2005 Land-Rover LR3 rear.jpg

Land Rover's revamped Discovery (as the rest of the world still knows it) took home Motor Trend's SUV of the Year trophy before even seeing its first customer. Signaling a drastic change both from the former Discovery and the current BMW-designed Range Rover, the LR3 was developed under Ford's direction. All dimensions grew, the V8 comes from Jaguar, the transmission get two more gears (for six in all), solid axles were traded in for air-sprung independent suspensions, and the awkwardly tall styling made way for a more balanced profile. And it still seats seven, too. Land Rover's Terrain Response allows drivers to customize many mechanical settings for their off-road needs: 4WD system, engine response, ride height, transmission settings. Land Rover claims the LR3 can wade in two feet of water. Impressed?