Our jaunts through Northern California wine country, along the state's northern coast, throughout the Monterey Peninsula and on various highways and freeways in the 2007 Range Rover were delightful and comfortable. Freeways and urban traffic were conquered with ease and smoothness. Off-pavement obstacles showcased the Range Rover's ability to live up to its name in the woods, around quarries or seemingly anywhere a four-wheel vehicle might venture.

As boxy and upright as the Range Rover is, it is remarkably quiet, its beefed up sound deadening and laminated side window glass blocking nearly all outside noises.

The Range Rover's superb balance of ride and handling is the result of a highly refined and interconnected air suspension that allows softer spring rates for enhanced on-road comfort and an adjustable ride height over a range of some two inches. This system allows both serious off-roading and the courteous lowering of the ride height to make it easier for passengers to get in and out, a nice feature for shorter, older passengers and for social outings around town. An Access setting can be pre-selected so the body lowers to the desired height as the Range Rover rolls to a stop, avoiding having passengers wait while it kneels.

The Jaguar-based 4.4-liter V8 in the HSE is more powerful, more fuel efficient and cleaner than the BMW engine it replaced for 2006. It produces 305 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 4100 rpm. The Range Rover HSE can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just over 9 seconds, quicker than the 2005 model with the BMW-based engine. The top speed is electronically limited to 124 mph. The Jaguar engine is clean and is EPA-rated at 14/18 mpg City/Highway.

The supercharged 4.2-liter V8, also from Jaguar, increases the output to 400 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. Even so, fuel economy is EPA-rated 13/18 mpg, and we saw 16-17 over the course of our driving. Land Rover says the Supercharged model can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph time in 7.1 seconds with top speed governed at 130 mph. Though stately in its performance, the Supercharged model is noticeably quicker, both in accelerating off the line and when it comes to passing other traffic.

Both V8s are mated to a the latest-generation, ZF six-speed automatic transmission featuring CommandShift, one of the more flexible manual override systems in the luxury market. In the Range Rover, CommandShift can operate in both the high and low ranges of the transfer case for use on or off road. It will upshift when in manual mode but not until engine redline, and in deference to off-roaders' occasional need for low, borderline-lugging engine speed, it delays downshifting until just before the engine's stall point. When in automatic Sport mode, the transmission employs slightly higher shift points and downshifts more readily. Your can sometimes feel it drop down a gear halfway through a corner to gain a sweeter spot in the engine's power curve.

Speaking of tracking through corners, for 2007 the HSE gets the same suspension setup as the Supercharged version. That means the suspension is some 30 percent stiffer in front and 100 percent in the rear, reducing body roll by some 15 percent in cornering. Ride, however, remains smooth and quiet when cruising down the highway.

Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are backed by Emergency Brake Assist, which applies full braking force in a panic stop even if the driver mistakenly relaxes brake pedal pressure, and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), which helps reduce stopping distances by balancing braking forces front to rear.

The Range Rover is also equipped with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), which helps drivers stay on their intended course by preventing a skid. This electronic stability control system helps maintain vehicle stability at the limits of tire adhesion via a combination of yaw rate sensors, the antilock brake system, and the traction control system. When required, the system applies the brakes at one or more wheels to correct excessive yaw. For example, if the rear tires lose grip in a corner, a situation called oversteer can occur that can ultimately lead to spinning off the road; the system senses this happening and applies the brake on the outside front wheel to rotate the vehicle back onto the desired path. The driver need only steer where he or she wants to go.

The Range Rover's off-road prowess continues to set the standard for the class. It easily slogs up steep, muddy tracks most drivers would never attempt. Even more impressive is its ability to creep down steep, muddy terrain or gravelly tracks that would leave lesser vehicles parked against a tree or teetering on the lip of a cliff, thanks in no small part to Hill Descent Control, a technology Land Rover pioneered that automatically balances engine and brake application to maintain a stable, controllable rate of descent. Its suspension articulation and impressive technology make navigating rugged terrain easy, smooth and comfortable with little of the head toss you get in most off-road vehicles. It's pretty clear that the Range Rover can go anywhere.

Off-roading has become even easier with the simple Terrain Response control with separate settings for general driving on pavement, for grass/gravel/snow, for sand, for mud and ruts, and for rock crawling. The system is so effective that it preloads the differentials to enhance traction based on specific terrain.

The Range Rover boasts the slowest low-range crawl speed in the industry: just 2.4 mph at 1000 rpm, extremely important when traversing truly rugged terrain. The transfer case can be switched between low and high range on the fly, at speeds up to 30 mph, eliminating the need to stop in the middle of a mud bog to change gearing. Additionally, advanced electronics provide for a dual-range throttle with on- and off-road calibrations. That makes for quicker throttle response on the road, while allowing precise throttle adjustments in extreme off-road situations.

Trails can be negotiated with more confidence thanks to an undercarriage protection system that includes a plastic skid shield and Kevlar engine protection. Off-road traction control allows drivers to tread lightly by minimizing wheel spin, and therefore trail damage, while off the beaten path.