Range Rover — Defying The SUV Market

Even environmentally-conscious California, the big Range Rover sells quite well. We also see more than a few Porsche Cayenne and Lexus LX470 SUVs doing morning school bus duty and occasional jaunts up to the mountains for ski weekends.

The near $100,000 price tag doesn’t have much of a sales impact in this affluent state and apparently the 13-city/18-highway fuel economy is acceptable, as long as it’s a proper import brand. Hummers and Escalades are apparently frowned upon in some suburban neighborhoods because they flaunt their appetite for resources.

If Land Rover had to count on buyers who made their transportation decisions based on judicious measurements, its sales curve might look like the rest of the big SUV market. But the Range Rover’s carefully nurtured mystique, robust product attributes, and an uncanny balance of ride and comfort make the vehicle seemingly bulletproof to market trends.

Every time I climb aboard a Range Rover, I’m reminded of the enduring appeal of this full-size sports utility vehicle. For 2007, the posh interior has been elevated to an even higher style with wood that a grand piano would envy and leather that one expects from British luxury vehicles.

The Range Rover’s interior luxury is home to a gaggle of switches and knobs, some brand new for this model year. Apparently, Land Rover has decided that real drivers can sort their functions without resorting to iDrive inputs or touch screens. If anyone from the ergonomic department at Ford was allowed to visit this busy cockpit, they were not permitted much input.

Since control is a virtue on and off road, the Range Rover has obliged with traction selections that range from dry pavement to mud, snow, sand, and extreme rock crawling. If you’re attempting any of these maneuvers in extreme climates, the new seats can be heated or cooled. And those same seats have new whiplash-reducing head restraints in case someone gives you a NASCAR bump.

The likelihood of someone bumping a supercharged Range Rover to overtake this machine is unlikely since the 400 horsepower propels the 5,600 pounds like a sports sedan. Even braking and twisting roads are reasonable in the Range Rover with a bit of bravado behind the wheel.

Since the supercharged engine doesn’t make the fuel economy any worse than its less powerful competitors, it would be my choice if this were the product segment I decided to cast my lot with. If you’re spending more than $90,000 for a ride that makes a statement, why not have it all. — Brian Douglas

Specifications

Type: Front engine, four-wheel drive

Engine: 4.2 liter, DOHC-V8

Horsepower: 400 @ 5,750 rpm

Torque: 420 foot-pounds @ 3,500 rpm

Base Price: $92,035

As Tested: $95,350

Fuel Economy: 13 city/18 hwy

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Golf Fest
From March 9-11, the Del Mar Fairgrounds will be transformed into a golfer’s haven at the tenth annual Golf Fest. Show goers will experience the most interactive golf event in the state with PGA golfers on hand to provide tips, golf skill contests for prizes, and a virtual golf simulator with backdrops of world-class courses from around the world. Young attendees are sure to have a blast in Boomers Kids’ Zone, and every paid attendee will receive a free round of golf at Warner Springs Ranch, a picturesque golf course in the Cuyamaca Mountains. (858/586-1202, www.golffestshow.com) — Kaila Lee

The Apple Of Our I’s
If you’ve read this column before, you’ve heard me ask many times: when are they just going to combine everything we want and need into one — I repeat, one — compact, fast, stylish, accessible gadget? I’m talking video, music, phone, Web browser, Bluetooth applications, camera, organizer, you name it. Essentially, a tiny little computer phone that fits snugly in your pocket.

It seems finally, after years of asking, Steve Jobs and the Apple crew have heeded the call. They revealed their newest gadget at last month’s Consumer Electronic’s Show to a room full of gaping jaws. And now, news has spread like wildfire. It’s called the iPhone, and it’s a whopper of an invention (Apple stock shares rose over seven percent as the presentation was unfolding.) To start, it’ll run OSX (with Safari preinstalled) and sport eight gigs of memory. Expect that to grow over the following years the same way iPod memory did. Bluetooth and WiFi — they’re there as well. Perhaps the easiest way to describe it is as a hybrid of an iPod Video and a Treo. Of course, Treos run Windows XP, but you get the idea. The look has been reimagined as well, with a thickness (or thinness) of only 11 millimeters — smaller than a Razor phone. The shuttle wheel that has become synonymous with iPod has been 86ed. Instead, the entire face of the iPhone is one big touch screen pad (according to Jobs, it’ll even ignore accidental touches). Watch movies and television in landscape position, view photos in the portrait position. Like any Windows-based application, the program you’re using will dominate the screen, so you can send emails, work on business documents, select a music playlist, call a friend, save the world, what have you. I’ll be honest, I don’t get overly excited with most gadgets I see, but this one has me dancing. Gadgets are going to get really cool in the next few years as the competition races to keep up. Interestingly, CNBC reports that Jobs is already hard at work on the iPhone 2, which will contain video conferencing capabilities. The release date of the first generation iPhone in slated for June, with an MSRP of $600. (www.apple.com)

Putt It Again, Sam
With spring on the horizon, now’s the time to gear up for the golf course. If your putting game could still use a little help, consider the new SAM Puttlab from Science & Motion Sports. Using ultrasound measurements, the Puttlab analyzes your swing and provides instantaneous feedback on what you’re doing wrong. (In my case, it simply begs me to put the club down and walk away.) It takes a little bit of setting up, but the payoff may well be worth it. Essentially, a light sensor triplet is attached to the shaft of your club. The measurement motion analyzer device then transfers the registered movement data to a computer via a USB cable, where the software then evaluates the stroke. It calculates numerous parameters — rotation, acceleration, swing duration, and impact, etcetera — and graphically displays the results on your laptop screen. There are 28 parameters total that it looks at, comparing them to characteristics of the pros. Science & Motion Sports suggests a ten-minute session to collect necessary data. Then it’s up to you or your local pro to use the data as a tool for fixing what’s wrong. According to the company, 28 pros are already using the SAM Puttlab to train for competition. Maybe you’ll be next. The home Puttlab sells for $5,700. The pro Puttlab sells for $9,895. (877/SAM-PUTT, www.877samputt.com)
— Ryan Thomas
 
 


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