Talking Cars 405: Driving the Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Main theme: On this podcast episode we give our first driving impressions of the redesigned 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. With two mild-hybrid supercharged/turbocharged six-cylinder engines, a plug-in hybrid, a twin-turbo V8, and eventually a full electric model, there will be a configuration of the Range Rover Sport to satisfy just about any would-be customer. We discuss the ways in which the Sport has been refined with more traditional Range Rover virtues, including a smoother ride and a quieter cabin. And we debate whether its newfound refinement gives it a better luxury-to-performance quotient than SUV competitors such as the Genesis GV80 and Porsche Cayenne. 

We also delve into the new Range Rover Sport’s worst aspect—its convoluted controls—and explain how they result in a mildly frustrating daily experience, even once you’re familiar with their nuances. This is a common concern with other Land Rovers, as well.

Audience question: The Lexus NX had very strong reliability ratings since it was redesigned for 2015. Yet I noticed that, all of a sudden in 2021, the 2017 model (which I purchased and still own) dropped down to just average reliability, with reported problems in nine areas. Why would a seemingly excellent car in the middle of its seven-year model run fall so far in reliability?