Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar F-Pace & VW Tiguan
For carbuyers it’s fairly simple to find and compare your shortlisted vehicles and decide from many reviews which one is the most efficient, fun to drive or family friendly, and it becomes a little easier to decide when you’re looking to buy a car including all 3 of those criteria – like in the most popular body type of current cars – the Crossover SUV.
This part of the market is booming with new models added constantly as the potential for manufacturers to make money on this hugely profitable sector soars. So what’s new?
Well, have you ever looked to lease a sporty SUV but you’re not too sure which is the best one to drive or which has the best value for money? Good news – we take a look at how car leasing can save you money by showing you our most popular sporty SUVs and giving you our run-down of what we think you should have. So, go and make yourself a brew, get nice and comfy and let us do the rest.
Let’s kick things off with one of the most popular cars of recent times, a car that everyone seems to own – the Range Rover Evoque.
This premium brand crossover SUV has been around since 2011 and in that time the UK has managed to score itself with the biggest portion of the market – selling over 120,000 of them in just 5 years. To lease these cars are brilliant as the residual value of them holds very well which means your monthly rental costs will be much lower and this is why they are so popular – you get a high quality vehicle for a small price in comparison.
But what’s the craze all about we hear you say? Well it’s the baby Range Rover; it has all the nice, luxury bits of the larger 4×4 but without the larger price tag. It has the impressive, head-turning style of the Range Rover but within a compact SUV, perfect around town and practical enough for your family shopping trips.
There are 3 trim levels in the Evoque – starting with Pure, Dynamic and ending with the signature Autobiography trim. Extras can be added to all three of these such as Pure Tech and Dynamic Lux which can enhance the cars features for a modest enough price tag.
The latest edition to the Evoque though is a 9-speed automatic gearbox, which sounds a little excessive to say the least, but it has helped to increase fuel economy and cruising refinement a great deal. As well as that 2016 saw the introduction of Ingenium diesel engines which have increased fuel economy hugely, especially in the smaller diesels which now achieve around 65.7mpg, and which makes this the most efficient Land Rover ever made and also the cheapest to run ever too.
So what’s wrong with this car then? Well not too much to be perfectly honest but if we’re picking then there are a few things. Firstly, while the Evoque is smooth and relaxing to drive on long journeys the smallest bump can upset the ride sending nasty jolts through the cabin. Secondly because the roof slopes at the back of the car that means headroom is compromised and cabin space overall feels a bit cramped.
As well as that if you start busying yourself selecting options for this car then you’ll find quite an array of wallet-raiding option packs, which are said to improve the lack-lustre infotainment system if anything.
Verdict: A perfect compact SUV for everyday family uses having the biggest curb appeal on the market. If you want more space and practicality look at the Land Rover Discovery Sport, although we’re not sure you’ll get more bang for your buck because the Evoque is much cheaper to lease with our current offers.
Next up is the latest and apparently greatest SUV going according to AutoExpress who just named it their 2016 Car of the Year – it’s the Jaguar F-Pace.
As AutoExpress gave the F-Pace such an award it felt only fitting to get a little speech from them to back up their decision and they readily obliged saying that the F-Pace “is boldly styled, great to drive, refined and proves you don’t need to sacrifice excitement when choosing a family-friendly crossover”.
What we find is the best thing about leasing a car instead of buying one is that you get a brand new car for a fraction of the price it would cost to own one over the same amount of time. With a beautiful, high quality car such as this it becomes more apparent as again the residual value of the car remains high throughout its life.
So we know the F-Pace is good, but let’s look at why. Well, for a start all F-Paces come with 18” alloy wheels, Jaguars InControl infotainment system with Navigation & 5 eight-way, electrically adjustable seats.
The F-Pace comes with a choice of 3 engines which keeps things nice and simple – a 2.0 litre Diesel, a V6 3.0 litre Diesel and a supercharged 3.0 litre Petrol engine, and all have either rear or 4-wheel drive, are either manual or have an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
The top pick for us would have to be the 2.0 litre Diesel, which is powered by 178 horses and is the most economical while still being absolutely unforgettable to drive. You can choose this to have 4-wheel drive if you want so you can still enjoy off-road terrain, but we think for most drivers and their lifestyles that the F-Pace is more for churning up the twisty back-roads and casually completing a school-run and so it leaves the proper tough stuff to its sisters at Land Rover.
The driving and handling is absolutely in tune for quite a large SUV, it has enough feedback to make it feel nimble compared to its main fidgety and firmer rival the BMW X3. As well as that quick and accurate steering equals impressive aglity from this car even though it is quite tall. This is noticed in its slight body roll through tight bends but the car already counters this with exceptional body control and good composure which produces fantastic grip. If you opt for the 6-cylinder 3.0litre diesel engine then you’ll receive added aggression from your F-Pace but it tends to sound a bit coarse when pushed.
So how does it do on performance? With the 20” alloy wheels the 2.0 litre Diesel engined F-Pace can do 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds and topping out at 129mph with exceptional fuel economy of almost 60mpg.
And what’s more the 2.0 litre diesel is the pick of the bunch with the 4-cylinder engine being much sweeter as peak torque arrives sooner meaning the engine is keener to respond to the throttle on tight, urban roads. The reason why we can use the words ‘nimble’ and ‘agile’ to describe this fairly bulky SUV is because its structure is made from lightweight aluminium so the diesel engine does not feel overwhelmed.
We’re happy to agree with that and it’s also good news for anyone wanting to lease an F-Pace as the smaller engine means the monthly rental price will be lower as well as any added maintenance packages costing less as they include like-for-like tyre replacement.
Verdict: A fantastic, unique-looking and economical SUV which brings bags of excitement to the drive and stunning good looks to your driveway. Better value for money, more economical and cheaper to run than its rivals , getting an F-Pace looks like an easy decision, and leasing one takes away even more of the usual hassle of getting yourself a new car.
So the last car on our list and another brand new model out this year is the legendary Volkswagen Tiguan.
Firstly the new interior of this car is bang up to date and matches the likes of the new Golf and Polos for the amount of tech it boasts including VWs excellent new touchscreen technology and smartphone connectivity options. Steering wheel-mounted controls allow you to easily make phone calls, change songs, and even what you see on-screen in front of the driver and on the 8” touchscreen integrated within the centre console, such as driving data and audio information.
The new Tiguan boasts some cool new toys as well, with a head up display which can show navigation so that the driver never has to look away from the road and a 360 degree optional area view and lane assist so you are always aware of the driving conditions. In addition to all that is the optional full-length panoramic sunroof which gives added light and extra feel of space to the cabin.
Volkswagen have designed the new Tiguan to be more family-friendly, providing much needed legroom in the rear which can now comfortably seat 4 adults along with extra headroom too, even though this model is actually 33mm lower than the old Tiguan. The boot space really is class-leading with it now having 50 litres more than before and when the rear seats are folded down it has a capacity of 615 litres – bigger than some compact commercial vans. So practicality is rife here then.
As before the interiors aren’t overly exciting nevertheless they have everything you could need from a car like this, which now adds spades more comfort to the overall package than the last car did. But let us now focus on the exterior. What’s the power like?
Volkswagen have brought a very simple selection of engines with this car – a 2 litre, 2WD Diesel, a 2 litre 4WD Petrol and a 2 litre, 4WD Diesel. Forget the petrol engine instantly, right now. No point. The Diesel options both hold their own during your daily activities doing the school run and even towing your caravan. The Diesel options are far more economical, producing roughly 50mpg, and these days you’d expect nothing than perfect accuracy from them.
These engines produce upwards of 148bhp and some 187bhp giving some good power there for the relatively average size and weight of the car, 0-62mph in 9 seconds, and the Tiguan is the only car of its kind to come with the option of adjustable dampers, which allows you to tailor the cars ride quality meaning that it is one of the most refined SUVs in its class with a soft and smooth ride feel. Cool huh?
In terms of leasing this car, again as it is of premium brand and quality it will maintain its residual value well and personalising it to your needs won’t cost you a small fortune.
Verdict: This new Tiguan brings spades of new upgrades to counter the old ones faults, and it does this extremely well. Couple that with the new technology included and the R-Line modelling then you’ll have a fantastic all round car. But, in looks and drive you won’t be blown away, although it is smooth and highly economical. At this point you might be turning over the pros and cons in your head of price over practicality, but never fear as with our current Tiguan offers you’ll be able to afford top spec at lower prices.
