By Tim Plouff

The Suzuki XL-7 is a mid-size seven-passenger SUV aimed at young, family-oriented buyers.

The upscale Land Rover Range Rover often is considered the “big dog” of the premium end of the segment, with ritzy accommodations for both on- and off-road travel.

While the buyer of one of these trucks probably won’t be cross-shopping the other — the Suzuki starts at $21,000, the Range Rover at $75,000 — we’ll take the plunge here together and see how each stacks up under the same uses: the real world driving of life.

Save your comments and opinions for the end.

These two SUVs are within eight inches of each other in overall length and only five inches apart in width — with the Range Rover leading the way in size.

In day-in, day-out driving the XL-7’s size feels more nimble, more maneuverable as you push through the chores we all face. The Suzuki slices through traffic and fits in small parking spaces that leave full-size SUV owners scrambling for more room at the mall.

Steering feel is accurate yet it takes a lot of spins of the wheel to make the smaller Suzuki turn.

Braking power is strong — despite a pedal that felt a bit soft — while the truck’s ride is composed and compliant over any surface that doesn’t force the exaggerated rebound action of the softly sprung rear end.

The tall-riding Range Rover feels a little more stable because of its wider track width. But the automatic air suspension is challenged by undulating, heavily crowned roads, so expect some body roll and side-to-side rocking action in this environment.

Skip those roads and you’ll find that the Range Rover has one of the smoothest rides in the class with a long-travel suspension that is able to soak up almost all of the vulgarities that our roads can dish out.

The Rover’s electric tilt/telescoping column is topped by a very comfortable oval shaped leather-clad steering wheel that houses a ton of controls for radio, climate and cruise functions. The wheel feels great in your hands yet it softens the mechanical feel of the trucks’ directional path a bit too much.

Surprisingly, the Rover with full-time 4WD, cuts a smaller low-speed turning circle than the Suzuki. Brake feel is sometimes abrupt on initial pedal contact yet powerful, owing somewhat to the larger brake surfaces tucked behind the Rover’s 19-inch wheels.

The Range Rover packs a BMW-designed 4.4-liter V-8 left over from the days when the German firm owned Land Rover and MG cars. Backed up by a velvety six-speed automatic, the Range Rover delivers a hearty-feeling 305-hp — power that burbles out the back end and subtly reminds you of its potential.

The Suzuki uses a 2.7-liter V-6 making 185-hp. Eager to run, the XL-7 accelerates from 0 to 60 mph almost as quickly as the Rover, although it seems to work much harder to do so.

Shifting action is less refined but never coarse. At full revs the V-6 is thrashing hard, while the Rover’s V-8 is purring mightily.

Revenge takes place at the gas pumps. The Suzuki uses regular-grade fuel and returned a respectable 23 mpg during a week of use. The Land Rover prefers premium fuel for best performance and it averaged around 17 mpg — not great, but still better than the EPA highway estimate.

You do the math.

The Suzuki’s part-time four-wheel drive offers an electric shift transfer case with a low range gear and a neutral position that makes the XL-7 a perfect candidate for a tow vehicle behind the huge RV’s that frequently visit us during the best months. With all four wheels pulling, the Suzuki claws its way through the dirt with more traction than many of its AWD competitors.

However, not many vehicles can match the Range Rover’s portfolio of off-road features. All Terrain Dynamic Stability Control, automatic air suspension, electronic locking center differential, independent front and rear suspension, 19-inch wheels, hill descent control, and full-time 4WD with traction control give the Rover a decided edge when the pavement ends.

Land Rover’s solid reputation for building the toughest, go-anywhere, anytime trucks on the planet is untarnished.

Whether many drivers actually venture into the outback is another issue altogether. If they do, they will be coddled in the Rover by a rich presentation of cherry wood and English leather surfaces, plus a variety of entertainment systems ranging from voice-activated navigation (which strangely tracks more streams than it does side streets) to a 14-speaker Harmon-Kardon stereo with Sirius satellite radio and to head-rest-mounted dual rear DVD video screens.

The Rover’s wide, flat seats are firmer than most, and they lack the lateral support that off-roading and quick on-road maneuvers might demand, but during conventional use you won’t spill the Grey Poupon.

The Suzuki isn’t nearly as plush inside, but it sure isn’t Spartan either. Heated leather seating complements the plastics and fabrics to make a very nice initial impression.

Clear and concise instruments and easy-to-use controls that could have conveniently come from the latest Toyota products make the Suzuki sensible and friendly. Front row space is fine for all drivers and second row is suitable for adults, too — at least for short trips.

The Rover has a plethora of buttons and switches, some of which could be labeled more intuitively. Buyers will need to peruse one of the six specific owners’ manuals just to operate the stereo. Head and legroom are abundant.

The Suzuki’s center console has a nice assortment of beverage slots and covered bin storage with plenty of space for numerous traveling items.

The Rover’s hidden beverage retainers impress with their engineering ingenuity, but lack the solid simplicity and functionality of the XL-7’s units. Small item storage is somewhat lacking despite the wide girth of the wood-covered console.

The Rover rides tall, offering great visibility. You can manually lower the chassis setting to ease access, but you’ll never get to the no-strain access height of the Suzuki.

The XL-7 offers decent visibility, too, but the multitude of rear headrests make backing up a challenge, a task made easy in the Range Rover by a backup camera plus front and rear obstacle detection systems.

The Suzuki’s three rows of seats provide space for seven occupants, as long as the third row riders are small kids. The split flip-and-fold second-row seats require two hands to juggle the levers and handles, yet you get the versatility of a long, relatively flat load floor when all seats are collapsed. With a rear gate that swings to the curb, you can walk right up to the load deck with heavy articles.

The Rover has a clamshell-style two-piece rear door like the Volvo XC90. With suitable space for five adults, the Rover has a larger cargo hold than the narrower Suzuki.

However, fold all seats in each truck and have the gear piled outside for vacation, and the Suzuki swallows more stuff — 75 cubic feet to 64 cubic feet in the Rover.

There is no “favorite” or “best” between these two SUVs. Each appeals to a vastly different customer. The Range Rover is the “cat’s meow” in the upper- crust segment, a truck stocked full of more luxury accoutrements and electrical assist systems than many of us even know that we needed. Add the Rover’s impressive off-road prowess and you can see why the well heeled admire this British icon.

The Rover also has the “wow” factor locked up. Three-position air suspension, dual DVD screens, back-up camera, xenon headlights that turn with your front wheels and much more give the Land Rover an edge over most luxury SUVs, not just the Suzuki.

The Suzuki is a solid workhorse, too, one that is all too often overlooked by SUV buyers. With more scheduled power coming soon, the XL-7 is admittedly more of an entry- level 7-passenger SUV offering expected comfort features at a more reasonable price.

With a longer warranty than all but Hyundai, the Suzuki is working hard to earn your respect.

The fact that you can buy three XL-7’s for the price of one Range Rover will probably not detract at all from the appeal of either vehicle.

At the end of the day, they each work well as transportation devices on and off road. Don’t forget the capable Suzuki while daydreaming about owning the Range Rover.