2010 Land Rover LR4 - Review

By Nelson Ireson

Nelson Ireson

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Nelson is an Editor at High Gear Media focusing on reviewing cars and covering the hottest topics in luxury and performance cars, car culture, and... More

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The Land Rover Experience Driving School

All of the vehicles have ample power, with the LR4, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport HSE all sharing the same 375-horsepower, 375-pound-feet of torque 5.0-liter direct-injection V-8 engine and six-speed transmission. The Range Rover Sport Supercharged ups the output to a full 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque thanks to its roots-type supercharger. Performance figures for the naturally aspirated models is impressive at 7.2 seconds to 60 mph and 130 mph top speed, but the Supercharged is approaching sports car territory with a 5.9-second 0-60 mph run and 140 mph top speed. Not bad for a nearly three-ton luxury off-roader.

After about three hours on paved and gravel roads, we took a break for lunch, then hit the trails to get the full "experience".

2010 Land Rover LR4

This is the vehicle I spent most of the off-road portion of the day in, and though it's not as expensive or as refined as its Range Rover cousins, it's still a quiet, comfortable and smooth conveyance for five adults that can get down and dirty with the best of them.

The Land Rover LR4 feels a lot like the Range Rover, but with a bit less panache--appropriate to its place in the lineup. Throughout the range there's a similarity of feel and manners behind the wheel that means even the least expensive models are fully competent on-road and off. The one exception to this common feel is the slightly twitchier throttle tuning of the LR4, most noticeable at tip-in.

With 375-horsepower and 375 pound-feet of direct-injection V-8 under the hood, it's not hurting for acceleration or torque whether up to its axles in mud or rolling serenely down the highway. It's also surprisingly quiet, with no creaks or rattles even on washboard gravel roads. The body-on-frame construction deserves a good portion of the credit for this refined character, though at nearly 6,000 pounds for most of the Land Rover range, there's a lot of sound dampening and steel to mute vibrations. Even the "unibody-on-frame" or multiple subframe versions like the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport feature this quiet isolation from the typical road noise and vibration.