Overview & Reviews

Land Rover is a luxury SUV manufacturer that has its roots in England. Many of its vehicles are replete with the sort of leather-lined comforts that call to mind hunting lodges and high tea. Land Rovers are also known for being stellar trail-busters, endowed with the moxie to get down and dirty when the road gets rough. Currently owned by Tata Motors, Land Rover is one of just a few automotive brands in the United States to solely market SUV products.

After World War II, two British brothers, Spencer and Maurice Wilks, were impressed by the rugged and versatile nature of the U.S. Army's Jeep. They worked with the British automaker Rover to create the first Land Rover in 1948. Called the Series I, this truck was equipped with permanent four-wheel-drive, a canvas roof and optional doors. These early Land Rovers were crude but extremely well-suited for operations in the field.

The 1950s saw Land Rovers moving toward increased power and refinement. Launched in 1958, the Series II offered added horsepower and a somewhat less rudimentary exterior, with sills designed to disguise the exhaust and chassis. The first diesel-powered Rover was also produced during these years. The Series IIA came next, in a production run that lasted from 1961-'71. As the '60s drew to a close, Rover was acquired by Leyland Motors Ltd. (which would later become British Leyland).

Land Rover's storied Range Rover made its debut in 1970. Equipped with a V8 engine and a body made mostly of aluminum, the stylish vehicle was more consumer-oriented than its predecessors. In the mid-'70s, British Leyland was nationalized; by the mid-'80s, the company — renamed the Rover Group — had been acquired by British Aerospace.

The automaker officially entered the U.S. automotive market in 1987 when the Range Rover made its debut on American shores. It was followed in 1989 by the Discovery, which was initially offered only in two-door form. The Discovery was the first all-new Land Rover in 19 years.

In the 1990s, the sudden popularity of the burgeoning SUV segment placed the brand in an enviable position. In response, Land Rover's vehicles, while still retaining their go-anywhere attitude, became more luxurious, particularly after BMW bought the company in 1995.

The Land Rover family of vehicles has continued to grow. The late '90s saw the introduction of the Freelander; the compact sport-ute held the distinction of being the first production vehicle to offer Hill Descent Control. The latter optimized maneuverability on steep descents by automatically braking to keep the vehicle's speed in check.

BMW's control was short lived, however, and in 2000 Land Rover was sold to Ford. Ford worked hard to improve the reliability of Land Rover's vehicles, but by 2008 Ford's financial instability resulted in Land Rover being sold again, this time to the Indian automaker Tata Motors.

Today, Land Rover is still well known for its luxury SUVs, including the ritzy yet rugged Range Rover as well as smaller and more affordable models like the LR4 and Evoque.

User Reviews:

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  nothing but troubles - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By wildrover - May 11 - 9:06 am

  I have had NOTHING but problems with my Rover. It has overheated 4X. Been in the dealership for overheating 3X. They tell me the overheating is due to something different each time. so this time it is in a different shop, since it is now not under warranty. I searched for mechanics - no one wants to touch it. I finally found a place to fix it.. & they are charging me $900.00. They say it needs a new water pump and they have to take apart 1/2 the engine to get to it. I owe the dealership that I bought it from $1000.00 for its MANY other repairs. I am a single mom.. & my credit is awful, so I cant trade it in. I am working to pay for my work transportation. ERGH ! frustrating !

• 

  What was I thinking? - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Ana - March 30 - 7:36 pm

  Thought Landrover and Range Rover were reliable vehicles until purchasing my Freelander.What a mistake! After the 5th month of driving it I was left stranded. The thing just completely shut down! Come to find out it was the fuel system. The thing sat at the mechanics for two months, until the part came in from the Dealer in Albuquerque. The fuel pump cost $595! The recall for the fuel system came in August so off to the Dealership we went! & they said the timing belts need replacing (cost: $1800 - it has three). The oil changes we do ourselves for $65 everytime! Or $100 if you can find a decent place thatll do it. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE! Unless you like to throw away your money!

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  Not a good buy. - 2002 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Rover Mom - March 18 - 10:53 pm

  This SUV is always in the shop. Air suspension, auto locks go up and down while driving, truck "thought alarm was on" and wouldnt start ...left me stranded. It has something wrong with the steering. A/C and radio control buttons fall off. These are all reccuring problems that never get resolved at the dealer. And Ive only had it 11 months. Like the looks and ride, but terribly dissapointed with maintenance. Did I mention its a huge gas guzzler?

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  The worst car Ive ever owned! - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By John - March 15 - 7:03 pm

  I love the look of the Range Rover and its very capable off road. Asside from that, this is the most unreliable and frustrating car I have ever owned. I will never buy another one. My service advisors tell me they are "known electrical problems" that they can not fix. Eventually you give up on constantly taking the car back in and live with the headaches.

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  Dont buy a RR Sport - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By larry - March 15 - 3:26 pm

  Have owned the vehicle for one year and driven approx. 20k miles. Have had it in the shop 8 times for numerous issues, some still remain. Asked if they would replace or purchase the vehicle and get me out of my nightmare, with no success. Problems with vehicle include brakes, parking sensors, suspension, sway bars, tires, power mirrors, not starting, transmission sensor, engine lights, rattles, etc. Will never own another Range Rover, period.

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  Dont even think about it. - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By T031569 - March 9 - 4:16 am

  This SUV has been nothing but a real headache. It has been serviced more times than I care to remember. You have to have deep pockets to fix anything that goes wrong on this. The transmission has given me issues, the radio was replaced twice, the rear door lock was replaced twice, traction control and service engine lights stay on, the vehicle always need rotors and brakes. One headache after another, the list just goes on and on. Rethink your decision to buy this expensive lemon.

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  You better have cash - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By titan9 - March 2 - 2:50 am

  You can pick this little SUV up for a good price these days. Dont let the price trick you, Its a Land Rover. Land Rovers are a high end SUV. You cant stop at the local quick lube and the get oil changed, they dont have a filter to fit it. They cost a ton to keep up, electrical problems, tranny problems, over heating problems. If you buy this SUV, you are going to have problems with it. Is it worth it for you to drive a Land Rover? I sold mine after 18 months and took a beating.

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  It would be nice, if itd start. - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Laura E. - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle in January of 2007. It ran fine for a few months but then started experiencing every problem you could imagine. Would jolt from 1st to 2nd gear. Electrical issues were vast. Vehicle rarely started. I could get up and drive it to work but then once you turn it off, it wouldnt turn back on - say if you forgot your cell at home, etc. Was temperamental. The air from the vents stunk like pickles.

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  Worst SUV ever - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By made1024 - February 5 - 9:03 pm

  Bought this car 4/04 zero miles, have never used the 4x4 (I live in Miami), have only driven it @ 8000 miles/year. The engine has leaks EVERYWHERE, the car is now 6 years old on the dot and just hit the 50k miles. The cost of repair is $7k! Driver window and passenger windows both stopped working had those repaired under warranty. Horn switch on the steering wheel continuously pops out, took the car in 3 times for that and still happening. Terrible car, terrible dealer service and Land Rover Headquarters is just as bad. No calls returned, been waiting for one week now. Buy a Jeep youll get a better car and lots more fun to drive!

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  Value?...yes...performance?...somewhat - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By estoril - February 5 - 10:00 am

  Owned for 2 months already and asked if I love it, then my answer would be no, if I like it, then my answer would be yes. For the price you get a ton of standard features lacking in other vehicles of the same price (bigger mid- sized sport utes being inclusive also.) I always dreamed of the day when I would be able to afford a Range Rover HSE, but build quality and price stopped me before from purchasing ANY Land Rover. Now once owned by Ford and BMW, LR has improved vastly in ALL areas. Starting with its baby brother the Freelander I would have to say that my expectations of the LR name have not disappointed thus far with the exception of the engine.