LIKES
- Ride/handling balance
- Off-road supremacy
- Stylish exterior
- Decadent interior
DISLIKES
- Hefty price
- Skimpy third row
- Too many engine choices?
BUYING TIP
The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport satisfies drivers who want every kind of capability in one showy package.
What kind of vehicle is the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport? What does it compare to?
The 2021 Range Rover Sport is a luxurious SUV equally at home on- or off-road. Shop it against the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, BMW X5, and Volvo XC90.
Is the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport a good car/SUV?
Absolutely, and Land Rover knows it. There’s no bargain in this lineup, but the Range Rover Sport represents a masterful balance between performance, capability, and comfort. It’s a 7.8 out of 10 on our scale.
What's new for the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
This year, the Range Rover Sport adds a few new special editions as well as a more advanced climate control filtration system.
The Sport’s body and interior have lines that clearly echo the bigger Range Rover, albeit with a deceptive lower-to-the-ground appearance. The Sport is just as capable when the going gets rough, especially with optional off-road goodies that give it the kind of four-wheeling tech needed to explore the great outdoors.
Of course, we recognize that most Sports will never leave the pavement, and that’s all right. These SUVs ride and handle exceptionally well. A slew of engine choices—from frugal turbodiesel and plug-in hybrid to thirsty but powerful V-8s—will give you a full day of test-driving, should your budget allow. Most buyers will wind up with the base inline-6, and that’s no bad thing. It’s plenty powerful and really not all that thirsty given the performance. Expect around 20 mpg with the inline-6.
The Sport is plush and comfortable inside, with good room in rows one and two. The optional third row is for kids only, and even then there are more spacious SUV and van choices that make more sense for big families.
These SUVs come loaded with tech, including twin touchscreens that handle audio, climate, and vehicle settings. There’s a lot to unpack with these, though standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility can take the edge off.
The Range Rover Sport has mass on its side, which should help in a collision, but crash tests haven’t been performed by the IIHS or the NHTSA. Also, adaptive cruise control is an optional extra on every Sport—plan to pay up for it if you intend to hit the open road.
How much does the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport cost?
The 2021 Range Rover Sport starts at around $70,000, a price that can be doubled with bigger engines and decadent features.
Where is the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport made?
In England.
Styling
The 2021 Range Rover Sport takes its big brother’s looks and distills them to more palatable proportions.
Is the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport a good-looking car?
The Range Rover Sport is a stylish choice among big SUVs, and it’s just as attractive in base SE form as it is all tarted up with SVR go-fast, look-fast bits. We rate it at 9 out of 10.
The mid-size Rover shares much of its style with the bigger Range Rover, including its wide grille and clamshell-style hood, though its shorter wheelbase gives it proportions more in scale with its styling. The available black roof is an attractive style accent with certain colors, too.
Inside, the twin touchscreens are surrounded by gorgeous trims in every version, though the more you spend the nicer it gets in here. Plan to shop carefully as Land Rover will let you customize the upholstery, the door and dash trims, and even the headliner.
Performance
Few vehicles are as versatile as the 2021 Range Rover Sport.
Is the Land Rover Range Rover Sport 4WD?
Of course, and even though it may have Sport in its name, this SUV is off-road-ready in every form. Base versions have a single-speed transfer case, however, so shop carefully if you plan to get muddy. The $1,800 Off-Road pack adds the two-speed transfer case plus various off-road traction controls and modes standard on higher-trim Sports.
How fast is the Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
Base Sports use a 3.0-ltier inline-6 rated at a plentiful 355 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque, though the HST ups those figures to 395 hp and 406 lb-ft. This engine is plenty powerful and its mild-hybrid tech helps it save fuel while cruising.
Two decidedly different fuel misers are on offer: the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 rated at 254 hp and a hefty 443 lb-ft of torque or the plug-in hybrid in P400e versions that puts out 398 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. Neither is perfect, but they’re both good options. The turbodiesel suffers from a hint of off-throttle lag, after which power pours on like warm maple syrup. The P400e can feel jerky at times, though that’s a fair tradeoff for nearly 20 miles of electric-only driving. The P400e may be perfect for your commute.
V-8 versions are very fast—and very expensive. The supercharged V-8 puts out between 518 and 575 horsepower, depending on tune, and as much as 516 lb-ft of torque in the SVR.
Nearly every version of the Sport will top 5,000 pounds with a tank of fuel and even the skinniest of drivers aboard, yet these big SUVs handle like much smaller vehicles. Credit is due to a brilliant air suspension that rises to the occasion for 9.3 inches of ground clearance at the tap of a button or hunkers down to improve cornering on a twisty road and airflow at speed.
SVR versions are tighter yet; they absolutely put the Sport in this SUV’s name.
One tip: vanity comes at a price. Taller wheels mean shorter sidewalls, which can give the Sport a somewhat flinty ride. If the roads near you look post-apocalyptic, pick the smallest wheels that will fit over those big, strong brakes.
Comfort & Quality
The 2021 Range Rover Sport pampers for everyone, except third-row riders.
It may be smaller than the full-size Range Rover, but the Sport is nearly as decadent inside. We rate it at a solid 10 out of 10, even accounting for a stingy third row option.
The front seats are throne-like comfortable. The commanding view out is standard, while 16 ways of adjustment, cooling, heating, and massaging are optional extras. Rear-seat riders have a decent 37 inches of rear leg room. Not as impressive as the big Range, but still plenty for most passengers.
Cargo space is good, but not spectacular. Look for just under 28 cubic feet with row two upright, and a little more than double that with the second row folded. The optional third row is OK for two small kids, but uninhabitable for average-height adults.
Safety
The 2021 Range Rover Sport hasn’t been crash-tested.
How safe is the Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
Since neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA have crashed the Range Rover Sport, we can’t assign a score for this big SUV.
Standard fare is good: automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and parking sensors. Most versions add automatic high-beam headlights, though blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera system are optional on many Sports. Look for the Drive Pro Pack, or the pricier Driver Assist Pack that tosses in Land Rover’s most advanced tech.
Features
The Range Rover Sport is a proper luxury SUV in any form.
The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is well-equipped and offers seemingly infinite customization, though plan to spend big money.
We rate the Sport at 8 out of 10 thanks to good standard and optional fare, and its touchscreens.
The twin touchscreens are full of features but can take some time to learn. Fortunately, Land Rover dealers should be armed with the training tools to help you make the most of what’s there, including standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Which Land Rover Range Rover Sport should I buy?
That depends on your budget and your taste for power. Most buyers will be perfectly fine with the base inline-6, which is hardly basic. Land Rover wants around $71,000, but most shoppers will want to budget another $10,000 or so for metallic paint plus options such as the Driver Assist Pack with its active safety and driver fatigue features, high-zoot Meridian audio, and maybe a few other niceties.
At that point, the HSE Silver—which tosses in a big sunroof, 19 speakers, and some nice parking features, may beckon at a smidge under $80,000.
Diesel versions run about $81,000, while the plug-in hybrid goes for $84,000 or so to start. V-8 power puts you at nearly $90,000 to start.
Land Rover wants $116,500 for a Range Rover Sport SVR, but that’s only the starting point. The high-zoot Carbon edition adds $15,000 in style bits, and buyers who must have it all will find themselves with a $160,000 bill.
A 4-year/50,000-mile warranty is included but unlike Jaguars, the Land Rover SUVs don’t get three years of free maintenance.
Fuel Economy
There are relatively frugal versions of the Range Rover Sport, but big power means big consumption.
Is the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport good on gas?
Even painted in extra-cost British Racing Green, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport is not a particularly green vehicle in most forms. Still, there are some versions that won’t put you on a first-name basis with the operator of the Shell station down the block.
We rate the lineup at 3 out of 10 overall.
Mainstream versions with the inline-6 are rated at 19 mpg city, 24 highway, 21 combined. That’s not bad, all things considered. The relatively rare turbodiesel checks in with 22/28/24 mpg, though its fuel will generally cost you more.
V-8s are fast—at guzzling fuel, too. Look for just 17/22/19 mpg, or a mere 15/20/16 mpg for the SVR.
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