Range Rover V8 Vogue

If you were given a billion dollars and told to design a new Range Rover, where would you start? According to the RR's stylist Geoff Upex, he began with the seat position. Why? The company asked owners what they liked most about their cars and they said seeing the road ahead, rather than simply the brake lights of the motor in front. They also love peeking over hedges on country lanes, and being at eye level with truckers rather than feeling threatened by them. So the new car had to have the same seat height as the old one.
And after four months with our Range Rover, I can see their point. Getting into another 'normal' height car I really miss that extra visibility, and I'm convinced it's a genuine safety feature. It's no surprise RR drivers find it difficult to swap into a lower off-roader such as the Audi Allroad.
Before you argue that I could get the same visibility in an MPV or even a Ford Transit, the Range Rover has plenty of other attractions. Even on the urban commute, its suspension travel and ground clearance have advantages, smoothing out potholes and speed humps with ease. And I couldn't have thought of a better car to be in during that now-legendary snowstorm in January. The TV, auto gearbox and heated seats made the stop-start traffic nearly bearable, and the grip and towing ability meant I was able to pull two stranded motorists back on to the road. But our Vogue hasn't only been stuck in the city, and has got plenty of mud under its wheelarches.
I pointed the 4x4 towards Land Rover's gut-wrenchingly severe Eastnor Castle off-road proving centre in Herefordshire, and although my guide baulked at letting the Vogue wade through the waterlogged forest, gentle goading ensured he was keen to prove the car's capabilities.
Near-vertical drops were a cinch, and the axle-deep sticky clay was dismissed after a short wheelspin and wiggle of the steering wheel. Yet heading for home, the Range Rover cruised at 70mph in comfort and near silence - no other car is this versatile. Back in London, Eastnor mud proved the ultimate 4x4 accessory, causing looks of disbelief from school-run off-roader owners.
But eventually our Vogue had to meet a jet wash, and there was a horrific sight under the grime. Imbedded in the rutted clay tracks were small pebbles, and as the wheels spun they had been deeply chipped and scratched. I'd have hoped the finish would have been hardier. The alloy woes don't end there - salty roads and mud have meant the metal tyre valve caps have seized on solid, so I can't check the pressures. Even WD40 and a pair of pliers hasn't shifted them.
There's another worrying fault, too. Every sharp right turn at low speeds is accompanied by a loud clonk, which sounds very serious. But my local dealer told me not to worry, as its demonstrator did it too... Although it's yet to get a proper check over at a Land Rover garage, BG52 PYX is only too keen to visit the kind which sell petrol. A mighty 100-litre capacity means a respectable distance between refills. But pull in when the fuel warning light comes on, and you'll need at least £75 and four-and-a-half minutes at the pump to get the gauge at full. Try standing on a cold forecourt for that length of time, and you'll see why it's a pain.
It's not only the tank that's big. A trip over the Channel proved nerve-wracking, as the maximum height for cars on Tunnel trains is 1.85m. Check-ing the owner's manual showed the air springs allow the RR to sink to 1.84m. After pressing a button to lower the ride, I swept under the low-looking barriers with the people behind flashing lights to warn disaster was imminent. But as usual, the Range Rover took it all in its stride.