HSE 4dr 4x4
2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
2008 Range Rover Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery Driving a Range Rover Sport is like wearing an Izod circa 1980-anything: everybody immediately knows what you're about. And that's not a bad thing. We never wore Izods, but we'd drive this thing all day long -- and in fact, we did. The sport is supposedly the Range Rover for people who just want to go from work to the golf course to the watering hole, and don't need to traverse the Andes do it. Turns out, though, that it's suitably equipped for both. Follow the jump for the rest of the Rover story, and check out the gallery of hi-res shots below. %Gallery-22125% Photos Copyright ©2008 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc. Back in 2006, the Range Rover Sport was part of a new response to a multi-part question: what if I want a Land Rover that's not as expensive and full on as the Range Rover, still has some Land-Rovery-ness to it, but could do the business off-road if I needed? Previously the Discovery was the only answer to that question, and it was a fine SUV, but it was a steep step down from the Range Rover. So Land Rover split things up, creating a Range Rover Sport for the road-going trendy Rover set with (almost) no off-road aspirations, and gave the LR3 an even heavier dose of chunky Land Rover looks for those who probably still wouldn't go off road, but wanted to look like it. And the Sport has become an accessory par excellence. There is no question as to what it and its drivers are about. And again, that's not a bad thing -- we are fans. In making the RR Sport what it is, and keeping it distinct from the Range up top, Land Rover didn't rob it of the characteristics that define the brand. The Sport is a Land Rover all the way, which is both good and not-quite-so-good-but-certain-to-get-better. First and foremost, you can take the Sport through the muck and it will do its duty. We took it for a spin at the Land Rover Experience in Carmel, California, which is slow-going expedition-like off-roading. At 6.8 inches of ground clearance, it has about two inches less than the Range Rover in its normal guise, but that jumps to nine inches when in off-road mode and almost 12 inches in emergency situations. The Sport will climb, ford water (up to almost 28 inches), surmount, and descend with the capability you expect. The styling is all Rover, all the time: brick-like aero, upright stance, slab sides, clamshell hood, roof with eaves, and a black, blade-like D-pillar. Several people commented that they thought the long rear overhang made the Sport look old, or outdated. True, you wouldn't call the aesthetics up-to-the-minute, but Range Rovers have looked like this forever. Not the latest in hip, it does have staying power, though; 15-year-old Range Rovers are still good looking vehicles... if you like Range Rovers. …
Full Review
2008 Range Rover Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery Driving a Range Rover Sport is like wearing an Izod circa 1980-anything: everybody immediately knows what you're about. And that's not a bad thing. We never wore Izods, but we'd drive this thing all day long -- and in fact, we did. The sport is supposedly the Range Rover for people who just want to go from work to the golf course to the watering hole, and don't need to traverse the Andes do it. Turns out, though, that it's suitably equipped for both. Follow the jump for the rest of the Rover story, and check out the gallery of hi-res shots below. %Gallery-22125% Photos Copyright ©2008 Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc. Back in 2006, the Range Rover Sport was part of a new response to a multi-part question: what if I want a Land Rover that's not as expensive and full on as the Range Rover, still has some Land-Rovery-ness to it, but could do the business off-road if I needed? Previously the Discovery was the only answer to that question, and it was a fine SUV, but it was a steep step down from the Range Rover. So Land Rover split things up, creating a Range Rover Sport for the road-going trendy Rover set with (almost) no off-road aspirations, and gave the LR3 an even heavier dose of chunky Land Rover looks for those who probably still wouldn't go off road, but wanted to look like it. And the Sport has become an accessory par excellence. There is no question as to what it and its drivers are about. And again, that's not a bad thing -- we are fans. In making the RR Sport what it is, and keeping it distinct from the Range up top, Land Rover didn't rob it of the characteristics that define the brand. The Sport is a Land Rover all the way, which is both good and not-quite-so-good-but-certain-to-get-better. First and foremost, you can take the Sport through the muck and it will do its duty. We took it for a spin at the Land Rover Experience in Carmel, California, which is slow-going expedition-like off-roading. At 6.8 inches of ground clearance, it has about two inches less than the Range Rover in its normal guise, but that jumps to nine inches when in off-road mode and almost 12 inches in emergency situations. The Sport will climb, ford water (up to almost 28 inches), surmount, and descend with the capability you expect. The styling is all Rover, all the time: brick-like aero, upright stance, slab sides, clamshell hood, roof with eaves, and a black, blade-like D-pillar. Several people commented that they thought the long rear overhang made the Sport look old, or outdated. True, you wouldn't call the aesthetics up-to-the-minute, but Range Rovers have looked like this forever. Not the latest in hip, it does have staying power, though; 15-year-old Range Rovers are still good looking vehicles... if you like Range Rovers. …
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Retail Price
$58,225
MSRP / Window Sticker Price
| Engine | 4.4L V-8 |
| MPG | 12 City / 18 Hwy |
| Seating | 5 Passengers |
| Transmission | 6-spd w/OD |
| Power | 300 @ 5500 rpm |
| Drivetrain | four-wheel |
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