2006 Land Rover Range Rover HSE Road Test

After I've dropped the horses off at the stable, what will the drive home be like in the RR HSE?

(Photo: John LeBlanc)

With most of the kudos going to the air suspension, this big rig can be driven with verve and not totally fall down on its knees. Steering is never heavy and there's a surprising amount of feel. The physics of such a tall (nearly two metres) and weighty (almost 2,500 kilograms) vehicle do come into play--it ain't no Jag XK--so corners need to be taken with due respect. Having said that, rough pavement is dismissed as easily as a curt maitre'd. And the overall impression is that the car is impenetrable to the daily nuisances of road noise or imperfections in pavement.

So what's not to like?
Between the high price and fuel consumption, this is not a cheap car to run. And based on luxury sedan standards--which for most customers, is what the Range Rover is being cross-shopped against--some of the

(Photo: John LeBlanc)

cockpit's ergonomics can be described as 'having character' and despite an abundance of natural materials, plastic still pops up here and there.

And the likes?
There's no denying the sense of occasion when piloting this car courtesy of the brand's image and social presence. Coldly measured against other luxury vehicles--SUVs or not--the HSE is up to the task with standard amenities and features such as 19-inch wheels, HID headlights, three-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, rearview parking camera, DVD-based navigation system, 14-speaker, 710-watt Harman Kardon sound system. What can I say, it's good to be king.