HSE 4dr 4x4
2013 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Truth be told, I have always considered the Range Rover Sport to be something of a poseur in the Land Rover lineup, but there's one big reason this SUV is so popular in chic cities like New York and Miami – it has the boxy, instantly recognizable looks of a classic Range Rover but with a sportier demeanor. In fact, if sister marque Jaguar ever does get around to building an SUV (as has been rumored for years), I have the feeling it will have the ride quality, performance and handling similar to the Range Rover Sport, albeit with a greater on-road emphasis. Coming in at just under $80,000, the 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is no easy financial pill to swallow, but even now, with its replacement waiting just off-stage, it's just hard to say anything that bad about an SUV that is equal parts off-road, luxury and performance. Land Rover has kept the Sport fresh with a mess of small tweaks (new wheel and interior color options, etc.), and we thought spending a week with this generation would be a fine sendoff before the all-new 2014 model arrives. Driving Notes First and foremost, the performance of the Range Rover Sport Supercharged is a result of the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 under the hood cranking out 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque. That's enough power to get this almost-three-ton SUV to accelerate from 0-60 in just 5.9 seconds, which is not too far off the pace from a Porsche Cayenne S. Moving that kind of mass takes a lot of fuel, and the engine isn't afraid to suck down the octane – I averaged just over 11 mpg for the week in mostly city driving. My biggest disappointment with this Range Rover was how flat and uninspiring the exhaust note sounded (especially knowing how great the supercharged Jags sound using the same engine). It's very unlikely you're going to see a Range Rover Sport tackling any serious trails, but that's not because it can't. While most Range Rover Sport owners likely consider off-roading to consist of splashing through big puddles in NYC or kicking up sand blown onto Miami Beach's Ocean Drive, the Sport is no less capable off-road than its brethren thanks to its height-adjustable suspension and Terrain Response System. There's even an off-road screen that lets the driver know the articulation of each wheel, whether the differentials are locked and the angle of the front tires. Terrain Response takes the guesswork out of off-road driving by providing five simple modes that are all accessible at the push of a button (yes, the days of locking hubs and manual transfer cases are long gone for most modern off-roaders). Purists might take issue with this system – or similar ones used by Jeep and Ford – but it's hard to argue with the simplicity and user-friendliness that Terrain Response provides. Most of the Terrain Response settings are there to make off-roading easier, but the Range Rover Sport …
Full Review
Truth be told, I have always considered the Range Rover Sport to be something of a poseur in the Land Rover lineup, but there's one big reason this SUV is so popular in chic cities like New York and Miami – it has the boxy, instantly recognizable looks of a classic Range Rover but with a sportier demeanor. In fact, if sister marque Jaguar ever does get around to building an SUV (as has been rumored for years), I have the feeling it will have the ride quality, performance and handling similar to the Range Rover Sport, albeit with a greater on-road emphasis. Coming in at just under $80,000, the 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is no easy financial pill to swallow, but even now, with its replacement waiting just off-stage, it's just hard to say anything that bad about an SUV that is equal parts off-road, luxury and performance. Land Rover has kept the Sport fresh with a mess of small tweaks (new wheel and interior color options, etc.), and we thought spending a week with this generation would be a fine sendoff before the all-new 2014 model arrives. Driving Notes First and foremost, the performance of the Range Rover Sport Supercharged is a result of the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 under the hood cranking out 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque. That's enough power to get this almost-three-ton SUV to accelerate from 0-60 in just 5.9 seconds, which is not too far off the pace from a Porsche Cayenne S. Moving that kind of mass takes a lot of fuel, and the engine isn't afraid to suck down the octane – I averaged just over 11 mpg for the week in mostly city driving. My biggest disappointment with this Range Rover was how flat and uninspiring the exhaust note sounded (especially knowing how great the supercharged Jags sound using the same engine). It's very unlikely you're going to see a Range Rover Sport tackling any serious trails, but that's not because it can't. While most Range Rover Sport owners likely consider off-roading to consist of splashing through big puddles in NYC or kicking up sand blown onto Miami Beach's Ocean Drive, the Sport is no less capable off-road than its brethren thanks to its height-adjustable suspension and Terrain Response System. There's even an off-road screen that lets the driver know the articulation of each wheel, whether the differentials are locked and the angle of the front tires. Terrain Response takes the guesswork out of off-road driving by providing five simple modes that are all accessible at the push of a button (yes, the days of locking hubs and manual transfer cases are long gone for most modern off-roaders). Purists might take issue with this system – or similar ones used by Jeep and Ford – but it's hard to argue with the simplicity and user-friendliness that Terrain Response provides. Most of the Terrain Response settings are there to make off-roading easier, but the Range Rover Sport …
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Retail Price
$60,595
MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine | 5.0L V-8 |
MPG | 13 City / 18 Hwy |
Seating | 5 Passengers |
Transmission | 6-spd w/OD |
Power | 375 @ 6500 rpm |
Drivetrain | Terrain Response four-wheel |
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