Not so. Within 200 metres of driving one I started laughing at its complete incompetence and handed the keys back to the crestfallen salesman, pointing out that I wouldn't spend ΂£45,000 on a car that could be comprehensively out-dragged by a ΂£6000 Kia Pride.

With the new model things have definitely changed for the better and, as with many cars these days, making the choice between diesel and petrol versions of the new Range Rover is much harder thanks to the extraordinary advance of common rail diesels. And this new Range Rover gets one of the best around, BMW's 3-litre, six-cylinder engine from the X5.

It's got its work cut out in this application though, as the new Range Rover missed its target kerb weight by some way: 2570kg is chunky in anyone's language - that's a full 440kg heavier than the outgoing model - although at least the front/rear balance has shifted so the car is now heavier at the rear than the front, greatly improving the handling balance and containing understeer far better than its nose-heavy predecessor.

I'm amazed by this overall increase in weight, especially as the new car has dumped the old live axles and separate chassis, both of which looked as if they were fashioned in a shipyard, and adopted fully independent suspension with wishbones at each corner, attached to an ultra-stiff monocoque body shell. Land Rover claims the new body is 250 per cent stiffer than the previous model's separate chassis/body combination, which just goes to show how wobbly the old model was. Wobbly is the way it always felt from the driver's perch too, as the flexible structure combined with the slow-witted steering to offer a less-than-brilliant driving experience.

Compared with the old Range Rover this new one is a revelation. There's still the same imperious driving position which, if anything, is even more superior than before, but the constant, irritating fidgeting of the live axles below decks has been banished. Just an occasional extra bounce from one of the hefty wheels intrudes into the supremely comfortable cabin if the road surface is overly pot-holed. In fact, the ride quality has improved so much that the Range Rover can now compete with the very best luxury saloons on offer. The steering is also dramatically better than before, nearly a turn quicker lock-to-lock and much more defined around the straight-ahead position than its wandering predecessor. I'd still like to see a bit more weight added to the system as it can be finger-light, especially at low speeds, and some extra feel wouldn't go amiss. However, these downsides are the penalties you pay for this car's considerable off-road prowess.

After driving the petrol version of the new car (see p84-91) it comes as a bit of a shock to experience the completely different character of the diesel. To start with engine noise is noticeable within the cabin, even when warmed up. It's not dieselly as such, just gruffer, especially from tick-over. To my ears it didn't sound as well insulated as the diesel X5 either, which was a surprise, though at a motorway cruise you'd be hard pushed to tell the difference. The big change, though, is the amount of torque available at low revs, and the way it can be tapped into. Just a brush on the accelerator releases most of it so that in day-to-day driving the TD6 doesn't feel as slow as the figures lead you to expect. It's only when you give it a proper bootful that you quickly realise there isn't much more power to be had and that overtaking takes a little longer than you'd really like. But hey, at least you're overtaking, which is something drivers of previous diesel Range Rovers could only dream of.

The best bit is the price; in HSE spec the ΂£45,995 diesel is ΂£7000 less than the petrol version even though they have exactly the same toy count. When you consider it'll achieve around 21mpg while the petrol version struggles to beat 14mpg, I think it's time for me and my mean streak to have another look at buying a diesel Range Rover. And this time I reckon it could be the salesman who'll be doing the laughing.