Premium midsize SUV; Built in
  • 4-door wagon
  • longitudinal front-engine/all-wheel drive
Good condition price range: $57,700 – $82,400*


2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport


2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport


2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Pros:
  • Acceleration
  • Off-road capabilities
  • Interior materials
Cons:
  • Control layout
  • Price

There are other premium SUVs that offer more value for mainstream shoppers, but none of them can match the Range Rover Sport’s blend of on- and off-road handling, invigorating acceleration, regal cabin appointments, high-tech features, and high-end personality. Further, I am pretty sure this is one of the most pleasant vehicles you can buy that comes ready to wade through—according to Land Rover—33.5 inches of standing water.

Overview

The Range Rover Sport was redesigned for 2014 on a completely new platform. Aluminum-intensive construction enabled it to shed about 800 pounds compared to the 2013 model, which significantly improved both performance and fuel economy. The top-line 510-horsepower supercharged V8 carried over, but a new 340-hp supercharged V6 replaced the previous naturally aspirated V8 as the base engine. A 3rd-row seat joined the available features list as well.

Premium-midsize SUV rivals included the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Audi Q7, and Volkswagen Touareg.

Yearly Updates

2014 Range Rover Sport

Engines

longitudinal front-engine/all-wheel drive

Two engines are offered: a 340-hp supercharged 3.0-liter V6 and a 510-horsepower supercharged 5.0-liter V8. Both are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard. A 2-speed transfer case with low-range gearing for off-road use is optional.

Supercharged dohc V6
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 3.0/183
Engine HP 340
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 332
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
8-speed automatic

17/23

15

Supercharged dohc V8
Engine Size (liters/cubic inches) 5.0/305
Engine HP 510
Engine Torque (lb-ft) 461
Avail. Trans. EPA MPG (city/hwy) MPG avg. as tested
8-speed automatic

14/19

Road Test

Shared with Jaguar, the 340-horsepower supercharged V6 works amazingly well with the new 8-speed automatic transmission. Frankly, there is so much power available at all times that I question the need for the available V8. It delivers terrific off-the-line punch, and why not with 332 pound-feet of torque that peaks at a lowish 2000 rpm. Linear acceleration is experienced with almost-imperceptible shifts from the 8-speed automatic transmission.

My drive of 161.2 miles (68 percent of it under city conditions) averaged 15.41 premium-fueled mpg—an almost 4 mpg bump over our last test Range Rover Sport, that with the old standard 5.0-liter V8.

Apart from some nominal bobbing, the sort of thing you usually associate with a vehicle on a shorter wheelbase, the Sport rode like a luxury sedan.

Handling was sure and tight, if not overtly sporty.

I spent most of my time with the Sport working though crummy winter conditions and found the big Brit rig up to the task of dealing with slick surfaces and accumulated snow. I never did notice any difference in vehicle behavior in switching between AWD modes, but that’s all fine if I’m getting safely through the rough stuff.

Engine and exhaust noise are muted well; the V6 Range Rover doesn’t sound like the hot rod it feels like. The aluminum-structure body is quiet and tight feeling.

Audio, navigation, and other personal settings are accessed through an 8-inch touchscreen. Climate controls are adjusted lower on the dash with dials for temperature and fan-speed settings, with buttons for other functions. Curiously, one button has seat icons on it, but this doesn’t actually turn on the front seat heaters/coolers; it summons touchscreen images of seats and up/down arrows, and you tap on the arrows to work the system—which seems like a lot of work for something “lesser” vehicles seem to carry out far more directly. Additionally, the media-control system is pretty clumsy. Using voice commands is pretty much the only way to change radio stations or locate music on your phone.

The cabin is opulently attired, almost to the point of making me nervous. There’s high-grade cowhide everywhere, and all the switch gear looks and feels like precision hardware.

The HSE’s standard perforated-leather seats are comfy and cosseting for four, but there’s room for a third in back if need be, albeit on a stiff, slightly raised center section. Leg and head room are bountiful in either row. Doors open wide to aid getting in and getting out (though I repeatedly scraped my head on entry). Step-in height is a little tall. Fairly big windows are helpful for vision, though second-row headrests fill up the straight-back view in the mirror.

Cabin storage in front consists of good-sized door map pockets; a big glove box; twin cup holders with a slide-top cover; and a covered console box with small side dimensions, but a deep drop. One pickable nit: The box sits far back on the console, which makes it difficult to reach into easily. Back-benchers get tiny door pockets, but there are mesh pouches in the seat backs ahead of them, and they have access to a plug-in power point and seat-heater buttons built into the back of the console. There’s also a pull-down center arm rest with twin cup holders and a small, shallow, covered compartment.

At the rear is a big flat-floored cargo area with a conveniently low lift-over. Rear seats fold to provide more hauling capacity.

Ratings

Model Tested: N/A

Ratings values are on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the best. With the exception of Value, these numbers reflect how the vehicle compares against the universe of vehicles, not just against rivals in its class.

Performance

Acceleration - N/A
N/A0%
Fuel Economy - N/A
N/A0%
Ride Quality - N/A
N/A0%
Steering/Handling - N/A
N/A0%
Quietness - N/A
N/A0%

Accommodations

Controls/Materials - N/A
N/A0%
Room/Comfort Front - N/A
N/A0%
Room/Comfort Rear - N/A
N/A0%
Cargo Room - N/A
N/A0%

Other

Value - N/A
N/A0%

Total:

Specifications

4-door wagon
Wheelbase (in.) Length (in.) Width (in.) Height (in.) Weight (lbs)
115.1 191.0 78.1 70.1
Cargo Volume (cu/ft) Payload Capacity (cu/ft) Fuel Capacity (gal.) Seating Capacity
73.7 27.7 5.0
Headroom Legroom
Front Rear Front Rear
39.5 39.1 42.2 37.0
Safety Ratings

Model Tested: N/A

NHTSA

(5 is the highest rating)

Front Impact Test

Driver Injury - N/A
N/A0%
Front Passenger Injury - N/A
N/A0%

Side Impact Test

Driver Injury - N/A
N/A0%
Rear Passenger Injury - N/A
N/A0%

HLDI

(A score of 100 is average. Lower is better)

Collision N/A
Injury N/A
Theft N/A

Trouble Spots

Steering problems
Description: Steering gear input-shaft-seal may leak oil or grease.

Recall History

2014 Range Rover Sport
Description: A lightweight passenger may be improperly classified by the airbag sensor and the front passenger airbag might be disabled and not deploy in crash.
2014 Range Rover Sport
Description: The owner’s manual incorrectly describes the function of the Airbag Status Indicator light.
2014 Range Rover Sport
Description: Doors may open unexpectedly.
2014 Range Rover Sport
Description: The brake vacuum hose might be incorrectly routed, allowing a hole to be worn in it. This would result in a loss of power brake assistance with longer stopping distances.
2014 Range Rover Sport
Description: The tire-pressure monitoring system may give a false low-tire-pressure warning. Should a tire actually have low pressure, the driver would not be notified.

Equipment Lists

Equipment lists are only viewable on larger screen sizes.

Pricing

Used-car pricing varies widely depending on local market conditions. Therefore, we recommend visiting websites that list used cars for sale to get a better idea of what a specific model is selling for in your area.

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