Cadillac Escalade vs Land Rover Range Rover Sport: which is more reliable?
The Land Rover Range Rover Sport is ahead of the Cadillac Escalade on the federal record, 78/100 against 74/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Cadillac Escalade
- 15 model years scored
- 843 owner complaints on record
- about 13 complaints per year on the road
- 53 recall campaigns, 35 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (95/100) · worst 2023 (42/100)
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
- 12 model years scored
- 259 owner complaints on record
- about 2 complaints per year on the road
- 70 recall campaigns, 32 safety-critical
- best year 2018 (88/100) · worst 2020 (67/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Escalade against Range Rover Sport
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Escalade | Range Rover Sport | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 76 BUY | — | — |
| 2024 | 60 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2023 | 42 AVOID | — | — |
| 2022 | 58 CAUTION | 78 BUY | -20 |
| 2021 | 52 CAUTION | 80 BUY | -28 |
| 2020 | 91 BUY | 67 CAUTION | +24 |
| 2019 | 95 BUY | 82 BUY | +13 |
| 2018 | 93 BUY | 88 BUY | +5 |
| 2017 | 80 BUY | 75 BUY | +5 |
| 2016 | 74 BUY | 70 BUY | +4 |
| 2015 | 67 CAUTION | 78 BUY | -11 |
| 2014 | 91 BUY | 77 BUY | +14 |
| 2013 | 85 BUY | 84 BUY | +1 |
| 2012 | 88 BUY | 87 BUY | +1 |
| 2011 | 81 BUY | 78 BUY | +3 |
What owners actually complain about
Cadillac Escalade
- Engine — 386 complaints
- Power Train — 134 complaints
- Electrical System — 124 complaints
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
- Engine — 49 complaints
- Electrical System — 43 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 36 complaints
Both nameplates have Engine as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Cadillac Escalade — avoid: 2023.
Land Rover Range Rover Sport: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016….
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Cadillac Escalade prices at about $73,300 and a Land Rover Range Rover Sport at about $56,900 — the Land Rover Range Rover Sport is roughly $16,400 less, and they return 17.0 against 19.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Cadillac Escalade or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Land Rover Range Rover Sport scores 78/100 against the Cadillac Escalade's 74/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Cadillac Escalade and Land Rover Range Rover Sport years should I avoid?
Cadillac Escalade: 2023. Land Rover Range Rover Sport: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Cadillac Escalade and the Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
The largest complaint group on the Cadillac Escalade is Engine (386 complaints); on the Land Rover Range Rover Sport it is Engine (49).
Is the Cadillac Escalade or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport cheaper to own?
A recent used Cadillac Escalade prices at about $73,300 and a Land Rover Range Rover Sport at about $56,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.