Quality has not been a Land Rover talking point in years past. And though the current Range Rover, which was developed in large part by BMW, is a wonderful machine in almost every respect, quality is still not a Land Rover talking point.

Unacceptable in a Hyundai, much less a $50,000 Land Rover, many of the LR3’s interior materials are cheap. Slippery, creaky, insubstantial plastic bits and pieces do not belong in a vehicle of this price. The door panel grips, ashtray material, lower gauge bezel, glovebox door operation, and center console trim all serve as glaring examples of shortsighted cost cutting. Our only compliment on the LR3’s plastic parts is that they are low gloss.

Other materials are acceptable, such as the decent soft-touch door panel and dash top materials, the cloth but fuzzy headliner, and the thin felt lining the glovebox. The industrial-strength rubber floor mats are sturdy and effective, and the leather covering the seats is of high quality. But in our test truck, the leather-lined driver’s seat wiggled on its base when accelerating, stopping, or cornering. Everything inside the LR3 creaked and groaned under pressure, the headliner was not solidly attached to the roof, and the center console gearshift surround was loose and popped off with little provocation. Plus, the fuel gauge was on the fritz.

Exterior build quality ranked below average, too, with plastic A-pillar trim pieces that clip in with plastic tabs. We know this because, at 75 mph on a Los Angeles freeway, the right-side trim came partially off and, in the wind, began mercilessly beating the passenger-side rearview mirror. Our LR3’s hood was slightly tweaked off-center, the tailgate was obviously askew, and we noted minor variances in door fit, headlight attachments, and overfender trim adherence.