2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The Range Rover Sport is offered in a variety of trim levels and there are three of them as the basic classification. The more powerful SVR variants are reviewed separately. The three trims are called SE, HSE and HSE Dynamic. No matter which one you pick, you would not feel that the car is ill equipped in any way. It offers in terms of features and very capable powertrains. All the engines drive all four wheels via a very capable four-wheel-drive powertrain and an eight speed automatic transmission. You also get several optional packages to personalize the car.

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The Range Rover Sport is a very well-equipped trim level that offers features that are very much on par with the best of luxury SUVs. For this reason, it feels very well equipped and does not need much in terms of options. And to this extent, you get several very desirable features such as 23 speaker Meridian sound system, quad-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control with automatic emergency braking, towing package, rear-seat entertainment system, and so on. But out as the trims offered, we feel that the best pick is the HSE Dynamic which is offered for $70,645. We recommend you add the options you need on top of this trim and get yourself a very capable midsize luxury SUV.

The 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport comes with a 3.0 L V-6 that makes 340 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque. This engine is connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The drivetrain is four wheel drive by default as is the norm for every single Land Rover that it can find. To make it very capable off-road, you get the Terrain Response 2 features. On top of this, it offers you class leading towing capacity of 9000 pounds which hardly sounds believable for a luxury SUV. If this turns out to be insufficient, however, one can equip the towing package.

If you look at the numbers, you can see that the car performs very well in terms of acceleration. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.9 seconds and go on to complete the quarter-mile in just 13.2 seconds which is definitely fast for an SUV of this size. It also has excellent road manners considering the weight and can handle quite beautifully. The steering is also precise and direct and weighs up very well when you gain speed inspiring you to drive the car even harder. The ride quality is excellent and will keep you isolated from any road bump.

Despite its heavy performance credentials, the Range Rover Sport finds itself in the category with very heavy competition. Both the and the BMW X6 and Audi Q7 are slightly faster. The Audi is also offered at a much lower price which makes it an excellent pick if you’re after performance. However, if you are after the sportiest car out of this bunch, that would be the Porsche Cayenne without a doubt. All have V-6 engines except the Audi and amazing performance credentials along with towing capacity and other practical features. The Range Rover can be a bit down on performance when you look at it on paper but remains very competitive on the road and off it. This dominance ]in off-road performance is unique to the Range Rover.

The 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is not expected to perform extremely well in fuel efficiency figures because the brand has never had the reputation of being thrifty with fuel. That assumption does not turn out to be very far from the truth as the EPA also estimates 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway which is nothing to write home about. And the car returns you only 19 MPG in the combined cycle which means that driving it around will be an expensive affair. The four-wheel-drive system, sips a bit more fuel than its all-wheel-drive counterparts. It has a tank with a capacity of 27.6 gallons, and this gets you a decent range of 469 miles in the city and 634 miles on the highway.

The fact that Audi has gone for a 2 L four-cylinder engine in the Q7 is so that they can achieve excellent fuel efficiency figures. This proves to be true as the car has class leading figures despite having a smaller fuel tank. The Porsche and BMW X6 are nearly at par in terms of the fuel efficiency figures but the Porsche has better range due to the larger fuel tank. The Range Rover has no EPA rated fuel efficiency but it has the largest tank in this class at 27.6 gallons. This gives it class leading range.

The interiors of the Land Rover are exceptionally nice and have a very good design as well as material quality throughout. Although all of its German rivals have excellent interiors as well, there is something about the Land Rover that makes it stand out. The British manufacturer also offers you a seven seat variant of this car which makes it incredibly practical. The material quality is even better than what you can find on the Porsche and the BMW due to the use of wood and metal inlays as well as top-notch plastics.

The ergonomics are also very nice, and the space offered is very generous. The car has average cargo space considering its size, measuring just 27.5 ft.³. This drops down a bit when you equip the third row seats but still is considerably large. The seats are very supportive and there are lots of storage options inside. The convenience features list is very long and can keep you properly pampered inside the SUV. Overall, its interiors are very nice.

All cars in this category seat five adults very comfortably while the Audi Q7 seats seven by default. The Range Rover also has this option but the seats are equally cramped in both of them. The Range Rover Sport offers the highest cargo space in the segment and can make room for more cargo with folded down seats. One also easily notices just how big the difference is in terms of legroom offered as well making the Range Rover a very luxurious prospect. The main interior features of the SUV include:

• Audio And Cruise Controls On Steering Wheel
• Cruise Control
• Keyless Ignition
• Climate Control
• Dual Illuminating Vanity Mirrors
• Electro chromatic Inside Rearview Mirror
• Leather And Simulated Alloy Steering Wheel
• Rear View Camera
• Tilt And Telescopic Steering Wheel
• Universal Remote Transmitter
• Interior Air Filtration

How intuitive is the infotainment system in the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport?

The infotainment system is one of the only weak points of this car and it is an 8-inch touchscreen that has simple graphics. We are not very impressed with it and the centrally mounted unit has been around for a small while now. It has begun to feel the effects of its age in the form of slower responses every now and then. One of its only highlight is that it smartphone integration suite is rather nice. Other than this, it can definitely improve a lot. The British manufacturer offers you an excellent sound system however. The standout infotainment features of the Range Rover’s infotainment system include:

• AM./FM stereo
• 19 speaker Meridian premium sound system
• Satellite radio
• USB, iPod, and auxiliary audio
• Subwoofer
• 8 inch touchscreen system

The exterior styling of the Range Rover Sport is one of the nicest we can find around. It is one of the only SUVs that does not have a crossover SUV-esque design. It is truly a rugged in terms of appearance and is that way when you take it off the road. It is a design that makes you feel that it is a huge car no matter which angle you see it from. It is also offered in a wide range of colors and the finishes making it a truly exciting car. It is also quite heavy at 4727 pounds. It is an SUV that retains the traditional SUV proportions and hence looks much better than its competitors.

Although the Range Rover Sport is a huge vehicle, it feels small when you compare it with the dimensions of the competitors. The Audi Q7 is the largest measuring 199 inches in length, while the Porsche Cayenne is the widest at 78.7 inches in width. The Range Rover is the tallest car in this category with 70.1 inches height but is 7.9 inches above the ground. This ground clearance is not exactly the best but it still makes the car to the best off-road of the lot. The main exterior features of the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport include:

• Rear Defrost
• Privacy Glass
• Power Windows
• Panoramic Roof
• Sun/Moonroof
• Running Boards
• Power Retractable Running Boards
• Rear Spoiler

When talking about safety ratings of certain manufacturers, we tend to take some things for granted. Land Rover is one of those companies. The Range Rover Sport has not been crash-tested by the NHTSA and the IIHS. However, it is built by a company that is generally known to build very safe cars. It is provided with a lot of safety equipment as well as excellent structural engineering which makes it incredibly safe. Some safety features of the 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport include:

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact Beams
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Front And Rear Parking Sensors
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front Airbags
• Curtain 1st And 2nd Row Airbags
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor
• Driver And Passenger Knee Airbag
• Rear Child Safety Locks
• Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts -inc Rear Center 3 Point, Height Adjusters and Pretensioners
• Parkview Back-Up Camera

2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Vs. 2017 BMW X6

The BMW X6 is the first SUV coupé and continues to innovate on that philosophy. It is much different when you compare it to the Range Rover as the latter is a very rugged and truly capable car. The BMW X6 offers good performance for a lower price as well as good fuel efficiency but fits at a very different use case. Also, compared to the Range Rover, it feels more like an everyday car and less of an occasion. The Range Rover is also more rewarding to drive.

2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs. 2017 Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche Cayenne is the most sporty SUV and stays true to the German brand’s philosophy of building cars from the racetrack. However, it is not a car that is as optimized for off-road use as the Range Rover is. It comes with a lot of functional advantages but has been compromised in terms of its several factors where the Range Rover easily tops it. The Porsche is not nearly as well equipped as the Range Rover as well. Hence, we would pick the British icon.

2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs. 2017 Audi Q7

The Audi Q7 is an irresistible pick in the segment because it is offered at the lowest price of the lot. And for this amount, it offers excellent performance, seating for seven people, good quality interiors as well as a wide range of convenience features. However, one of its only disadvantages is that it does not feel as aesthetically pleasing or special as the Land Rover which feels much more plush and unique. If you’re driven by practical reasons however, you would appreciate the extra fuel efficiency you get from the Audi as well.

The 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is a performance-oriented midsize luxury SUV that is as rugged as it gets. It is also incredibly luxurious and gives you one of the best experiences in the automotive world when it comes to a wide range of applications. It is still the truest expression of what an SUV should be like and pulls off everything thrown at it with ease. We would definitely recommend this car to anybody who’s an enthusiast. The fuel efficiency of this car might be a little low but spending a little extra to keep it running is very rewarding.