It's Here

F18Guy

F18Guy

Well-known member
Mar 30, 2004
2,185
0
54
Down by the big rock
This morning I looked at the new LR3. All the pictures I have seen on the www make it look so much better than it does in person. The sales guide informed me that this vehicle is just short of the "holy grail" for off-road ability. Lots of electronics, air-bags, and selectable modes assist the driver on his / her daily commute up and over K2. ;) The sales guide I talked to went to the Rover school up in Canada and showed me a bunch of cool pics of him making it happen. So in theory, LR is maintaining it's Off-Road Heritage with a touch of class and luxury.

IMHO; All the Battlestar Galactica Electronics aside, this is one ugly vehicle. As I walked around the circumference of the LR3, I needed a Rolaid after looking at the rear end. The lack of a spare tire and split rear access gives the LR3 the look of a Scion-esque mini van. I am just not happy.

Even though I may not like it, the LR3 is selling very quickly here. As soon as the shipping tape is removed, the cars are delivered. So for people like Alyssa, that is good news.

On another note, I sat in an Audi TT this morning. What a kick ass sports car that thing is :)
 
Eric N.

Eric N.

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
3,980
0
Falls Church, VA
Go take the WRX STI edition out for a test drive.. That'll leave a smile on your face..

Ya, the LR3 is ugly.. The only thing that I do like is the cool function nav/info screen. Other then that I think it's a POS.
 
B

blur212

Guest
i've test drove a wrx sti before and i must say its a awsome car. for how much it costs its worth it in my opinion.

i agree with the lr3. been to land rover 3 times in the past two weeks and it hasn't grown on me yet. but still love the discovery.
 
M

MarkP

Well-known member
Apr 23, 2004
6,672
0
Colorado
Paul,

Haven't seen one in person but my initial impression is that it is bland, no character. Long term the LR3 will probably evolve back to the Discovery styling in the same way Jaguar went back to the XJ6 Series 3 roots with the latest XJ. It will take several years though.
 
Christopher

Christopher

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2004
55
0
Lake Arrowhead, California
I saw an LR3 today in person for the first time at Newport (unless you count the disguised prototype that was being tested in the mountains where I live.) My first impression was that the thing has even less presence and charisma standing next to you than it does in photos. There was an LR3 parked next to a used Discovery II. The Disco just looked far more - I don't know - charismatic. I'm afraid - in spite of Land Rover's determination to make the LR3 "unmistakably a Land Rover" - that a lot of people are going to mistake it for an Explorer.

But on the inside, and underneath, the LR3 feels more like the new Range Rover than the previous Discovery. Fit and finish, quality of materials, and the sense of space were better than any Land Rover I've seen, except the new Range Rover. The seat and driving position seemed just right. Underneath (I always crawl underneath - that's the expensive part), you can see what this body-frame thing is all about. There are real, heavy frame rails, but they "grow" out of the body above them. The suspension parts are, like in the Discos, heavily built compared to any other trucks I've looked at. One thing I didn't like was that suspension links are no longer forged steel - they're now pressed pieces instead. Still, the links are obviously heavier, thicker parts than those on, say H2's or Tahoes. I can't explain why the exhaust pipes run so low - below the frame rails - and that's one "feature" I'd worry about. I do understand that articulation is excellent, and that the cross-linked air suspension supposedly creates a "virtual live axle" effect. So maybe you won't be dragging stuff underneath, like on so many other trucks with independent suspension.

It seems to me that Land Rover are giving their customers, especially in the US, just what they want. Most people seem to want comfy, powerful cars, and no previous Discovery has been particularly comfortable or fast. The LR3 is a "luxury SUV" for the 80 or 90 percent of drivers who will never go offroad, but with a hidden offroad capability that's expected from Land Rover. I can't afford an LR3, but I want one.
 
S

Steve83

Guest
Did anyone else notice? The LR3 is heavier than the RR! :eek:
 
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