Range Rover Sport SDV8
http://evoapp.co.uk/213cjh5
Range Rover Sport SDV8
After a year’s hard service, our Sport has left us. Nick Trott decides if it lives up to its name - and if he could live with one as his only car
Driver’s log
Date acquired
December 2014
Duration of test
12 months
Total test mileage
33,556
Overall mpg
29.2
Costs
£1078 tyres, £467.54 service
Purchase price
£96,907
Trade-in value
£68,000
Depreciation
£28,907
I’ll be honest. After 12 months, seven countries and 33,000 miles, I still don’t know what to make of our Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic V8 diesel. It has rendered me conflicted; unable to accept the affection I have for it but likewise unable to ignore its failings – particularly if you covet driving.
But let’s rewind. We specced our car to the hilt back in 2014: 22-inch wheels, full-size panoramic roof, adaptive xenon lights, 20-way powered seats, rear-seat entertainment, the lot. The price? £96,907, up from £82,650 basic.
It arrived in December 2014 after a six-month wait and looked good in Fuji White with black roof and detailing. A total number of one evo staffer loved the Ebony/Pimento leather interior (me), and it became known around here as the ‘Michael Jackson Thriller jacket’ interior.
The car wore well over 33,000 miles. A couple of punctures, a chipped screen, and that’s it. After decontamination (i.e. one last thorough valet), the interior looked new aside from a few scratches on the piano-black centre tray.
This may come as a shock to many, but the mechanicals shrugged off the miles, too. We didn’t have a single issue. Not even a warning light. The car barely sipped oil and we swapped the tyres once. It averaged around 29mpg – a colleague on evo’s sister title Auto Express ran a V6 diesel Sport and got 32mpg. We worked our Rangie hard, too. As a chase car for supercar tests, and the real test: holidays with kids.
By far the biggest disappointment was the infotainment system. Its interface was worse than bad – it was the worst I’ve ever used. On the plus side, sound quality from the optional 1700W Meridian stereo was exceptional.
‘It has rendered me conflicted; unable to accept the affection I have for it but likewise unable to ignore its failings’
And the all-important drive? Generally it was very good, but I still struggle with the use of the word ‘Sport’. Why? The first time you drive the car in a sporty manner, it delivers pace, but it does it in a joyless manner. So you never do it again. Instead, you retire any ambition you may have to enjoy driving, and settle into wafting. Land Rover claims that the Sport is ‘first and foremost, a drivers’ car’. This, dear reader, is world-class bobbins.
You never think, ‘Oh, there’s a string of roundabouts ahead. I’ll select Sport mode and have some fun.’ Not ever. The 334bhp engine is mighty – one of the very best diesels – but you never feel particularly encouraged to explore its potential. Even when you switch the auto ’box to manual, you simply race through gears (there are eight), surfing a tide of torque in a mood of ambivalence.
The ride proved interesting to dissect. In isolation, it’s very good. Against similar rivals, it’s still very good. But over time you notice an underlying fidget – and you notice it because you’re sat high, on top of the centre of gravity. It’s not bad by any means, but drive a similarly priced executive saloon and you’ll experience a much higher quality ride. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
My next long-termer, a BMW 730Ld M Sport (first report coming soon) arrived two weeks before the Range Rover Sport departed. They are a similar price, a similar size, and promise similar things (except for off-road ability in the case of the BMW). The arrival of the 7-series highlighted how seduced I’d been by the Range Rover’s competencies.
For instance, the Sport’s ride, I thought, was excellent until I drove the BMW – so I downgraded it to good. The Sport’s handling, I thought, was good until I drove the 7-series, so I downgraded it to average. And the Sport’s overall cabin ambience, comfort and basic NVH qualities seemed excellent – until I drove the BMW. So I downgraded them to good. I also found myself enjoying direct steering and decent direction changes (and roundabouts) in the BMW – something I’d never done in the Range Rover.
I appreciate that I’m comparing two different classes of car. And I appreciate that this may be unfair. However, it also highlights that the Range Rover Sport – and all sporting SUVs – are compromised, offering neither total off-road ability nor total on-road competence. Of course, that’s not a revelation, but you’re either the type of person who can stomach those compromises or can’t. I learnt that I can’t. I discovered that I don’t need a jack-of-all-trades car, and that I can’t live with a car that cannot deliver driving enjoyment on demand.
So there you have it. Perhaps I have figured it out. The Range Rover Sport is, generally, a fantastic machine – in isolation and in the context of its immediate rivals. But it’s not for me.
