Climbing a muddy hill in California’s wine country presents but a modest challenge for the 2022 Range Rover. Like every one of its predecessors, the fifth, and latest iteration, has an advanced off-road skill set, perfect for gettin’ down and dirty. Sure there are a few things you need to do to prepare it for even a tame little hill climb. You’ll need to flip it into low-range, raise the air suspension for extra clearance, and choose the setting for the kind of terrain you’ll be tackling. There’s one more toggle that isn’t technically required for off-roading, but we’d recommend flipping anyway: massaging seats. Because why not? The entire conceit of the vehicle, throughout its 50-year history, is that it can take you anywhere and do anything—all while riding ensconced in the lap of luxury.
Sadly, very few owners will ever allow their Range Rovers to wander from the pavement, which is a shame since off-road capabilities are so integral to the line’s DNA. But so is apex luxury, and that’s the draw for the vast majority of customers.
During a couple days tooling around San Francisco (plus neighboring Napa and Sonoma wine country) to test out a few models, we found the 2022 Range Rover exceeded expectations in terms of both bells and whistles and driving experience.
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2022 Range Rover on the Road
As good as it is in the rough, this 5,700-pound beast truly excels at cruising. It chews up the road so fast, you might wonder why you didn’t pick a longer route.
On the highway, the ride is soft and sumptuous—exactly what you’d expect from a luxury SUV with a base price in the six figures. When the roads start to turn and twist, the body produces a bit of roll, but that posh feel doesn’t wane, even in dynamic mode, which stiffens things up a bit but not to a sports-car-like rigidity.