RANGE ROVER AUTOBIOGRAPHY
39 YEARS APART
So, you have nearly a quarter of a million dollars spare. You could go and gamble it at a casino, where the odds are stacked against you and you are sure to lose it. Or you could buy some shares and hope the company doesn’t go belly up. Or what about an investment property? Just make sure it’s in a growth suburb.
For my choice, it would be what is possibly the best car in the world – a Range Rover Autobiography. I might lose a bit of money in depreciation over the years, but boy, will I have had fun!
I had the chance to drive the V8 diesel model for a week recently and OK, it’s not a quarter of a million, but the petrol version is by the time you’ve added on-road costs. It’s still in the luxury car class at $215,000 – up against the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes S350 in this country. But try taking those across the Simpson Desert or into the Victorian High Country!
I have to admit, I’m not used to driving luxury vehicles, so I can only compare it to what I know. We used to own a 2003 Range Rover, but this current iteration of the L322 is way ahead of that. The comfort and ride are brilliant, with complete silence in the cabin. I could have been doing wheelies around corners, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have heard. It’s certainly a lot different to our Defender. But then again, what isn’t?!
For my choice, it would be what is possibly the best car in the world – a Range Rover Autobiography. I might lose a bit of money in depreciation over the years, but boy, will I have had fun!
I had the chance to drive the V8 diesel model for a week recently and OK, it’s not a quarter of a million, but the petrol version is by the time you’ve added on-road costs. It’s still in the luxury car class at $215,000 – up against the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes S350 in this country. But try taking those across the Simpson Desert or into the Victorian High Country!
I have to admit, I’m not used to driving luxury vehicles, so I can only compare it to what I know. We used to own a 2003 Range Rover, but this current iteration of the L322 is way ahead of that. The comfort and ride are brilliant, with complete silence in the cabin. I could have been doing wheelies around corners, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have heard. It’s certainly a lot different to our Defender. But then again, what isn’t?!
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Apart from the comfort, the fuel economy is better too. We did a bit of suburban driving first, before heading off over the Blue Mountains to our holiday home, some three hours west of Sydney. We did some gentle four-wheel-driving whilst up there and then drove back on country roads (no freeways). We probably did about 500 kilometres all told and according to the on-board computer, we averaged 8.2 litres/100 kilometres (35 mpg)!! In a vehicle that weighs nearly three tonnes! Try getting that sort of economy in a BMW 7 Series!
The engine is a 4.4 litre twin-turbo diesel V8, but possibly the biggest contributor to the fuel economy is the beautifully smooth 8-speed automatic gear box.
It was interesting to compare my 1972 Range Rover. The same basic shape is there, but other than that, there was nothing remotely similar. The basic gauges in a binnacle have changed to a very fancy electronic display and the engine bay is packed with equipment whereas in 1972 you could see the ground on either side of the original V8.
The engine is a 4.4 litre twin-turbo diesel V8, but possibly the biggest contributor to the fuel economy is the beautifully smooth 8-speed automatic gear box.
It was interesting to compare my 1972 Range Rover. The same basic shape is there, but other than that, there was nothing remotely similar. The basic gauges in a binnacle have changed to a very fancy electronic display and the engine bay is packed with equipment whereas in 1972 you could see the ground on either side of the original V8.
BEAUTIFUL IN MY SETTING
Off road, it is of course, faultless. I chose Rock Crawl mode to climb up a steepish, gnarly hill and it just eased its way up without any problems. Of course if I’d wanted to, I could have watched where my wheels were by using the cameras located in the wheel arches. The tyres on the 20-inch wheels actually allow quite a bit of bellying, which is good. Try doing that in your BMW 7 Series!
The Autobiography has a number of extras that the Vogue doesn’t have – fancy front grill and side vents, heated, two-colour leather seats front and rear, full leather facia and door panels, and sill tread plates. And of course, the discreet “Autobiography” badge on the rear tailgate.
I tried most of the goodies on board. The navigation system is intuitive and accurate, both verbally and visually. The touch screen also allows the passenger to be watching a DVD whilst the driver is watching the navigation system through some technology that is beyond me! The menu system on the touch screen is also very simple to follow. If there is a fault, it’s that the screen leaves finger prints which can be annoying in the wrong light.
The Cruise Control could be better. It runs away on the slightest downhill and is slow to change down on uphills, causing following traffic to bank up a bit behind.
But other than that, this ticks all the boxes, as they say. Would I buy one? No, it doesn’t suit what we do. But if I was in the market for a luxury car, it would be a no-brainer.
The Autobiography has a number of extras that the Vogue doesn’t have – fancy front grill and side vents, heated, two-colour leather seats front and rear, full leather facia and door panels, and sill tread plates. And of course, the discreet “Autobiography” badge on the rear tailgate.
I tried most of the goodies on board. The navigation system is intuitive and accurate, both verbally and visually. The touch screen also allows the passenger to be watching a DVD whilst the driver is watching the navigation system through some technology that is beyond me! The menu system on the touch screen is also very simple to follow. If there is a fault, it’s that the screen leaves finger prints which can be annoying in the wrong light.
The Cruise Control could be better. It runs away on the slightest downhill and is slow to change down on uphills, causing following traffic to bank up a bit behind.
But other than that, this ticks all the boxes, as they say. Would I buy one? No, it doesn’t suit what we do. But if I was in the market for a luxury car, it would be a no-brainer.
Patrick Sutcliffe
