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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  Freelander Lover - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By JSD - August 18 - 2:00 am

  Just bought this great little SUV. We did lots of comparison shopping and found this to be a really great value - my husband was able to use his Ford X plan on this SUV. We are a family of 4 and thought we were sacrificing cargo space when we bought this vehicle. However, I was pleasantly surprised when we started filling up the back. There is a lot more room than you think. The cabin area is very roomy and comfortable. The ride is very smooth and, so far, it gets good gas mileage. Would highly recommend this SUV! The dealership we went through was a very pleasant experience too!

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  Sad to Go! - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By DCorey - August 17 - 2:53 am

  This RRS-SC has been an excellent car. Time to turn it in and will miss it. The performance and all around cool factor of this car compensates for the back seat comfort, quirky nav system and cumbersome tailgate. This is my wifes kid hauler, but I drive it every chance I get. No problems with anything other than a window lift in the first month. If you want to drive an SUV with SWAG this is the one.

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  Quirky but beautifyl - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By henry_l - August 9 - 10:40 am

  Quite possibly one of the best looking vehicles out there. The 2003 redesign really helped in many areas, and mine has run flawlessly. Both the exterior and the interior holds up well.

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  So far, awsome! - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By RT - August 7 - 12:26 am

  I was really in the market for a V-8 SUV and have owned a 3.0L X5 for the last few years. I loved the new 2007 X5 look and on my way to order one last weekend I decided to check out the Range Rover Sport. One drive and I was hooked! What a ride! If you are thinking of purchasing a new SUV you must checkout the RRS! BMW has a great SUV in the X5 but the RRS was better in so many ways I could not pass it up!

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  Not a good choice! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Mandana - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I have had the car for 11 months and it had to be taken in 5 times with various warranty issues. The front window raddles, the airconditioning unit control is not accurate, the car died on the road during the 2nd month of purchase. in 11 months, it cost me $650 on break change...It is by far the worse car I have ever had.

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  Exceeded our expectations - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By JU - July 31 - 7:00 am

  After three weeks of ownership and one off-road excursion, we are in love with our LR3. My wife has never gotten excited about any vehicle before and I think she loves it more than I do.

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  2009 LR3 - 2009 Land Rover LR3
  By 2009 HSE LR3 - July 29 - 7:50 am

  I just took delivery on a 2009 LR3, my 2006 lease ended and definately wanted to stay with the LR3. Very pleased with all aspects of the 2006, and hoping to have as good of an experience with the 2009. We dont rock crawl but we do make use of all its off road capabilities in our travels. For the money I dont think you can beat the performance or styling, with its updated exterior its a real head turner. Very pleased with the updated interior as well, the seats are higher quality and much more comfortable. It handles great and has plenty of power. I put 62K miles on in 30 months and the only service related issue on the 06 was a leaky gasket around the thermostat, not bad.

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  Taking a Risk - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By mscolej - July 24 - 7:36 pm

  I took a bit of a risk on this one, 2005 RR with 90K, but I got such a great deal it was in such great shape that I could not refuse. I have always admired these trucks and the ride is awesome. I did get a warranty at a reasonable cost from warranties4wheels. The 2005 seems to be put together better that the 03s and 04s I had driven and it was the last to have the BMW engine. I have not seen any of the major issues or cost that others have seen and fingers crossed hopefully I wont the good news is it was such a good deal that I could spend a little and not be pissed.

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  AWESOME! Experience and Car - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By TJ Rover - July 24 - 10:00 am

  This new Rover is so much fun to drive. Was odd to get use to the "high" seating Rover puts in its cars, but after that it was great! This blows all other mini-utes out of the water as far as base options, road handling and drivability. This SUV drives like a sports car. The road noise is pretty low and the engine VERY quiet. The Rover dealer was the best too. No "vultures" swarming you as you exit your car. They were pleasant, asked if we needed help and left us alone (unlike Toyota). Worked well with us and gave us a fair deal in les than 2 hours (including 2 test drives!) They were real pros!

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  Considering a Land Rover? - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By beavers52 - July 23 - 5:40 am

  I would encourage anyone considering the purchase of a new Land Rover to do your research - review customer comments, check JD Powers ratings, etc. I wish I had done so. Unfortunately, I purchased a new LR3. Nothing but problems with the vehicle - cheap interior parts - electrical problems - frequent mechanical issues. I would encourage anyone considering a purchase of a LR to think twice before doing so - there has got to me more to a car than "good looks".