New analysis has laid bare the impact of the past coupld of month
Land Rover owners are being squeezed by rising pump prices after diesel peaked more than 36% higher in April than it had been just nine weeks earlier, new analysis by Land Rover Monthly reveals. According to weekly UK fuel price data from PetrolPrices.co.uk, petrol rose from 131.46p per litre on February 9, 2026, to 158.17p on April 13, 2026, an increase of 20.3%. Diesel rose from 140.72p per litre to 192.14p over the same period, an increase of 36.5%.
Petrol and fuel prices have rocketed thanks to events in the Middle East, with oil prices soaring after US and Israeil stikes on Iran began at the end of February and the parties yet to come to any sort of resolution.
For many Land Rover owners, the impact is felt most clearly at the pump. A 70-litre petrol fill-up at the April peak would have cost around £110.72, up from £92.02 in February. A 70-litre diesel fill-up would have cost around £134.50, up from £98.50.
Land Rover Monthly analysis also found that, at the April fuel-price peak, almost £60 of a 70-litre diesel fill-up would have been made up of fuel duty and VAT. Fuel duty is currently charged at 52.95p per litre on petrol and diesel, while VAT is charged at 20% on most fuel.
Land Rover Monthly said the fuel squeeze had become one of the biggest shared issues facing the 4×4 community, particularly for owners who rely on their vehicles for rural driving, work, towing, family use, shows and long-distance travel. However, the magazine said the picture was more complex than the stereotype of Land Rovers as simple “gas guzzlers”.
It said LRM analysis of insurance-sector mileage and insured-value found that many older Land Rovers are now cherished low-mileage vehicles rather than everyday transport. Pre-1990 Land Rovers in the data averaged 1,425 miles a year, while 1990 to 2000 vehicles averaged 3,188 miles.
By contrast, 2000-2016 Defenders in the same data averaged 7,263 miles a year, making them far closer to normal everyday vehicles in terms of annual use. The Department for Transport’s 2024 National Travel Survey put average car mileage at around 7,100 miles a year.
The same Land Rover Monthly analysis found that classic Land Rovers continue to hold serious insured value. Series I models, including Minerva examples, ranged from £4,000 to £115,000, with an average insured value of £22,389. Series II models averaged £11,834, Series III models averaged £11,467 and Land Rover 101 Forward Control models averaged £15,547. Defender, 90, 110 and 127 models up to 2016 showed the widest insured-value range, with examples recorded from £2,500 to £180,000.
Steve Miller, publisher of Land Rover Monthly, said: “Fuel prices have become one of the biggest shared frustrations in the Land Rover community. Land Rovers are part of rural life, work, family memories and British motoring heritage. For some owners, they are cherished classics used sparingly. For others, especially later Defenders, they are still practical vehicles used week in, week out.
“What unites everyone is that the cost of fuel is being felt every time they fill up. When almost £60 of tax can be built into a single 70-litre diesel fill-up, ministers need to recognise the pressure on rural drivers, working vehicles and classic 4×4 enthusiasts.
“That is why events like Land Rover Monthly Live matter. They bring the community together, not only to celebrate the vehicles, but to talk about the real issues affecting ownership today.”
Land Rover Monthly Live returns to the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, 2026. The two-day event will feature camping, trade stands, club displays, a live events arena, autojumble, a beer tent, live music, family entertainment and dog-friendly access.
Visitor tickets include one month’s access to Land Rover Monthly’s All-Access Digital Vault, while camping tickets include three months’ access.
