First, we were pleased with the performance of the 4.6-liter V8 engine. Out on the freeway, it was amazingly unfazed by that wicked headwind. In spite of its bricklike shape, the Discovery sliced through the night silently and effortlessly, calling upon the impressive 300 foot-pounds of torque at 2600 rpm to get over some of the long climbs without the transmission needing to downshift. A new intake resonator, new sound insulation, revised body mounting points and materials, changes to the transfer case and gears, an overhaul of all the seal fittings, and a new method of balancing the wheels and tires all contribute to less NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), meaning a quieter cabin.

When we got home, we sighed with satisfaction in our driveway, and then gulped in surprise at the gas gauge. The 4.6-liter engine is EPA rated at 12 miles per gallon city and 16 highway (compared to the 13/17 of the 4.0-liter, 188-horsepower engine it replaced), and we suspect on this run it was closer to 12, on premium fuel. The engine may be new to the Discovery, and may have modern components, but the basic architecture can be traced to its 1960's GM roots. Bottom line: Discovery gulps gas.

The suspension has been tweaked with different bushings and retuned shocks and springs, in pursuit of straight-line handling with less wandering and pitching. We were still kept pretty busy making almost constant steering corrections, driving over those curves in the wind, but none of the input had to be sudden or urgent. This may not sound like that's saying much, but it's easy to imagine things being a lot worse in such a situation. Our Discovery HSE was equipped with the magical Active Cornering Enhancement, which uses lightning-quick hydraulic actuators to reduce body lean during cornering, but all our curves were fairly sweeping, so that probably wasn't a factor in the good handling that night.

Without ACE, the Discovery feels firmly planted in corners and can be driven through a turn hard once it takes a set. However, its forte is not quick transient response, such as what you'd experience in a double lane change maneuver or barreling down a country road. This is a tall vehicle that sways and yaws.

The other '03 improvement that passed with flying colors was the halogen headlights. Land Rover says they provide a beam with a far better spread, range and evenness. The low beam seemed fairly ordinary, but the high beam was exceptional and provided a fantastic feeling of confidence at 72 mph on this dark and lonely night on a road often crossed by deer.

Around town, paradoxically, the engine seemed noisy when accelerating away from stops, as if it were working hard. This engine came from last year's Range Rover.

As for the brakes, the revisions have been made in order to firm up the feel of the pedal. There are new pads, a new master cylinder, changes to the pistons in the calipers, and changes to the ABS control program. That's good news because the brakes were lousy in previous Discovery models. The brake pedal in the 2003 Discovery feels fine. Also, the Discovery performed very well in some admittedly unscientific brake testing. The Land Rover Discovery and the all-new Volvo XC90 delivered shorter stopping distances than the Acura MDX, GMC Envoy V8, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Ford Expedition. Discovery comes standard with Electronic Brake Distribution, which improves stability when braking and reduces stopping distances by transferring braking force from the rear to the front as the vehicle stops, ensuring optimum balance and stability.

Discovery really shines in extreme conditions, gullies, steep, slippery slopes, deep, unplowed snow, treacherous terrain. Discovery always goes places where other 4WD vehicles cannot go. It's capable of tackling obstacles most of us would not attempt. It can perform truly amazing feats in the hands of an experienced off-road driver.

Exceptional wheel travel and suspension articulation are part of the reason. When the left front wheel drops into a big hole the right rear wheel is less likely to lift off the ground. Contributing to its off-road prowess are a high ground clearance, generous angles of approach and departure, and the ability to wade through 20 inches of water. A Panhard rod keeps the live front axle running straight and true. A Watt's link performs a similar service at the rear. It's this precise control of axle geometry that lets the axles travel so far.

Hill Descent Control maintains a controllable speed down steep descents: The system works in low range at low speeds. Simply press a button and keep your feet off the pedals. Hill Descent Control automatically applies brake pressure and uses engine braking, so the Discovery confidently creeps down terrifyingly steep grades. It's a great feature and it works really well.

Going uphill, a sophisticated traction control system detects wheel slip and automatically applies brake pressure to the spinning wheel, routing power to the wheels with the best traction. The result is confident progress up slippery slopes.

Discovery's body is mounted to a separate truck-style frame. It is a superb design for off-road driving. The frame is fully boxed, a design other manufacturers have just recently adopted. Side-impact beams are designed into all four doors, rather than just the front doors, as is the case for many SUVs.