Range Rover’s latest hybrid Evoque has been slammed in a survey – while a Lexus model dating back more than 10 years has come top
An expensive Range Rover model has been given a big thumbs down by owners.
In a survey by consumer group Which?, the Evoque hybrid – which costs a cool £51,000 – got a score of just 57%. “It spent more time off the road for repairs than any other car – 21 days on average”, said Which? consumer experts. The backlash comes despite the original Evoque becoming Range Rover’s fastest selling car ever after its launch in 2011, and has counted Posh Spice Victoria Beckham and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver among its famous fans.
An Evoque hybrid owner from Manchester said: “This car has been the most frustrating that I have ever owned.” Another owner said: “This is the second hybrid Evoque I have had. The first was plagued by electrical and other issues and ended up being replaced.”
It was not all bad for the marque, with the standard petrol or diesel Evoque getting a customer score of 73%. The top-rated plug-in hybrid was Toyota’s RAV4, from 2021 onwards, with a customer score of 94%.
The “most loved” car overall in the survey was the 2009 to 2015 version of the Lexus RX, which boasted a score of 97%. One happy owner said: “I bought it for reliability – and it has exceeded all my expectations.” Another owner told Which?: “It’s done 145,000 miles and still drives just like it was new.”
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “Our latest survey shows that it pays to look beyond glitzy marketing or the priciest models when researching your next car purchase. This year’s most-loved car is a vehicle that has been credited for its reliability and comfort – while across all categories there are examples of affordable cars that impressed owners more than flashy rivals.”
A Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson told Which? a move to a new logistics hub had caused disruption for customers but that issues had since been resolved. They added: “Ensuring our clients have the best possible experience of our brands is our priority; and the data tells us that vehicle quality at launch is the best it has ever been.”
