Land Rover LR3 Design Critique and Wish List

I have had the good fortune to participate in a number of focus groups related to SUV vehicles. I greatly enjoy these focus groups, but I find that the predetermined agendas are so topically restricted, that I cannot voice my opinions encompassing a much wider range of design issues.

I am bursting with the need to share my thoughts on this. So my apologies to those who may read this blog, but today this is my virtual soapbox!

As a side note: During a recent focus group event, I learned that some of the designers and engineers at Land Rover actually read my blog (Wow!).

Before I bought my beloved LR3, I test drove an extensive number of vehicles in nearly every category and type that one could think of. From Corvettes to Toyota Tundra’s, and everything in between. One of the most common thoughts that occur to me every time I sit in a new car is, “Why aren’t we getting better at this?” Automobiles have been around for over 100 years. Cars today are certainly much better engineered than yesteryear, and perform marvelously. But they are not inherently “better”. Good ideas in the previous generation of autos are not handed down to newest generation, and that drives me nuts! However, that’s a topic for another day…

Getting back on point, let’s talk about the LR3/Discovery III. The following is a list of items I particularly love, or, really wish was available for or in my Land Rover LR3. If it’s not critiqued as an item on this list, then I really really like it, or I’m not knowledgeable enough to have an opinion on it :-)

Interior:

• Interior Illumination: Physical on/off switch for the dome lights instead of the momentary switch in the forward overhead area. This switch will disable the interior lights regardless of door position, or opening and closing of the doors. Reason: Many activities related to outdoor sports and activities require doors to be left open for long periods of time, or frequently opened during that time. As it is now, if you want the dome lights off, it requires the momentary push button to be reset every time a door is opened. This is especially frustrating at night, such as when camping and you do not want to attract insects or drain your car battery.

• Interior Illumination: The lights in the rear of the vehicle should come on whenever ANY door is opened (unless physically switched off). However, the lights in the rear of the vehicle should ONLY come on when the rear hatch is opened. The front lights should not come on with the rear hatch. There must be a secondary switch in the rear similar to the item listed above that physically disables the rear dome lights. Reason: Many activities related to outdoor sports and activities require doors to be left open for long periods of time, or frequently opened during that time. As it is now, if you want the dome lights off, it requires the momentary push button to be reset every time a door is opened. This is especially frustrating at night, such as when camping and you do not want to attract insects or drain your car battery.

• Interior Illumination: The lights for the instrument gauges are not bright enough for urban city areas with high amounts of ambient lighting.

• Interior Illumination: The LED for the HVAC system’s “Recycle” button is not bright enough to be seen in the daytime when sunglasses are worn. The use or need for recycling the air is very common in desert trail conditions when following in a caravan which creates a great deal of dust. However, I really do like the fact that the system stays on recirc. mode and does not need to be reset when the car is turned off/on. That’s fantastic, don’t change that!

• Storage: The bins in the back of the vehicle should be sized to properly stow a 3” x 30’ heavy duty vehicle recovery strap and battery jumper cables.
  Reason: These items are very frequently added to the vehicle by Land Rover owners.

• Electrical Power and Accessories: A second battery compartment has been provided, however, there is no Land Rover accessory or option to equip the vehicle with the secondary battery. A 3^rd party system has been slow to come to market, despite many Mfr’s claiming to be working on it. LR should provide a KIT package for a secondary battery system.

• Electrical Power and Accessories: We need a dedicated 12VDC, minimum 15 amp power outlet directly connected to the battery (or preferably, a secondary battery) without requiring the use of the ignition key being activated. This should be in the front and in the rear of the vehicle, but if I could only choose one location, it would be the rear.

• Electrical Power and Accessories: A 120V AC power inverter with a 30amp weather sealed, NEMA 5-15R configuration power receptacle permanently mounted on an interior panel at the rear of the LR3 would be a very handy accessory option (similar to the Toyota TRD package available for Tacoma’s). It should be standard with the secondary battery package, and not require ignition key activation.
  Reason: Would enable an unlimited number of accessories to be used with the LR3.

• Electrical Power and Accessories: The motorized seats and mirrors should be on permanent power and not require ignition key activation. It is highly annoying to have to turn on the car just to lower the middle seats (I always need to move the front seats forward to allow room for folding the middle seats).

• Controls and Interface: The steering wheel mounted Scan buttons should scan only your radio station presets when in Radio source mode (update: This appears to be the case on the SE and higher models, but not the Base models)
• Controls and Interface: The steering wheel mounted volume and Scan buttons should always be mounted on the steering wheel on the side adjacent to the window. For left hand drive vehicles, that would be on the left! Reason: As it is now, the hand that is only inches from the volume knob on the console is the one that keys the steering wheel controls. This is silly. If I am cruising down the highway, my left hand is ALWAYS propped up on the window ledge, grasping the steering wheel. The radio controls should be accessible by that hand.

• Controls and Interface: The window controls are of poor quality. The plastic is too thin/light and the switches flex when you push or pull on them. They should have a feeling of solidity to them. The general shape and placement (recessed into the window ledge) is great.

• Controls and Interface: Fords magic adjustable pedals should be standard.
• Controls and Interface: The wide squared off window ledges are brillant, and are very comfortable to rest your arm on when driving. Don’t change this ever!

• Controls and Interface: The instrument cluster should tilt along with the steering wheel for optium visibility

• Controls and Interface: The power seat controls are very difficult to reach when driving (such as making minor adjustments on long voyages).

• Controls and Interface: The HVAC system controls are brilliant. Don’t change this!

• Controls and Interface: A Heads-Up-Display similar to General Motors products (Chevy Corvette, Pontiac Grand Prix, Bonneville, etc…), should be available on a premium vehicle from a safety conscious company as Land Rover.

• Controls and Interface: The Navigation system is overly difficult to use, and should be manipulable while in transit. One idea (credited to James Weiss of Yahoo Inc.) is to allow nav system manipulation when the passenger seat weight sensor registers an adult passenger. This is a good compromise, but is still not ideal. The ideal navigation system should be closely based on Nissan/Infinity’s navigation system, which is widely reputed to be the best in the industry. The only additional feature that is ESSENTIAL to Land Rover owners that the Nissan system does not offer is direct GPS coordinate entry and breadcrumbs. The LR3’s off road navigation features do this well, but the graphics are weak.

• Controls and Interface: The Command Shift transmission works beautifully. However, the C/S mode should be engaged by snapping the shift level to the right. On a left hand drive, it is more common to have some leftward pull when pulling back on the shift level to put the system in to Drive. I often hold the shifter in my hand while driving (habits from manual transmissions). I find myself constantly popping into C/S mode accidentally, when starting the car in motion, or cornering, or whenever I bump it.

• Physical Dimensions – Interior: The door pull should be 1.5” higher on the door, to provide better leverage, and to allow more knee space (allowing the knee to fit underneath it)

• Physical Dimensions – Interior: The padding on the seat arm rests should be of a higher density foam.

• Physical Dimensions – Interior: The vertical beveled center console significantly reduces available knee space, and provides no functionality. The cavity below the steering wheel should be as wide as possible and able to accommodate America’s increasingly tall population (such as 6’-7” people like myself!)

• Physical Dimensions – Interior: The cup holders fit no known drink container sizes in common use in the USA. This includes the two primary console holders, the door pocket holders, the pull out drink holder for the second row occupants, and the round holders in the back shelf area. I have upgraded my center console holders with the inserts available from www.expeditionexchange.com, but they are still slightly larger than necessary. Adjustable spring or friction collar holders are common in virtually all cars these days. Land Rovers are designed to excel at radical off camber pitches and steep approach/departure angles when off roading, but the cup holders are simply not up to the task.

• Ease of Use: The rear seats should be spring activated or power activated to allow one hand, no reach operation up and down. Similar to a Lincoln Navigator.

• Ease of Use: The rear lift gate should have an option to be power activated, similar to the Nissan Armada, Lincoln Navigator, etc… A button available on the dashboard as well as a separate button in the back (on a short delay) at +50” – 60” above the ground should be provided to open or close the door.
• Packages & Options: The trend for manufactures to offer only one or two trim levels is likely to be irreversable, as it just makes good financial sense. But the fact that the options vary significantly from country to country is inexplicable. In the UK, you can get an LR3 (Discovery 3) without the sunroof. But this is not true in the US! When I considered the Range Rover Sport, I did not have adequate headroom clearance (have I mentioned that I am large?). I tried to obtain a UK spec model that was available without the sunroof, without success. That extra 1.5″ makes a huge difference for tall drivers! Also, for people in warm climates such as Texas, having large areas of glass on the roof is just silly. It should be an option!
• Packages & Options: The trailer hitch on the rear is widely criticized throughout the world as being unfit for any kind of off road towing. A new solution is absolutely neccessary. It can’t hang down below the bumper!
• Packages & Options: While every Land Rover is an off road vehicle, it is a fact that many of these fine vehicles never leave the pavement. But for those of us who do enjoy them fully, there are configurations and options that should be available as a package from the factory. It’s seems a misnomer to call it an “Off Road Package” as all other Mfr’s do, but clearly there is a need for something like it. Perhaps “Safari”, “Rubicon”, or “Blackforest” trim packages could be offered. These packages should NOT be contingent on the trim level. Meaning, they should be available for Base models, all the way up to HSE. What kinds of things should be in this package? Here is the start of a partial list:
  – Rear tire carrier (on the left please, don’t block the view out of the notched window!)
  – Extended range fuel tank (where space saver rear tire was)
  – Outback mode on the Terrian Control allowing speeds in excess of 30 mph for extended suspension mode
  – Gromments in the roof (fore and aft), prewired for off road light, with the wiring harness tucked into the headliner and accessible from above via the gromment.
  – Front & Rear diff locker (regardless of engine or trim level)
  – User configurable switches on the center console (for lights, lockers, air compressors, etc..)
  – Secondary battery (and related outlets as described elsewhere)
  – Secondary air compressor, or fittings front and rear for airing up tires.
  – A choice of tires at vehicle purchase! (All Terrians, or Mud Terrians, etc…)
  – Modified exhaust routing. With the spare tire out of the way, it’s possible to tuck that exhaust system up over the rear driveshaft and out of harms way.
  – Heavy duty skid plates for front end, rear end, gas tank, and transmission bay ( I recently paid a lot of money replacing my gas tank due to a weak factory skid plate)
  – No glass roof in the rear
  – Roof access ladder as part of the package
  – Better trailer hitch for off road towing (such as Outback trailers).

Well, that’s pretty much it. I may update this thread from time to time as Ideas occur or I learn about new issues in the daily use of my LR3. I want to emphasize that I LOVE my LR3, but it can be much better, without significant work. Land Rover appears committed to making strides in improving their products. It is my hope that the list above aides in that effort. I am readily available to beta test anything Land Rover (or anyone else) may offer me! Please feel free to add your comments below. I would love to see this list grow and benefit from international participation.

Edit 4/4/08:  I have significantly expanded this list here.

Nathan Woods – Land Rover fan.
2005 LR3 V6 Base model that regularly sees time in the dirt.