The V8-powered Urus is a seriously quick, capable luxury SUV – that’s also reliable
When the Lamborghini Urus was launched in 2018 there was incredulity: a pureblooded raging bull that shared its basic underpinnings with a Volkswagen SUV? Surely not!
It wasn’t VW-priced, though, costing from around £160,000 when new. Not cheap, but a bargain route into Lambo ownership, and a lot less than the related Bentley Bentayga. Lamborghini’s first SUV was all about selling in volumes its supercars never could, and it quickly became the brand’s bestseller: so far, more than 35,000 have been sold more cars than the Sant’Agata firm made in the first 50 years of its existence.
Despite this, the market has yet to be saturated. The cheapest Urus on sale is still more than £125,000, even accounting for those that have previously been written off. That is remarkably low depreciation for an eight-year-old model, and when you consider that the value of a similar vintage Bentayga has tumbled to £50,000, the Urus looks like a comparatively smart buy.
Well, smart if you can live with the brash looks and if parking a 5.1m-long, 2m-wide behemoth with supercar power doesn’t scare you, a used Urus makes an exotic alternative to fast family favourites like the Audi RS6 and BMW M5 Touring.
Most of those on sale are the ‘standard’ model, which uses Audi’s 641bhp, 626lb ft 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, giving a 0-62mph time of 3.6sec and a 190mph top speed. This made it the fastest SUV in the world at the time and it’s still right up there with the quickest of them today.
A 2285kg SUV doesn’t sound like a recipe for a great Lamborghini, but we were pleasantly surprised by its mix of strengths. As much as 87% of the torque can be sent to the rear wheels (or up to 70% to the front), so it is flexible and adjustable on the throttle. It’s genuinely capable and engaging, a step up even from the Porsche Cayenne in some regards.
That dynamism and explosive performance doesn’t come at the expense of utility: there’s plenty of storage space and a decent amount of breathing room in each row. Some cars came in a four-seat configuration, but most buyers went for five, and each of those seats can comfortably take an adult. Plus, there are 616 litres of boot capacity before you start folding the seats, so the dog can come too.
Build and material quality aren’t quite a match for the Bentayga, but if you’re happy with the sort of finish you get in a top-line Audi, then you won’t be disappointed and the Urus can do all the light offroading and towing (up to 3500kg) that makes the Bentley so versatile.
In 2023, the final year for the pure-petrol Urus, the range was updated and split between the S model and the Performante. The S was more luxurious than before, and in Lamborghini speak nothing is more opulent than being able to overtake with ease, so power was boosted to a devilish 666 PS that’s 657bhp. Suspension tweaks meant Comfort mode now gave levels of refinement almost on a par with a Mercedes S-Class if you avoided the optional 23in wheels.
The Performante took the same powertrain and added lots of carbonfibre (for the aesthetics, not the weight-saving). It was slightly lower, too, and it handled a little better as a result, but it sacrificed some of the well-roundedness that made the Urus such a crowdpleaser. We would stick with standard or an S for the best balance of performance and comfort.
What to look out for
Servicing: There might be a Volkswagen Touareg lurking somewhere deep underneath, but that raging bull badge means maintenance costs are inevitably much higher. We were quoted £1850 from an independent specialist for a basic first-year, 9000-mile service, which covered an oil change and filters. The recommended second-year service adds engine coolant, brake fluid and spark plugs to the to-do list, while the third-year seeing-to includes gearbox oil. The cycle then repeats. Don’t buy one without a full service history from a main dealer or recognised specialist.
Brakes: The Urus is a big, heavy car, and that’s reflected in its voracious appetite for brake components. The 440mm standard carbon-ceramic front discs are larger than a Bugatti Veyron’s and cost £25,000 for a set of four. The pads should be changed every 25,000 miles and a set costs £2000. Make sure there is decent life left on the brakes before buying, or use that as a bargaining chip.
Tyres: With big rims come lots of rubber. Wheels range in size from 21in to 23in, and the surrounding rubber will cost about £2000 every 8000 miles. That is for the L-branded Pirellis; anything else is likely to trigger a warning light.
Paint: Lots of Uruses will have been crashed, so look out for poor paint jobs on hard-to-match colours.
Warranty: There have been few reliability issues reported, but nevertheless a warranty is always reassuring. The standard warranty is three years and without a mileage limit, but keep an eye out for cars with an extended Lamborghini warranty for up to 10 years and 62,000 miles.
Also worth knowing
There are no trim levels as such, but there are desirable options you might fancy. The 14-way ‘comfort’ seats are superior to the standard eight-way items; leather on the dash helps lift the ambience of the cabin; and the panoramic sunroof is desirable, as are Bang & Olufsen speakers and Pirelli P Zero tyres.
Performante cars are also differentiated by their steel springs (instead of air suspension) and optional P Zero Trofeo semi-slick tyres. That’s a big sacrifice in usability for 47kg of weight-saving, and it feels a bit much in the real world.
How much to spend
£130,000-£149,999 A wide range of options, most over 50,000 miles. There’s even one with a full Mansory body kit and 123,000 miles on the clock.
£150,000-£184,999 Lots of low-mileage, high-spec options from 2019 to 2021.
£185,000-£224,999 Late standard examples, plus plenty of S versions.
£225,000-£260,000 An array of S and Performante models. Only a little more to bag the heavily updated PHEV SE.
An owner’s view
Felix Robertson: “There are lots of good reasons why this is a silly car: the performance, the looks and the massive wheels. But rock-solid residual values speak their own language, as does the practicality and reliability. After having three faulty Range Rovers, I’m now on my third Urus and I’m still loving it. Many people have been proved wrong: underneath the dramatic skin is a capable workhorse that still knows how to have fun.”
