By Jon Quirk
07 December 2007
Range Rover Sport V8 TD HSE - Long Term Update
My god, this thing is thirsty. No really, thirsty with a capital F. With a weather forecast predicting strong winds and heavy rainfall all weekend for the north west, I naturally assumed our Range Rover Sport long-termer would make the perfect companion for my return trip to Southport. But after leaving London on nearly a full tank of fuel, I felt the blood drain from my face somewhere past J21 of the M6 when I realised the Sport wouldn’t even make Liverpool. A quick re-fuel (well, I say quick, this thing will drink forever) and my bank balance was back in the black.
The trip computer displayed a combined fuel consumption figure of 22.3mpg. I thought that was generous. But hang on, if this is the 3.6-litre turbodiesel, what on earth is the supercharged 4.2-litre V8 petrol doing? I can’t even afford to think about it.
Horrific fuel consumption aside, I’ve never really felt comfortable driving 4x4s in town. Apart from being lumbered with the sobriquet ‘Chelsea tractor’, they just feel too big, too conspicuous and too awkward to steer through busy roads. This was highlighted only last week when editor Alistair Weaver knocked the Sport’s left rear wheel against a traffic calming bollard, causing the tyre pressure sensor to go off. Another practical point is that if you aren’t 7ft tall, they’re also bloody difficult to clean.
Admittedly, when you’ve spent the best part of £60k on a car, you’re not going to be that fussed forking out £80 on a tank of diesel or even paying some minions (with stepladders) to valet it. But if I drove this for a week, bankruptcy would be looming and nobody would be getting any Christmas presents.
