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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  Ill never drive any thing else - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By nichoal - July 23 - 12:36 am

  It is everything I thought. The clear view, the comfort. I am 5,2 112 lbs. This is the only SUV that fits me. My husband hates it but thats ok. It is my birthday gift. I love clearly seeing everything when I drive. I have found my second love.

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  Luxury Name with Hyundai feel - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Max - July 13 - 8:10 am

  This car overall is great but when i bought a land rover i just expected more. I know it is the lower end of the spectrum but i still expected everything my sister has in her Sonata. First thing no blind spot warning, we were told it was because we got the third row seats and they could not get the wiring in. Got the black package but the material feels cheap and every so often it will pop out of place and i have to push it back in. A lot of squeaking, cant change to preset from the steering wheel.

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  2006 Range Rover HSE, Fantastic! - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By New Car Owner - July 12 - 9:10 pm

  Just got new range rover hse, blue with sand interior, including the luxury pack, and satellite radio. I was planning on the supercharged model but dealer told us that the hse was smoother and quieter, so we lobbied for the hse. It looks fantastic and accelerates with authority. Interior is luscious with luxo pack, i get so confused with the number of available positions because there are so many! Driving is unbelievable and navigation system is a great addition to the already sophisticated electronics. Love it and worth the investment!

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  An off-roading machine - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Chris Thomas - July 6 - 2:00 am

  My land rover discovery has been everyithing i have expected it to be. It is truly a fun car to own and drive. It is not only great off road, but its road performance is excellent.

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  Worst vehicle I have ever owned! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By styve - July 6 - 2:00 am

  The Land Rover Discovery is the absolute worst vehicle I have ever owned. It spends more time in the shop than on the road. From an electrical system that does not work, to a windshield that breaks without being hit by anything, the reliability of this vehicle is horrible! We drive this vehicle to VT, and have had numerous problems with its ability to handle the elements. We have been told that this is due to the "extreme conditions in Vermont." I thought that this vehicle was for extreme conditions (the extreme conditions were snow and temps in the teens). If you are contemplating buying/leasing one, stay away. There are much better SUVs out there.

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  Despite the bad reviews we love our 2016 Discovery - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Fazz Powell - July 3 - 2:56 pm

  We took delivery of a 2016 Discovery Sport this week and have to say we couldn’t be happier with this purchase. While waiting 3 months for delivery I was reading the reviews and frankly had been quite worried by the bad press. We also test drove the full-size Sport before buying the Discovery and found the almost twice as expensive Sport to have clunky breaking, albeit a luxurious interior. I had a Mercedes GL450, which we found too hard to get in and out of and quite a sterile interior, and compared to the Discovery it was not nearly as comfortable and the transmission was more cumbersome/computerized than the Discovery…by far. So I don’t get the bad reviews. The Discovery Sport in sports mode is super smooth in acceleration and I have not experienced any of the down-shifting issues mentioned in the many reviews. Granted I live in a small town and I didn’t buy the car based on its 0-60 rating. When I first test drove the Discovery I was taken a bit back by the sparse interior by Land Rover standards, but all the dealer had was black. One also has to consider this is a low-cost Land Rover product. I ordered an SE with a Glacier Brushed Aluminum interior and it was very nice and the steering wheel is much more comfortable than the $75K GL450 with the premium 2 upgrade package I had. On the SE the two-tone roof option was only $350 which really sets it off from the competition for look and feel. We looked at every car in this price range and would recommend it to anyone in this market. Fingers crossed on maintenance, but my CPO GL450 had to have a leaking shock absorber replaced with only 28,000 miles and it was not covered by the Benz CPO and cost $900, so I don’t think Mercedes offers any better in quality.

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  Very Pleased So Far - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Mr. Bill - July 3 - 10:53 am

  After 3 months I have no complaints at all. Its the best riding SUV Ive ever owned. The dark blue looks great on the outside and the alpaca tan leather looks fantastic on the inside. The build quality is excellent all around. After getting used to the ignition system, I dont even think about it anymore.

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  One month and loving it!! - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By boulders - July 1 - 4:00 pm

  Traded in a 2001 MDX for this truck and no regrets so far. Great interior design with a commanding view of the road. Nicely weighted steering and fabulous brakes. Quieter and smoother than the MDX by a country mile. It is true what the editors at Motor Trend said, " 90mph does indeed feel like 55mph". I didnt expect the gas mileage to be great given the vehicles mass but a little disappointed at 10.8 -11.4 mpg in city driving. The rear split gate design is a wonderful touch. And the third row is well worth if you have kids. It is superior to the Acuras in terms of comfort. It is a quite different experience driving in sport mode. The truck feels much quicker than posted 0-60 times.

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  Fun Car with Some Issues - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By egullsfan - June 29 - 8:26 pm

  Ive had this Freelander almost a year and I love it. It is fun to drive, great in snow and mud, and doesnt look like every other small SUV. It is not as reliable as say a CRV (my wifes car) though. We have had no problems with the brakes so far (I put 10K since buying it used). The parts replaced so far though (under warranty at no cost) have been the rear window switch, drivers door lock, thermostat, coolant reservoir. Without a warranty that is $1200 worth of work. I like the fact that this SUV is faster and more fun than our CRV, but the gas mileage pales in comparison (I get 18-20). When the extended warranty runs out, Ill sell this car. Until then, Ill continue to enjoy.

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  So Far So Very Good - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By VincentET - June 28 - 4:30 am

  People and magazines have said LRs arent reliable, but so far not a single problem. I like this SUV better than any of my past vehicles- Jeep Grand Cherokee, MB ML320, Cadillac SRX, Infiniti QX4. All those trucks had numerous service issues(except Infiniti).