Land Rover LR4 excels off-road, but at a price

By Mark Savage

Published: March 14, 2011

Photo by Land Rover

Size matters, we’re told, and yet size is a relative thing.

Land Rover’s new LR4 is big and heavy, but there are bigger, heavier sport-utes. It’s also pricy, starting at $47,650, but there are other big utes that cost more, yet won’t climb the side of a hill or crash through a rocky stream, just to get to the other side.

So the question with a Land Rover, or its larger cousin, the Range Rover, is just how much you are willing to pay for a unique looking sport-ute. There also was another commonly asked question, at least among folks who knew I was testing an LR4. Who would take such a pricey luxury ute off-road to test out all its gadgets and four-wheeling ability?

The consensus? Very few.

Photo by Land Rover

That’s because we’re thinking like folks who believe $24,000, the average price for a vehicle in the U.S. right now, is a lot of dough. SO, $61,115, which is what the tested light metallic blue LR4 cost, including some pricey options, is in a luxury zone.

From a usage standpoint, you can take this, or any Land Rover, deep off road and over craggy rocks and rills that few others, outside of a Jeep owner, could consider. I’ve driven various Rovers over test tracks that oozed with mud and featured challenging steep inclines that would scare the tailpipe off most utes. These things are tough.

But most of the time you’ll likely be sailing down the highway, or to the grocery or work in your LR4, and for that you’ll be incredibly well cared for, pampered really.

On the luxury front, there’s a heated steering wheel, soft premium leather seats (part of a monster $9,165 luxury package that also includes a couple third-row seats so your Rover will seat seven. The package also includes 8-way power front seats with adjustable side bolsters, a kick-butt 480-watt harmon kardon stereo with 14 speakers (rock on!) and a power tilt/telescope steering wheel.

Seats are heated too, three speeds for the front, and two speeds for the second row seats. However, I was surprised the front seats were not cooled, considering the ute’s price, but there WAS grained walnut trim and overhead, three sunroofs. The front sunroof powers open and all three feature a netted sun shade. I’d want solid shades personally, to keep heat levels down in summer, or if you’re on safari.

Photo by Land Rover

There’s push-button start too, but be sure to hold the start button in for about a second to turn it off, a light touch won’t do. And the key fob is both huge, and heavy. I tried to never put it in my pocket, always carrying it in my hand when out of the car until I could put it in my house or office. It’s THAT cumbersome to lug around in your pocket.

The seats are well contoured and comfortable, as you’d expect at this price, and the driver’s seat has three memory settings. There also are big fold-down armrests for the front seats and the second row is comfortable for three adults. The third-row seats though are cramped and best used on short jaunts. Getting into the third row is a tussle too, and folding down that back row requires you getting in far enough to fold the bottom seat cushion forward before the seat back will fold down. Oddly, it doesn’t fold flat to create a flat floor for cargo hauling. In something this pricy it seems peculiar that the rear row is not powered to fold into the cargo hold, like many less costly minivans now offer.

LR4’s black leather dash looks good with two big round gauges and large knobs for radio and climate controls. There’s a digital trip computer readout between the main gauges, but operating it is not as easy as in many lesser priced vehicles. As with most luxury vehicles, many of the controls are confusing, and best operated, for safety’s sake, while the vehicle is at a standstill.

In back is a split rear hatch, which is helpful when loading. However, if you have all three rows of seats in place you’ll only be able to sit a couple grocery bags, or a briefcase or two, in back. But with the seats down you can load up a fair amount of gear. And, get this, there’s a ladder built onto the truck’s tail so you can climb up to the roof and put more luggage on top. I’ve never driven a vehicle with a built-in ladder. Don’t know why, but that was way cool!

Step-up height into the quiet Rover’s interior is high and a running board would be helpful, although that would get in the way if you were pounding through the tundra.

Photo by Land Rover

Performance? Yes, there are five settings for going off-roading in various conditions and there’s height adjustment too, to increase ground clearance, which is 7.3 inches. But the LR4 is a strong performer on the road, which is where it will spend most of its time.

The ute’s 5.0-liter V8 is strong and fairly quiet. It makes a hefty 375 hp and will quickly ramp the truck up to highway speeds via its smooth, quiet 6-speed automatic transmission, which comes with/CommandShift that allows clutchless manual shifts.

The LR4 is heavy though, weighing 5,833 lbs., yet the engine is more than sufficient and will tow up to 7,716 lbs. So a trailer and sleds is no problem.

Coupled with the power is pretty precise handling for a big ute, which makes the solid truck easy to drive and park. There’s little body lean in turns and a fairly firm feel to the wheel.

Ride is mostly smooth and controlled, but it can get truck-like and jiggly on chattery disintegrating cement city streets.
Braking is first rate with four-wheel discs and traction and stability control. And the four-wheel drive system is constant, so no shifting in and out of four-wheel mode is necessary.

Naturally this big beast drinks premium fuel, and a lot of it. I got 14.0 mpg in a relatively even mix of city and highway driving. That seems about right as the EPA rates this at 12 mpg city and 17 highway.

So if you lean toward luxury, need a ute that’ll climb Mount Kilimanjaro and have the dough to blow on a special 4-wheeler, the LR4 may be calling your name.

Stats:
2011 Land Rover LR4
Made in: Solihull, U.K.
Engine: 5.0-liter V8, 375 hp
Transmission: 6-speed automatic w/CommandShift
Weight: 5,833 lbs.
Tow: 7,716 lbs.
MPG: 12/17
Base Price: $47,650
Dealer’s Price: N.A.
Major Options:
20-inch split-spoke alloy wheels, $2,500
7-seat LUX package (HSE & climate comfort packages, premium leather seating, front PDC, ambient lighting, Xenon headlights, power steering column, passive keyless entry, cooler box, 8-way power front seats, w/driver’s memory & adj. bolsters, 480-watt harmon kardon Logic 7 w/14 speakers), $9,165
Delivery, $850
Test vehicle: $61,115
Sources: Land Rover, www.autos.yahoo.com
Hits: Excellent power, good handling and smooth shifts with tremendous off-roading ability. Inside will seat 7 and is comfortable, quiet with super seats including power side bolsters. Add in a heated steering wheel and split rear hatch with a ladder to get to the roof. Cool!
Misses: Pricy, no cooled seats and overly complex controls, such as those for trip computer. Difficult to get into third row seat and to fold it down. Less costly SUVs have rear seats that power down, or easily flip forward. Drinks premium gas and gets lousy gas mileage!

Land Rover LR4 excels off-road, but at a price

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