EXCLUSIVEUsed Range Rover values tumble: Theft fears and insurance hikes mean owners face a hit if they sell

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Owners of Land Rovers and Range Rovers are already facing turbulent times.

Not only are technology-armed criminal gangs targeting their luxury SUVs using calculated new methods, their insurance premiums are rocketing as the crimewave has made some underwriters twitchy about covering them.

Many drivers might - understandably - be tempted to sell or offload their cars to avoid spiralling costs, but market data shows the value of these expensive SUVs has tumbled compared to a year ago.

In the worst case scenario, owners of three-year-old Range Rover Evoque hybrids have seen the average price for their motor dive by 33.9 per cent - the equivalent of £13,170 - compared to what the same car was worth 12 months earlier.

So what does this mean for Range Rover and Land Rover owners? We take an in-depth look at whether drivers are trying to flog their cars and how parent group Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is trying to solve the problem by spending millions to retrofit older cars with its most up-to-date security tech. 

What's happened to the value of used Land Rovers and Range Rovers since theft concerns sent the insurance sector into a tizz? We've investigated to see how far prices fell in 12 months

Are more owners trying to sell their Range Rovers?

There have been various reports claiming owners are trying to offload their Land Rover vehicles as soon as possible to escape unaffordable premiums.

Car selling website Motorway said the Range Rover was the most-sold car in February - ahead of more common models including the VW Golf and Mini.

But to suggest there's a flood of these cars being advertised for sale in recent months isn't the case.

Auto Trader, the nation's biggest online car marketplace and leading second-hand vehicle sales website, provided February figures to This is Money that suggest there hasn't been a dramatic increase in the number of cars advertised compared to a year ago.

In fact, there has either been a slight rise or in some cases fewer listed in February 2024 than the same month a year ago.

For instance, there were 4,853 Range Rover Sports available on Auto Trader in February 2023. In the same month this year, there were 4,991 - just 138 (2.8 per cent) more.

In the case of the full-fat Range Rover and Land Rover Discovery, there were more on sale a year ago than last month, while Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery Sport numbers for sale remained relatively flat.

The biggest increase in availability was the Range Rover Evoque - up from 5,800 in February 2023 compared to 6,144 last year, which is an uplift of almost 6 per cent. 

The data shows that availability of the modernised Land Rover Defender has grown by 12.5 per cent on the used market.

However, this is to be expected given it was only launched in 2020 and is therefore starting from a very low base. 

Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insight at Auto Trader, said declines in used car prices are driven by two things: the result of increase in stock in the last 12 months, and any increased supply of new cars reducing competition in the second-hand market.

'Car prices are heavily influenced by changing market dynamics,' Palmer explained.

'Although used car demand remains very robust, average prices have softened over the last year, largely due to a sharp increase in levels of supply. 

'This same trend has affected Land Rovers and Range Rovers - despite consumer demand increasing on last year's levels, it's been surpassed by rising volumes of stock in the market.'

A more detailed look at the decline in value of used Land Rover models

To better understand what's happening to the value of used Land Rover and Range Rovers, we asked market data providers Cap Hpi to supply average prices for March 2024 compared to the same month a year earlier.

We have broken the data down into three age groups: one-year-old examples; three-year-old vehicles; and 10-year-old cars.

The figures are based on the average price achieved for each model by dealers and at auction last year compared to this.

For instance, we are only looking at what a one-year-old Range Rover Sport sold for in March 2023 versus what a one-year-old Range Rover Sport achieved last month. 

This is therefore a measure of price deflation and not depreciation (which is when a car becomes less valuable as it gets older). It reveals how much prices have nosedived in the last 12 months, although its important to note the wider market has seen used car prices fall.

- One-year-old cars with an average of 10,000 miles on the clock

All of the cars falling into this age bracket will have JLR's latest security system installed (you can read more about this below) and therefore are best protected against the tech-savvy criminal gangs targeting luxury motors.

However, there are still some big drops in value for nearly-new Land Rover and Range Rover models. 

And the worst case has fallen in value by almost three times the market average. 

Cap Hpi tells us that the average year-old (10k miles) used car price dropped by 11.5 per cent between March 2023 (£40,033) and last month (£35,421).

However, Land Rover and Range Rover products of this generation slipped on average by 15.7 per cent.

The Land Rover model hit hardest is the Range Rover Evoque P300e Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV).

In March 2023, a year-old example with 10,000 miles on the clock would have been worth £47,180. But last month, dealers were shifting year-old Evoque PHEVs for £31,810. That's a loss of £15,370, or a decline of 32.6 per cent.

The only car to deflate in value by more than the Evoque PHEV is Lexus' electric UX, which fell by 34.2 per cent over the same period. 

It's a similar story for the Land Rover Discovery Sport with the same PHEV powertrain, which is down by 30.2 per cent (£14,300).

The biggest deflation in Land Rover prices for year-old examples was for the plug-in hybrid variants of the latest Range Rover Evoque (left) and Land Rover Discovery Sport (right)

Other big downward movers include the previous-generation Range Rover Sport, with hybrid and petrol variants dropping by 28.2 and 27.8 per cent respectively, representing financial declines of £17,325 and £18,200 

Year-old Range Rover Velar prices are down on last year by between 12% and 23% depending on fuel type

Despite the price of some one-year-old Land Rover and Range Rover models falling by as much as a third, the Defender hasn't been as badly impacted, according to Cap Hpi's data

Other big downward movers include the previous-generation Range Rover Sport, with hybrid and petrol variants dropping by 28.2 and 27.8 per cent respectively, representing financial declines of £17,325 and £18,200. 

Interestingly, as our table shows below the hybrid cars are now cheaper than the petrol and diesel variants.

The model least affected is the latest Range Rover Sport, which first hit showrooms back in 2022.

Petrol, diesel and hybrid examples have declined by 10 per cent or less, with the latter falling by just 7.2 per cent when compared to March 2023 sales data.

This Range Rover Sport, the full-fat Range Rover hybrid and the Land Rover Defender diesel are down in value by less than the used car average.

- Three-year-old cars with an average of 30,000 miles on the clock

Like the one-year-old car list above, all the Land Rover and Range Rover models that fall into this age bracket either have JLR's up-to-date security tech as standard or are eligible to have it installed as a free upgrade.

As such, these cars should also be well protected from thieves with the latest tech.

Yet it hasn't stopped used prices from slipping.

Of the three-year-old cars - with an average of 30,000 miles on the clock - hit hardest in terms of value deflation, the order is similar to the younger age bracket listed above. 

The prime fallers again, are the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport with PHEV drivetrains, slipping by 33.9 per cent (£13,170) and 30.9 per cent (£12,250) respectively.

The hybrid version of the previous-generation Range Rover Sport is also losing ground on prices from a year ago (down 31.2 pre cent).

Again, it's only the electric Lexus UX that performs worse than these three JLR products, while the eighth biggest deflation across all cars is the Range Rover Sport with diesel engines.

In contrast, the Land Rover Defender is the model that's managing to stave off the sharp deflation in value.

In fact, the Defender diesel at 9.8 per cent down in value is the only Land Rover product with below used-car-average deflation of 12.3 per cent in March.

JLR says most of its clients select a three-year ownership cycle and predicted values for the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport (which we haven't included here due to the cars not being on sale for more than three years) are among the best in their category.

The car maker adds that residual values in the UK are 'realigning' across the board after the pandemic - and Discovery Sport and Evoque derivatives are performing above historic forecasts and pre-Covid levels. 

Patrick McGillycuddy, JLR UK's managing director, said: 'The entire used market has experienced unprecedented conditions and is realigning following historic highs. 

'JLR is proud to offer desirable products with strong used values which support the client ownership experience, evidenced by class-leading and competitive valuations.

'Our overall used market valuations and the equity this gives our clients in a typical ownership cycle, which isn’t reflected in this data, remain strong both in sector and in line with our own expectations.'

- 10-year-old cars with an average of 100,000 miles on the clock 

The final age group of cars we asked Cap Hpi to exclusively run data on for us was for Land Rover and Range Rover models that fall outside of the security upgrade window.

While JLR has promised to offer free upgrades to those driving models dating back to 2016, we wanted to know the price deflation impact on 2013-year motors that are not eligible.

While there are still some sizeable declines in this age bracket - between around 10 and 30 per cent on a year ago - there hasn't been such a punishing impact of deflation on these older cars.

The most significant falls are for the Range Rover Sport diesels covering two generations dating back from 2019 to 2009, down 32.1 and 28.2 per cent on their price a year ago.

And the Evoque is a big loser again, with the first-generation car falling back in value by 31.6 per cent for diesels and 30.0 per cent for petrols.

That said, the average prices across all used cars of this age and average mileage are down 24.1 per cent year-on-year, as the second-hand market for older motors becomes less inviting.

Why are Land Rover models being targeted by thieves?

EXCLUSIVEREAD MORE: We've spoken to experts to compile the ultimate guide to keeping your car safe from thieves 

According to ONS data, vehicle theft compared to 2014 is up 86 per cent across England and Wales.

A higher than usual percentage of the vehicles being stolen are premium models, with well-funded criminal groups coming equipped with expensive technology to steal cars to order based on black-market demand.

And it's JLR that has been thrust to the forefront of this mounting luxury car theft problem, with global desirability of its SUVs making them prime target.

Thousands of owners of expensive Range Rover and Land Rover cars have become the unfortunate casualty of these well-funded organised gangs seeking out high-end motors to steal, often to quickly load into containers to keep them out of sight before shipping them overseas without a trace.

While the number of Land Rover models being stolen is on the decline (according to DVLA figures), some 5,400 examples of its popular Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport were pinched last year, records show. 

Essex Police earlier this year revealed images of a shocking find of more than £14m worth of 'chopped' luxury cars as they were due to be shipped out of the country. One of the cars is a Range Rover hidden behind - and under - a dismantled bed

More than 600 cars, some chopped in half and crushed into containers to ship abroad, were recovered by Essex's Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (SVIU) in 2022, including this Range Rover

Two Range Rovers reportedly stolen using keyless tactics recovered from a shipping container at Liverpool Docks as part of Greater Manchester Police's Operation Norma in 2020

Car insurance premium hikes 

Most insurers have responded to the rising crime statistics surrounding Range Rovers by jacking up premiums to sky-high levels - especially in London where motor theft is rife.

This has pushed the average annual Range Rover premium to just below £1,000, Money Mail reported just over a month ago. This was far higher than what the typical driver faced, and at rates above the average increase of 58 per cent.

Drivers have contacted the Daily Mail regarding their own experience of unaffordable insurance quotes, some of them ringing in at thousands of pounds. 

And some insurers have refused to offer renewal premiums on the advice of the experts who underwrite their policies, leaving owners scampering for alternative cover. 

This led to JLR taking the unprecedented step of launching its own insurance product last year to help customers cover their vehicles when other providers refused to. 

Yet some drivers have been refused cover even through JLR's own insurance scheme.

JLR told us: 'Insurance is a dynamic marketplace with its own unique market conditions. 

'Increased premiums are unfortunately affecting the whole insurance industry irrespective of manufacturer. However, we understand the negative impact the challenges around insurance have been having on our clients.

'Jaguar Insurance and Land Rover Insurance was launched in October in 2023 for clients of new and used Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar vehicles. 

'We have so far provided more than 33,200 clients with quotes, averaging less than £178 per month.

'Crucially, we are also working very closely with leading insurance providers to find out what information they require in order to insure our vehicles, and ensuring they have the information they need. 

'Through our continual dialogue, we are sharing our latest security innovations and data to help increase the range of insurance options for clients on the open market.'

JLR cars as old as 2016 are now eligible for the theft prevention upgrades to bring them in line with the latest models in showrooms today. But that hasn't prevented a fall in value for its cars that are already on the road

What else has JLR done to try to solve the problem?

The British car maker - owned by Indian mega-firm Tata - has pumped million into its efforts to fend off organised car thieves to pour water on the insurance premium inferno. 

JLR is on course to spend £15million upgrading older generations of its cars with the latest Body Control Module (BCM) security technology that's fitted to its newest models in a bid to help protect owners.

This is to prevent thieves from being able to drive away in its cars without having the key.  

JLR told This is Money that it is updating the security in vehicles as far back as 2016 models. 

'We have made strong progress with more than 135,00 vehicles so far being updated, and theft rates continue to improve as updates are completed,' a spokesperson told us.

And the company says it will also pump extra financial backing into the battle against the nation's car crime epidemic. 

It will spend 'hundreds of thousands of pounds' to increase policing at British ports to intercept the number of high-value stolen vehicles being exported out of the country.

'Our teams are working with police and port authorities to exchange intelligence; analyse recovered stolen vehicles; and support criminal investigations in bringing offenders to justice, while also giving us insight into emerging theft methods as they evolve,' the spokesperson added. 

'As a result, we can research, develop, test and deploy security technology faster than ever before.' 

JLR has confirmed it has upped its total investment to upgrade its customers' older car with the latest security tech to £15million. This will cover up to half a million of its models dating back to 2016