Item: Used Range Rover Velar 2017-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x4/estate/review/n134">BMW X4</a> has one of the best infotainment systems in the business and, with adaptive dampers, drives nicely too. However, if you want practicality, you’d be better served by an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/used-review/n18008">X3</a>.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/glc-coupe/coupe/used-review/n997">Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe</a> has 'like it or loathe it' looks and, even with air-suspension, leans over heavily in corners. The lower roofline also compromises rear seat and boot space quite dramatically.

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If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/land-rover/range-rover-velar?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used Range Rover Velar</a>&nbsp;or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying service&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

It’s a good idea to have a play around with the touchscreens on the dashboard and make sure they don’t freeze. It might require a simple hard reset (turning the car on and off again) or it may require a trip to the dealership for diagnosis.

<h3>Recalls</h3>

There have been two recalls so far for the Velar. The first related to petrol engines built between the start of production and 31 January 2018. Fuel may leak from the fuel rails in the engine bay, requiring the whole rail to be replaced. The second recall relates to the air conditioning system. It&nbsp;may not be able to de-mist the windows on Velars produced between 12 April and 17 November 2017. If you're in doubt, contact your local <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/land-rover">Land Rover</a> dealer because they will be able to tell you if your car is affected.

In the most recent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>, the Velar finished in seventh place out of 11 cars in the luxury SUV class. Although 36% of Velars suffered a fault, the most common issues were minor niggles with non-engine electrics and the bodywork. Other troublesome areas included the air-con, brakes, infotainment system and interior trim. Three-quarters of the affected cars could still be driven, but a third spent more than a week in the workshop. More than 90% of repairs were covered by the warranty, but a very small percentage of owners paid out more than £1500.

Land Rover as a brand finished last in the survey, in 31st place out of 31 manufacturers.

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Estate

Land Rover is synonymous with SUVs, and especially with the Defender – the rugged runabout that has seen service in war zones across the world, but also as part of the Queen’s personal garage.

If off-road prowess is one of Land Rover’s core values, though, the other is luxury. Indeed, the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar are among the best luxury SUVs you can buy.

The Discovery, meanwhile, is a practical rival for the Audi Q7 and BMW X5, while the stylish Evoque (which is available as a three-door convertible as well as a traditional SUV) goes head to head with Audi’s Q3 and BMW’s X1.

In the coming years, we’ll see a new road-biased ‘Road Rover’ as well as an all-new Defender.

LAND ROVER

RANGE ROVER VELAR

The Range Rover Velar is stylish, refined and good value used, but there are more practical alternatives

Used Land Rover Range Rover Velar 2017-present

Even though you’ll save a bit of money by going used, the Velar is still an expensive car to run, so&nbsp;budget accordingly.

MPG

Fuel economy for the diesel models isn’t terrible, and makes up for some of the expense of running a Velar. The base D180 version manages the best combined figure of the range at 52.5 mpg, or 42mpg under the later, more realistic WLTP tests. The more powerful D240 gets 48.7 mpg (41.1mpg), while the top D300 manages 44.1 mpg (38mpg). The petrol engines aren’t as cost-effective to run, sadly. The P250 has a combined figure of 37.2 mpg (30.8mpg), the mid-range P300 is rated for 36.2 mpg (29.8mpg), and the high-performance P380 gets 30.1 mpg.&nbsp;

Road tax

All versions of the Range Rover Velar cost more than £40,000 when new and will be subject to the £335&nbsp;surcharge for the most expensive cars. You’ll have to continue paying the surcharge for years two to five.&nbsp;That's on top of the flat-rate fee – currently £155&nbsp;per&nbsp;year for petrol and diesel cars, and £145 per year for hybrid owners. You can find out more information about current road tax costs&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">here</a>&nbsp;

Servicing

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/land-rover">Land Rover</a> servicing isn’t cheap, with prices for the first five services ranging from £374.74 to £601.15&nbsp;depending on the work being carried out. Plenty of Velar owners bought a service plan when the car was new to keep a lid on their costs. The plan covers the first five services and is transferable to the next owner, so it’s&nbsp;worth&nbsp;checking if the car you’re looking at comes with one.

Insurance

Insurance is likely to be expensive –&nbsp;but that's&nbsp;true of a lot of premium SUVs.

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Used Range Rover Velar 2017-present

The Range Rover Velar is stylish, refined and good value used, but there are more practical alternatives

Range Rover Velar prices start at around £30,000 for a 2017 D180 version. Expect to spend between £31,000 and £35,000 on a 2017 car in a high spec or an early 2018 model. Look to splash out between £36,000 and £40,000 on a good 2019 car, and around £40,000 to £50,000 on a 2020 model.

The Velar is a heavy car, even though it’s made of aluminium. Because of this, we’d recommend the more effortless performance of the 3.0-litre V6 D300 diesel. Its low-down torque has little trouble getting the car moving and it has plenty of power for faster roads. Plus, it still offers respectable economy for this size of SUV and the benefits of air-suspension.

S spec is our preferred version because it includes a reversing camera, electric tailgate, upgraded stereo, leather seats and sat-nav. It also comes on the smaller 19in alloy wheels which are better for ride quality.

Our favourite Range Rover Velar: 3.0 D300 S

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Logical and beautifully built interior, with great infotainment</li> <li>More than enough space for five passengers or, even better, seven</li> <li>Strong performance along with impressive efficiency</li> <li>Composed handling that limits any feeling of unwieldiness</li></ul>

We class a luxury SUV as being anything where our pick of the range costs more than £45,000 – and at this price point, buyers' expectations are high. So, as well as all of the qualities that make regular SUVs such well-rounded choices –&nbsp;such as decent space for passengers and luggage, a classy interior and robust materials – we also want a cosseting ride, the latest driver assistance technology and enough space to really stretch out.

The Land Rover Discovery proves that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get a luxurious SUV, but if you've got a bit more to spend, the Audi Q7 is perennially popular among buyers, and with good reason. Or, at the very top of this market, there are newer additions such as the BMW X7 to consider.

Luxury SUV

A lot of Velars are used in towns and cities because they’re a stylish status symbol, but that means the large alloy wheels (up to 22in on some models) are very susceptible to striking a curb. Make sure there are no massive chunks taken out of them because they’ll cost a fortune to repair.

Despite its big mirrors and standard rear parking sensors, the Velar isn’t the easiest car in the world to park, so check the bumpers and bodywork for dents and scratches.

If the car was ordered with a light-coloured interior, look out for signs of stains or dye that's transferred on to the seats from clothing.

SUVs are very much in fashion, and nowhere more so than in posh parts of towns and cities, far, far away from dirt roads and mud.

Car manufacturers have known for years that very few <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/luxury-suv">luxury SUV</a> buyers take their vehicles off-road, so it makes sense for them to offer a car that puts style and on-road driving dynamics ahead of everything else.

That's where the handsome Range Rover Velar comes in. It offers all that's desirable about the prestigious <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/land-rover">Land Rover</a> brand&nbsp;but in a package aimed more squarely at on-road use.

As we'll discover, that's not to say that&nbsp;it can't do the off-road stuff, too. Indeed, when it was new, the Velar was intended to fill the gap between the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover-evoque/4x4/used-review/n846">Range Rover Evoque</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover-sport/4x4/used-review/n17571">Range Rover Sport</a>, which in turn puts it up against strong rivals including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x4/estate/review/n134">BMW X4</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/glc-coupe/coupe/used-review/n997">Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe</a>.

If you want a petrol engine in your Velar, you get a choice of either a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol – in the 247bhp P250 and 296bhp P300 – or a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine in the 375bhp P380. There was also a supercharged 5.0-litre P550. Later models revised that to just the P250, a P400e hybrid and a P400.

In terms of diesels, there's the 2.0-litre four-cylinder in the 178bhp D180 and 237bhp D240, and the&nbsp;3.0-litre V6 in the 296bhp D300. The four-cylinder diesels can be a bit rattly when cold but quieten down a little when warm, while the V6 engines are smooth and quite brisk. Later models trimmed the range&nbsp;down to just a newer D200 and the existing D300.

We like&nbsp;the D180 version on the road&nbsp;so much that we gave it the What Car? Coupe SUV of the Year award in 2020. While its 0-62mph time of 8.9sec won't get you foaming at the mouth, it's solid enough in the mid-range to get you going easily in town or on a motorway. If you can afford it, though, the D300 is nicer, with more mid-range oomph.

The most powerful of the petrols (ignoring the P550) is the P300, with&nbsp;296bhp. It's quick flat out,&nbsp;but&nbsp;there's less shove lower down than the diesels provide&nbsp;so you need to work it much harder.&nbsp;The lower-powered 247bhp P250 petrol version needs even more of a work-out, but still delivers its power smoothly.&nbsp;

The ride varies depending on which suspension and alloy wheel option you have. Four-cylinder models with traditional springs work best with the smallest 19in alloy wheels as the ride can get quite fidgety on rough, pockmarked roads. Air suspension is standard on V6 models and has setting to suit your mood. Comfort mode has a pleasant&nbsp;wafty ride&nbsp;while Dynamic stiffens things up to improve the handling if you want to up the pace.

Buttons are mainly a thing of the past in the Velar because the dashboard is made up of two touchscreens. You get two rotary control dials on the lower screen – which deals with climate and driving modes – to control various functions depending on what is shown on the display.&nbsp;The screen&nbsp;above looks after sat-nav and media-related functions.

SE and above Velars get a 12.3in configurable driver display, which includes the&nbsp;speedo and rev counter. It’s similar to Audi’s virtual cockpit except it’s not quite as slick. One major technology omission is <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a>&nbsp;smartphone mirroring. There is a Land Rover app that gives you some mirroring capabilities&nbsp;but it’s awkward to use.

Space in the front of the Velar is fine, even for taller drivers. You get a lofty driving position that gives you a great view out over the road ahead. Things are not so good in the back, though. Head room is fine&nbsp;but leg room isn’t brilliant for those that are long of leg.

The boot is not as big as its rivals, despite what Land Rover’s figures seem to suggest. The manufacturer&nbsp;measures right up to the roof rather than to the window line as most car makers do. There is a flexible 40/20/40-split folding rear seat bench, though.

If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/land-rover/range-rover-velar?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used Range Rover Velar</a>&nbsp;or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying service&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>

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Used Range Rover Velar 2017-present review

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