dirtykj wrote:
I don't know about the LR3. Every LR3 I've seen in SoCal has this ... track thing running down the bottom. No idea what it is, but it's very low. It seems to me you'd have to seriously lift it to get any kind of ground clearance.
Well, the new Land Rovers aren't what the older ones are. With Ford at the helm--- be very scared. Think of what happend to Volvo, worse yet Jaguar. The "FreeStyle" or whatever it is, is a total joke. The LR3 is designed to replace the Discovery. The LR3 is very capable, however. Due to the horendous price tag of new LR3's (mid 40's) and RR's (75k) -- dont look for anyone to wheel new ones except the rich and insane.
Note that Rovers are airbag suspended. This gives them an excellent ride and is the reason they look low when parked or going down the highway. In this case, what you see is not what you get. If you see a new RR going down the interstate-- it is low to the ground. As the car slows down- or engages lower gears-- the suspension raises 4 inches or so and gives maximum clearance. You get the best of both worlds--on road better handling and fuel mileage, and off road supple suspension with great clearance. That is, until the system goes out and you end up stuck with a 3000-6000 repair bill.
Also, when you high center the rover- it has an extra half inch or so of emergency clearance that it will pulse through in rapid succession to try and rock you off an obstacle. High tech. We had an old RR (94). What a beast. That thing rocked and would go up stuff that I just could not believe-- without ever spinning a wheel. But those RR need massive amounts of maintenance. Parts are sometimes sketchy and pricy.