Not convinced?
HERE ARE THE ALTERNATIVES
BMW X5 £60,830
The X5 xDrive M50d SUV model is BMW’s rival to the Range Rover Sport. Powered by a V6 diesel engine, it has an impressive power output of 381bhp but it’s a good deal faster with a spritely 0 to 62mph acceleration time of just 5.4 seconds. Its fuel economy of 37.4mpg (combined) and CO2 emissions (199g/km) is comparable but it doesn’t get close to the off road performance of the Range Rover Sport. Still, as the vast majority of its owners will never drive anything more challenging than a muddy field, it won’t bother them a jot.
Porsche Cayenne S Diesel £59,053
It may be dirtier and thirstier than the Range Rover Sport, with CO2 emissions of 218g/km and a fuel consumption of just 34mpg but the Cayenne S diesel trumps the Range Rover in terms of straight line speed. The Cayenne S Diesel has a more powerful V8 engine that delivers a whopping 382bhp. Unsurprisingly, it’s far faster with a 0-62 mph sprint time of 5.7 seconds, and a higher top speed of 156mph. With 670-litres of boot space, it provides less baggage room than the 784-litres available in the Range Rover and there’s no option for two further seats.
Mercedes-Benz M-Class 350 BlueTEC AMG Sport £49,130
Bizarrely, when compared to these rivals, the Mercedes-Benz ML 350 AMG Sport seems like the bargain option. It’s even got the second biggest boot, offering up 690-litres. It might be £10,000 cheaper, but it doesn’t get near the other cars’ performance in terms of speed. Its V6 engine offers up a comparatively paltry 258bhp, and reaches 62mph from standstill in 7.4 seconds. You do however, get better fuel consumption at 39.2mpg (combined) and it’s a lot cleaner, spouting just 189g/km of CO2, so you can drive with a clearer conscience, albeit more slowly.