Weidel on Wheels: Range Rover a fortress on wheels
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<p>Although not a big fan of heading into uncharted territory for an
off-road excursion, I do have a great affinity for driving a vehicle
that provides wonderful piece of mind in mountainous regions that are
white with snow.</p>
<p>One of those difficult driving situations occurred during a January
trip into the Sierra Nevada range for a ski weekend. During much of the
journey into ski country the roads were slick with fresh-fallen snow. </p>
<p>The return trip was even worse with traffic backed up for miles and
frequent extended stops on steep grades that tested one?s nerves and
also the vehicle?s braking system.</p>
<p>Fortunately in this case, I was behind the wheel of the 2010 Range
Rover, which provided great mental comfort as I drove the family home
in a snowstorm. This luxury sport utility vehicle was seemingly
designed for road conditions like these. </p>
<p>While it was frustrating to be stuck in one spot for such long
periods of time with a vehicle that possesses so much horsepower, the
reassuring aspect was that we felt so secure in the Range Rover that no
one was too concerned about the snowy conditions. </p>
<p>The Range Rover made a five-hour ordeal ? for a trip that should have taken two hours ? safe, comfortable and tolerable.</p>
<p>This year?s version of the Range Rover comes with some definite
changes. The most noticeable is the V8 engines, which have significant
increases in power. </p>
<p>Driving the supercharged model was incredibly fun in normal
conditions. Who wouldn?t like to have a 5.0-liter, V-8 with 501
horsepower at their disposal? </p>
<p>Land Rover says the model can go from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds, which
I totally believe. The base model is a 5.0-liter, V-8 with 375
horsepower.</p>
<p>Other improvements include new instrument panel and navigation
system, a 360-degree parking assist camera, revised automatic
transmission and several other cool enhancements.</p>
<p>For the off-road lover, the Range Rover has low-range gearing and
maximum ground clearance of up to 11 inches. A standard terrain
response system means the driver can set the parameters for powertrain,
suspension, traction systems and has five off-road choices (general,
grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts, sand and rock crawl).</p>
<p>Offering a luxurious cabin with a ton of great standard features, the Range Rover provides one very comfortable ride. </p>
<p>It handles tremendously, grips the road with terrific assurance and
handles more like a smaller SUV. The braking capability is another big
plus.</p>
<p>The Range Rover, which weighs three tons, has a top towing capacity of 7,700 pounds, a very impressive total. </p>
<p>Not so impressive is the 12 to 18 miles per gallon. And another set
of numbers that will scare away potential buyers is price. The range is
from $78,425 to $94,275 for the supercharged model.</p>
<p>__________</p>
<p><b>2010 Range Rover Supercharged</b></p>
<p><b>Price:</b> $94,275</p>
<p><b>Mileage estimate:</b> 12 mpg city; 18 mpg highway</p>
<p><b>Power:</b> 5.0-liter, supercharged V-8 engine with 501 horsepower</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Standard features include:</b> 19-inch wheels; adjustable air
suspension; front and rear parking sensors; rear-view camera; sunroof;
tri-zone automatic climate control; leather upholstery; wood interior
trim; heated front and rear seats; heated steering wheel;
surround-sound audio system with 14 speakers, satellite radio, a glove
box-mounted six-CD changer, auxiliary audio jack, USB port and a
separate iPod connection; electronically locking rear differential;
high-performance Brembo brakes; automatic high beams; blind spot
warning; traction control, stability control (with rollover control);
hill descent control</p>