2015 Land Rover Range Rover vs. Its Competition

Nelson Ireson Senior Editor

The Range Rover's mix of true off-road ability and luxurious on-road comfort make it stand out in the marketplace, and even with its long history it is still without a direct rival.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class certainly has the panache, and has retained some real off-road ability in its transition from military weapon to mall-lot showpiece, but it lacks the refinement and space of the Range Rover.

Mercedes-Benz's GL-Class is impressive in its own right, especially in fuel-efficient GL 350 diesel trim, but it doesn't quite have the presence or off-road skills of the Range.

BMW's X5 is the Range Rover's equal on-road, or nearly so, with the sharp handling and fierce power of the X5 M raising the bar--but the X5's a bit bland in the styling department and, again, not suited for real off-road travel.

The Lexus LX shares its genes with the Toyota Land Cruiser, and therefore inherits some rugged off-road-worthiness, but in its latest iteration, the LX is expensive, complex, bloated with features, and not particularly engaging.

Infiniti's QX80 (previously known as the QX56) is more a competitor to Cadillac's Escalade, leaving real off-road ability behind in favor of shouty design.