If you were to walk on the street and pull aside a 30-year-old woman that's a hardworking young professional and were to ask her "If you had unlimited funds, what vehicle would you buy?" I think you'd find that a staggering number would answer "a Range Rover." While I have not conducted scientific research on the topic, I will say that a good portion of the women in my life aspire to have one.
Could it be because a Land Rover Range Rover is the epitome of a luxury sport-utility vehicle? Is it the unbelievable off-road capability? Perhaps it has something to do with the Kardashian's love affair with the brand? Or, maybe — just maybe — it's because the vehicle has a commanding road presence and makes a statement.
Range Rover Sport
The answer key is as follows: yes, no, maybe, yes.
Probably the biggest driver of the brand's success is the Range Rover Sport. Where I hail from in northern New Jersey, it's the car of choice for young professionals looking to one up the Joneses. Relatively speaking, it's reasonably priced when compared with the flagship Range Rover that starts at about $84,000. The Sport has a base price of $63,525* for you bean counters out there.
*Not including taxes, title, fees
Being all-new for the 2014 model year, I was particularly interested in getting behind the wheel. While I was actually more intrigued in the standard six-cylinder SE or HSE models, I was not going to complain I had the horrible duty of driving the Supercharged version for a week.
Examining it on the outside, it features a mixture of design elements from the Evoque and the flagship model. To be straightforward, this vehicle is not a groundbreaking design in any capacity, it's a Range Rover after all. What I will say though is that its all-new look is cleaner and is more seductive than the last-gen product, though I could do without the Evoque-like taillights. Aside from that, the exterior is very strong.
Range Rover Sport
Where you'll be mightily impressed is behind the steering wheel. Slipping into the well-bolstered bucket seats, you'll note that Land Rover wasn't kidding around with the name Sport. These seats are better than a good number of sports cars I've driven. In addition, they're trimmed with some beautiful leather that you will never find in a German product. And you'll DEFINITELY never feel anything like it from the Japanese or American auto builders. This is what separates a British-built vehicle from the others.
One thing I liked about the Sport I tested was that I felt like I wasn't sitting up as high as the flagship model. While the flagship vehicle makes you feel like you're king of the castle as you look down upon the peons, the Sport model makes you feel a bit more intimate within the cabin.
Elsewhere around the interior you'll note the chunky bits of metal that provide a very utilitarian and masculine feel to the cabin. As is an issue in every current-gen Jaguar Land Rover product, the touch screen infotainment display is a bit laggy and leaves a bit to be desired when compared with the likes of BMW's iDrive, Mercedes-Benz's COMAND, Ford's SYNC and Chrysler Group's UConnect interface. At least it only takes moments to hook up a phone via bluetooth and is, overall, an easy to navigate menu-based system.
An element a lot of folks like to geek out over is the vehicle's surround camera system that provides a nearly 360 degree viewing experience. Though handy if you're going offroad, frankly, I found it a bit useless for daily driving. Just me though. Use your eyes, people!
Unlike the flagship Land Rover, you can option the Sport with seven passenger seating though it is only appropriate seating for those under 10 years old, in this writer's opinion. Though my test vehicle was not equipped with this, I did have the chance to see one with it at one of the major auto shows and it's definitely not suitable for those with long limbs.
Range Rover Sport
Now, let's get down to brass tacks: how does this thing drive?
I was sent the Supercharged model to test. And while I didn't hate the 5.0-liter V8 engine good for 510 horsepower and 461 lb.-ft. of torque, I think if we were to evaluate what most buyers did buy, it would be the six-cylinder mill that produces 340 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque.
Back to the V8. Getting up to speed isn't a problem as it zips to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds. Although the Sport model weighs in just under 5,100 pounds it doesn't feel quite that heavy. Don't get me wrong, it's not a lightweight by any stretch of the imagination but when compared to other products with this heft, it doesn't have that hulking feel.
Take, for example, the Porsche Cayenne. While its V8 models are incredible performers you really feel as though you're weighed down when you starting putting the vehicle into some corners. While the Range Rover Sport can't make a miracle happen and vanish its huskiness, it does feel a bit more nimble than the Cayenne, which reminds me of a paper weight.
Personally, I think a lot of this has to do with the Sport's steering rack. Land Rover engineered this vehicle to drive very much like a car, and if I had to pick one it felt closest to, it would be a BMW. Around town it has a solid on-center feel and when you start putting it in the twisties it doesn't feel artificial.
Speaking of the curves, the Sport's chassis definitely does a better job keeping the vehicle's body in check as you zip from corner to corner. Where as the flagship Range Rover feels a touch too top heavy and has a bit of lean to it, the Sport feels more planted and well controlled.
Because its suspension is set up to be more sporting than the flagship model where you essentially float or coast over the road's imperfections, in the Sport you will feel them. In fact, much more than I anticipated. Here it also feels quite BMW-like, which if you ask me, is not a good thing. Personally after driving it for a week I found myself actually frustrated with the way the Sport handled potholes. To me, if I wanted a BMW or a Porsche's suspension, I'd just go out and get an X5/X6 or Cayenne. I think Land Rover has overweighted the sporting emphasis here. If you're thinking about picking a Sport up, make sure to go out and really drive it on uneven surfaces and over bumps, because for me it may very well be a dealbreaker.
My tester was equipped with the adjustable suspension that you can lower/elevate in several different modes. First, there's low mode that's essentially used for making getting in/out of the vehicle easier. When you start moving, the Sport will automatically raise it. Then there is Normal mode and it is as you'd expect. Finally, there's the high mode, which is purely intended for off-roading or curb hopping since most folks buying this likely won't find themselves blazing new trails.
It's a trick little set up, but not particularly necessary if you're not going to be off-roading. I will admit I used the low mode for entry/exit every single time I parked.
When looking at the all-new Range Rover Sport, I think you have to be honest and ask yourself a very serious question: are you willing to take a risk?
These days it's very easy to go out and lease an all-new BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne. More or less, you know what you're getting and they're oh-kay products; however, if you're looking to take an adventure and experience something that's not entirely predictable, you've got to have the Range Rover. If you can get over the weak infotainment software and you find the suspension not too harsh on an extended test drive, then it is the one to have. It certainly drives better than the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne.
Oh, and I got 16 mpg. Not bad considering the power and heft. Try that in your X5M or Cayenne Turbo!
The Good:
- No SUV on the market has the presence or badass quality a Range Rover has
- The interior materials are unique and not what you'd find in class competitors
- Truly awesome steering in this mammoth-sized vehicle
The Bad:
- For the love of God, when is JLR going to updated this awful infotainment software
- The ride is not particularly friendly of pothole-ridden streets — reminded me of when I drove a BMW E46 330Ci with the sport suspension and had to AVOID badly paved roads to have a harmonious ride
- I have to admit, if I were leasing or purchasing a Land Rover product I would be hesitant about reliability
The Lowdown:
If I were in market for a midsize luxury SUV, there's no question I'd have to have the Range Rover Sport. While SUVs like the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne are solid choices, they're just too predictable and staid for my taste now. The Audi Q7 isn't even a contender anymore. While I am sure there are buyers out there that will snap up a Lexus GX or an X5 for the security of having a better shot at reliability, I'd be willing to take a risk. There's only one problem with the Sport — all-new entrants to the SUV world, like the Porsche Macan, are going to nibble away at Land Rover's market share. The good news for the Sport is that it has a significant amount of interior space relative to vehicles like the Macan, so, at least it has that going for it.
Range Rover Sport
