Land Rover USA reported more than 1000 Range Rover sales in each of the last six months and in eight of the last nine months. Year-over-year volume has now increased in four consecutive months as well as in seven of the last eight months.
But it was the month of March in particular that drew special attention to U.S. sales performance of one of the world’s best known high-end SUVs.
Land Rover reported 1996 Range Rover sales in America in March 2015, a 151%, 1202-unit year-over-year increase.
Three out of every ten Land Rovers sold last month in the U.S. were Range Rovers, a luxury SUV with a USD base price above $80,000 (and options which take the MSRP well beyond $140,000). Only Land Rover’s second-most-expensive model, the Range Rover Sport, sold more often, thanks to a 51% jump to 2646 March sales.
|
Land Rover
|
March
2015
|
March
2014
|
%
Change
|
3 mos.
2015
|
3 mos.
2014
|
%
Change
|
|
Range Rover Sport
|
2,646 | 1,747 | 51.5% | 6,225 | 4,823 | 29.1% |
|
Range Rover
|
1,996 | 794 | 151% | 4,835 | 2,884 | 67.6% |
|
Range Rover Evoque
|
1,284 | 1,370 | -6.3% | 3,794 | 3,176 | 19.5% |
|
LR4
|
841 | 157 | 436% | 2,065 | 1,144 | 80.5% |
|
LR2
|
11 | 331 | -96.7% | 57 | 1,052 | -94.6% |
|
—
|
— | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Total
|
6,778
|
4,399 | 54.1% | 16,976 | 13,079 | 19.8% |
The Range Rover, reviewed in long-wheelbase form by Kamil Kaluski on TTAC last fall, outsold the whole Jaguar brand by 336 units and outsold Jaguar’s flagship, the XJ, by nearly five to one. The Infiniti QX80 trailed the Range Rover by 580 March sales. The Range Rover sold 82% more often than the steadily improving Lincoln Navigator.
Combined, the Toyota Land Cruiser, Lexus LX570, and Mercedes-Benz G-Class didn’t sell half as often as the Range Rover in March. High-end SUVs which outsold the Indo-Brit Range Rover all have distinctly lower base prices, from the Cadillac Escalade ($73K, 2758 March sales between standard and long-wheelbase derivatives) to the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class ($64K, 2365 March sales). Porsche Cayenne volume slipped 27% to 1364 units; the BMW X6 was up 58% to 587 March sales.
Yet more than the Range Rover’s ability to outsell a bevy of high-end SUVs (thanks to its first 1800+ month of sales since December 2005), the truly impressive thing about operating at a 2K monthly pace is the number of rather more mainstream (allegedly) vehicles outsold by the most costly Land Rover.
The Buick Regal, Ford Flex, GMC Yukon XL, and Mazda CX-9 are just some of the volume brand vehicles which didn’t sell as often as the Range Rover last month. Add to that list much talked about vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Nissan Leaf, Cadillac CTS, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X1, and Land Rover’s own Range Rover Evoque.
No, it’s not a one-time thing. The Regal, Flex, CX-9, Leaf, CTS, Cayenne, X1, and Evoque all trail the suddenly high-volume Range Rover on a year-to-date basis, not just in the month of March. And by high-volume, we mean nobly aristocratic. The Range Rover is the SUV of royals, after all.
As for the overarching brand, Land Rover says the brand “established a new March U.S. sales record with 6,778 units sold.” Five nameplates combined for a 54% YOY improvement. The Range Rover trio of nameplates generated 85% of the brand’s March U.S. volume.
Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures.
Count me as clueless. I don’t understand the appeal of these vehicles. Were I in that market I’d most certainly go for a Lexus or Toyota on the basis of their sterling reliability. I stereotype British cars as a group along with GM, and Italian cars as being repair prone.
People in the market for these cars don’t care about reliability because they won’t own them longer than 36-42 months. A Range Rover can make it 3 to 3.5 years without issue.
With our HHI, we can afford a Rover and I’m seriously considering it. It’s a great car. A family friend had the last generation model and that SUV was a work of art. This one just improves on that formula. What I’m not considering is the Lexus LX. Why? It doesn’t have the, for the lack of a better word, swagger of the Range Rover. If I’m paying out $90K, it better have the total package. The outdated Lexus LX doesn’t hold a candle to the Range Rover at all.
They’re absolutely beautiful vehicles, inside and out. Range Rover is a car I would love to drive, but hate to own. I’m not a big fan of leasing in general, but it is definitely the way to get into a Range Rover.
This.
Ditto for Jaguar.
I’m not familiar with the newer (05+) RRs or LRs but they are probably more plush and luxurious feeling than the LX as you describe. The LX and its Land Cruiser cousin are really intended to be true all terrain third world handling vehicles wheres RR is more aimed at pavement and LR I’m honestly not sure what its true intention is at this point. For your purposes at similar money, I could see RR winning out over LX or G-wagon. However to me mall crawlers have zero swagger compared to a ride tested and approved for long term use in the wars of the third world.
Sit in one and you’ll see.
Remember when people made fun of John Edwards for his “two Americas” line?
(as opposed to his hair, or his mistress, or the mansion he lived in while he was talking about the two Americas, of course)
History will judge Edwards very well for being 10 years ahead of his time.
Ten years from now, I will NOT have hair like that. Or a mistress.
Ha!
Land Rover should be commended for their effective brand messaging. They make every other brand (including Jaguar) seem like an unfocussed mess.
High prices aren’t an issue at this level. People lease these and write-off the expense. If anything, having a higher price makes them more attractive.
I think half of these things are sold in the NYC area with the balance going to buyers in the LA area, rarely see one anywhere else.
They are all over the SF Bay Area and common enough in metro Boston as well. You’ll see them in any major metro area where people have money.
And that is why the sell. They are pretty striking in their own right, and they tell everybody you can afford to lease one and eat that massive depreciation. These things have the wealthy “one up-manship” mentality down pat. Congrats to LR; they took what would kill a mainstream car and turned it into an asset.
I would argue that an incredible percentage of them are sold in the Dallas area, ditto for the QX80 also. I go all over the place and when I am at my house in Dallas I see more Range Rovers out there than anywhere else.
I see plenty of this current model here in Ohio. More often than I saw previous models, except maybe for the introduction of the modern version back in 03. They were everywhere then too.
Reliability really is relative these days. If you were buying a car in the 80s it was important. Nowadays a mishap is acceptable as long as it doesn’t reoccur. I suspect that’s why Land Rovers sales are growing and growing. People value a nicer car over a car that never ever breaks down. Look at the complete RR package and it thrashes the competition
Apparently, none of these customers read Consumer Reports….
How do they find out which crock pot offers the best value for money?
As much as everybody dislikes Top Gear. I am wondering IF there is any connection between the growth of the shows popularity in the USA and the sales of this vehicle?
My sons and I are heavy watchers. But even they wonder why the British makes, such as Land Rover, are given such time and great reviews.
This would be hard to find out, but I don’t think this is such a stretch.
Bring on the remarks.
Fairly easy, it is a British show and they have a “them and us” mentality
Somehow I doubt the rich 40-year-old housewives I see driving these things to and from pilates are Top Gear viewers.
It will probably make you puke, but I suspect the growth in sales have more to do with those vermin like the Kardashians and the Real Housewives than Top Gear.
well..it was a dumb thought on my part. One of many throughout the day today.
I can’t believe there were 2758 people who paid 73K for an Escalade. I can understand buying into the Range Rover brand amrketing but 73K for a tarted up Suburban?
Think of it as a reliable alternative to a Rangie.
Go to the Midwest and Texas, you will believe those numbers quite easily.
I don’t understand the Escalade purchases. If you are concerned about looking wealthy, get a RR or G-Wagen. If you’re concerned about longevity and quality, get an LX or a QX. If you want to save some money but have something American, the Denali is for you.
There are no cases where the Escalade makes sense which are not rap videos in 2004.
The current Escalade IS good looking. And they hold up well.
Escalade is a more versatile & reliable vehicle that’s still pretty luxurious. Also more of a status symbol in various regions of the US. Better dealer support too.
To be frank.
There is a new class of Chinese wealth that is buying up real property and other asset classes en mass throughout regions such as Lower Mainland BC Canada.
The entire city of Vancouver has approached $1 million dollars as the cost of entry to by a single family home.
These cars don’t cost enough. They really don’t.
$100,000 cars are child’s play for the wealth being displayed by Chinese immigrants.
I know there are many other factors, but there is no doubt luxury goods are going to experience tremendous growth.
Lincoln/Cadillac/Acura/Infiniti
Listen up. Get opulent or get out.
You make an interesting point.
All of those manufacturers have something costing at least $80,000 already, except Acura.
And I can’t see them doing anything beyond/larger than the MDX. Honda does not have the appropriate engines for such large product.
Here’s the thing.
I dont think Honda/Toyota need worry about broaching this category as they have tremendously strong brand goodwill and their core models are like motherhood and apple pie to large swaths of the retail market.
BUT,
Honda is letting AUDI/BMW/MB take sales that could very well have been Acura’s for the taking.
Case in point:
Had Acura considered super-charging their J motor to something in Audi S4 range and offering it exclusively with SH-AWD they would be onto something.
Audi and BMW success in the aftermarket with their boosted sixes is huge. And stubborn Honda just refuses to. So much activity in the after-market with the german sixes that Honda just failed to be in on.
Looking ahead, Turbo VTEC is going to be a big big deal.
If the TLX gets a variant of the Type R Civic motor, it could be a “game changer” for Honda-Acura.
For Chinese visitors these vehicle are incredible BARGAIN. These vehicles sell for around $200K on the mainland. High sales assured unless RR levels prices or Canada changes its immigration policy.
Didn’t you know?
Canada is for sale. US customers are being given 25% off right now.
Real property (especially real estate) is being handed over daily to immigrant investors.
I am not against this per se. If you understand the market and ensure your are the Baron and not the Serf, then you will be fine.
But make no mistake, 20 years from now, hundreds of thousands of Canadians are going to realize their tenancy agreements are being signed off by Chinese landlords that do not live in their country. Massive swaths of property are changing hands and the over-abundance of paper Yen is being transferred into real propery while CDN$ continues to depreciate.
Land Rover Defender please
Just goes to show that rich people are as short-sighted about gas prices as poor people. At least rich people will probably own oil stocks to hedge against the inevitable rise in the price of oil.
Rich people don’t consider fuel economy in their new car purchases, at least not in the financial sense.
A guy driving a Ranger Rover is as worried about the price of gas for his Rover as he is worried about how much the dry cleaning cost on his Italian suits.
This is out of my price bracket, but I’m in the group that doesn’t understand the near universal appeal of the RR or Escalade over the LC and LX570.
RR had vastly better ride quality and interior.
I personally don’t like the split-folding tailgates, so if I were in the market it would be between the GL,Escalade ESV and Infiniti QX80
RR/LR has no Tata equivalent (yet)but has the Defender to be secretly admired in an eccentric county relative way. Wellies, waxed jackets, and Jermyn ST clothing and all that image implies. Yes, the Escalade is the most bad-a$$ Suburban GM can make. Dad had a black Eldorado; an Escalade is the closest we have to that these days. Land Cruisers are righteous machines in their own right. An LX is a soccer-mom thang. Toyota/Lexus has sub-sets of bad-a$$ery and technical excellence. They’ve never had imbued cachet, or bling, or the subtle hint of automatic weapons on board.
There’s no subtle hint of automatic weapons because the automatic weapons are usually mounted in the bed.
When I think automatic weapons on board I pretty much go right to the G-Wagen, if anything screams Eastern European gangsters with automatic guns on board it is that vehicle.
My thoughts go to an old Hilux in a third world nation. With too many people in it.
YTD deliveries:
BMW X5 – 11751
Mercedes GL – 6335
Lexus GX – 5480
Cadillac Escalade (incl. ESV) – 7901
Range Rover is doing well, but it’s not as if its rivals are faltering.
I read somewhere that the Mercedes GL has the dubious distinction of having the highest cost of ownership of any passenger vehicle.
My daughter replaced her Lexus RX 350 with a GL and she is glad it’s under warranty. Currently all the doors don’t lock, been in twice for a fix.
This is why God created leasing.
I can’t give the GL credit for anything, really.
Is it good to look at? No.
Has it got lots of prestige? No.
Does it come with lots of standard equipment? No.
Is it affordable in a relative sense? Nope.
It’s awful.
“(and options which take the MSRP well beyond $140,000)”
The new Range Rover SV Autobiography is $200,000.
My friend’s cousin has an Autobiography. Her boyfriend bought it for her. It has a red steering wheel and red seat inserts. Not for those of restrained tastes.
I did look at buying a Discovery a few years ago, but decided the cost of the vehicle didn’t warrant how I used it. They are a vehicle you buy to impress the neighbours and have excellent off road ability.
My view is if GM can sell a Silverado station wagon as a Caddy for the sums of money it costs to get into a RR or LR, I’d buy the latter.
RR’s and LR’s reliability issues aren’t what they used to be. It’s odd how many people on these blog sites look back 20 years ago to determine what the latest vehicles are like.
RR and LR are exceptionally good vehicles. A gentlemen’s vehicle.
You mean to say they don’t leak oil and have thatched roofs?
Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be!
There was a early 90s v8 discovery (5 speed manual!!!) In the junkyard the other day. The thing had over 250000 miles on the odometer and looked to be in great shape compared to other cars of that age in the rust belt.
They really don’t rust, and unless you get black or red, the clearcoat holds up okay as well (maybe not on the roof though).
They’re too low volume to show up on any of the major reliably rankings. And “not what they used to be” doesn’t hold a lot of water when the rest of the market has gotten phenomenally reliable in the same timespan.
That said, I’m the proud owner of a car Consumer’s Reports ranked as “below average” reliability, and it hasn’t bankrupted me yet. Every 20,000 miles or so it has a surprise for me. I deal with it, and move on. I would still buy the same car again.
A couple of good things embraced by Americans that came from British Leyland and British Rail.
Range Rover & hivis clothing.
Beauty with brains behind it….
Meh I’d go Denali.
I’m glad to see the Evoque being outsold by the regular RR, because the Evoque is damned ugly.
I couldn’t disagree more. The Evoque is a very interesting forward looking design and thus bound to attract positive and negative feelings.
I have to respectfully disagree with you but I will add if visibility were included as an option I would find it somewhat less offensive.
I agree with this. A major reason why I dislike it is that it “pinches” towards the back like a tube of toothpaste, which creates a mail slot back window. It just doesn’t look good to me at all.
I like the full sized Range Rover for the most part, the ride is excellent for an SUV and the fit and finish pretty good, for me though they lose presence with every generation, it really did not help when Ford completely stole their look for this generation. On top of that the tech is not the best and there are quite a few top notch SUVs now so once again the prestige is not there like when the market was small.
In my opinion the Cayenne’s fit and finish, ride, handling, everything is second to none with regard to SUVs, you just have to get at least a GTS to make it look good. At $90,000 plus I would not consider anything other than a Cayenne, I would only consider an Escalade ESV if I regularly took trips with a lot of people and also towed something large. Under $90,000 the Infiniti QX80 would probably be my first choice. Based on the trajectory Lincoln is headed on, I predict the next Navigator is going to clean house if they make that thing half as good as I think they will.
If anything, I think the Range Rover grows _more_ imposing with each generation. I think the nadir was the P38A (second) generation; the more recent ones have been fantastically styled if nothing else.
The people who buy these things, at least around Greenwich, Chestnut Hill, Brentwood or Atherton, wouldn’t be caught dead in a Cadillac or a Lincoln.
Umm, go down Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, they are flooded with Escalades, Navigators and Tahoes ferrying the elite and their kids around. Pull up photos of almost any celebrity being driven around, it is almost always an Escalade or Tahoe. They don’t seem to have a problem being in them at all from what I can tell.
Those are Ubers or other car services. If they’re driving themselves, it’s in a Range Rover or a Mercedes G/GL.
I saw an all black brand new Navigator (with 1996 Bravada front) and it really caught my eye. Very imposing, and I liked it.
RRs are one of the vehicles of choice for the well-heeled along the Gold Coast of Long Island. Not uncommon to see 5 or 6 in a row waiting at a light.
It’s the official vehicle of Buckhead (Atlanta).
Every time I hear more about that area, I’m more convinced the population is about 98% d-bag.
Fresh junkyard fodder for 2020 inbound.
To paraphrase PT Barnum: There’s a pretentious douchebag born every minute.
Had this discussion with a friend after his grandmother ordered a fully loaded LR RR Autobiography. The answer, once you skip past the part where it’s people from other countries stashing corruption money in US assets, is simple: Bentley and Rolls Royce don’t make SUVs. They basically have no competition in the 100k category.
There’s isn’t really another SUV with an interior quite like the ones in Range Rovers. Good luck finding an LX470, the German SUVs have very dour interiors in comparison, even if you spec them up. BMW kind of gets there, especially if you start getting into Individual territory, but they don’t make something the size of a Range Rover.
Filing this in my “Who gives a rat’s ass” file.
I remember when Top Gear did a piece on this latest RR when it came out, having it race against an autonomous (or maybe just remote control?) 6×6 army truck. At one point the camera does a quick shot of the dash to show the tachometer climbing, and it’s a full christmas tree: ABS, Traction Control, Check Engine, all burning brightly! I couldn’t help but laugh, this is the famous “Three Amigos” as DIY Land Rover guys call them. Later on in the piece the RR’s front fascia was looking quite worse for the wear with some plastic bits dragging, and my understanding is that over the course of filming, a number of rims were damaged. Understandable given their huge diameter and rubber band tires.
They’re certainly handsome vehicles, but as a number of other commenters have brought up, I’d prefer the understated and UN approved 200 series Land Cruiser. If I’m buying something for that much money in that sort of segment of “indomitable luxury 4×4” I want something that is truly high quality and of utmost durability. Not something that will leave me stranded with a deflated air suspension.
There’s a very good reason the 100 Series landcruisers still cost a mint ($9000 and up) for the most worn out first year 1998 truck with 200k+ miles, and similar vintage RRs mostly litter BHPH lots and sit listing to one side (failed airbag) in the ghetto.
Oh yes that hanging-off trim shot was not very flattering, was it? I especially noticed that one, and I’m surprised they left it in the final cut. I would not have, if I were as pro-RR as TG is.
Speaking of BHPH. This weekend I saw some questionable sort of “off the boat Nigerian” characters near a Chinese restaurant, oogling the Discovery II that one of them had just bought (I’m sure at BHPH or auction).
I wondered to myself how long that thing would run before it busted something expensive, and if that man had the funds available to fix it. Or if he would bother with insurance.
I decided the answers were “two months,” “no,” and “no.”
Man, there’s going to be a crap load of cheap, unreliable luxo-SUVs out there in 5 years!
so true!! lmao!!! Just think…all the dumb sheep in the apocalypse will take these, and us smart ones here on TTAC will grab the real warrior vehicles of choice.