Overview & Reviews

While Land Rovers are icons of taming the untamed wilderness, they sometimes suffer in more urban settings. Not so with the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. This small crossover SUV is maneuverable in tight confines and quite pleasant on the highway. Furthermore, the Evoque maintains Land Rover's reputation as a premium brand and can also tackle some surprisingly daunting terrain.

Atypically for a luxury SUV, the Land Rover Evoque is offered as either a four-door or two-door model. Sleek styling, decent fuel economy and an affordable base price are also part of the Evoque's appeal. That price, however, will climb steeply as options are added or trim levels are upgraded. Other drawbacks include mediocre cargo capacity and Land Rover's dubious reputation for reliability. But if you're in the market for a captivating luxury crossover with both on-road manners and off-road capabilities, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque should work out well.

Current Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
The current Land Rover Range Rover Evoque represents the model's first generation, which debuted in 2012. Although Land Rover (http://www.edmunds.com/land-rover/) uses the Range Rover name here, the Evoque is completely unrelated to its larger SUV sibling.

The two- or four-door Evoque is offered solely in a Pure Plus trim. Buyers can, however, select Dynamic or Prestige "design themes" that differentiate themselves with unique materials, color choices and design flourishes. Standard feature highlights include 19-inch wheels, the Land Rover Terrain Response system, a rearview camera, parking sensors, a power liftgate, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, full power accessories, leather upholstery and a touchscreen interface.

Upgrading to the Pure Premium package adds adaptive xenon headlamps and LED accents, a blind-spot warning system, a 360-degree parking camera system, keyless ignition/entry, a navigation system and premium audio. To that, an adaptive suspension may also be added, along with contrasting roof colors. The Prestige (four-door only) ups the luxury design quotient with finer leather and additional front seat adjustments. Other options include a rear-seat entertainment system, 20-inch wheels and cold-weather features (heated front seats, steering wheel, windshield and washer jets).

Regardless of which Evoque version you choose, it will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the sole transmission offered. The Evoque's not terribly quick compared to rival luxury SUVs, but the savings in fuel economy should provide some comfort.

In terms of actual comfort, the front seats provide plenty of head- and legroom, along with a wealth of seat adjustments to fit most body types. The rear seats are on the cramped side, particularly for taller passengers. Accessing those seats is a challenge in the Evoque coupe. The four-door model is definitely recommended for those who regularly transport multiple passengers. Cargo space also falls short of other small SUVs.

These weaknesses will likely have family-minded folk looking elsewhere, but the Evoque's strengths should still hold appeal for singles and couples. Primarily, it looks great inside and out, with aggressive yet elegant lines and a cabin that exudes modern luxury. The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is also perfectly at home in congested cities, where maneuverability and agility are high on the needs list.

User Reviews:

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  A Ford Escape wearing a dinner jacket. - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Joseph Teyssandier - December 3 - 10:10 pm

  All looks and no actions. A brand that I always admired Land Rover. My dream SUV turned out to be my worst nightmare and biggest disappointment in the automobile industry. As an avid car fanatic. Ive had the pleasure of owning and leasing most of the high end vehicles in the market. From Mercedes Benz to BMW to Lexus both in sedans and SUVs. Until I decided that I was able and comfortable enough to finally afford my first Land Rover product. The 2015 Range Rover Evoque Pure Plus (5door). Well, my biggest mistake. I purchased the entity on 2/26/2015 as a Certified Pre Owned with barely 17K miles on the odometer. The vehicle looked show room condition inside, outside and under the hood. Rich leather scent inside gorgeous full glass roof and one of the most impressive infotainment systems Ive ever seen. After driving it home and four days into my purchase I decided to google reliability of said vehicle and under Consumer Reports all reviews were one star and the horror stories were too much to mention from all over the world from the UK to Minnesota all over the US. People just devastated with their experiences A TRUE CAR BUYERS NIGHTMARE. Everything from engine stallings to sudden braking at high speeds causing driver and passengers injuries. To constant Check Engine lights and other notifications of malfunctioning all over the cluster. Repeated visits to the dealership days and weeks without their cars then getting back and the next day the same issues arising and the worst thing was the treatments by the dealers disconcerting attitude. To the point they said to a particular owner. WELL WE CANT DO ANYTHING ELSE FOR YOU .... CONTACT LAND ROVER. After coming across this unexpected and disappointing horror stories I decided to return the Evoque just today 3/2/2016 on the fifth day and I was fortunate enough that the dealership has a FIVE DAY Return/Cancel or Exchange Policy. So I got my 2014 Mercedes Benz E350 back (Luckily again it had not been sold yet) got my title back and PUSHED THE PEDAL TO THE MEDAL. Like a bat outta hell I rushed home. I was one of the lucky ones. Shame on you LAND ROVER and JAGUAR brand. Youre selling RATS WRAPPED IN MINKS. Disappointed.

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  Lemon - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By ken duff - May 30 - 8:24 pm

  Bought January 2015, nothing buy trouble. In and out of repair shop 8 times, last time they replaced the whole engine.

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  Do not buy!! - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Mrs. M - May 30 - 4:50 pm

  I bought the Evoque in a bit of a hurry because we were moving to the mountains and I needed a four wheel drive. I am so sorry that I didnt do any research! I hope these reviews save someone else. We bought the Evoque used with 20,000 miles and a 50,000 warranty thank God. Long story short...at 36,000 miles it had to have front and rear brakes replaced, a new battery and then after I had had it home only ONE week I also had the gear box fault another reviewer mentioned. It had to be towed!! Thankfully I was not in traffic like the other reviewer!! They said they cant get the part for a month, I still dont have it back. I am really in disbelief over the whole thing. I thought Land Rover was a good brand. I see them everywhere!!?? So if I ever get it back, I am getting rid of it right away of course and at a BIG LOSS!

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  Dont buy this car!!! - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Kerry - June 27 - 12:26 pm

  This car is a death trap. It has been in the shop more than in my driveway. Too many electrical issues to speak of. Bluetooth replaced and still works when it wants to. Navigation is by far the worst I have ever seen. Oh yeah and the whole shutting down while you are driving on a major highway and locking up for no reason thing. I took it in for the same issue with wanting to stall since the first week I drive it off the lot. I was given the car back numerous times with the "We couldnt find anything" speel every single time. It has now been put back in the shop after the 5th or 6th time only now it completely shut off while driving. Then theres the random throwing itself into park and shutting down while trying to pull into my driveway as well. I can go on all day with what a piece of garbage this almost $50,000 vehicle is. The customer service is a joke as well. You will bring it in and wont see it sometimes for weeks. They will lie about not having a replacement vehicle for you to drive and whether you have an appointment or not you will spend a minimum of 4 hrs there. However if for some insane reason you do buy this joke of an suv, when you bring it in take a look around and watch how many cars get pulled up to service while you are there. Some with 13 miles on them not 13000 but 13!!! Too many to count came through and when speaking to the valet they said more cars in service than on the lot. So there ya go. I hope whoever is thinking about buying this pos looks at all the horrible reviews and goes to toyota and gets a real suv.

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  Unreliable Slug - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Wakes - March 22 - 10:44 am

  I purchased my Evoque new in February 2015. Since the vehicle was purchased it has had a software update (at 1200 miles) for the transmission to improve performance. Then the check engine light came on at approximately 2K miles. Turned out to be a faulty sensor that took several days to repair, due to part being unavailable. On August 1st, while in traffic the transmission froze up and the vehicle rapidly decelerated with the dashboard warning indicating "Gear Box Failure", resulting in the vehicle being towed. Land Rover corporate claims they have since resolved the problem with another software update, however I have not had the opportunity to drive the car yet-33 days later. While the dealership was addressing another issue- freeze up problem with the touch screen interface; the computer module blew out. After 33 days the part has finally come in. The transmission on this vehicle is very sluggish in the lower gears, and power is very limited from a stop position, which makes pulling out into traffic a challenge. I really would love to recommend this vehicle, but the amount of problems and poor transmission and acceleration make this a poor and hazardous vehicle to own. It does get good mileage, when working. I have never experienced a new vehicle with so many issues in such a short period. Land Rover Corporates attitude has been less than overwhelming. Extremely disappointed in the vehicle and the corporation.