Test drive Land Rover Discovery LR3 2004 - 2009 SUV

In a tuxedo

In my purely subjective opinion, it is Land Rover that is the most aristocratic brand of Great Britain. Not Rolls-Royce, not Bentley and God forbid Aston Martin. There is something emphasized in the Land Rovers, the original British. It is difficult to understand the nature of this sensation. Even myself. Either this is because the name of the brand is very somehow successful in my landlords, or some other historical associations causes ... even to make fun of this name you can’t come up with a funny decoding or to distort somehow. Does not stick. Does not work. Well, you will write, for example, for Shalopay reasons of Rover via W, so what? The wanderer turns into a rower. Is the earthly rower is not the essence of a real SUV?

The glory of these SUVs Land Rovers created Defender. Like the German colleague Gelandewagen, he was developed as a purely military product, but quickly went to the people. The people appreciated. They say that they are still passed down from generation to generation. Not like a relic, but simply as a vehicle. Reliable and unpretentious. And the military genealogy (from 1948 is a joke) only adds to Defa charisma and nobility in the end the nobility as the class also went from the servants.

For non -reliable Landrovovers, Range Rover was born. And beautifully wiped their nose to the Germans. Why, in fact, to reach the premium-level of the army jeep, if you can make a completely different car more sophisticated and no less off-road. Together with the rangge, another journalistic stamp SUV in a tailcoat was born. Range Rover has become a measure, standard. And finally fixed the Land Rover brand in the list of auto -arthoral.

But Discovery has always been a bully. An organic combination of a filthy sheep and white raven. Like the offspring of a noble family, who sold a clan nest, marrying a commoner and enrolled in anti -globalists. But he was invented by Camel Trophy and loved almost more than the other two combined. For two generations, Disco walked in the favorite of jeepers. He was lift the suspension and stucks were put. The sands conquered and knead the dirt in the wet jungle. It seemed that it would always be so.

But the new third Discovery turned out to be completely different. I must say, and the times now are not quite the same. Cameltrophic movement gradually came to naught, and the Land Rover brand itself first moved to BMW, and then to Ford. The prodigal son returned to the noble flock. Accepted favorably. And it wears, albeit not a tailcoat, but at least a tuxedo. A kind of young Viscount, who at the family holidays, some grandchildren will certainly say: you grew up on a whole head. And on the cheek, the battleship. Old list.

Yes, Discovery has matured. This is especially noticeable when in its sides covered with black varnish, almost without distorting, the surrounding reality is reflected. The monolithic of the figure is violated only by the hood relief and stamping from the head optics by the side repeater of the turn signals.

Beautiful. This, however, we noted even at the first acquaintance with Discovery 3 (see wheels No. 88, February 2005). That car was not so black, but still incredibly good. This, in addition to the above blackness, is distinguished by the richest HSE equipment and the eight -cylinder gasoline engine, the main reason to talk with your favorite machine again.

For pleasure to have three hundred horses under the hood in the same team with a six -speed automatic (there are no other transmission options) dealers ask to pay ten thousand dollars. Isn't it too much? Moreover, the gasoline V8 is somewhat inferior to the diesel V6 in the torque (425 Nm versus 440), and even in economy is completely losing its purulent. Now we will check.

Disco is helpful. No matter what climatic and road conditions you bring you, you can be calm clothes to get dirty about anything, but not about the thresholds of the car, they are reliably protected by huge doors. Closing almost silently, they cut off the sound component of the street. Surprisingly quiet. Around high -quality skin, the same high -quality plastic. Solder of the buttons on the central console, the clearance lever, the Terran Response system handle and the Hill Descent Control activation button is all familiar with the diesel version. But the liquid crystal display with the Touch Screen’s function, which crowning torpedo, is something new. In addition to the navigation in our area, it can work in 4x4 Info mode. An interesting thing! The car axis displays in two projections: the view from the back (rollomer) and the view on top of it is easy to monitor the position of the front wheels and the state of locks of the center and rear differentials. In principle, a rather short (three with a quarter of turning from stops to the stop) for an SUV, the steering wheel is unlikely to lose the wheels. But on off -road information is not superfluous. Much more often missing. In the city, this function is rather entertaining. Although the detailing with which the suspension elements are drawn will bring your passengers into awe.

But the main thing is how he is going? Fast. Really fast. The sensation of the dynamics is somewhat concealed of a high landing and a somewhat dabbled reaction to the accelerator. And also the Kikdaun thoughtfulness of the machine. However, it is worth looking at the devices and immediately willingly believe in the manufacturer Otto's manufacturer really lucky for the diesel engine for three seconds at a piece of 0-100 km/h. For doubters, there is a sport regime (aka manual). The accelerator shakes off his drowsiness, and the machine gives the motor to spin to 6000 rpm. However, it retains the ability to switch both up and down. So it can be safely used instead of drive in cases where you really need a drive. In the Commonwealth with excellent brakes, he will definitely not force the driver to regret the money spent.

So, if you have already grown out of a jacket, but you still do not feel quite aristocratic for a tailcoat, feel free to try on a tuxedo. Surely you will have to fit.

Autography
Land Rover Discovery 3 is still known as LR3
Predecessor: Discovery I/II (1989)
Premiere: January 2004
Body: 5-door station wagon
Engines: 2.7-4.4 l (190-300 hp)
Production: Great Britain
Expected replacement: 2012
 
 
 
   
   
 

A source: Wheel magazine [No. 95/2005]