You must have a very different idea about what a sports sedan should handle like.

Seriously, I like my LR3 and all but even when it was stock it handled like....well, like a giant caddy or something. Very heavy, very soft, very floaty. This isn't a criticism so much as the way it's designed to be. People like that disconnected feel as to many that = luxury. Despite the fact that even sports sedans today are mostly overweight pigs (crikey, my 335 was 4000lbs!), there's simply no making a tall 4wd SUV handle like a sports sedan. Physics!

Not an attack - just feeling a bit cheeky tonight.

 

Yeah I have to agree. My other car is a sports sedan (Infiniti Q50S) and the only thing in common in terms of handling is the tendency to tramline. The LR3 does float on the road and that is a disconnect, but I'm happy with its ability to connect you to terrain. I can feel the rocks and roots passing under me at times.

 

I agree. Our tdi cheater Passat handles like a sports car (to me), but then again, it can't get me through 6" of mud on the way to the duck blind either.

 

And you must not drive very many AMERICAN SUV's lol!

Okay I should have rephrased that, but for what it is - I think it defies physics to a certain extent. Many of the professional reviews and tests feel similar, considering the capabilities and strength of the platform, I think it handles well.

FWIW I think the sport handled much better but I also had it at stock height, on 22's w/ 35 series tires, and they're about 600lbs lighter I think.

I used to have an M3 a while back, so I've got a good idea of what handling perfection is "supposed" to be like. Now I just drive around tanks.. lesigh.

 

Actually I try not to drive SUVs at all as I think they are crappy vehicles - not sporty or utilitarian. The only reason I own one (OK, 4) is for off-road work. But for on-road, I'll take a sedan (or coupe or sportscar) for driving or a truck for utility. If you're one of those people who needs to haul around a passel of kids then God help me, a minivan is far better at that than any SUV. I suppose I'll cut somebody a little slack if they can only have one vehicle and need both the kiddy room and some towing (and again, a real truck is generally a far better tow rig), but I have no use for an SUV as driver.

Have I PO'ed enough people yet?

Want a daily driver? Get a car.
Want to haul a bunch of kiddies around? Get a minivan.
Want a combination? Get a wagon - yes Virginia, you can have space AND handling AND economy AND safety....and it's available from the likes of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes!
Want to haul or tow? Get a truck...make it a 4-door if you need to carry people too.
Want an off-road rig? Now you can look at an SUV

Like I said, I really don't like the SUV (or now CUV or whatever) craze as the whole concept is flawed from the start. It goes like this: your grandparents used a station wagon to haul kids so your parents had to be different and created the minivan so you had be different and created the family hauler SUV. But Granddad had it right the first time. (Granddad might have had an SUV too, but it would have been a Series or a Wagoneer...See? Granddad was a pretty smart guy!)

I might be biased though - I will always choose smaller/lighter/better handling when the choice is there. This from an ex road racer (lots of Alfas in my past)

All that said, my current stable looks like this:
'97 Disco 1
'88 RRC
'95 RRC
'07 LR3
'13 Nissan NV200 (my daily driver/work van - awful to drive but it's a small steel box on wheels)
'14 Chevy Traverse (wifes company fleet car - worthless, basically a poorly executed minivan)

My last car was an '08 BMW 335. Sadly, I have no time/money/space for a car right now. Though there are also bikes (Triumph) and boats (Donzi, Carver) in the stable.




Where's my ladder? I want to come down off this soap box now.

 

Don, I agree with you on many points; however, I think the SUV/CUV is the new minivan and I have to say that they're better. Minivans are just so awful.

That said, the LR3 is NOT an SUV and I'd never call it that. It's a 4x4. It's a Rover. The X5 is an SUV. A Ford Escape is an SUV. A Tahoe is an SUV.

Also agree that while the LR3 handles superbly for what it is, I'd much rather drive my Infiniti Q50 on the road. Let's not get all carried away calling its handling sports car'esque.