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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  4x4xFAR - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Robert - September 6 - 8:36 pm

  I have had my new disco se7 for 12 days now, and I cant get enough it yet! Took it to the Sand dunes and it handled pretty awesome. I always wanted a 4x4, this is my first, and I hope I never have to change from a Land Rover ever. Double sunroof is a plus, leather all around looks great. 12 speakers sound like a party inside. 6 cd changer cool. The list goes on and on. I hope I never have anything bad to say as months come around.

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  Zero Defects - 2008 Land Rover LR3
  By Underated in reviews - September 6 - 5:00 pm

  This is my 2nd LR3 and the best vehicle Ive had. Ive had absolutely zero defects on this vehicle. I leased it, but am about to buy off the lease, its that good. One thing I cannot understand is how the reviews always comment on quality. The quality of these vehicles is awesome.

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  Evoque Dynamic 4 Door - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By 248_streetrace - August 10 - 7:54 pm

  Love this Evoque!!!! Sexy, luxurious, gorgeous, head turner, packed with Technology. Priced high, but when you add comparable options with the competition its all in the same arena. Rides great, Peppy Ford Sourced Engine, Quiet, well sized for a major city like where I live, Fuel Efficient. Just a great all round vehicle. Buy one!!!

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  G4 Discovery - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Doug - August 10 - 3:46 pm

  I got one of the 2004 G4 Discoveries and I love it. So far its been a great ride...except for gas mileage.

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  Great SUV----Fix the Bluetooth - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By dsprga - July 28 - 10:33 pm

  Im ending my first month and 1000 miles. I get great comments on the look of the car and I like the ride more than I thought I would as I was changing from a sedan. Great visibility and very comfortable seats. For tall people, there is more than enough room in the drivers seat. I purchased the upgraded sound system and lighting package. Im glad I did. Great sound and great visibility at night. My main complaint is with the bluetooth phone system. There are very few phones that are compatable with the LR2 and no PDAs. Hopefully, LR is working on a fix for this. Other than the bluetooth issue, I think LR has done an excellent job in this redesign.

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  Realize what youve got - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By usexpat - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car since 6/03 and it has been the most enjoyable vehicle Ive owned. Potential purchasers need to understand what they are buying--an offroad vehicle that has been given the creature comforts of a family car. Youll be getting the best offroad vehicle money can buy, but you will be giving up some things. There are reasons fo the apparent downsides of this vehicle (e.g., slow acceleration... so I dont fly off the side of the mountain!). Bottom line, its a great vehicle and a lot of fun to own/drive, but realize what youre getting.

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  A - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By AMER - July 28 - 2:00 am

  GREAT VEHICLE TO DRIVE

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  Why drive Bland when you can drive EXCITING!!? - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By pouladi1 - July 27 - 4:42 am

  I just purchased a pre-owned, mint condition 2007 LR 3 V6 , This is my 3rd Land Rover and to be frank the only thing I hate is why I waited so long to buy this SUV!?! I was lucky to find my deep green exterior, beige leather interior beauty! The drive is smooth commanding and fun! Fit and finish is perfect, The vehicle looks so gorgeous and the interior looks expensive. Dont look elsewhere, just drive a Land Rover and see what all this fuss is about, I guarantee you , once you drive one, you will not drive another vehicle! coincidentally the day I bought it snowed and all i did was to activate the terrain response! it drive through ice and snow like knife through butter!

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  Superstylin - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By tifso - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I have had "Froggie" for four months now and I absolutely LOVE this SUV. I love the Monaco blue color, the handling, the solid feel of everything, the fact that I am the only one in town with a blue SE3. The experience at the dealership was world class - I was taken care of 100% and now feel like part of an elite club. One day I hope to go in to buy a Range Rover, either way, Im sticking with this brand. But what the hell are they thinking with Ford taurus window switches on the 2004 Freelander SE?

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  What a deal - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By patsrr - July 17 - 10:00 am

  This unit rides & drives great, & the base se comes with a ton of standards. For the price of a comparable escape, crv, or rav4 you can have a land rover