Cliff Chambers•11 Apr 2023

ADVICE

Buying a used Range Rover Evoque (2011-2018)

Land Rover’s first compact SUV in Range Rover attire was both luxurious and could do the business off-road, so when buying second-hand make sure you check the Evoque carefully…

Short history of the Range Rover Evoque

Looking jealously at advances being made by German rivals, it became obvious to Land Rover that it needed a smaller SUV from its luxury arm Range Rover to rival the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.

Land Rover’s LRX concept vehicle first appeared at the 2008 Detroit motor show before spending two years being developed into a production model.

The Range Rover Evoque – just what it was meant to evoke wasn’t defined – was then revealed at the Paris motor show in 2010.

Ensuring that the new model would be built in Britain – even though Jaguar Land Rover was by then owned by Indian-based Tata Motors – the UK government provided a £27 million grant to keep the Halewood factory in Liverpool open.

In 2010, production versions in three- and five-door form were released, however the major market for the new model was the US, so the bulk of Evoques were built in left-hand drive. Deliveries to Australian buyers were scheduled for late 2011.

Two body styles (three-door coupe and five-door wagon), turbo-petrol and diesel engines, and four levels of trim provided plentiful choice for buyers at launch – some of whom might have been stepping out of sporty coupes and favoured the Evoque shape to the upright look of other SUVs.

Three years after introduction the Evoque was well established on the world market, sales for 2015 reaching an impressive 125,000 and the model had received a string of international awards.

That year also saw the announcement of a convertible version which would arrive in Australia for 2017.

The second-generation Evoque was launched in 2018, bringing an across-the-range overhaul.

Buying Used: Range Rover Evoque (2011-18) – Common faults found by RedBook Inspect

Almost inevitably, Land Rover products come with defect and recall issues, so copy the VIN of any Evoque you are considering and check its history.
Turbocharged diesel and petrol engines can suffer throttle lag when accelerating or moving away from rest. Make sure your test drive gets the engine to full temperature and check that the vehicle responds promptly.
Turbocharger problems can also lead to excessive smoke from exhaust or warning lights, as well as reduced engine performance.
Evoque models are well protected against off-road damage but careless use can still cause underbody and suspension damage.
Coolant leaks from the thermostat housing or water pump.
Rough shifting and slipping or hesitation in transmission.
Electrical issues with infotainment systems, sensors, wiring and locks/windows.
Valve cover gasket leaks.
Timing chain tensioner which can lead to engine noise and engine damage if not addressed early.
Clogging of sunroof drains can cause water entry/leaks into car’s interior.

Range Rover Evoque (2011-18) – Overview of updates, engines and equipment

At launch in November 2011, you could pay less than $55,000 for a basic Range Rover Evoque or lash out $20,000 more on a Prestige version.

That was before on-road costs – and before checking the bewildering options list which could boost the final price by over $40,000.

Occupying the lowest rung on the Evoque ladder was the Pure. Initially there were four variations of Pure, ranging from $53,395 to $60,395 plus on-road costs. The cheapest was the TD4 with a 110kW 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and manual transmission. Opting for an automatic cost $2000 extra.

Rounding out the list of available Pure variations was the only one without diesel power and also the most expensive. With a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and six-speed automatic transmission, the Si4 topped $60,000 and in Prestige form exceeded $76,000.

The vast majority of locally-delivered Evoque SUVs had five doors, with just a handful of three-door coupe versions sighted in the current used market.

Equipment levels were good from the start, with part-leather seat trim and partial electric adjustment, an eight-speaker CD sound system with various inputs, push-button start and 17-inch alloys with a spare.

Quite unbelievably in a car with rear vision this restricted, the reversing camera and blind spot monitoring weren’t included.

Other aspects of primary and secondary safety are good, with ANCAP tests giving diesel five-door versions an initial four-star rating. The fifth star, which was acquired later, was missing due to sub-optimal cabin intrusion and the car’s potential to injure pedestrians.

Moving up the Evoque value range brought no change to engine availability, however it was welcome to see a six-speed manual transmission available in all turbo-diesel versions.

En route to the highest-spec model, purchasers would be asked to consider a mid-range Dynamic which added rain-sensing wipers and light-sensing Xenon headlights, an 11-speaker sound system, folding and heated mirrors and 19-inch wheels.

Choose an Evoque Prestige and the package would include full electric seat adjustment, heated auto-dipping exterior mirrors, a cabin with leather on the sills and instrument pod, paddle shifts and powered hatch.

2014 brought price rises but compensation in the form of ZF’s most advanced automatic transmission: a nine-speed made in the US that featured a super-low ‘crawler’ first gear.

It was said to be ideal in sporty models like the Evoque where it could ignored until needed in off-road situations.

Range Rover Evoque (2011-18) – What are they like to drive?

It is really hard to understand how Land Rover can produce such good designs then fall in a heap when the task turns to building them.

Production flaws and safety-based recalls influence buyer confidence across the entire range and it’s understandable if people who might have given the Range Rover Evoque a go to choose to put their money elsewhere.

That’s a shame too, because the Evoque in most forms is a terrific thing to drive and even better to look at when parked in your driveway.

Find one that somebody has optioned to the hilt and you get a car that provides most of the features a seeker of prestige motoring could want and adds the attributes of a proper off-roader.

Evoque models in some eyes are far too cutesy to be considered serious bush-track challengers, but Land Rover begged for the car to be judged on its merits, not appearances, and experienced 4WD test drivers were generally impressed.

Driving one off-road is claimed to be no more difficult than running other luxury SUVs on a sealed surface. You just steer the path of least resistance, apply enough throttle to keep the car moving at a comfortable pace and let the Terrain Response electronics do the rest.

The system has four modes that deliver traction in ways best suited to various surface conditions, including grass, gravel, sand, snow and mud.

Performance from all but the basic 110kW engine ranges from excellent to exciting. The 140kW diesel with six-speed manual transmission might be an ideal set-up for serious off-roading, but you’re not likely to find many manual-gearbox Evoque models of any description on carsales listings.

Charging off along a beach or plunging down fire trails is still possible with the auto and the sure-footed Evoque does seem hard to bog or swamp. Clearance isn’t immense, so caution is needed when tackling deep ruts or rocky tracks.

Around town the turbo lag can get tedious and so can the automatic idle-stop feature, which is apparently taking a toll on flywheels. Wonder how much fuel it saves when compared with the cost of a flywheel change every 200,000km?

On the topic of consumption, a 2.0-litre petrol engine hooked up to the automatic tranny will average a moderately greedy 12L/100km, while a 140kW turbo-diesel auto will – depending on who you ask – manage somewhere between 8.3-9.4L/100km.

Is the Range Rover Evoque (2011-18) a good choice for families?

Style overwhelming function is the problem here and it does stop the Range Rover Evoque being all it could to family buyers.

The roof slopes lasciviously and the car looks great as a consequence, but tallish teens may feel constricted in the back. Carrying capacity with all seats in use is a surprisingly large 472 litres.

If you have younger offspring then an Evoque is certainly worth a look and absolutely worth driving.

On bitumen, and depending on the standard of tyres fitted, it handles like a hot hatch but can also deal with fishing trips and alpine weekends.

Just don’t expect nan and pop to be happy when crammed in the back with junior in the car seat.

Range Rover Evoque (2011-18) – What to check when buying used

Defects and safety-based recalls have afflicted lots of Evoque models and frustrated numerous owners. The earliest we found involved vehicles built during 2012, where fractures could affect fastening of the steering unit to the frame. Make very sure that one has been fixed.
Two more faults with the potential to threaten occupants’ lives were front brake calliper fixings that could fail and leaks from the injector spill rail in diesel models that could start a fire.
Airbags in a small number of 2016-build Evoques failed to deploy due to incorrect manufacture. The VIN numbers were advised to dealers and all should have been fixed.
Check before buying the cost of scheduled servicing and the price of components such as brake rotors, an air-conditioning overhaul, door window motors and a complete transmission, all of which have been known to fail during the first decade of an Evoque’s life.
Incorrectly assembled front suspension arms need to be checked because sharp impacts like a deep pothole or when using the vehicle off-road can cause them to collapse.
Check service history and nature of repairs carried out during ownership.
Check for water stains or marks in the lower covers of the engine bay.
Check functionality of electrical components are working.
Check for smoke and abnormal noises on road test.

RedBook Inspect mobile inspectors can take the guesswork out of buying a car with a comprehensive vehicle inspection.

Used vehicle grading for Range Rover Evoque (2011-18)
Design & Function: 13/20
Safety: 13/20
Practicality: 13/20
Value for Money: 10/20
Wow Factor: 15/20
Score: 64/100