Range Rover Velar, Discovery, and Range Rover Evoque all won Model-Level Residual Value Awards for 2023 from the J.D. Power Awards - meaning they are the most likely vehicles to hold the highest percentage of their MSRP value after three years. But you need to take the good with the bad... In what has become a self-deprecating running joke among passionate Land Rover owners, the brand has once again taken the bottom spot in the JD Power Dependability Study, with 273 issues per 100 vehicles, continuing a decades-long record of being at or near the bottom of the list.
Land Rover fares differently in this year's study from the most dependable brand in America, Lexus, which has a scant 133 issues per 100 vehicles – half as many as Land Rover. That said, they also live amongst august company in the basement of dependability, with iconic luxury brands Lincoln (259 issues), Audi (252), and Mercedes-Benz (240). Joining these icons of luxe is Ford, whose 249 issues are a massive drop from last year – which may be in part due to extensive build quality issues with the new Bronco, including major issues with hard-top roofs delaminating.
If you’re looking for reliability, you can look to the top five brands for it. Lexus, Genesis, Kia, Buick, and Chevrolet top the list. The most reliable vehicles overall were the Lexus RX and Toyota C-HR, both crossovers.
Many of the issues come from issues like infotainment systems and component replacement, which includes things like exterior light bulbs and key fob batteries. Infotainment issues often involve Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity issues (5.5 problems per 100, “PP100”), voice recognition issues (7.2 PP100), Bluetooth issues (4.0 PP100), difficult-to-use touchscreens (4.0 PP100), and outdated and inaccurate navigation maps (3.3 PP100).
Land Rover’s PP100 number has jumped around over the years, even as they have always been at or near the bottom. In 2008, Land Rover scored at 344 PP100, behind second-to-last (and long since out of the American market) Suzuki at 302 and Kia at 278. Land Rovers from this era are now considered some of the most durable modern vehicles, with the LR3, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover of the era running the 4.4 or 4.2 Supercharged AJ-V8 considered the gold standard of modern longevity and durability.
One can be cynical about what these ratings mean – certainly decades of Land Rover enthusiasm has made me so – but you also have to look at other JD Power rankings like the Residual Value ranking and understand that resale value matters as well. The Rover "Residual Value" award-winning models rank with other luxury marrque vehicles from the bottom of the durability pile, like the Mercedes AMG GT and Audi A6 Allroad.
The moral of it all? If you like your car, you’ll put up with a locked-up touchscreen or Bluetooth misconnect. Land Rover’s sales and backorder list suggest that plenty of people aren’t concerned about what JD Power says, as they remain one of the most desirable automotive marques.
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