Range Rover Evoque reviews

When it comes to buying a car there’s always a flagship spec in each model that looks special. Usually with a much more powerful engine, bigger alloys, unique styling features and overall a more expensive look, distinguishing itself from the cheaper “inferior” models. If you want a car that looks like the top of the range model that, to the majority of people, would be indistinguishable to the real thing, then read on. The majority of JLR models come in a range of trims but the only one you need to know about is the R-dynamic. In this thread we are focusing on the evoque so the base model was a D150 2WD Manual (there’s an updated model coming in 2021 which will have a D165 2WD Manual as the base model, but no facelift or any visual changes) the base model from the exterior is very bland, lots of black plastic on the bumpers, small alloys, no tinted windows and not very sporty and starts at £32100. The top of the range autobiography starts at £52110 and comes fully loaded with an exterior body styling kit complete with bonnet vents, sporty front bumper with fender strakes, sporty rear bumper with, albeit fake, dual exhausts, side skirts and 21” alloys. There’s a difference of £20k between these 2 models but, for an extra £1500 you can upgrade the base model to an r-dynamic and have the same exterior looks as the autobiography less the alloys. The only visible difference would be the DTR lights, the autobiography’s are a little more unique but only saddos like me would notice! You can get the 20” black gloss alloys style 5079 brand new with tyres online for £1000, landrover want £2350 for the exact same ones! Get the black styling pack and tinted windows for a total of £1090 and you have a near on identical car to one costing £16410 more! This can be done with the majority of JLR models, if you care more about exterior looks than ridiculously priced interior extras that will hardly be used then this is the way to do it! Obviously if you don’t request the car to be de badged when ordering then everyone will see it’s only a 2l diesel!

Pretty much from day 0 there have been issues with the Evoque - Having already had issues with my Range Rover Sport I should have known better - but it was for the wife who liked it and I thought there would be less to go wrong on the Evoque with no air suspension. Initially the lease was due to commence in October 2015, but due to recalls before they were even sent out, the car was about 6 weeks late! Then almost instantly it had to go to the dealer due to issue which was causing it to be delayed. Emissions sounds about right. Overall the car has performed reasonably,the performance has been reasonable but just as the the RR Sport its the little things - like the front window seal letting water cascade through have been an annoyance. The cost of servicing winds me up - £600 for a couple of filters and a bit of oil - but I suppose the Dealers have to keep with Land Rover's lavish demands for the palace facades that they like to be seen selling out of.

Leasing a 2019 base model auto Evoque from new. Its six months old and has already had a new front wheel bearing, the heated seats fixed as they got hotter when you turned them off, and this week they had the engine out to sort a squeal from the transmission. Picked up car Friday night following latest repair and already I have a rubbing noise coming from the front wheels, the engine management light has come on and the Ad Blue warning light has come on to indicate a dosing problem. So it’s back to the dealer Monday morning to embark on the latest repair saga. The car drives lovely when it works but it doesn’t work often. By far the most unreliable car I have ever leased. And don’t get me started on the cheap plastic fixings under the bonnet. Not impressed.

I’m coming to the end of a 4 year lease for a Range Rover Evoque and have found the experience of running a “prestige” make and model wholly frustrating and underwhelming. This car is beset with petty problems which ruin any sense of having possession of a quality product. The benefit of time and hindsight has allowed me to reflect what a fickle and poorly engineered car this is however when I was dealing initially  with apparently small issues on an individual basis it took me quite a while for the penny to drop what a disappointment this car is.  Early (missed) clues were, for example, the door handle cover for the emergency key fell off within days, once in the driveway and once when on the road resulting in it being lost. Although the car was literally days old Range Rover advised this part wasn’t covered under warranty (I’d have thought it’d be covered under common sense!!) and I’d have to purchase a replacement and the body shop would blend this part in with the rest of the door. It seemed ridiculous that I’d need to pay to replace a poorly fitted part AND have the additional, likely exorbitant cost, of some sort of minor paint job only days after taking delivery of this “prestige” car. Needless to say another solution was found!! Further issues came from recurring unfounded warning messages ranging from tyre pressures to the diesel exhaust filter. This latter warning caught me a few times as it appeared immediately as a red message (no amber advisory) which meant either Land Rover assist or the dealership had to rectify this. I also had several months over which the car was in the dealership about 8 times due to an amber engine management system symbol showing. Attempts by Land Rover to rectify this sometimes lasted a couple of weeks and on two occasions I didn’t make it home before the light was on again. They eventually replaced some parts which, after months, fixed this issue.  I’m aware Range Rover have updated this model but my experience has led me to conclude that I wouldn’t have another one of these fickle, unreliable cars again.

Just completed 1000 miles and although it is early days the car has been fantastic! The new shape Evoque is a completely different car compaired to the outgoing model. Stiffer, roomier, more refined and quality comparable to it's bigger brothers. The old Evoque was good but did not quite live up to the quality of the Range Rover badge - Evoque 2 certainly does! It is a proper Range Rover now and the design is beefier and macho and is no longer a ladies car as the original one tended to be. So fellas, that is the green light. If you can stretch the budget, go for an auto. The entry level is D150, manual and 2 wheel drive. In my opinion Range Rovers should be 4 wheel drive, but then many will not care one iota. 3 month waiting lists but worth the wait and also the Evoque holds its value better than anything else in its class. For me, it is the best looking SUV on the market by a long shot. My advice, is get your order in. It is simply brilliant. Well done Land Rover!

Bought car 2017 and absolutely loved it until problems start. Was not notified of dpf system and frequency to take car for a run but when I got used to it I thought I could live with it. Until it was asking me to clear emissions every 40-60 miles so that would mean 50% of my time driving up and down the dam motorway. I started to do this and explained to the garage the problems but I was met with it was my driving. After 8 times in the garage, finally jaguar decided to clean the exhaust and recalibrate it. This seemed to work so for 5 months it was manageable then the problem arose again. I took pictures of the problem and again was told by everyone it was my driving. I been driving 23 years and never has an exhaust had to be replaced 5 times in less than 2 years. The maunual states it should be195 miles before regeneration needed so it is clear that 40 miles is unacceptable. Talking to roadside assistance they say this is a common fault with manual gears but still no one recognising this fault I am at my wits end

Dreadful loud growling reversing noise first thing in the morning when cold damp weather 1 month after purchasing (car was 8 months old) Has been back to dealers 4 times, they cannot solve it. Contacted Land Rover they don't want to know, they say it's the way I drive! Out of 22 cars in the last 40 years this is the worst car with it's unsolveable defect, and worst customer service ever experienced. Car cost over £37,000 and they cant stop it sounding like a whale. Daren't trust Land Rover or Jaguar now unfortunately.

I purchased my Evoque new from Range Rover and I was assured the car was very reliable and had no reports of any issues. After two weeks of trouble free motoring the phone,radio and even the turning indicating noise stopped working, I took the vehicle right back to Range Rover and they sent a technician to check it out. Before we even got to the car he informed me that some new vehicles had a fault that was being called a software problem and that the vehicle would need an upgrade, I had to wait a month before they had a courtesy car so the problem continued on and off for another 4 weeks. I dropped the car off on the agreed date and was called later that day to inform me the update had been completed and the car was ready for collection, one week later it stopped working again. I had a call from Range Rover the previous day who offered an apology for the trouble I was having and stated they would do all they could to fix the issue, they arranged for the car to go back within a week for further testing to cure the problem. Customer service is very good and the car is in today to be further examined and hopefully permanently fixed. Very disappointed a new car has this problem if it's not 100% fixed today unsure what's next.

Having just p/ex'd my Evoque SD4 Pure last week, shortly after writing a review, for another one but automatic with paddle shifts, satnav, front fog lights, 4 point electric seats, but no automatic opening boot lid like last one had, 3 door instead of 4 door, this upgraded one is a revelation! Lack of boot space and no spare wheel remains an issue. Having given it only one star for reliability due to only having it for a week so too early to say but buying my second one is a compliment to my previous one which I kept for only 20 months.

Having bought a used one 22 months ago, manual driven, my fuel figures has always hovered round the 38-42 mpg, urban & suburban and refuelling when tripmeter reaches 400+ miles. Once drove all the way from outside of south Glasgow all the way to Nairn for a weekend break then back and achieved 560 miles on a full tank. JLR claim that the vehicle can do 600 miles on a full tank so I have to reasonably pleased with what I achieved, mostly using the cruise control since the A9 is a notorious road for speedsters and there are a great many 'vulture' cameras fitted, limiting speeds to 50mph in many areas along that road. Biggest gripe I have is the absence of a spare wheel so purchased a runner along with a jack at a cost of £250 approx. but having said that, there is no where to put it and some owners go to the trouble of removing the polystyrene in the boot to store it. Best make sure that one belongs to a motoring organisation to help out if one doesn't buy this spare otherwise a side wall puncture would result in having to be towed home. I learnt that this is becoming the norm as BMWs, Minis, Smarts, Fords and Toyotas have the same problem having NO spare wheel. Nevertheless, I have sold my Evoque and purchased another used one but automatic this time for no reason other than it was on market for less than the competitors prices, some £2.5k - £3k.

All has been good over more than four years but the small boot is often a problem.

Very comfortable, reliable and well equipped. Stylish. Ride slightly bumpy at slow speeds. Not a huge amount of boot space.

Based on my 6month ownership of my Evoque SD4 Dynamic....... Disappointed with the fact that it is now in the garage for a new gearbox!!.. Will a new, or reconditioned gearbox be fitted? who knows?. Land Rover Assist were very good. Will I enjoy my car as much as I should, having needed a new gearbox after only 7000miles? I don't think so!!.. Am I glad I bought into the JLR dream?...No! Will I buy A Range Rover again?...probably not. I am dreading driving this car after the 3years warranty has expired!!..when it will have only 14000miles on the clock!!

Useless. I have had a new gear box already. Does not work in mud and now engine problems. Avoid. The worst car I have had in 29 years of driving

3 Days of driving this car I really enjoyed every minute, quiet nippy and the design of this vehicle is excellent.

Having read thoroughly through reviews/feedback on the Evoque before taking the plunge to purchase one albeit a second hand one, a SD4 Pure with 38.5k miles on clock, i was surprised that not one owner in the feedback mentioned the hassle of having NO spare wheel at all. If one has a puncture, one needs to use the electric pump which inflates the tyre at the same time filling it with a rubber latex solution but this is useless if one suffers a sidewall puncture and needs make sure that one is a member of any motoring organisation i.e., AA, RAC etc., etc., to tow the vehicle home or wherever. After repairing a puncture the damaged tyre is rendered fit for throwing away and replaced with a new one as tyre repairing companies are not keen on cleaning the rubber latex out unless the owner attempts him/herself. Once done, one must make sure that the puncture is thoroughly cleaned preferably with surgical spirit or likewise otherwise the repair patch will not adhere to the tyre. Solution? buy a space saver tyre on wheel and also a jack & wrench as the vehicle doesn't come with either, BUT where does the space saver go?? Under the boot floor where spare tyre/wheel are usually kept BUT (yet again!) the polystyrene foam block is fixed to the floor and cannot be easily removed without an AWFUL lot of hassle of unscrewing this, removing these parts etc., I have rated the vehicle giving 5*s for Performance, ditto for Comfort, one for Space and Practicality, one on Running Costs & Reliability as I have only had it for a fortnight. Would I buy another one in future? Maybe/maybe not but I have learned that many vehicles now do not have the spare wheel/tyre. Evoques, Minis, Toyotas, & Smart so far that I have heard from owners.

An excellent all round vehicle.

easy using aa good contacts made Watford jaguar were brilliant fab car

Numerous issues. For a vehicle which cost £48000 (many extras added) the manual gearbox leaves much to be desired. Many under £10k vehicles would out perform on this issue. Having test driven another manual Evoque, a very noticeable difference in 'feel' was obvious. Unfortunately the Technical rep for Land Rover did not consider there was an issue. It is "notchy" when changing 1st to 2nd gear. There is frequent clutch judder when changing from 1st to 2nd gear. It is not possible to pull away downhill in 2nd without the same judder. Sometimes there is a slight clunk when engaging 1st as though the clutch is not fully depressed. There is a 'heavy' rattle under some conditions when pulling away and changing through the gears (caused by the underlying engine vibration maybe). Similar comments/problems have appeared on the Evoque Forums. A front light flickers when driving over uneven roads, which we have plenty of in Cornwall!!! Land Rover examined the lights, could find no reason and so the fault persists. The change of radio broadcasting frequencies re DAB etc has thrown up an issue with all Evoques which have a television. To avoid a frequent loud burst of electrical 'crackle' from the speakers, we have all been advised to retune the TV to the USA frequency broadcasts. This stops the interference but renders the TV as unusable!! Problem unsolved after approxiamately 8 weeks +. The outer, bottom of the door seals, by design?, do not seal. Instead, a considerable amount of mess is drawn through the resulting gap and leaves the door threshold very dirty. As the vehicle sits reasonably high off the road, when entering or exiting the vehicle it is difficult to avoid contact with this mess on the backs of your legs, especially trousers. The "required" performance figures for fuel consumption were one of the reasons for purchasing this vehicle. Unfortunately the reality is that even driven very carefully, and I mean very carefully in almost entirely none urban traffic, I am achieving considerably less miles per gallon than expected. Down by at least 20% on 'Government' figures. The 2.2 diesel engine is noisy. Lift the bonnet and the unmistakable sound of a rattling diesel engine hits you immediately. Having driven a 3 litre BMW 330 diesel powered M Sport Convertible from new, I know that refinement of diesel engines is possible. Maybe this just needs the extra cylinders to enable it to purr as the BMW did! The vehicle is comfortable, handles well, looks good but should I have paid £48000 to Land Rover or bought an alternative, saved loads and had a holiday? The look, finish of the interior and comfort, just swing the decision. Would I purchase another? Only when the 2014 changes to gearbox, better engine hopefully, and fuel efficiency improvements have been shown to be genuinely successful. Regards Peterjh

an excellent car ,well designed with excellent performance. the only complaint is the hard suspension when driving on poor road surfaces.