Just bought a 2007 LR3 with 90k miles, clean bill of health at last service at my local Land Rover dealership, including their brief test drive.

When I go downhill, giving it no gas and no brakes, in hi-gear with HDC off, I find that the LR3 isn't truly coasting -- something is preventing it from achieving the speeds that gravity would pull it when unopposed. There is a subtle but noticeable kick-in of something that is slowing the vehicle, and again a subtle but noticeable release of the system when the hill ends and the vehicle is again on level ground. No grating sounds or bad vibrations.

The same thing happens sometimes on level ground, where I feel like the car doesn't ever really coast -- either I'm giving it gas or it is slowing down more rapidly than I'd expect.

Any thoughts on whether this is normal or a problem?

 

I believe it's normal... at least it's the case with my LR3 as well. And, let me just add that I love it. I really dislike automatics in general and have always been a manual transmission person. One of my biggest beefs it that I find I'm always tapping the brakes on automatics. I almost feel like they speed up when you let off the gas, though I think you're probably right in that they're just "coasting". However, when you let off the gas in a manual car, the gear is still engaged and provides some resistance to slightly slow the car. I think this is what I'm used to and the LR3 feels almost the same way to me. Not quite, but better than any auto I've driven before.

 

Yep MrMagillicutty, that is the same with my LR...drives me crazy that I can't just let off the accelerator and coast along. Particularly annoying when exiting the freeway onto a frontage road or when approaching a stop sign from highway speeds. Very inefficient for engine braking to always be active. For most automatics, if you want to slow using the engine, all you have to do is manually shift down...making more sense to me.

 

I don't notice this on mine. There have been various updates to the ECM and TCM software over the years, perhaps something has changed in the behavior?

My other thought is that these are heavy and brick shaped. They are probably going to slow down faster than a honda accord just based on the amount of air they displace.

 

If you're in Sport Mode, you will feel some engine braking. Check to see if you are in traditional "D" or in Sport Mode.

 

I've noticed it too on my LR3. To me however, it's more pronunced at lower speeds, like when i'm in the parking garage at work. Each level in the garage has a steep incline to the next level. It has resistance going down - I placed it in netrual and it picked up speed quickly. Transmission not in sport mode (never understood sport mode on a heavy truck that's shaped like a brick) Although she is more nimble than my Disco

 

I love Sport Mode. It doesn't purport to turn the LR3 into a sporty machine, it just utilizes more engine braking and a bit more torque by adjusting the shift points. Drive it on a mountain highway in Sport Mode and you'll appreciate it.

 

Yeah, I was driving mine on a curvy, hilly road on the way to Hot Springs, AR and it was very nice having higher shift points.

 

...there's that, and then on the other side of the coin I like feeling the car slow itself down on the downhills....saves my brakes and keeps it in ocntrol. In other words the characteristic that the OP is asking about is something I like!

 

This is PROPER...and very unlike the annoying behavior of American cars and trucks that like to surge forward downhill.

In that way, the Land Rover behaves more like a manual transmission which I LIKE. It's the only automatic I've ever owned.......and if it behaved like an American automatic, I would hate it and would probably get rid of it.