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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  Still Love My LR4 - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By LoveMyLR4 - February 2 - 1:40 am

  About 6 months and 9000 miles later,I still love my LR4 as much as when I bought it. Maybe more! You can read my original review below.

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  More than what I expected - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By jml61 - January 31 - 10:00 am

  It is a fantastic vehicle. I have owned it since July of 2003. I was dobtful of buying because I had owned a 1994 Discovery (purchased new) that had given me problems and had a heavy drive. This one is fantiastic in all aspects and has an excellent drive, needless to say it looks great. If your are thinking of buying it, ACT. You will not repent! I read these reports and they weighed heavy on my decission. I decided to move forward with the purchase and am glad I did.

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  2002 Freelander S - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By aceman - January 29 - 10:00 am

  It gets a lot of looks. Drives great. No problems at all.

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  I Love It - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By GSR - January 29 - 5:20 am

  I love the Land Rover. I have owned Jags and Mercedes plus most of the American and Japanese cars. After 3 months, I am sold on the LR-2 HSE as a real winner. Certainly, I wish it got a little better gas mileage (I can eek out 17 mpg around town). However, I find the ride quality superb and have absolutely no quarrel with the pick-up. For over all quality, I believe the LR2 iS a stand-out and a fantastic bargain when compared with the BMW, Mercedes, or other top of the line compact SUVs.

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  Problem every 2,000 miles. - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Disappointed - January 26 - 9:30 pm

  Bought with 50,000 miles and thank god I bought a 3rd party warranty ! By 75,000 it had 2 ball joints go, needed a brand new radiator, then a new transmission, then I got stranded in another state with a blown water pump, 2k miles after that the fuel pump went, then $1,200 worth of electrical work. I put less than 10k miles a year because its ALWAYS in the shop. Will NEVER by a Rover again ! And advising my friends not to either !

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  WOW Land Rover Has Done It Again!! - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Terrie - January 25 - 11:46 am

  I traded my 2003 Range Rover in for the new 2006 Sport. I enjoy this vehicle so much more than my 2003!! I love driving it and just about everything about it!!

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  Traded my Mercedes S - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Stromlaw - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I love my Range Rover. I have driven only Mercedes for last 15 years, mostly S class. If you offerd me a new 500 S or a Range Rover, I would take the Rover. Sevice is great!

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  Freeloader not Freelander - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By D - January 23 - 9:26 pm

  Felt like a solid vehicle initially, but it all went down hill real quick. Poor quality and no reliability. The dealer has had to replace an ECU, the transmission, rear window motor(both), hoses, and the list goes on. I owned this vehicle for only 4 months and I drove it maybe 10 times...Land Rover techs have driven it more than me..but thanks for the 06 LR3..that was pretty much the car I drove during my 4 mos with the Freelander..I mean Freeloader

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  Land Rover is tops - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By klebsack - January 23 - 1:43 pm

  This is a truly awesome vehicle. This is the first LandRover I have owned but will not be the last. It is fun to drive and exceeds my expectations of an SUV. I drove it on a LandRover course and was amazed at what it is capable of. It was definately a thrill to see its manuverability on an off road enviroment.

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  The best vehicle I have ever driven - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Broham - January 20 - 10:00 am

  Best truck I have ever driven. It has a combination of speed and handling that I have not seen in other SUVs I have driven.