2012 Land Rover LR2
Power: 230 hp, 234 lb-ft.
Engine: 3.2 liter i6
Fuel Consumption: 15 city/22 highway
Land Rover has been SUV official since 1948. The British auto manufacturer also makes Jaguar and Range Rover but the LR series (LR2, LR4) remains the foundation of the brand.
If you've been through Beverly Hills in the past 5 years, you've seen the preponderance of Range Rovers and Jags. These two whips are adored by the financially elite for their power and luxury. The LR is more of a working man's ride. A reliable SUV through and through. Thanks in part to its diminutive price tag ($36,550), it's the SUV of choice for private-school teachers everywhere.
But times they are a changing and the LR2 follows suit. Previous models have had the ergonomic look of a Subaru, but the latest LR2 has the sexy stylings of its big brother, the Range Rover.
Here are four reasons the LR2 is attracting drivers who don't wear Birkenstocks to work.