2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged --- Power, Presence and Prestige2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged --- Power, Presence and Prestige
2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged --- Power, Presence and Prestige
And more than just a little bit predictable...
It's not often that a vehicle is everything you expect it to be before ever turning the key, but when it comes to the Range Rover Sport, you get exactly what you might expect...both good and bad.
I have had an affinity for this vehicle for a while now. And, since Land Rover is owned by Ford Motor Company, the manufacturer obliged me and provided a vehicle to test for about a week, where it dutifully went about its business on familiar roads, performing familiar chores, the best and most accurate way of evaluating a vehicles capability, in my opinion.
In the world of SUV's, few vehicles have the Range Rover Sport's presence, one that appeals to both men and women (as witnessed by the crowd of neighbors that flocked to it upon arrival at my house). This is a sexy vehicle that commands attention and respect. It's all about performance and prestige, both of which it offers in spades.
Interior: The bone leather interior is wonderful. The seats are comfortable and supportive, though I imagine this particular color is impossible to keep clean. Controls are more intuitive than was expected at first glance and the cabin was very quiet when we wanted it to be. One neighbor was disappointed with what he perceived to be faux plastic wood grain on the door panels, feeling that at this price point all the wood grain should be real. He also noted some panel gaps that did not match up perfectly. I noted them, as well.
Performance: 390hp, 410 ft/lbs of torque from a supercharged 4.2l v8. What can be said of this motor that has not already been said by the automotive press? This power plant is smooth, powerful and makes all the right noises that you are free to enjoy when the windows are rolled down. Coupled with a very smooth and predictable six speed transmission, it flat out performs. You would never know that this SUV weighs more than 5600 lbs!
Handling: Infinitely adjustable...and you can feel the difference. The ride height adjustable suspension took a little while to understand, and it periodically went up when I told it to go down, but that seems to be the nature of the beast. After some fiddling around, I decided to leave it in its standard mode, as I was not planning any off-road adventures.
Exterior: Wonderful styling. The Range Rover Sport may have been the first to feature them and is definitely still one of the few vehicles where the side vents improve the overall look. It looks like a Range Rover, but somehow is able to come across as truly sporty. I like that combination. 20" wheels added a touch of bling that definitely grab people's attention.
Audio/Video System: In a word, excellent. The controls were easy to understand and the sound was fantastic, both from CD's and DVD's playing on the rear audio system, which includes a six DVD changer that can be controlled by the dash touch screen.
Options: Adaptive Cruise Control is an interesting feature. It allows you to set a speed and will vary that speed based on the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, ensuring that you do not get too close. In my limited testing, this feature worked pretty well, but I would worry about getting to reliant upon it on a long trip and losing your focus on actual driving.
At the price ($77,000+ as tested) and performance point, I would not expect the Range Rover Sport to be marketed as a family vehicle, but given that our tester had dual headrest video screens and the aforementioned DVD changer, I maybe wrong in my assessment. My Son certainly enjoyed watching monster truck videos whenever he rode along with me. I would not have selected this particular interior color for a family vehicle, however.
While I did like the navigation system and its soothing English voice, kind of like having your own personal driving butler inside the dashboard, as well as the brand-specific icons it displayed for nearby gas stations and businesses, the screen got very crowded while displaying directions and at one point the voice commands cut out completely, though every setting indicated that voice prompts were on and the volume was up. It was a challenge trying to figure out the correct button combination to program an address. Over time (and after perusing the manual), I am sure it would get easier.
Of course, the Range Rover Sport is not without its, umm, idiosyncrasies.
With the driver's seat located about 2/3 of the way back, the wiring harness and wiring bundle is fully exposed for all to see on the floor in front of the seat bracket. It think this is a problem waiting to happen, as it is exposed enough that it can be easily kicked with the heel of a shoe (which is how I discovered it was there) or can be easily get dirty or spilled on.
There were a few more oddities along the way. We had a check engine light come on for about 12 miles and then turn off almost as quickly as it came. Checking the usual culprits, gas cap, hood, etc, yielded no explanation and no change in its status.
Ergonomically speaking, the placement of the switches, knobs and buttons is pretty good, despite the initial feeling that it might be overwhelming. I did have to consult the owner's manual to locate the master door lock/unlock switches (the only time I had to open the manual), only to find that they reside dead center in the middle of the center console. Strange location, especially given that the power window controls are on the door, where most vehicles have them.
Conclusion:Overall, I do have to say that I enjoyed my time in Land Rover's Supercharged Range Rover Sport. In speaking with a number of car enthusiasts, including a handful of Brits that currently own or have owned Land Rovers and Range Rovers, they reinforced my initial impressions, that these vehicles come with their quirks but they love to own them. They all expected to have issue, oddities to deal with, in a sense. Despite these quirks, this is a vehicle I would love to have in my garage...and exactly what I thought it would be.
The Supercharged model is distinguished by this simple badge.
The stance of the SUV tells you that it means business.
The interior controls are more user-friendly than what one might think.
390hp supercharged v8 moves this vehicle along with little effort.
The headrest mounted DVD monitors can be controlled from the front touch screen
20" wheels are definite eye-catcher, but I would not want to take them offroad.
The bone colored interior is classy, but it may be tough to keep clean.
