Used Range Rover Sport 2013-2022 review

What's the used Land Rover Range Rover Sport like?

The first Range Rover Sport gained a bit of an unfortunate reputation, not only for the type of person who bought it but also for the rather agricultural Land Rover Discovery chassis that the car rode on. Many thought the moniker ‘Sport’ was sadly misplaced and some of the traditional Range Rover values debased.

This 2013 to 2022 second-generation version was a completely new car, however, and it rode on the same up-to-date underpinnings as the contemporary 2013-2022 Range Rover, although the Sport variant was smaller, lighter and lower. Much use was made of aluminium in both cars, and the Sport, despite not being a lightweight, was now competitive with its rivals in this regard, despite its obvious opulence.

Overview

The Range Rover Sport is a luxurious SUV that combines refinement with a range of powerful engines, including diesel and petrol options. While it offers impressive comfort and a premium interior, its reliability record has been poor over the years, making it less appealing as a used buy compared with its rivals. However, our most recent reliability survey scores it highly.

Pros

• Smooth ride, even on rough road surfaces
• Luxurious interior with high-quality materials
• Powerful engine options, including hybrids

Cons

• High running and maintenance costs
• Reliability in the past has been a bit mixed
• Limited rear seat space for middle passengers

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Engines and performance: The engine range initially kicked off with an entry-level 236bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel. This was followed by the 302bhp 3.0-litre SDV6, while completing the diesel range was the venerable 4.4-litre SDV8. The petrol engine option consisted of two supercharged units, a 335bhp 3.0-litre V6 and a 5.0-litre V8 in two power outputs – 503bhp and 542bhp in the mega-swift SVR version. Later models added a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, known as the P300 or, if attached to a battery pack and an electric motor to make it a hybrid, the P400e, and the entry-level 2.0 diesel was dropped. There are also a pair of mild-hybrid six-cylinder engines available, the P400 petrol and D300 diesel, which were added to the line-up in 2020. Both produce 395bhp and 296bhp respectively.

Ride and handling: It’s the diesel engines that are the most popular in the Range Rover Sport, since they provide the best combination of performance and reasonable fuel economy. The 2.0 is refined enough, but not quick. The SDV6 has plenty of low-rev shove, helping to mask the car’s mass. However, rivals such as the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI 272 and BMW X5 40d are still that little bit faster. If you can afford it, the SDV8 provides the car with effortless pace and acceptable running costs.

As far as the petrols go, the 2.0-litre models are surprisingly swift, and of course the 3.0 V6 propels the Range Rover Sport down the road fairly swiftly. However, you need to rev it harder than the diesels and it’s too thirsty to recommend. The 503bhp 5.0 supercharged V8 delivers plenty of performance and noise, making the Range Rover Sport something of a super-luxury SUV dragster. Fuel bills are, as you’d expect, scary.

Fuel bills are marginally more manageable in the hybrid versions, if it fits your lifestyle. The P400e is good to drive and swift, and the P400 is too, albeit its mild-hybrid system is one that only helps out the existing engine, rather than offering the ability to run separately on electric power alone, or together with the conventional engine, like the P400e.

The SVR model is the full-house, go-faster model. It’s thunderously powerful, noisy and exciting, but with sufficiently good manners to soothe the miles away when required.

All Range Rover Sports offer an excellent blend of stability and relative agility. It isn’t the most athletic SUV of its kind, nor is it one that feels smaller than it actually is, and some rivals also offer more grip and tighter body control. However, it’s an easy car to drive along a twisty road – and you can’t say that of all Range Rovers.

There’s good news in the ride department, too; most versions of the Range Rover Sport offer exemplary ride comfort. Particularly impressive suppleness at high speed makes this a superb car to drive on a long journey. The best-riding cars are at the bottom of the range – those on standard 20in wheels.

Interior and practicality: Inside, there’s an incredibly comfortable driver's seat and an excellent and commanding driving position; visibility is excellent. All Range Rover Sports get a pair of 10.0in touchscreens, one at the top of the dashboard and the other below it, just in front of the gear selector. This second screen is the one that you use to access the air conditioning and off-road modes, but you can also operate the multimedia system through it while the main screen displays the navigation.

The fit and finish of the interior is exceptionally high, with good use of soft-touch materials and plenty of leather, although one or two of the switches seem a little tackier to the touch.

The Range Rover Sport is not short of space, either front or rear. The only person who might complain is the passenger in the middle rear seat, because the two outer ones are quite sculpted. The car also has a third row, with two flip-up seats in the boot, although these are difficult to access and tight for space. They’re best suited to children or small adults.

With these seats folded away, the boot is large, wide and fairly tall, and easy to get things in and out of. Dropping the rear seats can be done electrically.

Trims and equipment: There are four trims to choose from: HSE, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography Dynamic and the rabid SVR. Entry-level models come with 20in alloy wheels, xenon headlights, keyless entry, front foglights and a reversing camera as standard, while inside there is perforated leather upholstery, heated seats all round, lane departure warning and Jaguar Land Rover's InControl infotainment system complete with sat-nav.

Upgrade to HSE Dynamic and the car gains red Brembo brakes, a twin-speed transfer box, JLR's all-terrain mode, lots of gloss black exterior mouldings and 21in alloy wheels, while Autobiography Dynamic adds a panoramic roof, ventilated seats, a 19-speaker Meridian audio system, a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitoring and a 360deg camera system.

Range-topping SVR not only gets the rapid 5.0 V8 motor, but also a quad-exhaust system, darkened headlights, blue Brembo brake calipers and a specially designed rear spoiler.

Facelift: In 2018, the Range Rover Sport was given a facelift, with revised styling to bring it in-line with other models from the Land Rover line-up, including the Range Rover Velar. It also gained a revised interior, with a dual-screen set-up for the infotainment, climate and drive mode controls. Pre-facelift cars have a more basic set-up for this, with a single infotainment screen and physical dials and buttons for the climate and drive modes.

If you're interested in finding a used Range Rover Sport, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Ownership cost

What used Land Rover Range Rover Sport will I get for my budget?

You can find some high-mileage (100k plus) 2013 cars for around £13,000 now, but you’ll need at least £15,000 to get yourself inside a Range Rover Sport with more reasonable mileage. Look for one with an average mileage from 2016 and you’ll spend upwards of £16,000.

If you’re prepared to spend around £20,000, you should be able to get a good 2018 facelift car with an average mileage and a full service history. For a 2019 or 2020 car, expect to pay upwards of £25,000. Later 2021 and 2022 cars start from around £27,000, while low mileage examples of a similar age cost upwards of £30,000. SVR models are the most expensive, with prices for these starting from around £30,000 too.

Our recommendations

Which used Land Rover Range Rover Sport should I buy?

Engine

The SDV6 is the big seller, with plenty of low-down oomph and better fuel economy than most, so that’s the one we’d seek out.

Specification

Entry-level HSE trim keeps the price from getting too silly and comes with lots of equipment, so it’s the level we’d go for.

Our favourite Range Rover Sport: 3.0 SDV6 HSE

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Land Rover Range Rover Sport?

The Audi SQ7 is the sporty version of the firm’s luxury SUV. It has prodigious performance, excellent handling and a roomy, high-quality interior. If you can’t stretch to the SQ7, take a look at the standard Q7, which rides exceptionally well.

The Volvo XC90 has a big, classy interior, seating for seven and comes well equipped. It is not as refined as its price tag might lead you to think, but it’s a good used buy and should prove more reliable – just – than the Range Rover Sport.

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If you're interested in finding a used Range Rover Sport, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.