What Are The Best Years For Range Rovers?

If you’re in the market for a Range Rover, you will want to know what year to look for to make sure you’re getting the best one possible. While the famed brand isn’t known for reliability, there are some years with excellent performance.

Not only that, but it’s a luxury SUV after all, so you want to get the one with the best quality. You want your money to go somewhere good.

What Are the Best Years for Range Rovers?

The best model years for the Range Rover are 1994, 2003, 2012, 2017 and 2025, covering one from each generation. 1994 was the last version put out before BMW bought Land Rover, making it the last model released before the original era ended.

The 2003 was the first to include BMW’s engine, and they improved upon that up to the 2012’s release. The engine continues to power the latest generation and provides ample power.

It’s also important to mention that there are older generations available. However, they are more prone to issues, as their technology (and reputation) isn’t the best.

Let’s look at what makes a good model, why these are the best, and how you can keep your Rover reliable (despite its reputation).

Keep reading to learn more about what are the best years for Range Rovers. There are many resources to find reviews and research, such as Kelley Blue Book and Cars.com.

We’ve analyzed them to learn more about what they have to say.

Used Range Rover Ratings

When we’re trying to find the best years for Range Rovers, we can come across a dilemma. It’s not the most popular brand in the United States, with no year ever surparssing 100,000 units in sales.

So, databases might be running thin. However, Kelley Blue Book is a great place to check out specs and reviews on cars, and they sometimes even have experts give their reviews on the cars in question. You can also find sources such as Cars.com.

Best Range Rover: Fifth Generation (L460, 2022-Present)

The fifth-generation Range Rover hasn’t had a long life. However, there is enough evidence to know what are the best years for Range Rovers in this time frame.

In reality, what you must do is analyze it the other way around. There are years that you should avoid in the fifth generation, starting with the 2022 and 2023 models.

These are prone to engine issues that require expensive repairs. On the other hand, many users find the 2025 model to have above average reliability and fewer complaints.

One positive thing about Range Rovers of any generation is that they depreciate rapidly. It’s easy to find a low-mileage option for a good price, which is the way we recommend buying them.

Best Range Rover: Fourth Generation (L405, 2013-2021)

The 2017 Range Rover leads the list when answering the question “what are the best years for Range Rovers?” because it has excellent performance and excellent customer satisfaction.

Not only can you find them at a lower price, but low-mileage vehicles are still easy to find. One warning to have with these is that they can be prone to rust, so avoiding those from the Rust Belt is crucial.

The 2017 Range Rover offers excellent acceleration and an comfortable driving position. It’s ideal for long trips, and you know its reputation for offroading is excellent. They make for fun cars, although many owners have a second vehicle.

This generation also marks the start of Land Rover (Range Rover’s parent company) aggressively entering the high-performance luxury SUV market.

So, you can find the SV Autobiography trim with the most powerful engine put in a Range Rover up to that time. They have excellent acceleration, but handling is more reminiscent of boats, rather than cars.

Best Range Rover: Third Generation (L322, 2003-2012)

The experts on KBB give the highest rating to the Range Rover 2012 of all the model years in this generation. The experts give this year a 3.7 score out of 5, while consumers give it a score of 3.9. }

It makes perfect sense that it’s one of the best years for Range Rovers because it’s the last year, where companies usually eliminate all major gremlins.

Interestingly, consumers give that same score (3.9) to all the years preceding 2012 as well, all the way back to 1995 (including the 2003 model), but consumer ratings on Kelley Blue Book aren’t all that reliable.

All the same, it’s interesting that consumers agree on the same rating for such a long stretch of time.

J.D. Power rates the 2012 Range Rover at 7.8 (out of 10) overall, with an 8.7 critic rating, 8.8 for performance, and 8.5 for the interior. 

It also gets 3 out of 5 for its reliability rating, which is impressive for a Range Rover.

Like other Range Rovers, this model was built for its off-road capability and on-road comfort so you can go anywhere, do anything, and do it in style. 

This model had a style upgrade from previous models that makes it stand out, so you know it when you see it. You can’t deny this car has status among luxury SUVs.

It’s a full-size luxury SUV, providing a comfortable 5 seat ride both off and on the road with its electric air suspension. 

This suspension keeps your ride smooth whether the terrain is rough or your vehicle’s load is unevenly spread by adjusting the suspension dampers nearly 100 times per second.

On top of that, it has great handling for such a big SUV. 

The 20-inch wheels and 11-inch ground clearance, combined with the four-wheel drive, allow this Range Rover to go places that no sedan would dare approach.

There are numerous controls and info displays you can use to make your ride more comfortable.

You can even use the controls to select the terrain you’re driving on. 

Then, this Range Rover will respond by automatically changing the way the engine, transmission, and other parts are working to make it work for that terrain.

What is The Best Generation For Range Rovers?

Let’s take a small break from finding the best years for Range Rovers, and answerthe question, “what is best generation for Range Rovers?”

We wanted to pause here because the L322 generation is considered the best Range Rover by many experts and the 2003 model was the first Range Rover to get BMW’s M62 V8 engine, which can be reliable if it’s properly maintained. 

Lots of people bash on the reliability of Range Rovers, but if you take care of it, it should do fine. This model currently has a 4.6 out of 5 review on edmunds.com with 95 reviews. Over 70 of those reviews are five-star reviews. 

Some of the reviews even report surprised satisfaction at how long their Range Rover has lasted. 

We’re not saying you shouldn’t make sure to get a warranty, just that it’s not as unreliable as its reputation says it is. This generation also marked BMW’s consolidation as Range Rover’s owner. It understood what it meant to produce such an SUV, and worked on figuring out most of the issues.

As an anecdote, many of the people we know have L322 will say they are the best years for Range Rovers. It’s not only, but experts as well.

Best Range Rover: Second Generation (P38, 1994-2002)

BMW bought Land Rover in 1994, and it marked a change in the company. The mindset was not only luxury, but also a conscious effort to increase performance and reliability.

That wasn’t necessarily achieved at first. Having owned a P38 in the FWT staff, we know that these years can be particularly troublesome.

For example, the 1994 model is rated at 4.2 by consumers, making it one of the highest-rated Range Rovers on Kelley Blue Book. They are reliable, if you have the money to maintain them.

The last model released before BMW took over, the 1994 model, is one of the last of a classic line. 

Kelley Blue Book’s 4.2 consumer rating is backed up by a 4.3 rating on edmunds.com.

Though it’s a ’94, this model has an automatic transmission and a combined mpg of 13.

It has permanent four-wheel drive, a four-channel anti-lock braking system, and electronic traction control.

It even has a factory-installed alarm system with keyless entry (first implemented in the 1994 model), which is impressive for an older vehicle.

It also has soundproofing, air conditioning, and a glass sunroof that can be moved out of the way or replaced to shade out the sun.

The suspension is controlled electronically with four air springs, shock absorbers, and height sensors. 

This was a new feature added for the 1994 model. 

Of course, Range Rovers made later than this one also has this feature, but it’s so cool to think that this technology was already being implemented back in 1994.

Repairpal.com rates this model’s reliability at 2 out of 5, which is average.

As an older car, repairs can be cheaper than with newer models, but with that reliability rating, the issues will also come around more often. If you’re looking for a newer model within the P38 family, then we’d recommend you also look at the 2001 model, which has a 85% recommended rate.

Reliability Questions About The Best Years For Range Rovers

Land Rovers in general, and especially Range Rovers, get a lot of flack for their reliability.

In fact, most people argue that they’re not reliable at all. 

To these people, we have two questions for you to consider: first, are you taking proper care of your engine? If not, how can you expect any luxury car to be reliable?

The fact is that, yes, if you don’t take care of your engine before issues start coming up, it will turn into a money hole of unreliability. 

So, pay attention to your engine and take good care of it.

Change the oil regularly, keep an eye on the cooling system, for goodness sake, don’t ignore the service light, and your Range Rover will last you for many years to come.

Closing Thoughts On The Best Years For Range Rovers

Having owned Range Rovers in the past, there’s one reality that you can’t avoid: you will pay more for maintenance. Spares are more expensive and rarer, and so is qualified labor.

However, that doesn’t mean that Range Rovers are inherently terrible in reliability. This list of the best years for Range Rovers covers all the generations that we’d recommend you daily drive. Anything older than these is probably a gamble.

As with any older car, there are bound to be issues. However, if you stick to these years, perform regular maintenance and find a lower-mileage model, you should have a surprising reliable car.

Also, when looking for the best years for Range Rovers in particular, know that the company has changed hands quite a few times, so the first years of every generation are best to avoid.