It has been a while since I last posted. I have been to car shows in Los Angeles and San Diego, and I am surprisingly drawn to four-wheel drive SUVs. I never thought I would enjoy them that much or have any use for them. That all changed when I test drove a Land Rover LR4 (Discovery in the rest of the world) at the LA auto show. They had an outdoor course on the front parking lot at the LA Convention Center, complete with hills offset in such a way that one or more wheels were off the ground while making the transition to the next hill. This was, presumably, to demonstrate the Land Rover's smart 4WD system that automatically directs torque to whichever wheels have traction. I was most impressed with what happened when I stopped (as commanded by my co-pilot from LR): the left front wheel was up in the air, but once the brakes were applied, it came down to Earth slowly and softly, making it safe to continue, albeit in three-wheel drive for three quarters of a second. When I finished, I began to think about road trips to national parks, taking the family up the side of the great Smokey Mountains. Maybe I would take up hunting; I could be with my son on his first kill. By now I was grunting like Tim Allen at Tool Expo.
The LR4 is a luxury SUV of mammoth proportions, the kind that makes Prius drivers' blood pressure spike. That alone makes it a winner in my book. However, this is no fashion accessory as was the case before rabid environmentalism afflicted the well-heeled. The LR4 seats seven in a level of comfort that makes the top-of-the-line Grand Cherokee or 4Runner seem like steerage class. The user friendly 4WD system can be set to operate in every possible situation Mother Nature or human progress has laid out for you, all by turning a big knob to the appropriate setting. The air suspension absorbs bumps and potholes in such a way that they are largely unnoticed. I opened the windows to see how well the one-touch buttons worked. I had forgotten about the noisy LA traffic just a few dozen feet away. Closing the doors and windows in the LR4 is like finding the mute button for your surroundings. It is automotive Prozac: you know the world outside is an unpleasant place, but you don't care.
More recently I test drove a seven-seat Lexus GX470, a 2007 model with 52,000 miles on it. It was fully equipped with navigation, DVD theater, Mark Levinson sound system, and a back up camera, which should be standard equipment on all trucks, SUVs, wagons, and small children. Outside of North America, the GX is the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, a slightly smaller member of the legendary Land Cruiser family that is sold alongside its big brother, available in more Spartan trim as well as two-door versions with gasoline (excuse me, PETROL) and diesel V-6s. For that reason, one can be assured that it is capable, dependable, and indestructible. Although the all-new GX460 does not have it anymore, this '07 model had a proper mechanical transfer case lever for 4Hi and 4Lo. Simple, straightforward, unbreakable. I like that.
For this test drive, I only got to do the standard drive on a few surface streets and a short freeway circuit, but it did give me a pretty good idea as to how it operates in what would be its usual environment. I must say that I highly approve. It drives much as any Lexus does: quiet, refined, and somewhat detached. I have just one niggling complaint, though, and that is the placement of the side mirror switches, which reside to the left of the steering wheel just below the instrument panel. I frequently adjust the mirrors and do not like having to lean slightly forward, make the adjustment, and return to my normal seating position only to find that I did not get it where I needed it. That is because I am guessing instead of putting it exactly where I need it at that moment. Honda and Acura place theirs on the door armrest where I can reach it without having to lean and guess. This is not a deal breaker, but, Lexus engineers, take note. Another complaint that could affect my marriage is that the rear door is, well, a door. Hinged on the right, it opens just like the passenger doors, but while it is very easy to operate, it could make loading and unloading curbside from the right a problem. Most SUVs and crossovers have a top-hinged vertical hatchback. The Volvo XC90 and Toyota Land Cruiser/Lexus LX twins each have a top-hinged hatch and a bottom hinged tailgate, which I think is the best possible way to access the back porch.
I find that I could live with either one of these rigs. Both are spacious and versatile, capable off road, and relatively easy to park in the urban jungle. Both are prestigious, handsome brutes, and built to last for years, much longer than I expect to last. So how do I choose? Based on my relatively short time with them, I could flip a coin, and, heads or tails, be equally happy.
But there are other considerations.
The Land Rover LR4 is rated a dismal 12 mpg in city driving, and the Lexus GX 470 is rated at a slightly less atrocious 15 mpg. Both require premium. (When will you guys bring diesel power stateside?) The main culprits are power and weight. At 5617 pounds, the LR4 should be a contestant on "The Biggest Loser." This is a heavyweight in a welterweight package, but not because of all the luxury accoutrements. This particular model is unique among, well, motor vehicles. The LR4, the LR3, and the Discovery are built on a separate body and frame, like the GX, but the body itself is actually a monocoque, or unit body, much like nearly all modern cars and a fair number of SUVs. The difference is that a monocoque is stiffer and heavier than the body of, say, practically any other body-on-frame vehicle, which relies on the steel frame to provide stiffness. That is not a problem as a unit body vehicle is usually lighter overall and offers superior occupant protection than a similar size body-on-frame vehicle. By putting a heavy monocoque on a heavy ladder frame, the LR4 is a monster, and it shows most glaringly in the fuel economy and on-road handling. At least it should last long enough to put it in the will. Coupled with a 5.0L engine that makes 375 hp and 375 lb.-ft. of torque, it is not hard to see why it goes through fuel like a teenager goes through the refrigerator. The GX is certainly no flyweight, either, but it is 746 pounds lighter. Given its weight advantage, 263 hp and 323 lb./ft. is more than sufficient to keep up with the Brit, and go farther on dead dinosaurs.
Land Rovers have a notorious reliability record, although, to be fair, they have improved in recent years, thanks to their using Jaguar-sourced V-8 engines, which are now among the best, at least according to JD Power & Associates. Toyota/Lexus, on the other hand, have a largely unblemished record for reliability, but are currently under a cloud of recalls that have undoubtedly hurt the world's largest automaker. The Land Cruiser family has long been the 4x4 of choice in third world countries where the terrain is downright brutal, and warranty service is a little hard to come by. For that matter, the same is largely true of Land Rover.
Since I have three growing kids and limited funds, I have to go with as sure a thing as possible. Twenty percent better gas mileage and fewer expected repairs are not small matters. Therefore my money has to go for the Lexus.
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