combine this newfound on-pavement prowess with its endlessly useful interior design, impressive utility, and outstanding occupant comfort levels, and it’s easy to see why luxury SUV buyers might be inclined to select the LR3.

But quality problems persist, and while the Land Rover LR3 raises the bar over the Discovery it replaces, it’s overkill in a world where sport-utility vehicles have replaced the minivan as the soccer mom’s wheels of choice, a high-tech bushwacking SUV loaded with innovations lost on the typical suburbanite, a luxury vehicle in name only, a status symbol that gives its owners a false sense of invincibility in foul weather and on challenging terrain.

After all, how can you be invincible when your equipment cannot be counted upon to deliver accurate information?