Ehhhh that's totally apples to oranges in many ways - sports sedan vs. SUV? A decade of engineering differences?

I'd never get into an LR3 and brace myself for it to be fast. A brand new Infinity sports sedan in top performance trim? I WOULD get into that and expect it to be quick. They're so different I wouldn't even let any aspect of one change my impression of the other.

10 years ago LR3 performance wasn't actually that bad, it took a hit for its weight but the capabilities easily made up for it (duh, Land Rover always knew IBF would be heavy but worth it). The 5.0 easily took up the slack and kept it in the same realm as before (ie. still not the fastest in class but totally acceptable AND still the most capable.) The same is true today of the SCV6 etc.

It won't be a performance contender in its class till they ditch the chassis and associated steel hydroformed IBF design and replace it with their new aluminum tech. It has what 340hp and 8 speed trans now and guess what? It's still slow. Power to weight ratio is inescapable and the only reason companies are going aluminum - there's nothing left to tweak in these drivetrains, they're seriously nearly space age level at this point.

 

...it IS apples-to-oranges, and it doesn't change my impression of the LR3. Not now and it wouldn't have then, either.

What I'm saying is that if I EVER thought that the LR3 was fast, I wouldn't think so once my criterion for acceleration was influenced by the Q50. Until then I'd never owned anything but 4x4s...they just aren't fast.

(The Supercharged FFRR, RRS and G55/G63 not withstanding)

 

So, a couple of points.

I'm loving my LR3. My last one was a 2000 D2 with the 4.0L engine. When someone says an LR3 isn't fast, I chuckle. Yes, It's not a race car, but they sure can move, especially if you consider the improvement in 4 years.

Granted, I use mine for offroad. A couple others? A Jeep TJ on 33" tires still with 3.73 gears, A suzuki Samurai 8v engine, swapped in a diesel rabbit engine from the 80s... Well comparably, holy sh*t, the lr3 is a blasted rocket ship!

Now - Smoking the BMW from the toll booth. I'm going to assume the X5 has an auto as well, as there were very few with manual trans. You both left the toll booth, the original poster had himself a chuckle and matted it, probably kicking it down to 2nd gear out of the gate. The BMW driver gave it the normal post-toll-booth throttle and then realized he didn't give it enough -- by this time, the LR3 already has the rolling advantage -- Suddenly, the lighter, faster on paper BMW has to work harder to play catch-up on the speed curve... too late, that damn land rover guy is in front of him AGAIN!

Alot of the fun of racing or messing around with folks is the surprise of the unexpected. I used to have a very large, red suburban. A 1997, with a 454 fuel injected big block. 10-12mpg if I was towing or not, it didn't give a sh*t. One of my favorite things to do with it was pull up on a 4 lane road next to a riced out civic. It made me giggle to hear them wail the snot out of the little car that the suburban could use as a spare in the back. The surprise for them when the big beast would launch forward and there would be nothing they could do, because they didn't start quick enough.

Fyi, I got into offroad primarily to get out of the eyes of the police. The Fast and Furious movies single handedly killed street racing.

Dave

 

The OP never said it was an X5....

 

True indeed! Well, I'm going to pretend it was a 1986 BMW 524d, in which case the race-car-like LR3 did win, hands down in their mad max style race.

Dave

 

I swore he said it was an X5 but regardless, that's historically been their slowest vehicle just from a weight and AWD standpoint, compared to the rest of their lineup.

FWIW to the last poster I think manuals in the first gen 3.0 I6 X5's were pretty common. You could also get a 6spd in the Cayenne GTS which would be crazy fun.

Oh and I also have a DII and yeah, the LR3 will make it feel fast - however it also tacks on over 1000lbs somehow so.. Take the power gains with a grain of salt haha, probably has more of an impact on city driving though (I get nearly identical MPG with both in heavy traffic work week driving).

 

So as the original poster of this post I want to say I never intentionally got in the BMW drivers way. We both just got stuck kinda neck and neck. I know for a fact the BMW was faster and that's what made it so great. As we left the tolls I just got on it quicker and he ran out of space. I know the lr3 isn't very fast but it just made me laugh because I know the man in the BMW was totally shocked and defeated. He didn't impress his lady. Shortly after he wizzed by me on his way. No harm no foul. Just a shot to the ego of the BMW guy lol. Sometimes you just gotta make trips to work more fun.

 

The last time I tried really hard to pass everybody on the freeway was when my wife in the passenger seat was in active labor (we had a son within an hour).

Just saying Not everybody who tried hard to pass is an a**hat. (Maybe most, but not all.)

 

My complements to your wife on producing a son.

I noted your "signature" with some interest.

I think you should want to paint the house, and in return that your wife should decide she needs a Defender to augment the 4.

It sounds like a plan to me!

 

Best idea I've heard all year !