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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  Freelander - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Jane - January 17 - 4:53 am

  The 2005 Freelander is an overall excellent car to have. It has a mixture of sportiness, luxury, and refinement that you cant find in any of its competitors. Its great in the snow and off-road while still having great on-road performance. It is very stylish and feels great to drive. The only complaint that i have is that it is about 20hp short of what it should have. Overall i love it!(looks great in silver or black).

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  Failed from 2nd week and no repair - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Mickey - January 14 - 10:57 pm

  Dealer does not know how to repair the car. The car failed after the 1st week I purchased it, then it went in and out from the shop for the following 4-5 months. It should have rang a danger bell when we found out that the dealership was over 60 loaner vehicles. They kept replacing the back up camera when the entire electrical system would shut off. After I asked if they had tested the cameras they removed, I got blank look and they said they did not know what do to. They always have to wait for a technical adviser from headquarters to tell them what to do. Battery error signals showed up and the dealership did not know what to do except blame us that we must be driving very short distances (not true) after 2 weeks they decided to change the battery. Remember the Lemon Law if you are in California.

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  Im buying American! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By uscarbuyer - January 12 - 4:03 pm

  My Land Rover owned me. I have never owned a vehicle that required so much maintenance. I have never off-roaded in my Land Rover, nor have I had a fender bender or accident. I purely drive on the pavement to and from work, and in town driving to the movies, dinner, etc. My car is a southern car and has only seen snow for two weeks in the almost 5 years it has owned me. I cannot recommend buying any Land Rover! Anything that goes wrong you are told it is the "British design". Brakes and batteries are expected to last 10-20K miles. I cannot remember the number of recall notices, too many to count. At times the windows wont power down. I thought I would enjoy the durability. Nope. All of the cap covers & compartment covers fall off. My drink holder spring fell out for no apparent reason. I am not tough on my car & it is literally falling apart. I will find plastic pieces on the floor & have no idea where they came from. Im buying American!

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  absoloutely wonderful - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By loooooove it - January 12 - 3:46 am

  After doing much research on which vehicle I should get for my 16 year old I finally decided on a landrover discovery. I found one at a wonderful price and its still running strong after 120,000 miles. Regardless of what the other reviews say it is a very reliable vehicle... Those that have repairs all the time just dont know how to take care of a vehicle. My son loves the double sunroofs and the ability to haul his friends around town. This is a wonderful vehicle for any teen.

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  Freelander-Best in my Experience - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By LRMOM - January 11 - 10:00 am

  I have owned/driven "SUVs" for 23 years (Blazer-K5, Jeep-Cherokee, Pathfinder), but the Freelander clearly performs above the rest for handling, pure utility, and fun to drive. After 20,000 miles, not one mechanical issue. The cargo room is small, but will suffice for runs to the hardware, hauling one piece of furniture, or a trip for four who pack light. I would buy this car again without question.

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  Consumer - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Clinto G. Smith - January 9 - 6:13 pm

  Excellent in performance, have owned FX 35 (2004) and Hummer (2005) and no comparison in performande,

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  N - 2010 Land Rover LR2
  By Dirky - January 8 - 4:36 am

  MPG during a 600 mile trip on highway was 27MPG. City is about 22 so far

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  Gas Guzzler - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Asif - January 7 - 4:06 pm

  Just bought the new LR3 SE. Love the drive and the feel of the vehicle. Probably one of the best handling and safest SUVs Ive ever driven. In the last 10 days I filled up the 23 gallon tank 3 times with the recommended premium gas. Each fill up ran about $55. The vehicle got about 250 miles to the tank full or about 11 MPG in city/highway driving. It is suppose to get 14 city/18 highway. Remember it is 4 wheel drive 24/7 and has a V8 300hp, and it is one of the heaviest SUVs out there (over 7,000 lbs.) I would recommend that any potential owner rent this vehicle for one day and track the mileage based on the way you drive. If youre satisfied with the results, then buy this vehicle.

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  All that glitters is not gold!!! - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By pat - January 6 - 10:36 am

  I bought my LR3 hot off the presses. But from the get go there was a problem. A nagging vibration in the ride which the dealer claimed he could not feel. The my entire electronic system malfunctioned. The car spent the entire month of Feb. at the dealer. Got the car back only to notice that it would change height by itself when in park mode. After two more visits, Im still holding my breath. The vibration in the ride is still noticeable to me. Oh, and finding a bag of garbage in the cargo area of the car after when I got the car back after one of many visits was not reassuring. Its a beautiful car. The veneer dash inlay for an extra fee is worth it. All that glitters is not gold!!

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  Clearly a Bimmer - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By timphy - January 6 - 10:00 am

  The new Range Rover is by far the best SUV I have owned (and there have been many). The interior design is like a well-done Manhattan living room with its cherrywood (not that plastic-looking veneer crap) and buttery leather with contrasting piping. The 19" wheels are stout and lend way to great handling for a truck. One would have to be trying extremely hard to roll this machine. I have the same 4.4L V8 BMW powerplant in two other cars and it is bullet-proof, quite smooth, and reliable. Just about everything else save the box-design of the body is easily recognised as BMW as well, again speaking volumes about the expected reliability and thoughful design.