The 2009 Land Rover LR2 is a doll; she’s cute-looking, sporty and fun. This small SUV is like a girl whose starting high school; she’s not new to the whole school idea, but she’s trying to figure out where she fits in at the bigger school. Is she the cute girl, the athletic one or the rich gal? The LR2 is a little bit of all those things but not a lot of any of them. And that’s OK, for the most part.
When I started driving the all-wheel-drive LR2, its steering felt loose and disconnected at slower speeds. Once I got out of town and got the speed up, the LR2’s handling impressed me. After a few days of driving and a trip into the hills, she handled better than I originally gave her credit for. Every time I expected to feel some top-heavy body roll on the tight turns, the LR2 surprised me and hugged the corners.
With a six-cylinder engine, the LR2’s acceleration is great, and not once did I wish for more oomph. I did wish for better gas mileage numbers, though. The LR2 gets an EPA-estimated 15/22 mpg city/highway. That’s not great, and to make matter worse, she takes premium gas. Yes, she can off-road, and yes, she’s responsive, but if you’re in the market for a small SUV, you might be surprised by the fuel economy numbers.
The LR2 starts at $35,375, but my test car was priced at $41,575. That’s a lot of money. The LR2 is more rugged than your typical small, luxury SUV, and it’s more expensive than your typical small, not-so-luxurious SUV.
There are some aspects of the LR2 – like the leather interior and dark laurel trim – that initially seem to justify its price tag, but they’re offset by the rubber floormats. Yes, they’re great after you’ve gone on a backwoods trek, but they look um…cheap. The lack of fancy power features in the LR2 also might lead to disappointment for some.
Exterior
My test car came in a beautiful paint color, Izmir Blue. The LR2 looks like the average small SUV, but its Land Rover badging across its nose and on its grille makes sure everyone knows this isn’t an average SUV.
While she may lack the curvy, sexy sass of other small luxury SUVs, she surely makes up for it in strength. With the Terrain Response system, the LR2 can drive, creep or crawl over, under and through just about anything. This system talks to all of the LR2’s other systems to improve performance on any terrain. All I have to do is set the dial to normal, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud and Ruts, or Sand, and drive on my way.
Add hill descent control to the Terrain Response system, and I can off-road wherever I like (responsibly, of course). It was cool to know that I could get anywhere I wanted to go. And probably with more ease than some of the larger, more cumbersome vehicles we saw out on our trek.
The Land Rover LR2 is a family-friendly SUV with its tall windows and doors that were easy for everyone in my family to use, but not necessarily yours. Why? A good tug is required, so those of you with 3- or 4-year olds might be opening the doors for them for a while.
On an SUV that starts at $35,375 and comes from a luxury brand, you’d think you’d get a power liftgate, right? Wrong. When you manually open the liftgate, it doesn’t go up very high. This could be a problem for taller adults, but I liked it because I didn’t have to strain to pull the liftgate down.
SENSE AND STYLE
Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Good Times
Interior
This is where there are a few notable strengths as well as a few notable shortcomings in the LR2. She’s ready to go at a moment’s notice because she doesn’t have any deep consoles or cubbies to stash snacks. She practically screams at me for being so high-maintenance; she wants me to keep it simple, so we can hurry up and go hiking. I can hear her say, “So pack your stuff in a proper backpack, cooler or duffel and put it in the cargo area. Let’s go!” She’d call her lack of cubbies a strength, but it’s really a shortcoming.
I won’t load the center console with wipes, juice boxes and books because there isn’t one. I won’t stash Kleenex in the center stack’s bottom bin because there isn’t one. I won’t put my iPod on the cool grippy tray on the dash because there isn’t one. Instead of a center console, there’s a nook where I can put a couple small items, and I can use the cupholders for storage (boo). I can keep it simple, but for how long?
Backseat storage is better than in the front. The cupholders and cubby in the backseat’s armrest are great. Pockets and bottleholders in the door are easy for older, taller kids to use, and seatback pockets can hold some books. Throw in a couple of auxiliary jacks to up the ante in the backseat – along with a moonroof back there – and it almost doesn’t matter what’s going on in the front, the kids are at peace in the back. Like the high-school-age baby sitter, the LR2 is young and hip, and the kids dig her.
I liked the dark laurel simulated wood trim in the LR2; it makes it seem more grown-up than your average small SUV. While the kids get a moonroof, which doesn’t open, I get a moonroof that opens with the touch of a button.
The LR2’s steering wheel has these cool, metal-rail-type pieces of trim on it. Actually, they aren’t trim – they’re the horn. How did I discover this? At the gas station as a lady in another car was reversing without looking and headed right at me. I tried to honk the horn by slamming my hand into the center of the steering wheel, but nothing happens. I do it again and again. No dice. Luckily, the lady looks up and doesn’t hit me, but I was freaked out. So, that’s something you should be aware of.
The cargo area is plenty big. To expand the cargo area, you have to fold the back seats flat, which is a two-step process. First you have to flip the second row’s bottom seat forward and then backrest will fold flat. That’s a lot of effort for a flat-loading floor.
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Puny
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample
Safety
The LR2’s backseat is a flat bench that’s great for installing child-safety seats; there’s no bolsters to get in the way. However, it’ll be a tight fit back there for a rear-facing infant-safety seat without the front passenger giving up a little legroom. The Latch connectors and tether anchors are easy to access and easy to use. I love it when safety’s easy. The seat belt receptors are somewhat recessed, which can frustrate younger kids when they try to buckle up by themselves. For older kids it’s not such a big deal.
I love the visibility of the LR2, and I don’t just mean for me but for the kids, too. They loved that they could see out of the windows, which are tall and sit lower in the door. A lot of small SUVs go for a sleeker look with high door panels and short windows, but not here. The LR2 doesn’t have a backup camera, but I didn’t feel like I needed one thanks to the large windows. It does have standard rear parking sensors.
Parents of younger kids should know that the rear windows can roll all the way down. For the record, that’s an awesome feature when one’s kids are 5 and 7, but it might be a little scary for those moms with younger ones.
The LR2 has seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag and side curtain airbags for both rows. It also has antilock brakes, stability control and traction control. One more thing to note, the LR2 hasn’t been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at this time.
FAMILY LIFESTAGE
In Diapers: It’s going to be a tight squeeze to fit a rear-facing infant-safety seat in the backseat, but other car seats should fit without any problems.
In School: School-age kids should have no problem getting in and buckling up without help from mom.
Teens: This is a fun SUV to ride in – even if Mom is driving it.
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