New cars: 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged

Edmunds.com

The downsized Sport version of this third-generation Range Rover is “the undeniable king of the SUVs.” Although the brand has passed from one manufacturer to another over the years, it has actually benefited: The 5.0-liter V8 engine was developed under Ford; the “lavish” fit-and-finish standards were instilled by BMW. But while the Sport rules off-road, it disappoints around town. Other SUVs provide similar on-road performance “for much less money.”

Autoblog.com

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This high-performance four-door is “the black tuxedo of the luxury SUV set.” Seats are “La-Z-Boy–comfy” but well-bolstered enough “to keep your butt planted during aggressive driving.” The vehicle weighs nearly 3 tons, with a supremely capable 510-hp supercharged engine, making getting behind the wheel feel “a bit like entering a Brink’s truck.”

Automobile

Creature comforts make the cabin “just about as posh as off-roading gets.” Despite such pleasant extras as touch-screen navigation and glove-soft leather throughout, however, the Sport fails in critical areas, from its “hardly exciting” on-road handling to its appalling fuel-mileage average of 15 mpg. “It’s an extraordinarily expensive and compromised vehicle.”