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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  best and worst of rr sport - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By mac - May 11 - 10:00 am

  ride is ok,def some electronic issues,250 miles cd never worked..reprogrammed,upgraded perforated leather is not up to the standard.showing some scratch marks onseats,exetrior paint is average, twice driver info shows gas tank empty,while in fact gas tank is full,numerous times radio doesnt sound even the power is on,ride is smooth, sitting position is excellent,for a 80k suv no power rear trunk opener? numerous times got my hand twisted while closing the rear hatch,i also own a 2010 bmw X6M,cost around 90k,but 10k make such a big difference or something tells me that germans are better auto makers than british,land rover needs to fix lotsa quality issues here,other than its fairly a cute suv..

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  One of the last real SUVs - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By saharatj98 - May 8 - 6:10 pm

  I researched this vehicle extensively and was warned about reliability issues although later Discos were to be better. I grouped most problems to improper maintenance. Owning other European makes I am well aware of religeous routine maintenance or expensive repairs. So far it has been just fine and I use it off road extensively. Having owned Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Wrangler I would never go back. The Disco has more storage areas, is much more comfortable and much more solid than any Jeep. Interior materials are much better and the suspension articulation off road is amazing even stock. Not for everybody, but one of the last real SUVs built for off road use.

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  Love my Rover! - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Andy - May 4 - 2:00 am

  My wifes GMC Denali was climbing in miles and she expressed interest in a Range Rover. I was a bit worried after all of the negative press I heard. After a test drive and a 4 hour conversation w/ the Sales guy at land Rover Guilford (CT), I was sold! We bought a pre-owned 2008 Range Rover, black on tan and loaded w/ every option. We see around 20 MPG on the highway and handling is excellent. Land Rover Guilford was recently awarded the Pinicle Award and they offered a weekend at Land Rovers Driving School in Vermont for their customers. My wife and I went and were blown away at what a "rover" is capable of. Only a few minor glitches but service has resolved them all.

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  Great Choice - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By grendal_fly - May 4 - 12:26 am

  We also shopped the BWM and the Volvo, but in the end we wanted a SUV with lots of interior room that you could actually park in a normal garage. Outside of the poor gas mileage this delivers almost everything you can ask for in the price range.

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  Great Mix - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Poloboxer - May 3 - 11:23 pm

  RRS feels so solid and has great acceleration. The ride is a little stiff, but the payoff is the sport car like handling. Very comfortable for its size - top quality materials!!!

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  A winner for Land Rover - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By mike - May 1 - 10:26 pm

  Excellent vehicle so far! So glad we waited till these were available. Handles like a much smaller vehicle, but feels so capable! Very impressed and confident driving this SUV. Purchased with all options and the color shown on this web site. Excellent Volvo engine pulls very nicely with lots of torque. Nav is great. Wife and kids love it too! The size is just right without that big and bloated feeling we had with other SUVs. Must say the brakes are fantastic and build is top notch!

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  great for the money - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By blackcloud1959 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Luv the driving of this vehicle. extremely smooth ride and offroading is no problem. dealership is the best that i have ever dealt with. friendly and not pushy at all! got 0 % interest and paid off my lease on a rodeo. was cheaper than a jeep liberty if you consider the 0% interest-paid off old loan-the standard options that are extra for most other vehicles.

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  owner - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By fafar - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Be ready to spend top $ for good look,that is all you going to get. I am spending more days in shop than on the road

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  top 4X4 - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By cbloomers - April 27 - 3:16 pm

  I had a range rover a couple years back and loved it, then brought a new Escalade 2008 it was fun for a while but then bad build quality showed through. Sold it for the LR3 and realized what I had been missing. Next car will be a range rover or LR4. Sorry to hear some people have had problems but these are the best off roaders you can get.

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  A joy to drive! - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By oobatz316 - April 27 - 10:00 am

  a great car to drive. it handles excellent. the exterior has a baja look to it which i find attractive. the v6 engine with the small suv i find has excellent excelleration. leather seats, automatic sunroof, excellent stereo system and all wheel drive make this a desireable vehicle.