The Bottom Line
Pros
- Over the top luxury.
- Monster off-road chops.
- Gorgeous levels of fit and finish.
Cons
- Six-figure price tag.
- Embarrassing fuel economy.
- Conspicuous consumption.
Description
- Base price $94,175 ($104,175 as tested)
- Engine: 4.2 liter V8
- Horsepower: 400 @ 5,750 rpm
- Torque: 420 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm
- Curb Weight: 5,842 lbs
- Fuel Economy: 12 mpg city/18 mpg highway/14 mpg combined
- Wheelbase: 113.4” Vehicle Length: 195.8” Width: 77.0” Height: 74.9” Ground Clearance: 8.9” (standard); 10.8” (off-road)
- Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic
- Cargo: 74.2 cubic feet Luggage: n/a
- Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Guide Review - 2009 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged
I have lived like the rich live, and I have Land Rover to thank for it. They loaned me a 2009 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged for a week, and my test vehicle was outfitted with the Autobiography package of options ($10,000). If the normal level of appointment on a Range Rover Supercharged isn’t enough coddling for you, step up to the Autobiography and revel in the kingly features. From full semi-aniline leather seats that are designed to improve with age and wear to the cut-and-stitch leather dashboard, console sides and door panels, every surface that might come in contact with your body is fine furniture quality, including real wood (walnut burl on my test SUV) trim. It’s a good thing that the Range Rover Supercharged is almost as expensive as some houses – because I’d be living in the cabin if I were an owner. It is beautiful.
And the great thing is, Range Rover Supercharged doesn’t give up any of its capabilities just because it has amped up its luxury. I can tell you from personal experience on several off-road trips with Land Rover that Range Rover Supercharged can easily drive over terrain that many “off-road” vehicles avoid. The key is technology and experience. Land Rover’s excellent Terrain Response system controls a number of settings, including suspension, throttle, brakes and traction control, dialing in the ideal performance parameters for the conditions at hand. All you have to do as an operator is to be able to recognize the driving conditions, and drive sanely. Terrain Response does the rest -- including automatically locking and unlocking the differential, raising the vehicle ride height and modulating your inputs. It’s an astonishingly capable system, and nearly transparent to the driver. If you do lots of off-road driving, and you demand luxury in your life, Range Rover Supercharged is for you.
