Car Shopping: Land Rover edition

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As someone who recently purchased a second home in New Orleans, it has dawned on me that it might be time to go back to being a car owner. New Orleans is an amazing city but its public transit is lacking – and besides, I am excited for road trips across the South. On first sight, one would think a smaller compact car like a mini cooper or fiat would be amazing in the French Quarter. It would offer ease of parking and its small and compact size would make it easy to squeeze through those narrow streets. But buying a mini would be a disaster in New Orleans. The cobblestone streets of New Orleans have potholes as big as a mini cooper and an average rainfall would leave your car swimming in the streets. With this in mind it seems I need to be looking at SUVs. Upon further research, I discovered one of the few SUVs that was still drive able in the post Katrina flooded streets was from Land Rover. Apparently those beasts can still drive in up to 3 feet of water.

Discovery Sport

This model was first introduced for the 2015 model year.  It offers up to seven-passenger seating in an optional “5+2” configuration (that’s right, it has two pop up seats in the trunk). Overall the 2016 Discovery Sport is smaller than some of the bigger Land Rovers you are used to seeing – this is the company’s foray into the compact premium SUV market. The nitty gritty: the 2016 Discovery Sport features a 2.0L turbocharged engine producing 240hp and 250 lb-ft of torque, which routes power to standard all- wheel drive through a nine-speed automatic transmission. New for 2016, the Discovery Sport receives several enhancements including: Land Rover InControl® RemoteTM and InControl® ProtectTM & ConnectTM packages. In addition to allowing owners to check vehicle status, InControl® RemoteTM now allows owners to lock and unlock the doors, start the engine and activate the climate control remotely using a smartphone. This is a smart SUV.

But how was it to drive? The vehicle handled amazingly well – very responsive steering. And I appreciated all the high end finished inside the vehicle. Now I just need to take it through some water…. From $41,790

 

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Christian has been a cultural and style junkie since the age of 6; while most kids were swiping cookies, he was swiping his grandfathers' Patek Philippe. Raised to appreciate art, fashion,design and  literature (yeah, this one actually reads) by a single mother fondly called Jackie-O. Christian quickly went from childhood cultural capital thief to academia protégé. Referred to as the cat's meow by some, too clever by half by others, Christian eschewed the academic life and ran away to join the circus -the fashion circus. Several well-appointed positions later and a career on the rise would be most people's dream but it was time to say fuck off and start all over again.

This is Christian Dare Unedited.