Cool looks for urban adventures
I saw my first Land Rover vehicle on the big screen that had John Wayne fending off a charging rhino from the passengers seat in the 1962 movie Hatari. Other movies had Range Rovers driving scientists to visit Tarzan in an otherwise impenetrable Amazon jungle.

It took until 1987 until you could buy one in the U.S. becoming one of the very first SUVs along with the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Fast forward to the new millennium and few if any could imagine the cult following and status symbol that’s emerged. A favorite of pro athletes, celebrities and the well heeled, you’re much more likely to see a Range Rover battling for a parking spot on Rodeo Dr. than you are charging across the Serengeti.

In Land Rover offerings, the Sport, our tested vehicle here is the third SUV and the second with the Range Rover name. The Sport slots between the luxury flagship Land Rover Range Rover and the LR3 which was introduced last year to rave reviews from this journalist and just about everyone else.

The LR3 was the first fully designed and engineered model since Ford acquired the company from BMW. The Sport which is built on the same architecture with a shorter wheelbase is the second. The exterior appearance couldn’t be more different with the LR3 a minimalist boxy theme, and the Sport a contemporary, athletic look with ground effect spoilers, louvered vents on the front fenders, multi-element headlamps and taillamps, rear spoiler and flat-black trim for mirrors, door handles, lower front, side, rear body molding and around all glass surfaces.

Speaking of glass, Land Rover has again chose to imbed its array of micro-size heating element wires in the windshield that distracts from visibility with sparkling reflections in the sun and blurring vision in the rain. I’ve had this gripe with all Land Rover products I’ve tested.

The first thing you notice upon entering the Sport is that it isn’t a Range Rover cabin. Gone is the luxury-sedan look and feel of the Range Rover and replaced with lots of brushed metal, grained plastic and leather surfaces. We think it looks to mission-control like. Thankfully the instrument panel features intuitive placement and operation of controls.

The standard GPS off-road –enhanced DVD navigation system uses a touch-screen interface that’s fairly easy to use. Thankfully it isn’t necessary to page through numerous screen displays to adjust audio or climate control systems. Those knobs and dials are located just below the screen for ease of use.

Seats are comfortable with pull down armrests and a commanding view for the driver. Even shorter drivers can see most of the hood with good sightlines out the front and out the back. A front and rear audible park-assist sensor adds to the ease of driving and parking in a crowded Kierland Shopping Center.

The rear seat can accommodate three adults, each getting their own headrest but expect a tight fit. Rear seats are slightly raised for command viewing. The seat flips and folds for additional cargo space. The tailgate is two-piece with a separate operation for the glass so you don’t have to always lift the entire door.

The Sport is available in two models a 390-horsepower Supercharged with a base price of $69,750, or the 300-horsepower HSE starting at $56,750. Both models use the same six-speed automatic transmission.

We tested a fully loaded HSE that included the optional Luxury Package, DVD rear seat entertainment system with screens mounted on the back of both front seat headrests, Sirius Satellite Radio, rear differential lock and Dynamic Respose that elevated the MSRP to $64,900.

As one would expect the Sport comes with a long list of standard features including the Land Rover Terrain Response system and hill decent control which electronically adjusts the vehicle’s stability, traction control and related systems to handle any road and off-road surface including deep sand, snow and rugged rock and boulder type. Though we expect to see few of these luxury utes plying the Arizona desert and off-road terrain.

Ride, acceleration and handling is all excellent, at least on paved surfaces. I didn’t get an opportunity to take the Sport off-road although I would expect it to perform similar to the LR3 which is superb.

All the safety stuff is there: traction and stability control, electronic brake assist, six air bags, anti-rollover protection, LATCH system for child seats, everything world class here. There are no crash test results for the Sport as of this writing.

Overall my feelings regarding the Sport are mixed. We liked the LR3 so much when we tested it in January that the Sport has little extra to offer unless you prefer its sportier more athletic look and burbling exhaust notes that go with the appearance.

With a tested sticker price of almost $65,000 the Land Rover Range Rover with a well equipped base price of $74,950 is substantially more “bling” for your NBA or celebrity-status money. Especially if you opt for the Supercharged model.