2010 Land Rover LR4 – Short Take Road Test « New and Used Car Listings

2010 Land Rover LR4 – Short Take Road Test

If there were a prize for “most-improved truck following a refresh,” the 2010 Land Rover LR4—the vehicle formerly known as the LR3—would take the prize. The outgoing vehicle was great off-road and had one of the best third-row packages on the market, but it was woefully underpowered for its 5700-pound heft.

Aligning Power with Weight

The LR4, which went on sale earlier this year, got a heavier face lift than Mickey Rourke—although we’d say the LR4’s was somewhat more successful. First up, Land Rover addressed the power-to-weight issue by replacing the old 295-hp, 4.4-liter V-8 with Jaguar/Land Rover’s latest direct-injection 5.0-liter V-8. Result: 80 additional horses for a total of 375 hp. With 375 lb-ft of torque, the engine motivates the LR4 from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, a 1.7-second improvement over the best time we saw for an LR3. The 30-to-50-mph and 50-to-70-mph passing times come down from 4.2 and 6.3 seconds to 3.5 and 4.9, respectively. Mated to a revised ZF six-speed automatic transmission, the LR4 now feels quite lively on the highway, despite its nearly three-ton mass.

The previous LR3 leaned too much in corners for our liking and suffered some head toss on the freeway. For the LR4, Land Rover revised the steering rack and suspension bushings and fitted new suspension knuckles and shocks and a stiffer and larger anti-roll bar. The upshots are less roll and sharper steering, and the ride is better controlled on the highway. Skidpad grip has improved from a mediocre 0.71 g to 0.78 g, which is competitive with the likes of the Volkswagen Touareg and BMW X3, if not on par with the Acura MDX’s 0.86 g. We didn’t have too many concerns about the LR3’s brakes, which were already plenty powerful, but a revised system in the LR4 has improved pedal feel. The 70-to-0-mph stopping distance remains essentially unaffected, dropping from 173 feet to 171. Land Rover also refined the off-road settings and hill-descent control, adding a “sand launch control” function for better performance in the desert. We suspect the nearest most LR4 owners will come to using this will be on their private beaches.

Classier Duds

The other major element of the makeover was a restyle inside and out. New head- and taillamps that incorporate LEDs, a redesigned front bumper, and a smoother front end freshen what was already a good-looking truck. New features include an available auto high-beam function and a surround camera system with five cameras that aid parking, towing, and off-road maneuvers.

The new interior is spectacular, with natural wood, stitched leather surfaces, and brushed aluminum trim. Ambient lighting and a new steering wheel, along with a revised center console and first- and second-row seats, are among the other changes for 2010. The navigation system’s interface has a menu-style structure that’s not as easy to use as it could be, but there’s also a driver information screen sited within the redesigned instrument cluster. The neat folding third-row seats—actually habitable by real grown-ups—are carried over.

A Solid Package Made Better

Our tester vehicle’s base price of $48,100—$1350 more than the LR3—included full leather seating, a power sunroof, power front seats, dual-zone climate control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and 19-inch aluminum wheels. The seven-seat HSE Plus package added $5910 to the price and included navigation, front park assist, Bluetooth connectivity, the third-row seats, HD radio, auto high-beams, and a cold-climate package.

At $54,760, the LR4 is priced competitively in the mid-size luxury-SUV segment. It might not be as good an all-around package as the Acura MDX or as entertaining to drive as the BMW X5, but the revisions have turned it into a much more capable vehicle on the blacktop. We think most potential buyers will be pleased with the upgrades but are more likely to choose the LR4 on the basis of the refreshed exterior styling and the gorgeous new interior, which gives it the upscale ambience of the Range Rover. For about 30 grand less.