Are Land Rovers Expensive To Maintain?

‍Are Land Rovers Expensive To Maintain?

When purchasing a luxury SUV like a Land Rover, there are many factors to consider, not just how much it will be for an oil change or to have the tires rotated.

Maintenance Costs

The Land Rover is more expensive to maintain every year due to poor reliability ratings. The annual expense averages $1,258, which is well above several models. Repairpal estimates that the Land Rover Range Rover is a frequent visitor to the repair shop, earning a 2 out of 5-star rating. The rating forced the Range Rover toward the bottom of the pack of all the luxury vehicles they tested (15th out of 19).

While the average maintenance cost for most luxury vehicles is around $1,148, the Land Rover doesn’t seem that far out of whack. The frequency of the visits is average compared to other luxury models, and the severity of visits (the likelihood that the repair will be something serious) is 0.7, which puts it in the middle of the pack. The upkeep for an Infiniti QX60 is $639 annually, which earned it a 3.5 reliability rating, even though the QX60 had a higher frequency for little things than the Land Rover. (It also had a lot lower severity levels)

CarEdge.com agrees that the Land Rover models tend toward higher repair costs. Here’s the breakdown for each SUV Land Rover makes for 2022 and their annual repair estimates. The cost figure comes from the site’s 10-year cost of maintenance divided down into an average annual expense.

As you can see, the estimates vary wildly. Still, you should prepare to spend somewhere between $1,200 and $1,600 per year.

Depreciation

Depreciation is the amount of value your vehicle will have after a certain period. The New Range Rover has a depreciation rate of 64% after five years, which means that it will be worth

about 36% of the price you paid. Only one of the Land Rover models made KBB.com’s Best Resale Value SUVs list. Here’s a breakdown of their top-rated recommended vehicles.

• 2022 Subaru Crosstek        52.3%
• 2022 Subaru Forester                47.2%
• 2022 Subaru Outback                45.3%
• 2022 Kia Telluride                51.9%
• 2022 GMC Yukon                47.2%
• 2022 Toyota 4Runner                58.6%
• 2022 Infinite QX40                39.1%
• 2022 Mercedes GLB                41.1%
• 2022 Range Rover Velar        36.0%
• 2022 Lincoln Aviator                41.5%
• 2022 Lexus LX                45.2%

Insurance

‍

Every car has to maintain insurance to be legal on the road. While the luxury models will always generate higher premiums, owners still have to consider an added expense as they ponder which vehicle to purchase. Insuraviz.com estimates that the cheapest luxury vehicle to insure is the Acura RDX ($1.298 or $108 per month).

The highest ranking that any Land Rover vehicle could muster was the Range Rover Evoque which came in 12th at a $1600 estimate ($133 monthly). The rating is significantly behind the leader, but it is average among SUVs.

Insurance rates will vary depending on where you live and how you drive. If you have teens living in your house and a Land Rover in the garage, you may have to take a second mortgage out to pay the insurance premiums.

Safety Costs

While you might wonder what safety has to do with costs, you only need to ask the families of the 46,000 people who die on our nation’s roads each year. There is a cost to safety.  When your family is traveling in the vehicle you have purchased for them, this responsibility is, as they say, priceless. None of the Land Rover models have been tested by the NHTSA, so there are no ratings. (ConsumerReports and IIHS haven’t looked at the vehicle either). The lack of testing does not mean that the SUV is bad or has safety concerns (all the Ranger Rovers come equipped with lots of safety stuff), but still, I’d feel better if there was a rating from the government to hang my hat on.

In all fairness to the manufacturer, all 2022 Rovers are equipped with standard safety features like lane-keep assist, front collision warning, emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control. The usual safety suspects are present, blind-spot detection, rear backup sensors, and cross-traffic alerts. In addition, there is an abundance of airbags for both front row and back row passengers.

What’s The Advantage of Owning a Land Rover?

Land Rovers aren’t cheap. You will need deep pockets to purchase one and deeper pockets to maintain it. But if spending money is of no consequence, it is a fantastic SUV to own. The Rover can cushion oneself in luxury but also has the capability of off-roading if needed.  This feature is where the air-suspension system comes in handy, raising the vehicle's height for additional ground clearance. However, any air strut develops a leak, and when it does, it is relatively expensive to replace, particularly when the compressor overworks itself.

There is a lot to be said for the Rover, and one can tell the SUV is built for comfort, which is probably a good thing considering how much it is taking out of your wallet.