2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Volume trim is the SE/HSE with the 3.0L supercharged V6, the standard engine across the bulk of the 2017 lineup.

Peak torque of the volume V6 supercharged powertrain.

Manufacturer-quoted 0-60 for the 340 hp V6 supercharged model, which some outlets measured slightly quicker.

The supercharged V6 is praised for linear, lag-free power delivery (no turbo lag by design) and a refined soundtrack, though it feels less muscular than the V8 options at low RPM.

The ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic shifts crisply and rarely hunts, a consistent strength of this platform across reviews.

Maximum conventional towing rating when properly equipped, consistent across the 2017 engine lineup.

Full-time all-wheel drive is standard on every 2017 trim, with a two-speed transfer case, Terrain Response 2 and an available electronic locking rear differential — among the most sophisticated systems in the segment.

Genuine off-road hardware: Terrain Response 2, two-speed transfer case, adjustable air suspension raising ground clearance, 33°/31° approach/departure angles and up to 850mm wading depth.

Four distinct tunes were offered in 2017 — a 3.0L supercharged V6 gas, a 3.0L Td6 turbodiesel V6, a 5.0L supercharged V8 (Autobiography), and the 575 hp SVR tune — but all are conventional ICE; no hybrid or plug-in option existed until the 2018 P400e.

EPA combined rating for the volume V6 supercharged gas powertrain.

EPA city rating for the V6 supercharged powertrain.

EPA highway rating for the V6 supercharged powertrain.

Combined range estimated from the published 27.7-gallon fuel tank and EPA combined MPG; Land Rover does not publish a range figure directly.

EPA annual fuel cost estimate at standard assumptions; exceeds the SUV normalization band's worst end, reflecting both low MPG and premium fuel.

Premium unleaded is specified across the gas engine range, adding a real per-fill-up cost penalty versus regular-fuel rivals.

NHTSA has never crash-tested the Range Rover Sport (any generation); low US sales volume means JLR vehicles are routinely omitted from the federal NCAP testing pool.

IIHS has not published crashworthiness tests for the Range Rover Sport either, so no Top Safety Pick award is possible and no independent verification of structural safety exists for a vehicle marketed on luxury SUV credentials.

For 2017 Land Rover made Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Warning standard across the range (new for MY2017), but Blind Spot Assist, Rear Traffic Monitor, Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist and Lane Keep Assist all require the optional Drive Pro Pack rather than coming standard.

AEB (stereo-camera based, forward collision warning + automatic braking) became standard for 2017, but neither IIHS nor NHTSA published front crash prevention test results for this vehicle, so independent performance verification is absent.

Blind Spot Assist and rear traffic monitoring are available fleet-wide as part of the optional Drive Pro Pack (alert-based, not standard equipment) rather than being locked to only the top trim.

Lane Departure Warning is standard, but Lane Keep Assist is optional (Drive Pro Pack) and, typical of 2017-era systems, intervenes with a corrective tug rather than true lane centering.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist (stop-and-go capability) is available via the optional Drive Pro Pack, giving capable low-speed ACC, but there is no combined highway/lane-centering assist feature on the 2017 Range Rover Sport.

No hands-free highway driving system (supervised or otherwise) was offered on the Range Rover Sport in this era; the most advanced option is Queue Assist stop-and-go ACC, which still requires hands on the wheel.

Bi-xenon headlights are standard with adaptive Xenon/LED headlights and High Beam Assist available via the Climate Comfort & Visibility package; IIHS has not published a headlight rating for this model, so the estimate is based on segment norms for 2017 xenon systems rather than an independent test.

Front and side sightlines are rated good from the commanding, low-relative seating position, but rearward visibility is restricted by large rear headrests; a surround-view camera is available as an option to compensate.

LATCH anchors are present and reachable in the outboard rear positions with accessible upper tethers, but at least one contemporary review describes the hardware as requiring extra effort to use for both forward- and rear-facing seats; the center rear position is tight for a third seat.

The volume SE trim is a 5-seat, 2-row configuration; the optional third row is a child-size jump seat, not a true 7-seat layout.

Competitive front headroom for a mid-size luxury SUV, in line with the segment band.

Front legroom sits mid-band for the segment, unremarkable but not cramped.

Generous second-row headroom, a strength of the tall L494 greenhouse.

Adult-friendly second-row legroom, mid-pack for a mid-size luxury SUV.

A rarely-ordered, optional kids-only third row with tight access and no space for adults even on short trips.

Below-average cargo volume for a mid-size luxury SUV with the second row in place.

Max cargo volume is at the low end of the segment band once the rear seats are folded flat.

A reasonably sized console and door bins but no standout storage innovation versus segment rivals.

Leather seating with heated fronts standard is well regarded for daily comfort, though reviewers note firmer bolstering than the full-size Range Rover.

Reviews split: Consumer Reports flagged a stiff, choppy ride as the car's biggest shortcoming, while Edmunds credits the standard air suspension with avoiding the harshness of sport-tuned rivals.

Generally composed highway refinement typical of the segment; no specific noise complaints surfaced in available reviews, estimated from segment norms.

Heated front seats are standard, with heated/ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, and rear climate control available as the trim climbs, typical for the segment rather than class-leading.

Entry-trim MSRP for the 2017 Range Rover Sport SE with the supercharged V6; the diesel SE trim ran slightly higher at $67,650.

HSE was the most common configuration for the 2017 Range Rover Sport in the US, sitting above base SE with added equipment.

Industry 5-year estimate; RepairPal separately rates the nameplate's reliability at 2.5/5.0 with above-average repair frequency and severity, so real-world costs on an aging example can run well above this estimate once the warranty lapses.

The Range Rover Sport is a well-documented poor depreciator, losing roughly 64% of value over 5 years — among the steepest in the luxury SUV class.

Standard Land Rover New Vehicle Limited Warranty for the 2017 model year.

Land Rover's 2017 powertrain warranty ran the same 4-year/50,000-mile term as the basic warranty, shorter than many rivals' separate longer powertrain terms.

For the 2017 model year, Land Rover did not standardly bundle complimentary scheduled maintenance — it was sold as an optional prepaid plan — but 24-hour roadside assistance and towing were included for the warranty term, landing this in the basic-roadside-only band.

$70,650 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (36.4% retained, or about $25,717) leaves about $44,933 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,113 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $51,046 in total.

Consumer Reports does not publish a predicted-reliability verdict for the 2017 Range Rover Sport, but owner-sourced data is consistently poor: RepairPal rates this model year 2.0/5 overall, ranking #19 of 20 in its Luxury Fullsize SUV class, and J.D. Power consumer ratings lean heavily on resale/styling rather than dependability for this generation.

Land Rover sat at or near the bottom of J.D. Power's dependability rankings across this era — the 2017 VDS (surveying 2014 model-year vehicles, the Range Rover Sport's launch year) showed only a modest PP100 improvement off a very weak base, and the brand rounded out the bottom five least-dependable makes again in the 2018 study.

The 2017 model year was named in a safety-critical front suspension knuckle recall covering 2014-2017 Range Rover/Range Rover Sport trucks (upper knuckle joint crack risk, possible suspension arm detachment at speed), plus a driver's seat belt retractor recall and a fuel gauge/engine management software recall that could cut the engine off unexpectedly — a higher-severity cluster than typical for a single model year.

The supercharged V6/V8 and diesel engines offered on the 2017 Sport carry a documented pattern of timing chain stretch, turbocharger failure, and piston-cooling-jet solenoid faults that owner/reliability trackers flag as concentrated specifically in the 2017-2018 model years, on top of the chronic air-suspension and electrical issues shared across the generation.

Reviewers consistently praise the 2017 cabin as a class leader for material richness — standard grained leather, available perforated Oxford leather, real wood veneers, and 18-way power/massaging front seats, with little hard plastic criticized even in secondary touch points.

Physical assembly and panel fit draw few owner complaints, but this model year's dominant early-ownership gripes are electronic rather than structural — frequent touchscreen malfunctions and infotainment glitches pull the fit-and-finish picture down from top-tier despite strong perceived material quality.

Land Rover's US dealer footprint was (and remains) far smaller and more metro-concentrated than mass-market or most luxury rivals, and the brand's service-satisfaction standing in this era trailed the luxury-SUV segment average.

Parts are dealer-centric and expensive, and the standard air suspension on this generation is a well-documented high-cost wear item, with air-spring and compressor repairs commonly running into four figures; aftermarket support remains thin relative to mainstream brands.

The new-for-2017 InControl Touch Pro 10.2-inch touchscreen replaced the outgoing 8-inch unit, a major mid-cycle upgrade.

InControl Touch Pro was a clear improvement over the laggy Touch Plus it replaced, adding tablet-style pinch/zoom and faster response, but it still trailed the best systems of its era.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto arrived on the 2017 Touch Pro system as a wired-only Smartphone Pack add-on (not all trims at launch), well short of standard wireless projection.

InControl Touch Pro carried built-in voice control and native navigation that were functional but not class-leading, typical for the era.

A Meridian-branded premium audio system was available as an upgrade over the standard system, a recognized strength for Land Rover/Jaguar products of this era.

A 12.3-inch configurable TFT cluster was optional (not standard on the volume SE trim), and NHTSA recall 17V679000 covered intermittent blanking of that cluster on 2017 models, denting its quality case.

Land Rover offered a dealer/software-level update path that later added CarPlay/Android Auto to 2016-2018 Touch Pro cars, but this was a one-off feature add rather than ongoing whole-vehicle OTA.

The InControl Remote app covers the core remote functions (fuel level, vehicle locate, door/window status, remote climate start) without the richer digital-key feature set that came later.

2017-era ports were USB-A only with no wireless charging pad offered, typical but dated compared to this calibration's modern USB-C/wireless-charging leaders.

Proximity keyless entry and push-button start were standard, with app-based remote start/climate through InControl Remote, short of phone-as-key.

A surround-view camera system with parking sensors was available (Driver Assist pack), aiding low-speed and off-road maneuvers, though not standard on the volume trim.

A head-up display projecting speed and navigation cues was offered as an option, not standard on the volume SE trim.

Wide door openings and a raised seating position ease car-seat installation, but the only 5-seat volume configuration and tight optional third row limit family flexibility versus mid-size family SUVs.

Automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning/keep assist were standard, but the vehicle was never crash-tested by NHTSA or IIHS, leaving no independent crashworthiness data for families to weigh.

Comfortable front and rear seating and decent legroom suit multi-hour family trips, but limited cargo volume (27.7 cu ft) behind the second row is a real constraint with luggage and gear aboard.

A commanding driving position and composed low-speed manners make it relaxing in traffic, tempered by heavy, low-feedback steering noted in period reviews.

The volume 3.0L supercharged V6 returns only 17/23 mpg city/highway and requires premium fuel, well below segment-average running costs, and Land Rover maintenance is comparatively expensive.

A roughly 39.7 ft curb-to-curb turning circle and full-size footprint make tight urban parking a chore, partly offset by the optional surround camera system.

A 3,500 kg (≈7,716 lb) braked towing rating is strong for a unibody luxury SUV, though there is no bed or dedicated cargo/work-hauling provision.

Land Rover's air suspension and complex electronics of this era carry a reputation for reliability issues rather than fleet-proven toughness, making it a poor fit for abusive daily work duty.

A luxury-trimmed cabin with leather surfaces and no dedicated tie-downs, onboard power outlets, or upfit ecosystem leaves it ill-suited to jobsite use.

Comfortable, quiet highway cruising with standard ADAS (AEB, lane keep assist) supports long hauls, though a 17/23 mpg gas V6 means more frequent fuel stops than segment leaders.

Standard Terrain Response, height-adjustable air suspension (278 mm ground clearance), and strong approach/departure angles make this one of the most genuinely off-road-capable vehicles in its class.

Flat-folding rear seats expand cargo to 62.2 cu ft and a 7,716 lb tow rating lets it haul trailers of gear, though absolute cargo volume behind the second row lags segment rivals.

Reviewers singled out the Range Rover Sport for unusually composed, tied-down handling for a 2.5-ton luxury SUV, a genuine strength for the class.

Steering is accurate enough to place the vehicle but reviewers describe it as heavy with little genuine feedback to the driver.

No specific brake complaints or standout praise surfaced in available period reviews; scored as adequate and typical for the segment.

The supercharged 3.0L V6 paired with the ZF 8-speed automatic was well-regarded for smooth, well-calibrated shifts and responsive power delivery.

The supercharged V6 produces a pleasant, muted supercharger whine rather than an intrusive drone, in line with segment expectations.

A turning circle toward the wider end of the mid-size SUV band, consistent with the vehicle's full-size footprint.

The commanding, upright Range Rover driving position with excellent outward visibility is a long-standing brand strength, carried over to the Sport.

Surprisingly engaging for its size and weight, with the supercharged V6's character and composed handling earning enthusiast praise, though heavy, numb steering caps outright driver enjoyment.

Base SE trim included leather seating, 8-way power front seats, Terrain Response, an 8-inch touchscreen and a reasonable safety-tech set for the era — competitive but not class-leading given the premium price of entry.

Reviewers consistently positioned the Range Rover Sport as a premium-priced choice versus the Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5 and Audi Q7 — content and performance per dollar trailed those rivals even as off-road capability led them.

Wide 2017 lineup spanning SE, HSE, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography and SVR trims across V6 supercharged gas, Td6 diesel and V8 supercharged powertrains, from $65,650 to $111,350.

19,153 US units in 2017 made it Land Rover's best-selling nameplate (about a quarter of brand volume) even as JLR set a brand sales record, though RRS volume itself slipped slightly from 21,612 in 2016 ahead of the 2018 facelift.

Land Rover carries a strong aspirational, off-road-heritage brand halo that supports Range Rover Sport demand, tempered by a well-known reliability reputation that keeps it from the top band.

Land Rover dealers historically held close to MSRP on the Range Rover Sport, with only modest ($1-2k) markdowns in-cycle; meaningful discounting ($4-5k) only appeared on leftover 2017 units once the 2018 facelift arrived.

The L494-generation Range Rover Sport launched for 2014, making 2017 its fourth model year on an unchanged platform; Land Rover announced the facelifted 2018 model at the LA Auto Show in late 2017, so the 2017 example was a known lame-duck year ahead of a refresh.

Generally well-reviewed for on-road dynamics, luxury and class-leading off-road ability (Motor1 8/10), but rarely the outright winner in mainstream luxury-SUV comparison tests against the Porsche Cayenne or BMW X5, and reliability concerns were a recurring knock.