As I noted in my review of the Land Rover LR2 a while back, Land Rover has finally hit on the key to success for its smaller, less expensive (compared to the top-of-the-line Range Rover) vehicles: Make them as much like the flagship as possible.
They've certainly applied it brilliantly to the mid-size LR3 (known once upon a time as the Discovery). What was once a fairly stark, utilitarian vehicle now coddles you in the same kind of luxury as the Range Rover, especially when ordered with the optional HSE LUX Package, which this tester was.
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How luxurious are we talking about? Well, if the Ritz-Carlton made SUVs, this would be the one they'd make. It's luxury that's complete and thorough, but not flashy or ostentatious.
The base LR3's no slouch...and at $45,975, is something of a bargain, too...especially when you consider the off-road capabilities of the LR3. The photo above is baby stuff...it will climb a tree if you're brave enough.
Bottom line, with California Emissions and transportation charges: $55,500. Not cheap, but not out of line either...you'll be hard pressed to find luxury SUVs for less...and you can option Tahoes and Expeditions within a hair of this price.
Mileage? About what you'd expect for a heavy SUV with a 300-horsepower V8: The EPA says 12 city/17 highway.
If you want a Range Rover but can't quite swing the $75,000 to $80,000 price range, the LR3 is a great way to get the luxury and the capability and save $20,000 to $25,000.
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