My 1-year-old was crying, clinging to my leg as I headed to work. The dog tipped over its food and water. The other children couldn't find their schoolbooks. "Sesame Street" was blaring at an ear-splitting volume over the television.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE that I was test-driving.

This SUV is the perfect escape. The automotive version of an easy chair holds drivers in comfort while the tall console on the right contributes to the cozy cockpit feel.

And unless you're accelerating, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE is tomb-quiet.

The Sport HSE model, with its reworked suspension, fills a niche in a lineup that is, as you might have suspected, heavy on luxury and rugged off-roading -- things that have made Land Rover products legendary.

Two engines, both quite powerful, are available. There's the 4.4-liter 300-horsepower V-8 (rated at 12 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway) and the 4.2-liter, 390-horsepower V-8 if you're in a hurry. The Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE's responsive engine makes it fun to drive.

When you consider how large the Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE is, it has a very small turning radius, making it unusually maneuverable.

But all this doesn't come cheap. Base price is a healthy $58,225, with options bringing the fare to $62,400.

Standard equipment includes aluminum wheels, six air bags, full-power equipment, GPS off-road enhanced DVD navigation system, dual-zone climate control and memory seats.

Of course, you get Land Rover's four-wheel drive system, which includes the terrain response system that automatically adjusts to handle a variety of road and off-road conditions at the touch of a dial.

The terrain response system elevates what's already a wonderful off-road product.

Then there's that undefinable something called cachet. Nothing says luxury in the SUV field like a Land Rover. The styling is classic, with rich leather, woods and metals. Don't forget the thoughtful touches: the umbrella that's provided with the car and the tiny lights around the fan dial that let you know how much air is circulating.

More concern does need to be given to ergonomic issues. The doors were balky and stuck a bit, which meant more tugging than usual to get them open. The steering wheel seemed too large and buslike.

Even the navigation system requires you to really push hard to get it to work.

I also had a few safety concerns. The power window buttons are located on a flat surface just beneath the power window, a perilous location in my view.

Also, the high headrests in the back combined with the architecture of the car make visibility a problem at times.

And even if you follow the owner's manual, a good number of the controls simply operate in a way that differs from what many people are accustomed to.

Still, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE is quite a ride -- and a terrific refuge from the daily din.