2005 Land Rover LR3 Pictures, Engine & Accessories

The LR3 is a spare, architectural design. Shunning the slightest hint of decoration, it wears its utility on its sleeve.

By now you know that a Land Rover can slog through African rain forest, conquer the Mongolian steppes, and survive Arctic blasts, biblical torrents, and Saharan swelter. But would you recommend one to a friend who wasn't intent on setting a new world record for Guinness? For the daily commute, the trip to the mall, even the family weekend excursion, there are a lot of choices out there. At least 85 different nameplates are competing for your sport/utility dollar, many with far better J.D. Power quality ratings than Land Rovers of the not-so-distant past.

For 2005, Land Rover has wiped the slate clean with an all-new design, one that aims to please on the daily commute, trip to the mall, and family weekend excursion as well those occasional rain-forest slogs, desert blasts, and so on. The new LR3 (alphanumeric for the third Land Rover in the three-SUV lineup) replaces the Discovery in North America and benefits from the near boundless enthusiasm of Land Rover's native engineering talent uncorked with Ford's funding, process discipline, and clout with suppliers. It's the first from-scratch fruit born of the Ford Motor Company's acquisition of the firm from BMW in 2000.

By comparison, last year's Discovery seems a tall, narrow, oxcart-suspended box teetering on a sport-coupe-like 100-inch wheelbase, wheezing through a Buick-derived V-8 that first saw the light of day 44 years ago. The LR3 leverages some of the tech BMW had infused into the current Range Rover in the form of adjustable independent air suspension. It also taps Premier Automotive Group partners Jaguar for an all-new DOHC engine and Volvo for its safety expertise.

Land Rover's newest entry stretches about a half foot longer, spreads an inch wider, and crouches several inches lower than the old Discovery. More mainstream in size, the LR3 falls within 0.1 inch in wheelbase and 1.3 inches in overall length of the Explorer. It also shares the Explorer's trick of running the rear-axle driveshafts through the frame rails, which eliminates the rear frame kickup and enables a lower, flatter floor. The LR3's spare tire has been moved under the cargo area floor as well, aiding rearward visibility. Shorter overhangs help the LR3 improve approach and departure angles over the old Discovery. Despite the longer wheelbase, the LR3's turning circle is a handy 1.4 feet shorter.