I had a pretty cool opportunity on Friday to visit the Las Vegas Land Rover dealer and spend the day with their Event, Social Media and Marketing Manager Rick Nelson. He took me out to show me everything the Range Rover Evoque is capable of. I must admit, I have never been much of an off-road type of girl. However, being inside of a vehicle such as the Evoque is totally different than say if we had taken an old CJ-7 out to the desert.
We headed out to the place where we would do a little off-roading. But first, I got to experience it on paved roads. As you might expect from a company like Land Rover, everything felt very luxurious. It had more than enough power when he would get onto the gas, yet it drove as smoothly as any car I have been in. And I had a great time playing with all the accessories the model we were in had to offer.
I know that Land Rovers don’t come cheap. In fact, some models go well over $100,000. So when Rick told me that the model we were in came in at just $46,000, I was floored. I would have guessed by the way it looked and felt that we were in a higher end model. That a car like this could be owned at a much more affordable price for many of us was definitely a pleasant surprise.
As we got to our destination, I was thankful I had Rick to drive me up the side of the mountain. There was no way I would be able to do that. Yet as we drove up the rut filled road, the Evoque handled it like a champ, as each tire remained glued to the terrain, never spinning or sliding. It was easy as pie to make it to the top.
Once there, we enjoyed what is probably the best view of Las Vegas in the city. We also took a brief tour of the caves that apparently used to serve as mines years ago. But our stay was brief as our stomachs began to growl.
Rick couldn’t resist showing the car off a little more though before we left. After we got down, he showed us a unique feature of the Evoque that prevents it from going out of control. We went down a steep bank into into a flood basin. As we began, he took his foot of the pedals and we watched in amazement as the vehicle guided itself gently down the hill at a steady, controlled pace. Basically, this car will not ever go out of control unless you want it to!
After some fast driving at the bottom, we headed right back up the hill that I was sure would be too steep to climb. But the Evoque took it like a champ, treating the hill as if it were nothing. Now we were off to lunch!
For lunch, we went to a nearby country club. And what’s cool about the Evoque is that it is feels as at home in front of a fancy country club as it does climbing up a dirt hill in the desert. I am not sure you can really say that about any other manufacturer on the road today. We talked some more about Land Rover and I was happy to hear about some of the charities they are involved in, particularly the SPCA, because I love animals!
After a nice bite (thanks Rick), it was time to head back to the dealer. We took a tour of the dealership where they had many models, new and used, on display. What really stands out is that, as I said, there is something for almost every budget. Yet for the models on the lower end, you don’t feel like you are getting an inferior product at all.
To learn more about the Evoque, and all the other models offered at Land Rover, check out their site at lrlv.com. Also, be sure to check out and like the Land Rover Las Vegas Facebook page where you can learn what Rick and all the fine people from the Land Rover dealership here are up to. They are heavily involved in the Las Vegas community and there is where you can find what events they have going on
In addition to the cars, they have a good supply of clothing and accessories for sale. For my regular readers, you know I love pink, so I immediately gravitated towards a pink Land Rover Las Vegas sweater, and just had to add it to my collection.
Overall it was really a great day. I learned a lot about a company I knew little about before I arrived. I never would have thought that a car could be so luxurious, yet able to handle off-roading at the same time. Also, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the next time I go car shopping, Land Rover will definitely be an option that fits into my budget! It is also something I would definitely encourage others who might not have considered Land Rover to do also.
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