© JAMES TAYLOR
Editor: Land Rover Enthusiast Magazine

BACKGROUND

Land Rover had a very difficult job on their hands to replace the original Range Rover, which was a widely-admired vehicle despite its age and well-known shortcomings. However, the second-generation models managed to improve on it in almost every respect, the main shortcoming being in the styling, which was very much less distinctive than the original and looked particularly undistinguished from the rear.

Part of the Range Rover's appeal had always been its remarkable off-road ability - even though only a tiny percentage of owners ever exploited it to the full - and so the new model retained a ladder-frame chassis and beam axles. To give plenty of room inside, it had a wheelbase fractionally longer than that of the earlier Vogue [SE long-wheelbase Range Rover, and for maximum refinement it had a further developed version of the LSE's air suspension. Engines were completely reworked versions of the earlier V8s, plus a specially-adapted version of the widely acclaimed six-cylinder BMW turbodiesel.

Despite high specification levels, the entry-level price of the second-generation Range Rover was held at almost bargain levels to fight off competition from rivals like the Mitsubishi Shogun and Toyota Land Cruiser VX. The top models were nevertheless very expensive, and few of the lower-priced models were sold without several thousand pounds' worth of optional extras.

Character summary

The second-generation Range Rover was deliberately conceived as an alternative to conventional luxury cars, and everything about it meets the expectations of luxury-car buyers. However, it has lost none of its well-loved predecessor's underlying ruggedness or off-road ability, and has built upon existing Range Rover qualities by offering much improved road manners and performance. The turbodiesel models in particular offer very much greater refinement and smoother performance than the earlier turbodiesel Range Rovers.

Performance summary

The road performance of the second-generation Range Rover is exemplary; even the turbodiesel models are respectably quick. All versions are very easy to drive, with car-like controls and handling. Although these are quite large vehicles, they do not feel big in everyday use and are as well suited to town conditions as to motorway cruising.

Off the road, their performance is once again excellent, with the air suspension's automatic Extended Mode (which pushes the wheels down to make contact with the ground if traction is lost) compensating well for the handicap of the long wheelbase. However, the turbodiesel models are a little deficient on bottom-end torque.

Reliability, weaknesses, spares

Some early vehicles had teething troubles with their complex electronics, and it may be that these will prove to be a liability as the vehicles get older: certainly, they are likely to be very difficult if not impossible to maintain and repair on a DIY basis.
Spares are unlikely to prove a problem as the vehicle is supported by all Land Rover franchised dealerships. However, the cost of parts is likely to be high.

Resale values

The second-generation Range Rover values tend to drop dramatically after the first 2 to 3 years with prices being not much more that Discovery models of a similar age.