There’s a particular appeal to vehicles that project confidence without demanding attention, and the Range Rover has always excelled in that area. In Autobiography trim, it promises an experience that brushes shoulders with the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, but in a less ostentatious package. Where the Cullinan broadcasts its status, the Range Rover opts for quiet confidence. It’s the Tudor to Rolls-Royce’s Rolex, equally refined and accurate, just less flashy and obvious.
In that sense, much like Tudor watches, the Range Rover is the kind of luxury SUV that attracts a certain kind of buyer. Starting at a staggering $110,100, this is a vehicle that will be acquired by the well-off that may be able to get a Rolls, but choose to be (a bit) more discreet.
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Our test car was a 2025 Autobiography trim with the standard wheelbase and a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8. Add in the 23-inch wheels, the fancy gold paint, and a few other options, and it would set you back a cool $174,705. That’s right, this somewhat stealthy slab of Land Rover costs as much as the average house in Mississippi.
That figure might make you wonder if it’s meant to compete with things like the Lamborghini Urus or Aston Martin DBX. It isn’t. This is more akin to something like the Bentley Bentayga or the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. That’s impressive already since those SUVs, all four mentioned above, cost considerably more.
Quick Facts
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How does it really square up, though? Is it a polished poseur or a floppy failure? To find out, we tested it relentlessly all around central Arkansas. We drove it in the city, over some trails, with every inch crammed full of people and things, and then at times with nobody but me in the cabin.
If this is an SUV you’re considering, you’ll want to know what we found because this luxury barge is full of luxury, clever technology, and power, but it has some compromises that require consideration when one is about to sign up for a $174,000 purchase.
Slab Styling
Take one glance at the Land Rover Range Rover and it’s clear that the current generation, code-named the L460, is a departure. In the past, these SUVs still aimed for luxury and off-road capability but they did so with a more balanced approach. The latest iteration of the Range is gunning to poach buyers who would look even further upmarket. Luxury is the entire point, and the somewhat monolithic exterior design language conveys exactly that.
It almost looks like a Tesla CyberSUV that learned some manners. Forget sweeping compound curves -this SUV is all lines, only of the smooth, not angular, kind. Just about every single panel and exterior component seamlessly blends into the next. That’s true from the slippery headlights to the fang-like taillights. Perhaps the only thing that truly sticks out of the body is the Range Rover lettering on the rear hatch.
On top of that, take a closer look at this particular colorway. The gold paint, called Batumi Gold and named for the sunsets of a seaside town in the country of Georgia, isn’t overly glittery but appears rich and deep. It’s contrasted very starkly by lots of black accents, heavy tint on the windows, and just a touch of accent coloring on the fenders. This SUV exudes expense.
Interior Conundrums
Photos Stephen Rivers for Carscoops
Buckle up because the cabin of the Range Rover is where things feel like a rollercoaster of sorts, and that includes 450 words on the back seat alone. First, though, let’s chat about the front seats where lots of buyers will spend most of their time. Just like the exterior, the overall design is one that looks rich. The dash is simple and squared off.
The center console is boxy too, and then Range Rover sort of flips that aesthetic on the touch points. The seats are rounded and could absolutely have come out of a store that sells whatever the next step up above La-Z Boy recliners are. They’re wide, heavily cushioned, and full of little adjustments. They have a massage function, they heat up, they cool down, they do just about everything one could ask.
The layout is simple and pleasing overall. The infotainment system might seem a bit small in an era of gigantic screens, but it’s straightforward and very intuitive to use. We’ve mentioned this in other Range Rover reviews, but it’s sneaky good. Each front occupant has fast, full access to their own climate, quick control, media volume, and more. Of all the systems out there, it’s one of the most underrated.
There are other clever little things that we like as well, such as the dual glove boxes, the excellent Meridian sound system, the cooler in the center console, the top-notch driver assist technology, and the auto lock/unlock feature that works great as you walk up or away from the car. Unfortunately, there are lots of little negative `points too.
First and foremost, the amount of piano black plastic in this cabin comes in stark contrast to the luxury aesthetic. Second, the steering wheel not only has the same annoying plastic, but everything on it, aside from the genuine wood rim, feels a bit cheap. That’s especially true after driving the Defender with its solid metal steering wheel.
If there was a clear way to link this Range Rover to off-road capability, that steering wheel could’ve done it. There are other annoyances, too. The gear selector and start button sit on an otherwise empty panel that appears almost halfway designed. The spacious area under the cupholders is inaccessible if you’re carrying drinks there, and while the seats are comfortable, they lack serious lumbar support.
The back seat debacle is a serious , and it’s not because it’s not engaging, but because it only provides a glimpse of how good it could be. Range Rover offers this SUV in standard- and long-wheelbase guise. That’s key because, for whatever reason (I’m guessing manufacturing costs), it offers the super-luxury rear seat package in both variants.
It’s tough to explain just how frustrating this package is because without experiencing it, some of the nuance simply gets lost. In photos, these seats look as opulent as they could possibly be. In fact, they appear to be almost carbon copies of the front seats, and that’s excellent. In addition, the center console, which flips down from being part of what was a three-abreast bench, turns into a motorized tool for drink carrying and rear-seat comfort settings.
That includes turning up and down the climate control, reclining the seats, and even turning on the massage function for each outboard seat. The headrests are fully outfitted with integrated pillows. The seat controls are up on the door rather than on the side of the seat, so there’s no fiddling around trying to find them or figuring out what they do without being able to look at them. Ahead of each occupant is a speaker nestled into the rear of the front seat.
Everything about that sounds, and is, fantastic, but all of it comes with big compromises. First, the center console feels overly engineered. I kid you not when I say that you press an on-screen button to reveal the compartment where the cupholders lie. The issue is that even once the motor slowly slides out to reveal that space, you then have to press a physical section on the cover to gain actual access to the cupholders. It’s somewhat hilarious and sad all at the same time.
On top of that, the huge and very comfortable rear seats are so big and heavily cushioned that legroom is minimal. Would you rather be able to recline your second-row seat or have copious legroom? The SWD Range Rover makes you pick one or the other because not even $177k can buy you both. Cargo space is ample at 40.7 cubic feet, but that falls short of some rivals.
Finally, the speakers are cool, but at this price tag, I cannot understand how rear seat entertainment centers aren’t just standard but completely epic. BMW offers the 740i with a 31-inch theatre screen for the rear seat for a cool $103,225. It’s better to drive, just as spacious, if not more so, and just as luxurious otherwise. What a 7-Series can’t do is what the Range Rover specializes in, being capable of handling just about any road at all.
Drive Impressions
Photos Stephen Rivers for Carscoops
We’ve tested just about every popular Range Rover or Land Rover out there. One thing is becoming more and more clear: these SUVs drive better than they have any right to. That’s true of the Range Rover too. The twin-turbo V8 under the hood makes 523 horsepower (390 kW) and 553 lb-ft (748 Nm) of torque. That’s quite a lot in just about any car you’ll see on the road. It’s more, in fact, than you’ll get in a brand new Corvette Stingray.
In the Range Rover, it doesn’t feel like too much, though. It just feels like a swelling of power whenever the driver demands it. This SUV gains speed rapidly but with a grace and composure that few cars can match. If ever there was a time to compare this vehicle to a private jet, it’s on takeoff.
The two feel very intertwined in that a jet doesn’t really feel like it’s rocketing forward until it’s at extra-legal speeds. The Range Rover is your own personal ticket to runway takeoff experiences day in and day out, wherever the road provides space for it. Granted, that power comes with a price at the pump. The EPA says this SUV will get 16 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway. We achieved 17.2 across a week of testing on mixed roads.
Importantly, our test car had Range Rover’s Dynamic Response Pro and Adaptive Dynamics suspension. They allow it to corner more flatly and to change direction with more precision. At a rapid pace, the steering feels excellent. It’s not overeager or sloppy but well-tuned and communicative. We’d be interested to see if this SUV rolls more or feels less engaged without the trick suspension components.
The brakes are impressive too, as they’re easy to modulate and avoid feeling overly sharp or soft. Land Rover really dialed this SUV in to the point that it really is in a league of its own when compared to things like the BMW XM, Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, and especially, the Infiniti QX80. Spirited driving isn’t really what this thing is for, though.
I’m happy to report that it’s awesome for everyday comfort-focused errands or commutes. The mass that holds it back from being even better to drive is the same mass that helps it maintain a quiet bank-vault type of on-the-road composure. The seats are mostly comfortable, the massage function ensures they never create fatigue, and the suspension soaks up all but the bumps you demand from the system. Road noise is all but completely eliminated as well.
Off-road, the Range feels even more impressive since it has little to no issue overcoming the vast majority of what anyone will ever ask it to. On off-road trails full of loose gravel and some mud, it kept plowing ahead, even on 23-inch wheels and tires, as though it were any other country road.
Competition
Comparing the Range Rover to its competition is somewhat tough, as it’s an outlier. It’s not truly aimed at the crowd of folks willing to consider something like a Lincoln Navigator, a Cadillac Escalade, or a Jeep Grand Wagoneer. In most cases, it’s much more expensive than all of those. On the flip side, this isn’t a true rival to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan or the Bentley Bentayga either.
Instead, it sort of fits in as a more expensive, and in some ways more posh option for those interested in cars like the BMW X7, Lexus LX, and Mercedes GLS-Class. Even against those vehicles, it stands out as a vehicle that leans more into luxury and off-road capability. To that end, it’s probably going to continue to draw the type of folks who have a love for Range Rover, all the while sometimes siphoning off buyers from other brands.
For me personally, a guy who doesn’t have kids but wants the most car for the money, the Range Rover is somewhat undone by its smaller sibling, the Sport. That SUV is also wildly expensive but has far more practical back seats, a more spacious trunk, and driving dynamics that match up with someone who likes to drive passionately. No doubt, those who want a luxury SUV that drives great on the road have plenty of other options too.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover is a masterclass in contradictions. It’s brutish and supremely elegant. It’s a $174,000 SUV that can climb a mountain but almost never will. It’s full of technology and comfort, but lets a few frustrating details slip through the cracks. For some, that won’t matter at all. To the Range Rover faithful or the status-minded one-percenters who want something even more refined than a G-Wagen and less common than a Bentayga, this SUV will check basically every box.
If you’re looking for a true rear-seat luxury, top-tier tech, and maximum utility SUV, you might want to keep shopping – or, at the very least, consider the long-wheelbase version. Keep in mind that this Range Rover doesn’t aim to be all things to all people. Its target is to be the thing for a very specific few, and in that role, it mostly succeeds.
