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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  SUV that Leaks Water!!! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Joe Muratore - April 6 - 10:00 am

  Weve had our Freelander in the shop more than on the road! It took 4 tries to get the radio to work and were on our 6th trip to get the roof from leaking - dealer cant find the problem. Weve been told by friends to start the "lemon law" but we dont want to wait out the process. Although the dealership has been nice, they havent been honest or competent!

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  Worst Car Ever Owned - 2000 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Apllw - April 4 - 5:13 pm

  The best day of owning this vehicle was the day we sold it. And even that was a loss. Vehicle was always breaking down. No heat on driver side. Brake job. Heated seats never worked. Driving around town I would get cramps in my arms from the effort it took to keep this vehicle driving straight. This vehicle was a gem to drive on vacation or long term trips- and the AWD was amazing.

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  The Worst Car I Have Ever Had - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Drew - April 4 - 7:55 am

  This car is the worst car I have ever had. The gas mileage is not even close to as advertised. I am constantly fueling this car up and when I asked the dealer to help me he said there was nothing they could do that the car just gets bad mileage. I am sure your gas mileage statistics must be fraudulent. Worse off, the electrical system is also very poor and they are frequent battery drains which caused me to have to get my car jumpstarted. I cannot believe I still have a year left on this lease as this is the worst piece of crap and completely unreliable. I would never get a Land Rover again. Buyers beware.

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  In Love with LR4! - 2016 Land Rover LR4
  By Bob - April 1 - 4:00 pm

  Authentic SUV impervious to road and weather conditions providing secure, comfortable ride for both driver and payload of either 6 additional passengers with seats up or spacious cargo with seats down. The 2016 is our 5th successive LR purchase/lease in USA following my wifes early childhood addiction to the LR Defender acquired while traveling through Asia.

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  Very satisfied - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Anela Olsen - March 30 - 4:26 pm

  I owned a 2000 Range Rover and had nothing but problems with it but bought the new sport and love it the look is so sporty it looks very classy. I like it better than the big big body.

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  What a great family vehicle - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By LR3 in VA - March 29 - 8:46 am

  After testing about 6 other mid size SUVs, by far this was the best. Im glad we purchased it!

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  Surprised over-all; very pleased. - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Dave - March 28 - 4:33 am

  I purchased an LR2 with a little trepidation due to the lack of reliability expressed by media auto sources. However, the brand has one of the highest loyalty bases among car owners, so they must be doing something right. I purchased it primarily due to the smaller size and potential economic advantages of a smaller SUV. I have been pleasantly surprised by the vehicle. The mileage is outstanding for an all-wheel drive SUV. I average almost 20 mpg in mostly city driving (Dallas area, and get 23+ on the highway. The ride is not at all typical of a short wheel base SUV. It is extremely comfortable while still giving plenty of control on the road. Fun to drive, and will take me anywhere!

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  Nothing but a headache!! - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Woodstock36 - March 27 - 10:30 pm

  It will get you out of just about anything weather wise. Very expensive to fix, called land rover dealer $125.00 an hour for labor, not to mention the parts. Its a great SUV if you have tons of money to sink into it. 56,000 miles, both back windows are broke, keep falling down, back door closed, never to reopen, screaming belt, hanging muffler, now to top it off, its overheating, after sitting just a few min. In 40 degree weather. I have found this situation disheartening, that they would make such a nicely designed vehicle but such poor quality. I have had many vehicles, and have never had so many things go wrong like this, I would expect these things with 100,000 miles on it, maybe even more

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  No Trust - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Gary - March 26 - 3:40 pm

  This SUV has left my wife locked out three times. I have driven with out turn signals and the mirrors turned in parking position. No air conditioning, no Navigation no radio and has spent 20 plus days in the shop in less then 5000 miles. The windows dont always close and it may not find the "smart key for 30 minutes which means it wont start until it does but the alarm is sounding for the duration. We know any drive is our last but if we dont get killed by the police because they think we are stealing it, some bad people will kill us while we wait for the "smart key" the alerts them easy prey. My favorite was a scary guy asking my wife if she needs help in a Fort Lauderdale garage at night.

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  Great SUV. - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Doug - March 23 - 2:00 am

  This is the first SUV I have owned in years. I was impressed from the time I test drove the vehicle. Other than a minor electrical issue the vehicle has been outstanding. I would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone.