Used Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible 2016-2019 review

The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is something of an oddity, combining the lofty driving position and go-anywhere ability of a 4x4 with the pose factor of a convertible.

Although it doesn’t have any direct rivals on the used car market, it should appeal to those looking at a Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet or a BMW 4 Series Convertible.

Under the bonnet, Land Rover gives you a choice of two 2.0-litre diesel engines or a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol, and they come as standard with an automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. All of which allows the Evoque Convertible to go anywhere a regular Range Rover Evoque can go.

We’re sure most Range Rover Evoque Convertibles will spend their entire lives on the road, but Land Rover has made sure that its new drop-top is just as capable off-road as the hard-topped variant. To cope with the kind of abuse that could entail, it has added several hundred kilos of reinforcement to the Evoque’s underbelly.

The good news is that the Evoque feels solid, with very little of the flex and shake that some convertibles suffer from. Yes, there is still the odd shimmy on very rough surfaces, but it’s better than many rivals out there. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay.

With the additional bracing underneath, the Evoque Convertible weighs in at very nearly two tonnes before you’ve even put a driver behind the wheel. Naturally, that blunts both performance and handling. We recorded a 0-60mph time of around 10.5sec for the 178bhp 2.0 TD4 180 diesel, which isn't outright slow, but it is pedestrian enough to require plenty of planning when overtaking on a single carriageway. Both the 237bhp diesel and petrol versions are significantly faster, but even these still need working hard to deliver any real performance.

You can feel the additional weight when cornering quickly, and especially when braking hard. Stamp on the middle pedal and the nose dives noticeably, although to be fair it still scrubs off speed pretty effectively in the process. In the bends, meanwhile, you notice plenty of body lean, and the Evoque Convertible doesn’t feel overly keen to change direction quickly; a BMW 4 Series Convertible is far more agile. Even so, the ride is quite firm at low speeds, thanks in part to the big wheels that come as standard. The ride isn’t helped by the fact you sit so high, amplifying any movements and leading to your head being jostled around, which can be off-putting.

As you pick up the pace the ride smoothes out but it is never totally settled, and those big tyres produce quite a bit of road noise. When up, the well-insulated roof keeps wind noise well supressed though, and when it’s down with the optional wind deflector fitted, there’s not too much buffeting, either.

The automatic gearbox tends to be a bit slow-witted, leading to a noticeable delay when accelerating from a standstill. Once rolling it shifts smoothly, though.

Sports leather seats come as standard and there’s plenty of leather-effect material covering the dash and doors, making the interior look and feel an attractive place to sit. It all feels well screwed together for the most part, too.

The entry-level SE Dynamic trim comes with eight-way electric seat adjustment but no lumbar support – for that you need to move up to HSE Dynamic, which gets you 12-way electrically adjustable seats. Despite large side bolsters the seats don’t hold you particularly well through corners but otherwise are comfortable, and with a good range of adjustment to the steering wheel it’s easy to find a driving position that suits.

Being an SUV, the driving position is much higher than you’d normally get in a drop-top. Not only does this mean you get a commanding view of the road, it also allows you and your passengers to enjoy fully a panoramic view with the roof down – it can be opened or closed at speeds up to 30mph.

Incontrol Touch Pro, Land Rover's touchscreen infotainment system, comes as standard. This has a 10in wide display with fairly clear icons and graphics. It’s reasonably easy to navigate through the menus, but not as intuitive as BMW’s iDrive system in the 4 Series.

Unfortunately, there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility for your smartphone, though. Instead, you have to download an app to hook one up, and while this works reasonably well, it can be sluggish at times.

It’s unlikely that front seat passengers will have any complaints regarding space; the wide interior means you won’t bash elbows with your passenger. Even with the roof up, head room is very good and drivers have a well-placed footrest for their left foot.

There’s decent storage space under the centre armrest along with USB and aux inputs - a perfect place to hide a mobile phone in other words. There are a couple of well-sized cup holders between the front seats that can be hidden with a sliding cover. There’s further oddment storage hiding behind the base of the dashboard, although this is a touch awkward: you can’t see what’s there, which means it’s easy to forget your belongings.

Moving to the rear, leg room is pretty good by four-seat convertible standards. Helping is the high-mounted rear bench that means your knees aren’t forced up towards the roof. Although the interior narrows in the rear, there’s still enough space for two to sit side-by-side without issue. Fitting the flimsy optional wind deflector, which helps reduce buffeting with the roof down, completely blocks off the rear seats.

Unfortunately, the boot has shrunk considerably with the soft-top conversion. You’ll struggle to get a pair of reasonably sized suitcases back there, and there’s no folding rear seat. The only added flexibility comes from a ski flap fitted to the top-spec models. To make matters worse, the upwardly opening bootlid is perfectly placed to catch your head on when loading or unloading.

If you're interested in finding a used Evoque, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Used Evoque Convertibles start at around £25,000, this for an early car that's covered an average mileage for its age, with a service history, bought either privately or from an independent dealer.

Up your budget to £27,000 to £30,000 for a later car, up to £34,000 for the last models.

Check the value of a used Range Rover Evoque with What Car? Valuations

Unfortunately, the car’s weight and four-wheel drive system means it won’t be as economical as a 4 Series or C-Class Convertible in terms of official miles per gallon. The 2.0 Si4 averages 32.9mpg, the 2.0 TDI4 49.6mpg.

Road Tax (VED)

Road tax for all models registered before 1 April 2017 will vary depending upon the emissions the engine produces. If you're buying one registered after the tax system changed on 1 April 2017, you'll have to pay a yearly flat-rate fee, currently £165 a year, plus an additional surcharge of £355 if your Evoque cost over £40,000 when new. However, this surcharge only applies for years two to five of the car's life.

Insurance and servicing costs

Insurance groups for the desirable Evoque range from 28 for the lowest front-wheel-drive diesel to 43 for the high-performance petrol car in top-spec Autobiography trim.

A used service plan is available for the Evoque. This takes the form of a one-off initial payment, which varies depending on engine and trim but currently starts at £625 and covers between two and five services. There are also fixed price servicing options that range from £330 for an interim service every 16,000 miles or one year, while a 32,000 mile major service every two years is £440.

Engine

We prefer the 2.0-litre diesel engine, particularly in higher-powered TD4 guise, because it has a bit more power and gets four-wheel drive as standard. While the powerful 2.0-litre Si4 petrol might be fun, it's best avoided since running costs will be high.

Specification

Likewise, we would advice you to go for one of the revised trim levels as these have more safety kit as standard. The best is the SE Tech; it's not much more costly than an SE, yet it has loads of additional luxuries. HSE Dynamic, HSE Dynamic Lux and Autobiography trims are nice to look at, but the bigger wheels fitted to these models spoils the ride.

Our favourite Range Rover Evoque Convertible: 2.0 TD4 180 SE Tech

The Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet is refined, in some versions, and comes with a classy interior. However, its steering could be better and it’s not that much fun to drive. Its ride can also be a little unsettled.

The BMW 4 Series Convertible is relatively spacious, quite practical and has a high-quality interior. It also offers fine handling and a great infotainment system. Countered against that, there’s too much road noise and the ride can be firm, too.

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If you're interested in finding a used Evoque Convertible, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.