Hey,
We've got about 30K miles on a 2002 'Lander SE, and very much enjoy the car. Here in Utah, the 4x4 performance is regularly tested in winter snow. The car performs superbly in that regard. I have done my best to spin it out, on frozen curves, and it just won't do it. If you push it past the limits of adhesion on all four corners, it will simply plow off the road in a straight ahead manner, no spin, no real chance for rollover. It's my wife's car, and it's comforting to know how it behaves when I know she's taking my daughter to school on some frozen morning.
I can't speak to the off-road capabilities, e.g., clearance, articulation, etc. Never done that.
I find the 2.5L V6 to be rather frugal, considering the weight and performance of the rig. Our previous rig was an Isuzu Rodeo, which was somewhat heavier, with substantially more power (3.2L) and a lower axle ratio, but it's typical fuel mileage was around 16 mpg. We routinely get 24 mpg with the 'Lander. The Rodeo was a real hot rod - it would leave rubber anywhere you wanted to push the pedal to the floor. And it had substantially higher towing capacity than the 'Rover, due mostly to the greater weight, heavier springs, and 4-wheel disc brakes. I can't imagine why the 'Lander still has drums on the rear.
But, for us, the 'Lander is a better rig. When we need to pull the boat, we use my GMC truck.
A few peeves:
1) Front brakes - I'm taking it in soon, to have the 3rd set of rotors installed on the front. Some combination of soft iron rotors, harsh pads, and over-torquing of the wheels at the LR dealer has resulted in warping and accelerated wear of both pads and rotors, repeatedly. Thank goodness for warranty.
2) Transmission - This highly touted 5-speed automatic has been trouble free, but it is not calibrated properly. Let's say you go around a curve on a mountain road, going uphill, where you slow down to maybe 15 mph. The tranny downshifts to 3rd gear. You gently press the accelerator, expecting it to downshift to 2nd. Nothing happens. You press harder, nothing happens. You floor it, it downshifts to 1st gear, and away you go like a herd of wild buffalo with the tachometer at 5,000 rpm. Hardly what I expected from this rig. Nevertheless, other than this 3-1 downshift anomaly, it is perfectly fine.
3) Noise - For a car of this level of trim and price, I have been surprised at how much road noise penetrates the cabin. I have read that this has been mitigated with insulation in the later versions.
4) Maintenance costs - I grow weary of paying $90 for every oil change. I cannot find a supplier of oil filters other than the dealer, so a $5 filter costs me $15. Ditto air filters. Just yesterday, I had to take the car to a glass shop to have the windshield replaced. We caught a stone on the freeway a couple of weeks ago, and the star quickly turned into a crack than ran straightaway across in front of the driver. This windshield is the optional electrically heated variety, and the replacement was $1,850.
Thank goodness for comprehensive insurance (it cost me nothing). But I wonder how many of these outrageously expensive component replacements lurk in my future, not covered by insurance or warranty...
