Safety first
When driving in Dubai, Ted Macauley relies on the LR Range Rover
Dubai makes demands on its drivers – from the stop-start traffic in the city centre to occasional white-knuckle experiences on its high-speed highways. Wanting security while losing nothing on the comfort front, I borrowed a mighty LR Range Rover for my recent trips to town and a longer journey to Abu Dhabi.
You do not mess with a Range Rover, a king among 4×4s. The lofty, throne-like perch behind the steering wheel hoists you up high and stretches your vision for potential hazards ahead to horizons not enjoyed by lesser and lower cars. There are no fewer than nine airbags, as well as anti-lock brakes and dynamic stability control, both useful in the sudden downpour that blessed my first ride out.
The boot was huge and there was ample leg-room for lanky me and five pals. Had we wanted to play in the dunes, I know from experience of rough-riding the go-anywhere Range Rover it would have been as equally well-behaved and stable as it was on the highway.
It is not cheap – US$105,000 for the top model – and it’s not cheap to run either. But if your priority is safety – as it seems to be for many Dubaians – with lavish specifications, this is an attractive deal. www.landrover.com
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