Land Rover Range Rover Evoque SUV HSE R-Dynamic D240 auto 5d Owner Review

Never had an SUV before, always driven saloons, and absolutely loved the 2 x BMW 5 series I previously owned ... but this Evoque is different gravy, a massive step up. I hesitated before taking the plunge because I was aware of the Land Rover reputation for poor reliability, and also the less than flattering reviews for the original Evoque. However, this new version of the Evoque is just fantastic. It drives so smoothly, it goes round bends as if on rails, the D240 engine has got so much punch I rarely use it all ... and best of all is the comfort factor. Lovely comfy seats and the quietest cabin I've ever experienced. Even at Motorway speeds you could whisper to your passengers and they would hear you easily. The infotainment system is superb, I love the 3 big TV screens that are the major core of the system, Apple Car Play is standard offering and the car is even its own WiFi hub, so you can boost the WiFi on the kiddies tablets/phones/Switch etc. My wife uses it to watch BBC I-Player on her phone as we drive, to save her phone data from being gobbled up! I will certainly give serious consideration to getting another Evoque when this one gets too old, but like all things in life, the car isn't perfect. I'm not happy with the MPG. I eke it out as best I can by never driving hard or full pelt, and try and do as much motorway driving as I can, but I still get barely above 34mpg, although in fairness it is a big heavy motor. The car also sometimes has a slight lag in opening up the infotainment system. I've seen this mentioned by other reviewers on different sites, so it's clearly a design or a software issue. Its not annoying enough to put me off recommending the car, but it can be a bit disconcerting to be actually in driving mode, and the 3 screens still haven't come to life! All in all I wholeheartedly recommend this car .... but be aware it comes at a hefty price!!