2003 Land Rover Range Rover

In today’s climate of economic uncertainty, rising gas prices and so many other somber concerns, I confess I am more than a little self-conscious about gushing over the 2003 Land Rover Range Rover. Averaging $72,000 and 15 miles to the gallon, it doesn’t exactly appear under 'politically correct' in Webster’s. But to deny this remarkable vehicle its due praise is equally offensive, because, on the other hand, it represents a stunning level of automotive achievement. Whether or not we can afford it or even agree with it, we should at least honor it.

The Good News
Range Rover invented the luxury sport utility. But ask anyone who has owned one of the previous incarnations of this upscale British off-road vehicle and they’ll likely regale you with a few tales of woe. Sure it was considered the snootiest of SUVs and could perform amazing feats off road, but it was also quirky, cumbersome, slow on pavement, short on interior space and "off-road" sometimes carried an unfortunate double entendre. As in, "in the shop."

Fast-forward to 2003. Although Land Rover is now a Ford holding, it spent the last few years in the hands of BMW, which poured heart, soul and fortune into revamping the venerable Range Rover. It’s really BMW’s baby that bows as this 2003 model, a Rover that builds on its patrician past a veritable wonder ride for the future.

In short, this new Range Rover retains all that was right -- quiet grace, classic style, rich luxury, unparalleled off-road capabilities and pedigree -- and fixes all that was wrong. Outside, the traditional Range Rover shape is cloaked in a slicker, more contemporary, arguably German attitude, right down to the encased Xenon headlamps. Whereas the previous boxy shape clung to the old aristocratic image, this new design creates its own.

These refinements also create more room inside for tall people and 19 cubic feet of cargo. The interior is a living room swathed in leather, wood and tasteful brushed stainless steel with amenities to rival a customized limousine. Well, OK, there’s no bar and TV, but there is everything from a power-adjusted heated steering wheel to symphony-quality sound. And nothing this Range Rover asks, from lowering the solid tailgate to preparing for off-road assault, will break a nail.

Beneath the hood is BMW’s 4.4-liter V8, the same one we find in the BMW’s fast sport ute, the X5. A five-speed automatic transmission with manual mode manages the power and lets you exercise this newfound muscle, if you like.

Weighing in at 5600 pounds, the Range Rover doesn’t exactly give you whiplash under this power. But it steps out with more authority than ever before, making beautiful V-8 music as it goes. Relative to the weight and overall mass of this vehicle, as well as comparison to previous Range Rovers, I daresay it flies.

This new level of responsiveness is matched in every column, from increased agility in on-road handling to an unruffled ride at every speed. The Range Rover makes its own height adjustments, lowering to 8.8 inches above ground at highway speed for better ride and leveling itself for parking. But with the push of a button, you can also raise its ground clearance to 11.1 inches for off-road.

Which brings me to the meat of the matter: Although the closest most Range Rovers will get to off-road is valet parking in some ritzy side yard, they continue to be absolute marvels at tackling no-man’s land. Despite the cherry wood accents and country club image, this vehicle with full-time four-wheel drive, two-speed transfer case and torque-sensing center differential negotiates angles and inclines second only to a Hummer.

That it accomplishes all this, yet now manages to both look and behave like a well-heeled luxury/performance sedan on-road, raises the bar on sport utilities to brand new heights.

The Bad News
Besides the lofty price and dismal gas mileage?

Well, some people -- like me, for instance -- wish the Range Rover had a third seat option. I can understand its designers cringing at the notion of kids and sticky juice boxes back there, but many of us look to this size vehicle for passenger flexibility. This doesn’t offer it.

And as with all of today’s high-end, technically sophisticated, electronically dazzling vehicles, the Range Rover’s extraordinarily complex systems worry me a bit. It’s my experience that the more stuff there is, the more stuff there is to go wrong.

Not that it will, but it’s the chance we take.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 12 mpg city/17 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $71,200
Price as tested, $73,165

Is it worth it?
What justifies the price of a small kingdom for a mode of personal transportation? Perhaps nothing.

But when you consider this new Range Rover combines an off-roader gutsy enough to scare the pants off the average tattoo artist with an on-road level of performance and luxury suited for royalty, you can at least make a case.

In my estimation, this Range Rover has just stepped way out in front of a formidable pack of luxury sport utilities. It may have been known as the lord of this class largely because of its bloodline and the fact it pioneered the concept, but with this 2003 model, it genuinely earns that title.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville's daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.