I've driven the super-fancy Land Rover Range Rover on brutal trails in the Utah desert, on stock rubber, no less. It laughed at obstacles that would send most SUVs crying back to dealer service. I doubt that most owners know this, but the brand's flagship luxury SUV is one of the most insanely capable off-roaders you can buy. So, I lament the fact that most of them on American roads will never see more than a wet, snowy road or a flat gravel trail leading to an fancy Airbnb cabin in Bozeman, Montana.Land RoverThe current generation looks anything but rugged. In its most refined iteration, the body is slinkier than the model has ever been. Flush exterior door handles, thin grille and lighting elements, a large faux fender vent, and fancy paint schemes give it a truly upscale appearance. Under the hood, you can choose from four engine options including a turbo-six with mild hybrid assist, a twin-turbo V8 mild hybrid, a PHEV, and the top dog twin-turbo P615 engine with 606 horsepower.1. The Seats in All Positions Are UncomfortableAmos KwonMy tester was outfitted with the optional SV Bespoke Full Extended Leather seats, and they're stunning. The leather is thick and soft. The seats have heat, ventilation, and massage function. The second row gets heat and ventilation. Land Rover's famous adjustable armrests are also present in the first row seats. That said, I can't get over how uncomfortable the front and rear seats are. For the past few days, I have made multiple adjustments using the 24-way power-adjustable seats, but nothing seemed to solve the discomfort problem.Amos KwonI don't think it's my body type because I have no problem in most of the vehicles I review. The lumbar feels like its pushing forward even when I have it adjusted to the flattest setting. I feel like I'm being shoved forward by the backrest. I've driven it for an hour at my longest stint, and I don't feel relaxed at all. Both the front and rear seat cushioning feels hard and non-conforming to my body.The rear seats are similarly bad. The outboard seats have the same issue with backrests that feel like they're pushing you forward. The seat cushion is hard, and you feel like you're sitting on the seats rather than in them. Forget about the middle position because it's one of the worst in any SUV at any price. The backrest protrudes, and the cushion sits too high. Nobody, regardless of size, should sit there for more than 10-15 minutes. I have no idea why a vehicle of this caliber should have seats this uncomfortable.2. The Panel on the Center Stack Does NothingAmos KwonThe first thing that caught my eye inside the Range Rover was the glossy black panel tucked beneath its sweeping curved touchscreen. It looked so deliberate that I assumed it had to do something—perhaps a second display that would wake up with the ignition, or a concealed storage compartment hidden behind a retractable door. But no. It is simply a large slab of piano-black trim: no screen, no controls, no secret cubby, and no apparent purpose beyond attracting dust and fingerprints and making you wonder what could've been.Amos KwonIt is hard to believe Land Rover could not have found a more useful purpose for that space. A shallow cubby would have helped, or the company could have eliminated the panel altogether and created a small angled shelf for a phone, keys, or sunglasses. Instead, Land Rover appears to expect us to accept that the continuiation from the panel into the center console's sliding lid makes the cabin feel more upscale. Sure—it is clean-looking, but it also a total waste of potentially useful space.3. Piano Black Plastic is EverywhereAmos KwonJust when it seemed automakers were phasing out the dreaded piano black plastic trim in favor of matte textured finishes, Land Rover goes and slathers the cabin with the atrocious stuff. It's on the center console, the center stack, the window switch surround, and the seat adjusment controls/memory buttons. My tester had the most smudge and dust proned materials located on the most frequently used touch points.Amos KwonThe prevalence of piano black actually made the cabin look and feel cheaper, not more expensive. To festoon a $140k vehicle with piano black plastic seems like an offense. To make things worse, the "Gloss Grand Black Veneer" is actually optional equipment. Apparently, the brand thinks Mozart's descendants will fawn over it and actually pony up $1,300 for the stuff.4. Terrible Ergonomics AboundAmos KwonFor this price, buyers expect high end materials. And, aside from the piano black plastic, the Range Rover mostly checks this box. But if the ergonomics are poor, the user experience suffers. The little details can get to you over time if they're not done right. The first issue is the location of the door handles, especially on the front doors. They're situated too low and too far forward. You have to reach down, and they're hard to see because they blend in with the surround on the door lock/unlock buttons, which are also too far down, close to the driver's knees.The rear doors have similarly difficult-to-find door handles. I had passengers in back during the week, and several people had to ask where the door handles were. The handles blend in too much, and finding them isn't easy. This wouldn't bode well in an emergency situation when someone needs to exit quickly.Amos KwonThe center console has two main storage compartments, aside from the center armrest compartment. The one behind the shifter is a convertible binnacle where the cupholders conveniently slide back and out of the way to reveal a deeper compartment. Then, there's a compartment in front of the shifter that's just as deep. The problem is that items are both hard to see and hard to reach. The wireless phone charging deck is all the way forward, and it's also hard to place your phone there, as well as remove it. You have to reach over the shift knob to get there.These frequently used areas were not well thought-out by Land Rover interior designers. While the door handles and center console look good, they're not easy to operate. It seems the driver and passengers have to work to locate them, and that makes for challenging daily use. One can get used to the door handles over time, but the center console will continue to be challenging.Final ThoughtsThere's a lot to love about the Range Rover. It's refined, rugged, powerful, and attractive. Its daily use case, however, is compromised. The seats are uncomfortable, there's way too much piano black, the center stack is wasted space, and ergonomics are poor. There are much less expensive SUVs that do it better. But for those who want one of the most visually appealing high-end off-roaders on the planet, perhaps these issues are mostly ignored. I could get past the door handles, eventually, but those seats are a total deal breaker.
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