2008 Land Rover Range Rover Performance Review

Performance of the 2008 Land Rover Range Rover is what you would expect in a $70,000-$84,000 vehicle.

Reviews of the Land Rover Range Rover's performance specs ranged from mildly disapproving to positively glowing. AutoWeek, mentioning that the engine's "power isn't what it needs to be to carry the vehicle with a load of adults and gear down the highway," says that the transmission "kicks down way too much to maintain highway speed." Nonetheless, the base 2008 Land Rover Range Rover's 4.4-liter cranks out 305 hp--"plenty of grunt" for passing, according to Autoblog.

ConsumerGuide considers that the engine of the Range Rover 2008 provides "ample power for daily driving," and this is perhaps even truer when it comes to the optional supercharged V-8 model, which puts out 400 hp. ConsumerGuide also reports that the Land Rover Range Rover's six-speed automatic transmission--the only one offered on all trims--has a manual shift gate for those who must shift their own gears. This is what Edmunds describes as "sequential-shift manual mode."

Although mileage figures were not given for the turbocharged engine, the standard V-8-equipped Range Rover 2008 travels up to 18 mpg on the highway and 12 mpg in the city according to FuelEconomy.gov; other sources report identical figures for the turbocharged version.

Kelley Blue Book declares that the 2008 Land Rover Range Rover "is equipped with one of the finest off-road systems ever designed." One of the more interesting features in this regard is the air-spring suspension that allows the driver to raise the vehicle in order to increase ground clearance, or lower it for stability. It is "devoid of that top-heavy feel you sometimes experience in softly-sprung SUVs." ConsumerGuide calls the Land Rover Range Rover a "mountain goat off-road and carlike on-road," but cautions that its "tall build contributes to pronounced body lean in corners." As far as braking performance is concerned, this source reports that "stopping performance [is] good for a big SUV." Meanwhile, ForbesAutos tells us that the Land Rover Range Rover's "stiff structure and sophisticated independent air-sprung suspension create taut, sporty handling," comparing favorably with that of actual sportscars. According to Edmunds, the driver is able to electronically "customize powertrain, suspension and electronic systems to best handle various off-road conditions."