After a very successful launch, the new Range Rover is now back to being a top luxury SUV, like it was before the Bentayga and Cullinan ever existed. But what if you didn’t have around $175,000 to spend on a 2022 Range Rover P530 First Edition? Can you still enjoy the Range Rover uber experience for, say, a tenth of the money? Turns out that buying a high-end vehicle for Toyota Yaris money isn’t a very good idea.
Throttle House are the best at making this type of content, comparing the most desirable vehicles to examples from a few years back, costing a fraction of the money. However, the price gap has literally never been this large, as the 2010 Range Rover costs ten times less ($17,500 USD is implied – $20,000 CAD). If you know anything about the use car market, that’s a huge red flag.
However, it’s not exactly surprising if you occasionally watch YouTube videos on old Range Rovers. Hoovies Garage bought old Range Rovers and he eventually got so frustrated with these “money pits” that he dug a hole and buried it in the ground.
But anyway, the old SUV in this video is the 2010 Range Rover which is a late model of the third generation. This L322 launched in 2001 and, as Throttle House puts it, became a roller coaster of reliability. Until 2004, it came with a BMW E39 electronics system which gave way to a Jaguar system in 2005. 2010 is roughly when they started using this Jaguar 5.0-liter V8, known for its mechanical issues.
That’s not even half of it, as anything that can go wrong with a car… does in the case of this type of Range Rover. The duo of reviewers goes over a whole list of things that malfunction or get damaged. Rust, electronic malfunctions, timing chain problems, leaking suspension, the gearbox, this list goes on and on, sounding very expensive.
So why would you ever want to put up with any of this? Well, because a 2010 Range Rover still makes you look like a boss. The leather and wood on the inside are top-notch, and you can’t deny the 5.0-liter V8 adds character. Also, this is a true off-roader, probably the most capable you could buy at the time. It’s so good you’ll probably want to buy one after watching this.
Presenter James Engelsman, who’s British-made just like the Rover, says this old Range Rover is like a sexy mermaid, drawing you to your (financial) doom.
So that covers the knock-off. Time for the all-new 2022 Range Rover. Ironically, the P530 denotes a BMW powertrain once again, because this generation borrows the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, good for 523 horsepower (530 PS).
And in case you like buttons… you’d better look elsewhere because they’re gone. Land Rover went for a really minimalist approach, so most of the functions are done through the screen. The old Rover SUVs used to have buttons which you could press with a thick winter glove. Remember that? They don’t have winter in California, though, just a lot of Teslas; this looks like a Tesla on the inside, and that’s probably good.
The point is that a 2010 Range Rover isn’t ten times less luxurious than the new one. It’s still pretty cool, and the only reason they’re so cheap is the poor reliability rating. Also, you’re not going to look rich in a luxury SUV from 12 years ago. You’ll look like a mobster from Eastern Europe. I wonder what the new models will be worth in 2034 and if those BMW engines will prove more reliable.
In all seriousness, the boys make an excellent point about the relevance of the Range Rover. Even though it’s got a 48-volt electrical system powering the anti-roll bars, like all the large German SUVs. It still rolls heavily in the corners. The BMW X7 and the Maybach GLS do that better. So you buy the Range because it’s just cool and it comes with a certain image. Certainly not because it’s good at off-roading when the paint and the wheels cost about $15,000.