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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  Great Vehicle - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Love My Rover - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Purchased 02 Freelander SE new, I drove it the first year, then gave it to my 16 yr old son and bought an 04 Discovery HSE. No mechanical problems whatsoever. Over last 28,000 mi composite average of 22mpg with 26 on road. Dealer provides a loaner free of charge and sends a runner over 90 mi each way to pickup/deliver it for service. Couldnt ask for better dealership. Only expense has been brakes at 24k. Vehicle runs/looks like new even after a 16yo boy driving it for the last year. Would recommend it to anyone, I plan on buying an 05 SE3 for my daughter this spring. What more can I say?

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  Best SUV ever Owned - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Love My Rover - November 21 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Land Rover, and I love it. Amazing build quality compared even to Lexus. Only problem was a squeaky seat that dealer repaired. Navigation system is great. Air ride is great. Disagree with Edmunds snob appeal opinion, when compared to H2/Tahoe/Denali comparably equiped the Disco is a better buy with better resale and by far better dealer service. Dealer provides free loaner and free pickup/delivery for service (at over 90 mi each way .. AWESOME!) Mileage is same as Tahoe Ive driven and far better than an Escalade I drove. Id buy another, but doubt if this one will wear out soon.

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  WONDER - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By crimson - November 21 - 10:00 am

  What a perfect car. Will never buy any other Suv.

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  04 range - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By habeeb - November 21 - 10:00 am

  i love this car it is great to look at and fun to ride the air supensions are fun to play with and to show off to friends

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  Feel like royalty - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By phandwerk - November 21 - 10:00 am

  Along time rover owner and the lastest is a wonderful evolution of the rover history. I always fell like the Queen when I am driving my Rover!

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  Discovery Sport 2016 a winner for the driver! - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Pat Kudo - November 18 - 1:41 pm

  Before buying the 2016 Discovery Sport HSE, I had gone months of research and pricing with many dealers. I am new to the brand as I have been a BMW customer for 15 years. Strayed away from mass German brand and found the smaller production British car to be what I was looking for. I test drove: Audi Q5, Porsche Macan S, BMW X3 & X4, Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit, and Mercedes GLE300. After the test drives, I knew the car that connected me to the road: Land Rover Discovery Sport. Be aware that JLR dealers outside your "market area" may not sell to you so you have to ask before negotiating. I did all my negotiating between 2 dealers via phone, email and text. Did not have to step inside the dealers lot - I had already test drove the 2015 model earlier.. As for the dealer, you have to find the one that matches you - they are all different - just like people. Some dealers are snobby, snooty, rude, and others are very helpful, professional and patient. If you are financing or leasing, it pays to find out what are the best bank rates before you negotiate Some dealers are forthcoming and will tell you the finance rate or lease residual/money factors. I dealt with 2 dealers that were very transparent in their sales approach. The car has a bit stiffer suspension than the other cars I test drove, but the connection to the road is more important and the suspension is not jarring - it has manners.... The most important feature standard on this car that makes the drive so good: Torque Vectoring by braking. Torque vectoring makes high speed turns, power acceleration into turns, and off road handling a must have for confidence if you are the driver type. I love the car - it makes me smile again - like I remember when I had my first BMW. The Discovery Sport is definitely for someone or a family that wants to travel almost anywhere safely and comfortably.

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  Roving Rover - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By john caselli - November 15 - 1:33 pm

  The changes from the discovery to the LR3 are not even comparable. Land Rover has done great things w/this new updated model. ive had it for almost 3 years & have zero problems w/it. It rides excellent & will dile you w/guilt if you dont take it off the road now & then. My wife had a Discovery & feel rest assured that you will have piece of mind w/this machine where as w/the discovery you just never knew.

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  Well worth my money. - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Sydney Klein - November 10 - 3:08 am

  I bought my 2015 RRS Supercharged after having so many issues with my 03 Range Rover. I was a little hesitant buying another RR after my nightmare 03 I had for so long. I bought the warranty (well worth it) to help out if anything went wrong. This SUV is an absolute beast! As you can see, I have the 5.0 Supercharged V8. The acceleration puts a smile on my face every time is step on the gas pedal. I sometimes have my sons friends in the car and they beg me to step on it for the feeling you get in your stomach. Its absolutely crazy! The seats are very comfortable and the heated/cooled seats are amazing. My two main complaints with this car is the navigation system and the brake dive. Navigation has almost got me fired from my job on multiple occasions (Im a sales executive for Hilton and work all over Los Angeles and San Diego). It constantly is leading me to dead ends and the wrong locations. The brake dive can just be horrible too. The car lurches, almost unsafely, forward when you slam the brake pedal down. I thought I was going to flip at one point. Those are my only two complaints about my car. I cannot complain about gas mileage as its a supercharged 5.0 litre V8, and I have a lead foot, haha. I get compliments on it everywhere I go and its truly cool to have that when youre just casually just filling up on gas. I love my car and do not regret buying it.

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  Drives Great, Technology Lacking - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Duba3 - November 9 - 2:06 am

  The RRS drives great but, having owned 4 previous Land Rovers, I expected that. This one is, by far, the quickest though. And, it looks great too. Now if the engineers can get the technology up to par with the competition, we would be all set. Case in point: the $2500 rear seat entertainment does NOT come with, nor can it be equipped with, wireless headphones. I usually put all after market entertainment systems in the Rovers but was told NOT to with this one due to integration with the cars computer. So, cmon guys, lets get a better audio screen and some wireless headphones. I know it can be done...I have done in my last 3 Rovers!!

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  Surprisingly good! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By capitollr - November 7 - 10:33 pm

  Unique design looks better than most SUVs today! Head-turning, good looks complemented by elegant, quality interior. Unbeatable combination of off-road prowess and every day practicality.