Driving School: Land Rover Experience

A Great Family Experience

Tested: 11/7/2006 to 11/9/2006

Land Rover

At Mother Proof, we’re slightly unconventional in the way we go about test driving cars. Not many turn their test cars into family cars, loading them full of car seats, carpoolers, and snack crumbs (don’t worry, we vacuum them all out in the end). The pro is that we’re able to view cars through the eye of the consumer, driving it the way it will probably be banished for life; blazing the urban jungle, stalking the quickest route to school, foraging for the cheapest fuel. The con is that we don’t always get to use the car the way it is designed, engineered and built to be used.

Take, for example, the line of Land Rover vehicles. In my normal test drive, I could tell you how easily child car seats can be installed, how functional and flexible the seating and storage of the vehicle is, and how well the driver’s seat adjusts to accommodate all drivers in the family. Off-roading? Hmmm … you got me. Nobody that owns one really drives it off road anyhow, right? WRONG! After discovering that 40 percent of Land Rover owners take their vehicles offroad, I decide that it’s prime time to burst my nice little suburban bubble and drive the car the way it was intended to be.

Rather than risking getting stuck in a stream and spending the winter alone surviving (or not) off of the squished snack-size Snickers bar that migrated to the bottom of my purse after Halloween, as a beginner I choose to get my feet (or wheels) wet with instructors who know what they’re doing. These instructors can pull me out of a ditch if I screw up. Enter the enthusiastic, knowledgeable and surprisingly family friendly instructors at the Land Rover Experience Driving School at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.

Since I need all the help I can get, I choose the full day immersion course. The morning starts off pretty tamely, with a brief walk around of the vehicle, as well as a quick crash course (no pun intended) on off-roading terminology. The tameness quickly turns to a lesson in trust, as I’m asked to take the vehicle up to the top of a very steep mole hill, slowly summit the peak, and then, with the vehicle’s nose aiming for the center of the Earth and my certain death, let go of the brake entirely to let the vehicle’s hill decent control take over and lower me to the bottom, something that goes against every instinct. I’m pleased to announce that this technology actually works, and as you can read, I survived.

The rest of the day progresses with a gorgeous drive through the fall colors of the Biltmore Estate, a whole lot of mud, plenty of stuck vehicles, stream crossings and more. I finish the day feeling like I’ve learned so much more about the Land Rover product line than I otherwise would have. Having a private instructor to mentor me through challenges that I might otherwise not be willing to take (as well as chat up the history of the Biltmore Estate) makes it that much more fun.

With nearly half of all Land Rover Experience participants being female, the intimidation factor that I thought I might feel is non-existent. The instructors are all incredibly polite Southerners, and very family oriented (one of my instructors for the day has a son my daughter’s age, and the other one volunteers as a children’s summer camp counselor). They actually encourage participants to bring their children, and strap the child safety seats in the back of the Land Rovers; although they warn that the rocking motion of the vehicles may result in sleeping children. Sleeping children? What? Sign me up!

There’s a Kids’ Land Rover Adventure Course that lets children from ages 4 to 10 to get in on the fun. Since I don’t have my children with me on this trip, I’m forced to climb into a mini Land rover and try out the adventure course myself. I start by testing out my listening and counting skills: following the numbered cones, forward, backward, stopping and going. I put my newly learned skills to the test, treacherously crossing Moose Mounds, Rabbit Ruts, Jackal Jumps, Salamander Sands and ending at the Rooster Roundabout (a little cutting garden where children can cut flowers for their parents). At the risk of offending anyone at Land Rover, however, I have to admit that the kids’ course is the best part of the day. I absolutely must return (with my children in tow next time).

For even more family fun on the property, the Biltmore’s Farm Village features an historic horse barn with exhibits and demonstrations on antique farming techniques, blacksmithing, woodworking, soapmaking and more. A children-oriented tour of the Biltmore House has kids going on a treasure hunt, looking for things such as secret hidden doors and animals. The guide book also offers suggestions for age-appropriate snacks on the property, places to find shade and cool down, as well as the best spots to run off excess energy.

For a great family trip that’s steeped in history, education, full of outdoor and off-raod fun for every member of the family, and not the least bit “kiddy” or cheesy, the Land Rover Experience driving school and the Biltmore Estate earn the Mother Proof™ Seal of Approval!

Specs
Price range:	$20.00, $49.00, $200.00 and up
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Features:	“Buckle up for a customized lesson navigating off-road obstacles with a certified instructor in a Land Rover Vehicle. Put your youngsters behind the wheel of an electric mini Land Rover and drive around natural obstacles and gentle terrain.”