2009 Range Rover Sport HSE

Luxury sport-utility vehicle for performance enthusiasts
By Nina Russin

2009 Range Rover Sport

The Range Rover Sport bridges the gap between the manufacturer’s off-road heritage and the on-road performance its urban-dwelling owners have come to expect. While the Sport is capable of climbing a Mayan and fording a river, it’s unlikely that most buyers will take their sixty-five thousand dollar trucks down the Rubicon trail.

Rather, drivers who aspire to active lifestyles are attracted to Range Rover’s authentic off-road capability. And while they have no intention of getting jiggy on two wheels, these buyers appreciate the brand’s exceptional capability in deep snow, on ice, and on the occasional graded dirt road.

But they also want to have fun in good weather. To answer that call, Land Rover engineers modified the popular Range Rover HSE to include two powerful V-8 engines: one naturally aspirated, and one supercharged.

Optional twenty-inch alloy wheels with high-performance Brembo brakes give the Sport a fatter footprint to stay stable in the corners, and stop on a dime. Sport and manual shift modes cater to more aggressive driving styles.

Serious off-road capability

Drivers who enjoy off-road driving will find plenty to love in the Range Rover Sport.

Unlike other products designed for the same purpose, it has an incredibly compliant ride in challenging conditions, and incorporates key technologies that make off-road driving as safe and effortless as possible. An information screen on the instrument panel shows the position of all four wheels, and all off-road controls are within easy reach of the driver’s right hand.

An electronic parking brake engages using a small lever on the center console, and disengages when the driver steps on the gas, so he can use the brake to steady the car when one or more wheels are off the ground.

The driver can shift between low and high gear ranges while the vehicle is moving, to transition from graded dirt roads to trails.

The terrain response system uses a rotary knob on the center console to modify engine throttle, gearing, suspension, hill climbs assist and downhill descent control for five conditions: general, grass and snow, mud and ruts, sand, and rock crawl. When I said that the Range Rover could scale a Mayan ruin, I wasn’t kidding.

I can also say from experience that it can ford a very deep stream and suffer no ill effects except a dirty exterior. The engine bay and interior stay completely dry.

Range Rover’s antilock braking system is designed to function off-road as well as on paved surfaces. The anti-roll mitigation keeps the truck upright on precipitous grades.

Powerful on-road performance

The test car’s naturally aspirated V-8 engine has enough low end power to launch fifty-five hundred pounds of sheet metal in a hurry. The naturally aspirated model accelerates from zero-to-sixty miles-per-hour in just over eight seconds.

All of this comes at the expense of fuel economy: no surprise considering the car’s weight and two-box design. EPA estimates are 12/18 miles-per-gallon on the city and highway respectively. I averaged about sixteen miles-per-gallon during my week-long test drive. FYI, the manufacturer recommends premium fuel.

A four-wheel independent air suspension gives the truck a much more compliant ride than its body-on-frame construction would suggest. The suspension automatically lowers the chassis at high speeds for better performance, and raises it up at low speeds to increase ground clearance: about 8.9 inches.

The ZF rack-and-pinion steering system is robust enough to survive a few rock bumps on the trail: it gives the truck a very reasonable turning radius of thirty-seven feet.

The standard park distance control system uses audible signals to warn the driver about objects in his blind spots. Since there are large areas to the side and rear of the truck below the driver’s sight-line, the system makes parking much easier.

Luxurious interior

While most buyers will appreciate the Range Rover’s leather upholstery, I’d like to see cloth as an option. The leather gets hot in extreme heat, and it’s harder for us active types to keep clean.

Having said that, the seats are quite comfortable with plenty of lower back support. Land Rover’s two-stage seat heaters are the best I’ve found. Living in Phoenix, I don’t need them for warmth, but they’re almost like having a physical therapist in the car. My latissimus dorsal muscles always emerge from the experience as very happy campers.

Most of the controls on the car are intuitive and easy to reach: a three gauge cluster with digital trip meter in the center, and the dual-zone climate controls, audio system controls and navigation system in the center stack.

A small, two-piece center console bin holds electronic devices. The two-part glovebox is quite large: the bottom bin can easily hold a small purse or pack.

The steering wheel includes redundant audio and Bluetooth controls to minimize driver distraction.

Window buttons are the only controls I don’t like on the car. They’re located at the front corner of each window: not the easiest spot to reach, and too close to the window opening. A driver focusing on the road could easily jam a finger.

There is enough legroom in the rear seats for small adults, though taller people may feel cramped. The second-row is wide enough to seat three across.

The center seat position folds down to create an armrest or work surface. Separate vents and a 12-volt power point are located in back of the center stack.

The seats fold flat in two stages: the seat bottom flips forward, and then the seatback folds down using a lever to the outside. It’s not necessary to remove the headrests, but they must be all the way down for the seatbacks to clear the  bottom cushions.

The Range Rover has a fairly high liftover height because it’s a tall car. Shorter drivers may have a hard time loading large cargo in back. Tie-down loops on the floor make it easier to secure big items. There is enough room in back with the second-row seats folded flat to fit a bicycle.

The Range Rover Sport doesn’t come with roof rails: a surprising omission considering the target audience. Towing capacity is 7716 pounds for a braked trailer: over double our minimum ALV standards.

Base price on the Range Rover Sport is $58,375, not including a $775 delivery charge and $100 fee for California emissions. Land Rover builds the Range Rover Sport at its assembly plant n Solihull, United Kingdom.

Likes: Authentic off-road capability with refined, powerful on-road performance. City dwellers with a love of adventure will find the best of both worlds in this luxury sport-utility vehicle.

Dislikes: Window controls are difficult to reach. The Range Rover Sport doesn’t come with roof rails.

Quick facts:

Make: Range Rover
Model: Sport HSE
Year: 2009
Base price: $58,375
As tested: $65,150
Horsepower: 300 Hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 315 lbs.-ft. @ 4000 rpm
Zero-to-sixty: 8.2 seconds
Antilock brakes: Standard
Side curtain airbags: Standard
First aid kit: N/A
Bicycle friendly: Yes
Towing: Yes
Off-road: Yes
Fuel economy: 12/18 mpg city/highway

Beating the Post-Warranty Blues

By Nina Russin
 
The downturn in the economy has everybody thinking about ways to save money, including keeping their cars longer. In addition to saving on car payments, older cars cost less to insure and in some cases, less to license.

The flip side of keeping a vehicle past the warranty period is containing repair costs. Since new car dealerships depend on their service departments as a primary source of income, the cost of service is generally higher than at independent shops.

The question is: how does the car owner find a facility with qualified technicians and reliable service?

Shopping for a Shop

The best time to find a repair shop is before the car needs service. Look for a facility close to home or work: some shops may have shuttle services to help customers get to and from their jobs.

If possible, try to get a recommendation from a friend or colleague who uses the shop. Call the service manager and schedule a time to meet. Avoid visiting the shop early in the morning or late afternoon, since technicians will be busy helping customers who are dropping off or picking up their vehicles.

Find out what types of cars the shop specializes in, and how long it has been in business. Ask the service manager about the shop’s policy for giving customers estimates.

A technician may not be able to anticipate all repair costs before he takes a look at the car. However the service manager should provide a written estimate for parts and service before starting the job.

How Shops Determine Service Costs

Shops use service manuals to determine costs for various services. The manual lists the amount of time it takes a skilled technician to perform a given repair. For example, a water pump replacement might take about forty-five minutes.

Ask the service manager its hourly rate for service. Often, independent service facilities have a lower hourly service rate than new car dealerships. Find out how long the shop will guarantee a repair for, and what the shop will do for the customer if a repair fails.

The mark-up on car parts is typically a hundred percent. A good technician should return any parts he or she has replaced, so the customer can see why the equipment on the car failed.

Repair Tools

New cars require specialized diagnostic equipment, including exhaust gas analyzers, scan tools that interface with on-board computers, oscilloscopes and sensitive digital-volt-ohm meters.

Shops that do air conditioning service also need recycling equipment for the refrigerant. Tire and wheel specialists will need alignment racks, and diagnostic equipment for antilock brake systems.

Make sure that the shop has all of the necessary tools and equipment for the types of service it performs. The service bays should be relatively clean, and the shop should have a ventilation system that cycles out toxic fumes from car exhausts.

Hand tools are extremely expensive: a good technician will keep his tools clean and organized.

ASE Certification

The National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence, also called ASE, tests and certifies automotive technicians in various aspects of car repair. The purpose of these tests is to ensure that technicians have the education and experience necessary to work on new cars.

In order to become ASE certified, a technician must have a minimum of two years experience working in his or her specialty, and be able to pass a written exam in that area. Tests cover a variety of repair topics, such as tune-ups, brakes, air conditioning, and body repair.

ASE provides technicians with certificates listing the tests they have passed. Shops that employ ASE certified technicians usually display the ASE logo outside or in the customer service area.

Ask the service manager which of the technicians are ASE certified, and find out their areas of specialization. Certificates from additional training programs indicate that technicians are current on emerging technology.

Cleanliness Counts

It doesn’t need to be fancy, but a customer waiting area should be clean. A dirty waiting room indicates that the shop doesn’t care about its customers, or perhaps its technicians as well.

Putting It All Together

Even if a repair shop meets all of these requirements, it’s a good idea to check online, and make sure that no customers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau or local chamber of commerce.

If possible, schedule the car for a routine maintenance procedure such as a tune-up before bringing it in for a major repair. Did the shop perform the necessary repairs in a timely fashion, and was the written estimate provided accurate? Was the service staff courteous and professional? Was the service manager willing to explain the services performed, and answer any questions after the fact?

Some shops wash customer cars before returning them from service. If the shop doesn’t have the resources to do this, the vehicle should be as clean when it comes back to the customer as it was going into the shop.

A good repair shop helps customers get the most out of their cars by recommending periodic diagnostic work that detects small problems before they become big ones.

Today, most new cars will run up to 100,000 miles with little to no service. But since loan payments last five years or more, buyers find it challenging to keep their vehicles after they are paid off.

A good, independent service facility saves money on repairs, and keeps the car running reliably after the factory warranty period is over.