Reviewed by 
From the April 1995 issue of Car and Driver.
If you step out of a lopsided, rust-ridden pickup truck in front of Manhattan's Plaza Hotel wearing a sweaty T-shirt, torn Levis, and abraded Royal Robbins boots fresh from a weekend rock-climbing in the Shawangunks, there's an excellent chance the doorman will try to catch the eye of the nearest beat cop. But substitute a Range Rover for the pickup truck and he'll minister to your bedraggled personage as though you spelled your name T-r-u-m-p.
Several bucks-up cars also serve as universally recognized credentials of affluence and class, but only the Range Rover can achieve this image alchemy and still transport you to your outdoor activities in the muddiest, darkest bush.
This makes it perfect for upper-crust men and women with a liking for the outdoors—or the outdoors image. That is precisely why several members of the British royal family drive Range Rovers. Unfortunately, this association is less flattering now that the royals have become favorite cover subjects of publications like The Star and the National Enquirer.
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It was not this besmirching of the Range Rover's heritage that precipitated the first total redesign in its 25-year history, but rather the progress of the competition. Back in 1970, when the Range Rover was born, S-class Mercedes sedans had little six-cylinder engines, eight-track tape players were common, and sport-utility vehicles were just four-wheel-drive trucks with short beds and long roofs. Arriving in that market, the Range Rover easily set new standards for comfort and luxury among off-roaders. Today, however, many lower-born and lower-priced SUVs match the old Range Rover's luxury amenities, and modern sedans easily exceed them.
What you see on these pages is the rolling amelioration of these shortcomings. As project director John Hall put it, "We wanted to give this new Range Rover all of the qualities of a contemporary luxury car while maintaining its traditional off-road capability."
One of the first items the engineers addressed was the Range Rover's on-road handling. The old model felt tippy—even after the addition of anti-roll bars to the suspension in 1991. It also resisted following a straight path down the road, even in the absence of significant sidewinds or road irregularities.
Thanks to improvements in the front suspension geometry and steering linkage, as well as a redesigned rear suspension, the new model does far better. Although you can still feel a certain friction within the steering system, on the superslab the Range Rover now goes where it's pointed without constant prodding to herd it between the white lines.
Push it on a winding mountain road and the Range Rover bends into corners confidently and smoothly. You can even run right out to its 0.73-g grip limit without heavy listing. Nor do rapidly negotiated S-turns bring out big bump-stop-to-bump-stop swaying.
What's remarkable is that this handling has been achieved without any head toss—the sudden side-to-side slapping motion that many high-center-of-gravity vehicles with tight roll control deliver to their occupants' heads. Credit goes to the new geometry as well as to the Range Rover's sophisticated air suspension.
The downside to these newfound road manners is a rather firm ride. While the suspension isn't jarring, it doesn't smother bumps either. According to chief engineer Mike Pendry, some of this stiffness comes from the new 255/65R-16 tires, which are five sizes wider than the previous tires. He suggested that the smaller 235-section tires from the Discovery, which will be made optional on this Range Rover, might improve the suspension's absorbency. Until then, you will definitely feel the texture and contour of the pavement, perhaps more than you might like.
Power still comes from the old pushrod aluminum V-8, which displaces 4.0 liters in this incarnation. Internal changes have made this old powerplant a smoother runner, but it still can't match the silken silence of a modem Lexus or BMW V-8, especially if you wind it out.
And wind it out you will, because with only 190 horsepower to push the 4836-pound Range Rover's bulk through the air, performance is modest. Reaching 60 mph requires 10.5 seconds. And top speed is only 113 mph. Not that anyone will be taking the Range Rover to the strip for grudge night, but when you pass on two-lane roads you'll find that it runs more like an economy car than a luxury car.
In the cockpit, there are no such surprises. The interior is new from front to back and top to bottom, and it is a delight. The tan Connolly leather combines with the burl walnut trim and gray-tending-to-taupe plastic panels to produce the sort of cozy opulence that seems to be the exclusive province of British automakers.
Ergonomically, the new model is also a great leap forward. The steering column now tilts and telescopes. The heating, sound system, and suspension controls are within easy reach. The power seat controls are now on the side of the seats rather than in tacked-on boxes. The safety belts offer height adjustment. If you can't get comfortable in this driver's seat, we'll need to take a chromosome sample to type your species.
Another step forward is the addition of all the luxury features commensurate with the Range Rover's position in the vehicular food chain. The outdated heating controls have been replaced by a modern, fully automatic climate-control system that works excellently, allows separate side-to-side temperature regulation, and provides for easy and complete manual control. For your aural amusement, there's an 11-speaker, 120-watt sound system complete with CD changer and auxiliary controls mounted in the steering wheel.
The power seats have heaters, motorized lumbar and headrest adjustments, and two memory settings, which can also be triggered by the long-range remote locking module. The central locking system incorporates a security system that lets you raise the windows and close the sunroof with a twist of the key. When you shift into reverse, the side-view mirrors tilt down and also, if you have the front wipers on, the rear wiper turns on automatically. We could go on, but you get the picture. When it comes to equipment, this new Range Rover can hold its own with any luxury car in the vicinity of its $55,000 price.
All of this comfort and convenience is cloaked in new bodywork that carries over the traditional aluminum construction. The headlights are no longer round and the gaps between the panels are no longer wide enough to hide chipmunks, but the elegantly angular lines, sloping surfaces, and tight wheel-well openings instantly identify the new model as a Range Rover. Although the wheelbase is unchanged from the 108.1 inches of the discontinued long-wheelbase model (the short-wheelbase soldiers on as the Range Rover County Classic), width is up three inches, and height and length are increased about an inch. Among SUVs, only the full-sized domestics are bigger.
Despite the increase in exterior dimenions, rear-seat room is down lightly from the old County LWB model and luggage space has increased only slightly. As before, the split-folding rear seat does offer more volume when needed.
The new Range Rover is bigger and heavier than previous models, but we sensed no decline in the legendary off-road abilities. The full-time four-wheel-drive system means that you're always prepared for slippery conditions. The limited-slip center differential and a traction-control system that operates on the rear wheels combine to deliver power to the grippiest tires without any manual intervention. The air suspension even senses when a tire has started grabbing air and tries to lower it back to the ground.
The only thing required of the driver is to shift into ow range in truly rough going. Even this is easier than ever before. You simply move the transmission lever to neutral and slide it from the left gate over to a new right gate. You can also press a button and exercise full manual control of the gear selection when you're in that right gate. The result is a machine that will take you into and out of places where you would never venture without an off-road expert's urgings.
Some might wonder if this off-road expertise isn't overkill for what is basically a wealthy person's transport. Even Range Rover marketeers will admit that only about one in six owners ever take their machines seriously off-road. Still like a Porsche 911's 160-mph top speed, the Range Rover's fabled off-road ability is part of its attraction, even if owners rarely take advantage of it. Besides, an image is always stronger if it is grounded in reality. By that standard, the Range Rover's position as the upper-crust SUV remains secure.
Specifications
Specifications
1996 Land Rover Range Rover 4.0 SE
Vehicle Type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $54,625/$54,625
ENGINE
pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 241 in3, 3950 cm3
Power: 190 hp @ 4750 rpm
Torque: 236 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
4-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: live axle/live axle
Brakes, F/R: 11.7-in vented disc/12.0-in disc
Tires: Michelin 4x4
255/65HR-16
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 108.1 in
Length: 185.6 in
Width: 74.4 in
Height: 71.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 57/49 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 58/19 ft3
Curb Weight: 4836 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 10.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 17.9 sec @ 77 mph
100 mph: 35.3 sec
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 10.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 5.5 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 7.4 sec
Top Speed (drag ltd): 113 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 185 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.73 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 14 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 13/16 mpg
Csaba Csere joined Car and Driver in 1980 and never really left. After serving as Technical Editor and Director, he was Editor-in-Chief from 1993 until his retirement from active duty in 2008. He continues to dabble in automotive journalism and WRL racing, as well as ministering to his 1965 Jaguar E-type, 2017 Porsche 911, 2009 Mercedes SL550, 2013 Porsche Cayenne S, and four motorcycles—when not skiing or hiking near his home in Colorado.
