2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar
Avg CO2 0.99 lb/mi Energy cons 169 kW-hr/100 mi
Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $282.79
(1-oil change, inspection) Normal-wear cost $0
Base price $70,595 As-tested $76,041 E PA Cit y/Hw y/Com b
Fuel Econ 18/24/20 mpg Real MPG 23.3 mpg combined“For 2018 Velar owners, I highly
recommend getting the CarPlay
retrofit. Works great!” Mark RechtinService life:
11 mo/22,456 mi • Avg Fuel Econ: 19.5 mpgLand Rover InControl apps are
so bad that I had abandoned
them.
One $184.99 software reflash
at the dealership later, and
CarPlay worked great, seam-
lessly alternating between
satellite radio and phone calls
and text messages despite
different operating systems.Unfortunately, the reflash
triggered a software cascade
elsewhere in the display,
making it impossible to manu-
ally raise or lower the vehicle
via the touchscreen controls.
The unresponsive icons were
only for ride height. Climate
control, radio, and other
vehicle controls all worked fine.
Out of options, I even jokingly
asked Siri to raise the vehicle,
to no effect (obviously). The
software crash also had the
unnerving effect of the Velar
automatically lowering itself
(and staying there) when
placed into park, which
resulted in several teeth-
clenching scrapes when letting
out passenger-side occupants
in high-curbed L.A.
Fortunately, I was not alone
in my circumstance. Land
Rover North America had
already determined another
software patch was in order.
A quick drop at the deal-
ership for another reflash,
and everything was back in
order. (A quick note aboutthe dealership: Whoever did
the second reflash had not
cleaned their hands/clothes/
tools before setting about their
work; our Velar returned with its
center armrest splashed with
stains. Some leather cleaner
took care of it, but still.)
But enough about tele-
phony. Aside from that glitch,
the Velar has continued to be
a sleek, appealing ride. It also
appears to have become the
official vehicle of coastal Los
Angeles, given its consistent
appearance in transporting my
fellow commuters.
Copy editor Claire Crowley
borrowed the Velar for a
weekend. Her impressions?
“The Velar is sex on wheels,
but the cupholders suck. I
guess they hold your cup
good and tight when you’re
rock crawling, but they’re way
too snug for everyday coffee
drinking. I had to pry my Peet’s
from its G.I. Joe kung-fu grip
every time I wanted a sip.”
If you own a Velar, those are
First World Problems.T
here’s a little-known
codicil in the lore of home
renovation: Don’t tear up
anything unless you want to
create new problems.
Perhaps that's why I shouldn’t
have been so heart-set in my
desire to have Apple CarPlay
retrofit into the Velar’s infotain-
ment system. But the nativeDespite the hassles,
adding CarPlay to
the Velar was the
right call. Do it!