Topic: Road Trip Review: 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE

[Autos_Editor]

Jeff plans a trip with the ultimate go-anywhere luxury vehicle, only to discover improper tires may prevent the family trip from even starting.

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[SKYMTL]

Not sure what the issue is with the tires. 

They're perfectly suited for the vehicle's intended market:  well-to-do soccer moms who drop the kids off in the morning at private school, rush over Yorkdale to buy the latest Gucci handbag and get an afternoon manny, peddy and facelift.  Worn tires and on-road handling are EXACTLY what this thing is built for. 

A stint in the back woods?  How uncouth! 

And the color?  Black?  Everyone knows this car is ONLY made in white.  Anything else would be uncivilized and certainly wouldn't blend in with the crowd on Sunset Boulevard!

Now the LAND Rover is another story altogether.  For the RANGE Rover, I think your PR contacts gave you the PERFECT example. 

[lebowski]

Jeff, nice review. On the subject of all-season tires in icy, cottage country conditions: For what it's worth, last February, during the iciest, snowiest part of this past winter, we drove my girlfriend's 2010 Wrangler with fairly bald all-season tires from Montreal up to Lachute (Quebec cottage country), including up some seriously steep and icy driveways.

I was blown away by how capable the Jeep was with bad tires. Of course, thankfully we didn't have to make any emergency stops to further test the traction of the inappropriate tires,  and we drove very carefully the rest of the time, but as far as getting up a long, steep, icy hill, the thing was a revelation. I realize there may be a big difference between a Jeep's dedicated low-range 4wd and a Range Rover, but it goes to show, depending on how allegedly competent the RR's off road bits are, you may have fared just fine.

[tpl]

Do they sell the RR and LR with diesels as they do in the rest of the world?  If ever there were vehicles that should have a diesel there, from the Evoque through  LR4 to the full trim RR these are they.

[tortoise]

If gas was $2.00+ per liter then I bet the business case would make a lot more sense for the diesels.

Top Gear reviewed the new RR Sport and were quite smitten with it, despite having panned the previous generation. 

[SKYMTL]

Do they sell the RR and LR with diesels as they do in the rest of the world?  If ever there were vehicles that should have a diesel there, from the Evoque through  LR4 to the full trim RR these are they.

Yes.  They have 2.7L and 3.0L turbo diesel V6's in other parts of the world.  I believe they use the Ford "Lion" V6 for the EU market. 

[lebowski]

Not sure what the issue is with the tires. 

They're perfectly suited for the vehicle's intended market:  well-to-do soccer moms who drop the kids off in the morning at private school, rush over Yorkdale to buy the latest Gucci handbag and get an afternoon manny, peddy and facelift.  Worn tires and on-road handling are EXACTLY what this thing is built for. 

A stint in the back woods?  How uncouth! 

And the color?  Black?  Everyone knows this car is ONLY made in white.  Anything else would be uncivilized and certainly wouldn't blend in with the crowd on Sunset Boulevard!

Now the LAND Rover is another story altogether.  For the RANGE Rover, I think your PR contacts gave you the PERFECT example.

Not all RRS owners are like that. My brother-in-law has had a 2010 Sport since new and loves the thing; drives it in the city, hauls tons of stuff (he makes furniture), goes onto the beach with it on the weekends, and takes it up to the mountains in the winter. He's a shorter guy so he likes the height, he also likes nice interiors and big power, and he hates soccer (he's a Yank so this is perhaps understandable). His is grey, not white.

[SKYMTL]

Not sure what the issue is with the tires. 

They're perfectly suited for the vehicle's intended market:  well-to-do soccer moms who drop the kids off in the morning at private school, rush over Yorkdale to buy the latest Gucci handbag and get an afternoon manny, peddy and facelift.  Worn tires and on-road handling are EXACTLY what this thing is built for. 

A stint in the back woods?  How uncouth! 

And the color?  Black?  Everyone knows this car is ONLY made in white.  Anything else would be uncivilized and certainly wouldn't blend in with the crowd on Sunset Boulevard!

Now the LAND Rover is another story altogether.  For the RANGE Rover, I think your PR contacts gave you the PERFECT example.

Not all RRS owners are like that. My brother-in-law has had a 2010 Sport since new and loves the thing; drives it in the city, hauls tons of stuff (he makes furniture), goes onto the beach with it on the weekends, and takes it up to the mountains in the winter. He's a shorter guy so he likes the height, he also likes nice interiors and big power, and he hates soccer (he's a Yank so this is perhaps understandable). His is grey, not white.

I was making a generalization. 

[Fobroader]

All vehicles are equipped with crap all seasons from the factory......why are you surprised?? Only SUV Ive ever seen come with a decent tire from the factory is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[lebowski]

I was making a generalization. 

Yes, I think we all got that. 

[tpl]

Do they sell the RR and LR with diesels as they do in the rest of the world?  If ever there were vehicles that should have a diesel there, from the Evoque through  LR4 to the full trim RR these are they.

Yes.  They have 2.7L and 3.0L turbo diesel V6's in other parts of the world.  I believe they use the Ford "Lion" V6 for the EU market.

But no diesels here!    Surely bejasus there must be room for an Adblue tank under there.

[OliverD]

All vehicles are equipped with crap all seasons from the factory......why are you surprised?? Only SUV Ive ever seen come with a decent tire from the factory is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

I remember seeing 1.8T Jettas on the lot with Michelin Pilot Sports. Pretty aggressive for a car like that.

[JacobBlack]

All vehicles are equipped with crap all seasons from the factory......why are you surprised?? Only SUV Ive ever seen come with a decent tire from the factory is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

Surprised because the only media fleet that doesn't routinely put winters on their cars in Toronto is Land Rover - everybody else does.

[Fobroader]

All vehicles are equipped with crap all seasons from the factory......why are you surprised?? Only SUV Ive ever seen come with a decent tire from the factory is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

Surprised because the only media fleet that doesn't routinely put winters on their cars in Toronto is Land Rover - everybody else does.

Probably cost....a set of decent, lo pro, SUV rated Scorpions or Blizzaks mounted on a set of factory alloys would be a prison shower type of cost and no one wants to take the cost on.

Edit- Also they know damn well that a large percentage of their customers won't bother with winters because, "its a bloody Range Rover, its unstoppable, I don't need no wussy snow tires on this beast!!".

[wing]

Drop in the bucket for them ... seriously.

[Fobroader]

I agree, a set of wheels and tires for a company like RR should be nothing....

[wing]

No wheels needed they use the wheels on the car.  Every manufacture does this now.

Except Chrysler they just don't send out cars in the winter.

[bluelines]

There is no 2.7 any more. They offer a 3.0 V6 diesel with 290hp / 600nm or a 4.4 V8 diesel with 340hp / 700nm. The Discovery / LR4 is offered with a 250-ish hp version of the same V6. I don't think these engines are provided by Ford, but rather were built in house by JLR (starting in 2011).

I would seriously consider the LR4 (or its eventual replacement) if they bring a diesel version over here. This kind of car is really suited to a diesel.

Do they sell the RR and LR with diesels as they do in the rest of the world?  If ever there were vehicles that should have a diesel there, from the Evoque through  LR4 to the full trim RR these are they.

Yes.  They have 2.7L and 3.0L turbo diesel V6's in other parts of the world.  I believe they use the Ford "Lion" V6 for the EU market.