I love the new land rovers but have not had a chance to test them out. Has anyone driven both the high end Range Rover vs the mid sized Range Rover Sport? Can comment on the drive and handling?

The bigger one seems like it might be cumbersome but has a powerful v8. Would people opts for the supercharged Range Rover sport instead of the bigger car? Assuming all you need are 5 seats. How does the interior feel compared in the two?

 

I have driven both...the full size is impressive. Doesn't feel as big as it looks, power is everywhere in the powerband and the ride is smooth as butter. The sport feels a tad quicker, definitely feels tighter in terms of body roll, tighter steering, and suspension feel.

I personally prefer the smoother ride of the full size.

Styling wise I think both missed the boat. The headlight design of both vehicles reminds of the Ford Explorer, the full size's rear taillights look to be lifted from the Ford parts bin as well...major disappointment there. I barely noticed the Sport in traffic the other day, just seems to be a bit unassuming. I almost feel as though the evoqueness of the Sport seems to take away a bit of road presence in my mind. I found the last gen vehicles just had more road presence...and were easily noticeable from a distance.

Not sure if anyone agrees with this, but so far that's my take. I've owned several Land Rovers over the rears, and this latest generation hasn't overly impressed me in terms of styling.