Mother Proof's view

Let’s get this out of the way: The Range Rover Sport HSE isn’t an economy car. My test vehicle was $70,845, which isn’t a bargain-basement buy. With that in mind, and the sad knowledge that I’m not in a position to own a Range Rover anytime soon, I quickly shifted gears and embraced this car for all it’s worth during my test drive. It’s beautiful and comfortable, it can handle any and all driving conditions with ease, and it’s family-friendly.

For starters, this SUV is sophisticated and looks good no matter what it’s doing. With its standard all-wheel drive it was able to tackle tough weather conditions and terrain, and it also made me feel beautiful and sophisticated when my hubby and I took it downtown for date night (the hubby made me feel that way, too).

I also got to test the Rover’s Terrain Response System on a snowy day. With a simple turn of a dial, the Range Rover’s engine, transmission, suspension and traction settings instantly adapt to the driving conditions. I turned the dial to the Snow and Ice mode while driving over a treacherously snowy Vail Pass and felt safer than ever. The Range Rover handled beautifully without any slippage or loss of control. As other vehicles spun out, I saw their drivers look wistfully at us as we whizzed on by.

The Range Rover Sport is offered in two trim levels – the HSE, which is what I test drove, and the Supercharged model. The HSE has a 5.0-liter V-8 engine that delivers 375 horsepower; the Supercharged model has a 5.0-liter V-8 engine that delivers 510 hp. The HSE certainly performed like a powerhouse and didn’t ever appear to be overexerting itself on even the highest mountain roads.

Of course, it’s all of this power that also delivers poor fuel economy. This beautiful, powerful machine only gets an EPA-estimated 13/18 mpg city/highway, and with a thirst for premium gas, filling her up is an expensive endeavor. While I realize that with power you sacrifice some fuel economy, I still dream of a day when I can have both power and good fuel economy.

Exterior

The Range Rover Sport has been redesigned for 2010. While the changes are individually subtle, they make a big difference collectively. This Range Rover looks a tad softer and more stylish than previous model years, which makes the transition from the snow or mud to the city streets a much easier proposition. I felt just as much at home driving this car over snowy mountain passes as I did on the dry streets of downtown Denver.

The Sport’s new look includes LED headlights, LED indicators and air vents on the front fender, a two-bar grille, and front and rear bumpers that are a bit more sculpted. It’s not all about looks; the new rear bumper has been calibrated to reduce drag and turbulence. The tires, which you can get in the standard 19-inch or optional 20-inch sizes, have also been developed with a lower profile to make for a more comfortable, safe ride.

The Sport is offered in a variety of colors, including three shades of blue – Bali, Buckingham and Izmir – but if I were you, I’d stick with the Nara Bronze that adorned my test vehicle; it screamed luxury. The dark-tinted windows not only make you look cooler, they’re easy on little passengers’ eyes and keep any glare off of the family-friendly rear entertainment screens.

The cargo area is ample, but the Sport needs an optional power liftgate. How can an SUV that starts at $60,495 not have this feature. My oldest son expressed his adoration for this SUV, “This car is cool, Mommy.” What I thought was cool was he could climb in and out of the Range Rover Sport on his own – albeit with a little effort.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Groove-On

Interior

The Range Rover Sport is delectable. I thought the Nara Bronze exterior color was stunning until I opened the door and found the supple, inviting leather interior. Land Rover calls it Tan, but that name does it no justice at all. It was cognac colored and enveloped me with a heady scent and smooth finish. My test car even had the Extended Leather Package ($1,000), which added leather to the upper dash, armrests and top door panels. The leather seats are quite comfortable in both the front and back rows.

My test vehicle also came equipped with the Luxury Interior Package ($3,800) that gives you heated front and rear seats, power-adjustable driver’s seat bolsters and a cooler cubby in the center console, which was pretty cool. While I didn’t use it much since it was plenty cold outside when I tested this car, I can imagine it being quite useful during the warmer months when my children are demanding a cold beverage, or heck, when I want one myself!

The optional DVD entertainment system ($2,500) has mounted screens on the back of the driver and front passenger headrests, which are lovely. However, the location of the DVD player in the rear cargo space was inconvenient. Sure, it held six DVDs, so once I put them in I didn’t have to constantly stop the car, get out, go around and change the movies for my children. I’d have found it much more convenient to just have the player in the front where it belongs. It took me a while to find it at first, as I’m accustomed to it being at my fingertips.

I was also frustrated by the lack of cupholders. I found two; were the others hiding from me?

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Safety

The Range Rover Sport has two sets of Latch connectors, which were easy to find and use. However, fitting a rear-facing child-safety seat in the back row means the front passenger is left with less than ample legroom. A few more inches of legroom would be much appreciated.

The Sport has many standard safety features, including antilock brakes, electronic stability system with rollover control, traction control, front and rear parking sensors, front- and side impact airbags for the front row and side curtain airbags for both rows.

My test vehicle also included the optional Surround Camera System that offers a 360-degree exterior view. The Range Rover Sport also has optional adaptive cruise control, which maintains a preset distance between the SUV and a car in front of it.

FAMILY LIFESTAGE

In Diapers: The Latch connectors are easy to use, but someone sitting in front of a rear-facing infant-safety seat will most likely have to compromise on legroom.

In School: Kids will love the two DVD screens for the backseat.

Teens: There’s plenty of standard safety features to help keep inexperienced teen drivers safe.