For The Masses
Land Rover takes its mandate very seriously. Part of Ford Motor Co.'s Premier Automotive Group, Land Rover is a luxury marque with an off-road pedigree. That philosophy extends down to entry level, with the launch of the second-generation Freelander 鈥?or LR2 as it is renamed for the North American and Middle East markets. While the Freelander 2/LR2 technically is a cross/utility vehicle, borrowing components from Ford's global EUCD midsize car platform (Ford Mondeo, Volvo S80), the car-based Land Rover, now on sale, is surprisingly capable. It also looks the part. The new LR2, which carries over nothing from the original Freelander, takes some styling cues from the larger LR3 (Discovery 3) and shows clear Land Rover genes with the clamshell hood from the Range Rover. The front is reminiscent of the original Freelander, available in North America from 2002 to 2005, when it was discontinued because Land Rover lost its engine supplier with the collapse of MG Rover. The modern LR2 returns with a narrow A-pillar for better visibility, short overhangs to tilt off-road and a wide track for on-road handling 鈥?as pavement and congestion are the hallmarks of the terrain it is most likely to traverse.
All too often, when people talk about restoring a car, their thoughts do not reach beneath the hood, or below the car. Yet that is where all the important stuff lives. The engine that moves you. The brakes that bring you to a stop. The suspension that carries you over bumps and around corners. A restoration isn't a restoration unless those things are accounted for too. That's how I see it and the auction markets are beginning to come around to that view as well. 1960s cars that are truly restored - inside and out - are beginning to bring real premiums over their more superficially fixed-up brothers. It's just a matter of time before this extends to newer vehicles as well. 467,000 at auction. We wish every job we do could be to that standard. As the cars of the 1970s and 1980s get older we have to start thinking about more than just basic repair. At some point, you either let the thing go, or make the decision to bring it back.
I pulled up, nose to nose with one of the trucks parked under an awning attached to the little workshop. Tessa made some noise to indicate she was excited, and I admit I was excited too. I love to find old broken cars. I do. You should know this about me. We got out of the car and looked at each other over her car roof. She looked happy. I felt happy. I controlled my urge to go straight over to the trucks and begin poking about, and instead responsibly went to the workshop door, and before I could knock, it was opened before me. A man, Jim, mustached, stood in the open doorway telling me to go look at the Rovers. I did. Tessa joined me there. They were rustic, rusty, ruined, but for some reason Tessa liked them. I hesitated. She maintained. I folded. She was right, and she was cute. These trucks were cool enough to buy. We did. We bought them, and paid full price for the opportunity. So, we had to have a tow truck go out and pick the things up, absent of our persons, at a later time. They did. We did. All was well though.
Feel right at home behind the wheel of this Land Rover Range Rover Base Automatic. We here at Merlex Auto Group have done the research for you and know that this SUV has had only one previous owner. With only 29,028 miles on the odometer, you can be assured of many years of great service ahead. Want that 'new car' smell? This SUV still has it, because it has never been smoked in. Have no fear the complete SERVICE HISTORY is here. We here at Merlex Auto Group want to make sure our customers are satisfied, so before we sell a vehicle it must complete our MULTI-POINT INSPECTION. We strive to give every vehicle a thorough inspection and can tell you with confidence that the structural integrity of this SUV exceeds the highest standards. Humility is said to be a virtue. Well, you can leave that virtue at the door because the ferocious power of this Land Rover Range Rover Base Automatic's 3.0L V6 24V DOHC SUPERCHARGED engine is anything but humble. The 3.0L V6 24V DOHC SUPERCHARGED engine gets great gas mileage and performs well on the highway.
