Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.The hulking Land Rover Range Rover Sport is supposed to be the performance-based model in the Range Rover lineup, but it does luxury better than most of its competitors. That is, after all, what Range Rover does best. Trying to tip the scales towards sporty when you're best at luxury SUVs will produce some challenges, and during my time with the SUV, I certainly found some items I didn't love. These are all of them.The "Sport" Ain't So SportyChase BierenkovenView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleAdvertisementAdvertisementThe big problem with the Sport model is that it just doesn't hack it against similarly priced sporty SUVs. Range Rover builds a great luxury SUV, but it doesn't manage to nail the thrilling driving dynamics I expect of a sports SUV. Due to their mass, I expect these cars to beat physics. The thing has to feel about 1,000 pounds lighter than it really weighs, and the Sport doesn't. It has to thrill me, and this inline-six powertrain doesn't, despite the serious power (395 horsepower, 406 lb-ft of torque). I'm just not blown away with the way this drives, thanks largely to the dead steering, comparatively harsh ride on its optional 23-inch wheels, and lackluster soundtrack. Give me a Porsche Macan any day.The Sport Is Pricey Compared To German RivalsChase BierenkovenWhen you look at the German competition and notice they are, by and large, cheaper, then you've got a serious pricing problem. Both the BMW X5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE offer trim levels with serious performance for less. The X5's M60i trim offers a V8 for $95k or so, while this model cleared $100k as-specified. Plus, it makes more power (523 hp, 553 lb-ft) and drives like a BMW. The story is the same at Mercedes, where a $90,000 GLE 53 AMG gets you 429 horsepower and better driving dynamics.I Don't Love The Range Rover's TechChase BierenkovenLand Rover is a little over-reliant on screens in its Range Rovers, and the Sport is no exception. While the display itself is truly nice to look at, too many controls hide within. Nearly every operation you'll use day-to-day must be performed from the car's touchscreen. Raising the temperature requires swiping up on the displayed temps, and all of the car's various performance and off-road submenus are rooted in the display as well. Some hard buttons remain, but they're haptics on the steering wheel.Chase BierenkovenThese have a sort of multi-function premise on the left-hand stalk, which can get a little confusing depending on which menu you're in. I don't love the feel either. Those plastic covers creak and flex under your touch, and they get all grimy because the finish is a shiny black.Ban Piano BlackChase BierenkovenAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Range Rover is covered in this shiny black plastic. It's the stuff of nightmares if you like a clean car. It shows off dust and fingerprints like no other, and to restore the finish, you have to polish it like paint. I have a very strong negative reaction to the stuff because it feels so common, too. It's everywhere, and the last place I want common materials is on the interior of my six-figure luxury sports SUV.This story was originally published by Autoblog on Aug 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Features section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.