I can see why so many people choose 4x4s for getting around cities. With its smooth auto 'box, air suspension to absorb speed bumps and potholes, excellent visibility with large mirrors so you can spot that suicidal cycle messenger, and a turning circle to rival a black cab for those unavoidable U-turn manoeuvres, in many ways the Range Rover Sport could be the ultimate town car.

Of course, not everyone would agree, and admittedly I did have a few people giving me 'the bird' at the peak of the anti-4x4 lobby's activity last summer. But the middle finger wave soon turned to a thumbs up, especially from kids, and I've received more positive comments about the RRSS than I can remember. Even 4x4-phobe Richard Porter found it impossible to despise when he tried it at our annual Fast Fleet gathering (evo 088).

VX54 FAM arrived well run-in with 9493 miles already on the clock, and it soon became a popular member of the fleet, being pressed into service to tow Barker's Capri, Bovingdon's M3 and Meaden's 'Drift Bitch' to different corners of the UK. Photographers loved it too, thanks to its ability to cover vast distances in a hurry with that supercharged 4.2-litre 384bhp V8 up front and plenty of room for camera gear in the back.

I made quite a few friends with the help of the Rangey. The builders of our flat told me all the facts about how Clarkson loved it on the telly and how it cost about 'sixty graaand', although they did want to know if I got a discount because of the colour. Very funny, lads, but I've heard of people paying a premium for the limited-run Vesuvius paint. I reckon it looked the business.

The same goes for the interior, which was always welcoming. Think of it as a bang-up-to-date city pad, with its clever lighting, Harman/Kardon stereo, four (heated) seats with armrests, and a fridge.

The satnav had its faults, in particular not being able to punch in a destination while on the move, even though you might have a passenger on board to do it for you. Its TMC (Traffic Message Channel) feature impressed, though, by showing where traffic jams were and, if a road was closed, rerouting you as necessary.

The lofty driving position is undoubtedly part of the appeal of cars like the Range Rover. It certainly enables you to read the road better, making for swift, relaxed progress. The Sport's radar cruise control helped out too, adjusting the gap to the vehicle ahead depending on speed. It was a boon on late-night runs down the M1, slowing the car down whenever someone switched lanes in front, but once they moved out of the way again the Rangey accelerated a bit too hard, dropping down a gear or two, making me wince at the thought of how much fuel it must be guzzling in the process. Preferring to keep my tightfistedness to myself, I kept this thought quiet until designer Carey borrowed the Rangey for a weekend and admitted he'd switched off the radar cruise because he too was a miser.

Once onto some B-roads the RRSS would romp over crests and through compressions with ease, feeling solid and planted at all times with the slightly nuggety but characterful ride keeping you informed about the road surface. Most impressive was the Dynamic Response system, which did a fantastic job of keeping the 2.5-ton Rangey flat when cornering - just look at the main photo to see how hard the tyres needed to work! In fact, the air springs did such a fine job of keeping the car level that I didn't realise I had a slow puncture on one occasion. Surprising, then, that there is no tyre-pressure warning system, even as an option.

It didn't only handle well, but the supercharged Sport was rapid in a straight line too, and with a 'box that blipped the throttle on down-changes, you sometimes wished they'd put in a paddle system so you could play at being Schumacher. The only time when you felt that you might be overdoing it in such a tall, heavy vehicle was under braking: there was no disguising the weight the Brembos needed to haul up, though we never experienced brake fade.

As well as impressing on the road, the RR proved pretty handy off-road too, though the low-profile tyres were vulnerable to being pinched by the 20in rims, something which we - well, Harry - discovered when he decided to take the Sport around Knockhill's pretty extreme off-road course.

Conquering a muddy, rutted 45degree slope both forwards and in reverse was almost too easy with the clever electronics doing their stuff, but we soon discovered the cost of showing off: half a front spoiler ripped off, four scuffed rims and two pinched tyres. Or, to put it another way, £2557. The car was still safe to drive, and the wheels could have been refurbished, but Land Rover PR generously replaced them with a set of new 'Stormer' alloys and fresh tyres.

In common with many 4x4 owners I didn't treat or see my rapid, comfortable supercharged Range Rover Sport as an off-roader. Instead I thought of it as a characterful, giant hot hatch for someone with room on their drive for only one car which has to do everything. It exceeded my expectations and is able to deal with almost anything you throw at it. And, if you really want to, you can go off-road too.