2008 Land Rover LR3 - Styling Review

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Shopping for a 2008 Land Rover LR3? MSRP: $48,525 - $54,025

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Most who are looking for an "uptown" SUV rather than a "backwoods" one will appreciate the 2008 Land Rover LR3's styling, as do reviewers from respected Web sources.

The 2008 Land Rover LR3, the mid-price, mid-size luxury sport-utility vehicle from the British brand, borrows key styling cues from its larger showroom companion, the Range Rover. Although Edmunds says the Land Rover LR3 "offers an unparalleled rugged image," experts at TheCarConnection.com note that most reviews praise its more sophisticated and refined cosmetic attributes. "The upright, angular LR3 has rectangular rear quarter windows and uses a monocoque structure. Short overhangs and a large greenhouse are familiar touches, along with a face and a split tailgate in back that echo the company's flagship Range Rover," writes Cars.com. Kelley Blue Book notes that "viewed from the front, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the 2008 [Land Rover] LR3 for its big brother, the Range Rover," and that it "carries the extreme geometric styling all the way down the sides and around the back, [with] a few details from the former Discovery model it replaced."

If the LR3's upright, safari-chic look isn't enough, its interior styling also ranks among the most distinctive in any SUV, and after being on sale for three years, it still seems fresh relative to much of the competition--even though there are a lot of hard, dark-hued plastics. ConsumerGuide focuses on the Land Rover LR3's "uptown" attributes, as well; "the lack of wood and other fancy trim leans to upscale outdoorsy rather than uptown opulent." Edmunds opines that the 2008 Land Rover LR3 "has a style all its own and it's on display inside the LR3," but adds "there's a general rough-and-tumble ambience that's been passed down through decades of adventure-seeking Land Rovers." Kelley Blue Book says that the interior "faithfully conveys the [Land Rover] LR3's overall balance of luxury and capability."