Item: Used Land Rover Range Rover 4x4 1994 - 2002
Author: What Car? Team

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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

An amazing blend of abilities, but it'll cost you

Used Land Rover Range Rover 4x4 1994 - 2002

Compared with almost any other 4x4, the Range Rover looks expensive to buy. It's only when you look at it next to luxury cars such as the Lexus LS or Jaguar XJ that it starts to look like sensible value.

Again, by 4x4 standards, the Range Rover's running costs look prohibitively expensive, but next to luxury cars', they're not too bad. Insuring and servicing a Range Rover won't actually cost much more than a Discovery, for example, and it's much cheaper in both respects than a Lexus or Jaguar.

Only fuel economy and repairs are frightening prospects. Even the diesel versions return just 27.5mpg on the combined cycle, and you'll struggle to see much more than 20mpg from any of the petrol engines. Warranty Direct tells us that, when you need to have repairs done, not only are average labour rates among the highest, so are average repair bills.

An amazing blend of abilities, but it'll cost you

A big car needs a big engine, but the Range Rover's smallest, a 2.5-litre turbodiesel from BMW, just isn't big enough to haul around two-and-a-half tonnes of luxury 4x4. We'd avoid this sluggish TD model unless you want fuel economy above all else.

On the other hand, assuming that if you can afford a Range Rover in the first place, fuelling it won't be a problem, we'd recommend the 4.0-litre V8, and preferably the version from October 1999 (V-reg), which had more pulling power. The 4.6 V8 brings an obvious boost in performance without any effect on the fuel economy.

Given the high price of the Range Rover and the amount of equipment on every model, there's no need to buy anything more than basic model; even if you ignore the more expensive SE and HSE models, you won't feel short-changed.

<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

Land Rovers are renowned for poor reliability, and this, the most expensive model, is no exception. It's one of the more unreliable cars on Warranty Direct's books, but there's no one thing to look out for.

In fact, the engine, cooling system and suspension take pretty much equal blame for most claims, each responsible for just under 20% of the total. What's more, misfires in the engine can also damage the catalytic converter. The Range Rover has never appeared in the JD Power survey, but the results for other Land Rovers hardly fill you with confidence.

There have also been nine recalls on this Range Rover, with perhaps the most serious concerning cracking rear suspension components on cars built in 1994-5 and the possibility of under-bonnet fires on cars built up to mid-1998. Check the service manual to see if remedial work has been carried out.

The Range Rover lives very much in a world of its own, somehow managing to be a success as both an off-roader and a luxury car. Inside, it positively reeks of Englishness, with a classic wood- and leather-trimmed interior that's bigger than a Jeep Grand Cherokee's. Yet, it's also amazingly capable off-road.

If there is a criticism, it's that the quality of some of the materials is below what you'd expect in such an expensive car. True, it's hardly what you'd call bad, but it is certainly not quite as classy as, say, a Mercedes S-class.

Given the car's abilities off-road, you also can't really complain about how it drives on-road. The air suspension rides remarkably well and ensures the Range Rover doesn't suffer from the floaty feeling you can get in some 4x4s. Plus, the ride height can be raised and lowered to cope with changing conditions off-road.

Used Land Rover Range Rover 4x4 1994 - 2002 review

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