Sexiest Road Beast with a Soul
Rocky Mountain Roving
on 07/17/2015
Performance Rating:
5
This is not just a soccer parent/mall tripping machine. It's not for lead foots who increase speed heading into a turn. This is an adventure hungry, behemoth of a truck, with the DNA to clean up seamlessly for a refined night on the town.
The LR3 is heavy...heavier than the average family adventure car on the road. It's 2.5 tons of highly engineered assemblies fitting and working together, with sensors to monitor every lean, pull, push, and bump, all fitting into a sturdy, tank-like structure. There are about 3 miles of wire linking sensors to computer. And if the factory has a computer update, it's best to plug in at the shop and get the system updgraded. An upgrade might reboot sensors to communicate more accurately for better driving experience.
This is not the kind of car for the kind of owner who takes maintenance lightly. If you've ever let your car tell YOU when it needs its maintenance service, then this may not be a good match. Once you've gone that far, there may (or may not) be other related issues effected. Driving it is fun, responsible ownership is keeps the apprehension for reliability down.
Because she's an overly engineered wonder, diagnostics, repair, and maintenance are an involved commitment; read...$$$. But these can be a minor issue if you look at the big picture: You're an ordinary Joe who can reach EXTRAordinary locations with a stock Rover. And stock means leather seats, great sound system, amazing all-terain-response capabilities for height adjustment, clearance, big windows for easy viewing, and an option for 3rd row that capably seats adults. You can have an all-adult, off-roading excursion. The cabin is quiet enough for civilized conversations. And the views and experience are only as limited as your fear of the unknown. And she can cross a body of water to a depth of the top of the doors with a snorkel...holy bagumba!!!
Did you know you can mod a tent to the top of your Rover?
I can head down the highway on a road trip at a comfortable 70 mph, turn onto a rough road for a harrowing climb over a pass, and then ease myself down back to pavement without ever having to worry about ability. (Note: always try to travel the rougher passes with friends; they can hop out and spot you through your next move if the road is full of questionable obstacles or too narrow).
If you need to clean up for a special event, you're in luck: the Rover exudes an elegance that no other 4x4 has. Easily transform her into your personal, high-end private car for a night on the town, or even executive-toting, car-pooling daily driver. No trip is too big or too small. The key is to play up the variety.
Being able to drive a new Rover off the lot has built-in peace of mind with the extensive warranties. Buying a used on will require a great deal of leg work to make sure the truck you want has been lovingly cared for.
Don't let the city/hwy mileage scare you. Always know that it's a combination of factors: type of tire, breaking and speeding habits, city vs. hwy driving, etc.
VIN SALAE25468A463756 may have been
recalled. Check full report for more information
