‘Owning a Range Rover has become a bit tacky’
On Wednesday, The Telegraph’s consumer champion, Katie Morley, wrote how Range Rovers are becoming too expensive for many owners to keep.
According to our consumer champion, the much sought-after brand has become a “victim of its own success”, having become increasingly more vulnerable to theft.
As a result of this crime wave, sales have been affected and the cars have become almost uninsurable.
A spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover, however, has said: “DVLA data shows that there has been a near 30 per cent decrease in Range Rover Sport thefts in the past year.
“Our progress is, in part, due to the £10 million that we have invested as a business in not only improving the security of our next-gen and previous model year vehicles but also by taking a leading role in supporting UK law enforcement as they tackle vehicle theft as whole which benefits all manufacturers, not just us.”
Despite being a supposed nation of Range Rover lovers – with three times more registered Range Rovers in the UK than there were before the launch of the Evoque – the sentiment of Telegraph readers highlights a divide in opinion on the brand.
The introduction around a decade ago of smaller and cheaper Evoques meant that Range Rovers were no longer just the preserve of the very wealthy. For some Telegraph readers, this has not been welcomed and has destroyed their appeal.
‘The new ones are pure urban bling’
Reader Simon Burke, who has owned two Range Rovers, says owning one now “has become a bit tacky”.
In a similar vein, Alison Hopkins shared her view: “If people are prepared to bankrupt themselves to show off a Range Rover just to keep up with the neighbours, then it serves them right. I’ve never seen the point of a car as a status symbol.
“I have a 2016 Peugeot 308 estate to transport the dog and a Peugeot 308 CC for me. Both paid in cash, so I don’t owe anybody anything for them. They do the job they were bought for and that’s all they need to do.
“I could afford to buy something more flash, but what’s the point?” she concludes.
For Andrew Lynch, Evoques are “not real Range Rovers, they are just a premium badged SUV”.
He argues: “Even the new Range Rovers are becoming ridiculous – the originals looked as good on a grouse moor or farmhouse drive as they did outside the Ritz, but the new ones are pure urban bling and look ridiculous in the countryside, which is where their DNA is from.”
For another anonymous reader, who made the move from a Range Rover to a Kia, other alternatives are much better value for money.
Believing it to be the best decision they have made about a car, they say: “The Kia is half the price to insure (maybe more now as Range Rovers have become uninsurable), uses half the amount of fuel and is in the cheap £150-ish road tax band compared to the £500-ish tax band. It came with three years free servicing, as opposed to the £450-ish a go Range Rover servicing, and also a seven year warranty to boot.”
In terms of insurance, according to Jaguar Land Rover, “since the launch of our branded product in October we have provided more than 11,000 insurance solutions to clients and we continue to work hard to expand our offering even further.”
However, for other Telegraph readers, the brand’s stratospheric success is absolutely justified.
‘A better value for money car when it comes to luxury and comfort you will not find’
Reader Baron Watson advocates their value for money. He shares, “I’ve only ever owned Range Rovers, never bought new. I buy them at two years old and keep them for three or four years. They have many problems and are far from perfect, but a better value for money car when it comes to luxury and comfort you will not find.”
Meanwhile, Eric Nelson, praises their practicality and versatility: “We own two Land Rovers, neither of them were bought new and neither are a school gate taxi.
“What other five or more seated vehicles can pull a cattle trailer, climb a 1:10 mud slope or cross sheet ice and still look good enough to turn up at a wedding in after a quick pressure wash? If city dwellers stopped buying them, the people they were intended for could use them for their intended purpose at realistic prices.”
Simon Spall shares a similar sentiment: “I’m on my fourth new one at the moment, they are truly fabulous to drive. We live in Norfolk and I work in agriculture and I have to say I’ve found no better vehicle to drive both on and off road. I’ve tried the German offerings, and they are good, but in my mind just not as practical.”
Another reader Hercules Fortescue owns an Evoque and commends its reliability. He says it’s the “most reliable car I have ever owned”.
He continues: “95,000 miles in four years with zero (yes, zero) problems. It costs me around £500 to insure. Don’t believe everything you read and hear.”
Despite the alleged shift in image for many, some still aspire to own a Range Rover.
John Bidmead, for example, thinks they’re “great looking vehicles, British built and excellent to drive. If people want to buy them, that’s up to them because I can see no difference in that or the alternatives such as the BMW X5 or a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.
“We should be proud of the fact that Britain actually produces something people aspire to. I wish I could afford one, but I live in hope that one day they will produce a smaller, less expensive model with the same luxury and kudos as their larger relatives.”
According to Jaguar Land Rover, “DVLA data shows that there has been a near 30 per cent decrease in Range Rover Sport thefts in the past year.
“Our progress is, in part, due to the £10 million that we have invested as a business in not only improving the security of our next-gen and previous model year vehicles but also by taking a leading role in supporting UK law enforcement as they tackle vehicle theft as whole which benefits all manufacturers, not just us.
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