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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  The money pit of cars - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By MG - January 24 - 4:46 am

  Order this car new with all the upgrades-experienced brake downs within the first 3mo. After discovering repair cost, got extended warranty - this car has never been off road, meticulously maintained - went through 2 transmissions, 3 rear ends, 2 front drives, 2 radiators & cooling-cd blew out and all of this between 50&90k. When it runs-theres non better on the road-repairs a nightmare-dealer response-"so sorry" but its your problem-they could care less-having owned several high end cars- this has been the worst of all-over 30k in repairs-if not for extended warr. I would be broke! Resale value-there is none-pd almost 100k, now worth less than 15k in 5years.

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  pls send the car to me - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By taiye ojo - January 23 - 10:00 am

  my address is no 3 sokoto road sabo oke ilorin kawara state nigeria

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  Looks Great - Poor Quality - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Jon - January 22 - 8:06 am

  This car is FUN to drive! There is no question about it. The exterior lines of the car are beautiful. The interior craftsmanship of the car are well appointed. The options and some of the gadgets (GPS/Satellite Radio/Climate control etc) are very basic in style and function. If you compare other cars in the same price range, Rover comes up on the short end of the stick for what you are paying for with how things were not integrated into a central console. The car has been in the shop over 3 times for an "ECU" related issue and has spent more time in the shop than on the road w/me driving it. If you want the prestige of owning a Rover its fun to drive, be prepared for headaches that can come

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  great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 2:33 pm

  Great car that does not look like every other compact SUV on the market. The seating position makes it easy to see around you and is comfortable for passangers also. I have had the transmission and the sunroof replaced and there have been a number of smaller issues with the car but the dealer is fantastic to work with. I would recommend this car as long as there is a dealer close by. I do love the thing though and I have had other SUVs before and this one is by far my favorite.

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  great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 2:33 pm

  Great car that does not look like every other compact SUV on the market. The seating position makes it easy to see around you and is comfortable for passengers also. I have had the transmission and the sunroof replaced and there have been a number of smaller issues with the car but the dealer is fantastic to work with. I would reccomend this car as long as there is a dealer close by. I do love the thing though and I have had other SUVs before and this one is by far my favorite.

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  great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 2:33 pm

  Great car that does not look like every other compact suv on the market. The seating position makes it easy to see around you and is comfortable for passangers also. I have had the transmission and the sunroof replaced and there have been a number of smaller issues with the car but the dealer is fantastic to work with. I would reccomend this car as long as there is a dealer close by. I do love the thing though and I have had other SUVs before and this one is by far my favorite.

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  great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 1:43 pm

  Great car that does not look like every other compact suv on the market. The seating position makes it easy to see around you and is comfortable for passangers also. I have had the transmission and the sunroof replaced and there have been a number of smaller issues with the car but the dealer is fantastic to work with. I would reccomend this car as long as there is a dealer close by. I do love the thing though and I have had other SUVs before and this one is by far my favorite.

• 

  great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 1:43 pm

  Great car that does not look like every other compact SUV on the market. The seating position makes it easy to see around you and is comfortable for passengers also. I have had the transmission and the sunroof replaced and there have been a number of smaller issues with the car but the dealer is fantastic to work with. I would recommend this car as long as there is a dealer close by. I do love the thing though and I have had other SUVs before and this one is by far my favorite.

• 

  Great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 1:43 pm

  Great car that does not look like every other compact suv on the market. The seating position makes it easy to see around you and is comfortable for passangers also. I have had the transmission and the sunroof replaced and there have been a number of smaller issues with the car but the dealer is fantastic to work with. I would recommend this car as long as there is a dealer close by. I do love the thing though and I have had other SUVs before and this one is by far my favorite.

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  Most Bang for the Buck in this Segment - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By PM - January 17 - 9:43 pm

  It looks great, rides great and seats 4 or 5 more comfortably, with more elbow room and an overall more spacious feel than the BMW X3 or Acura RDX. Body is very rigid and conveys "bank-vault" solidity. Acceleration is more than adequate in real world conditions (even if on paper it seems slow by comparison). Handling is more truck like than the others, but that has some charm. Braking is excellent, though as with cornering theres a fair amount of body dive/roll. MPG is worse than I expected both highway and city. I average about 18 overall. I have had multiple, though generally minor, problems that resulted in trips to the dealer. But overall a better deal -- and much more unique.