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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  New - 2010 Land Rover LR2
  By LR2 Owner - January 5 - 1:03 am

  I have had my LR2 for a few days now and drove it from New Jersey to Florida and me and my wife are very happy. I have owned 8 cars in the past 10 years and this one is nice! I bought the car with 2000 miles on it and put about 1000 on it during our drive down. Dont listen to all the BS people put on here about how bad it is. Go Google the number one reliable car "Honda accord" and add problems into the search and you will see bad stuff. All cars have problems. The Landrover line of cars are nice and built solid. All newer cars have electrical issues and if you dont like it then purchase an antique car.

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  Great Little SUV - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By kimmarsh - January 4 - 8:26 pm

  Ive had no trouble from my 2004 HSE. I consistently get 19-21 mpg and mechanically, its been a great vehicle. The ride is fantastic and the fit and finish on my vehicle is great!

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  Amazing Land Rover - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By MaineRover - December 27 - 7:33 am

  After having test driven the LR3, I was ready to be underwhelmed by the LR4. A test drive sold me, after a few weeks of ownership - love it. The LR4 is much better riding and handling than the LR3, hopefully reliability will be improved also. On road, it is gutsy, responsive and not too tippy (no more than my old 4Runner or FJ). Off road it is sick. Snow and ice are all I have had a chance to play in yet, and this thing is sticky and sure footed. Recommend the upgrade to HSE package, esp for colder climates. Have not had passengers in the 3rd row seats yet, so will see if they live up to the billing. Finally, the tax benefits of the LR4 are significant. Makes it easier on the wallet

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  Discovery Sport 2016 - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Lindy Friedman - December 22 - 5:37 pm

  I never envisioned myself in a Discovery Sport, until I drove one. Originally I went to Land Rover to test drive the Evoque. I spotted a white and black Discovery Sport and basically, it was over for the Evoque. I had previously read about all the "issues" with the Discovery and found not one complaint to be true. I had no trouble with acceleration or rough starts. All questions and concerns were answered and reviewed with the salesperson. One test drive, in the rain, was over 2 hours long. I wanted to drive the vehicle in bad weather. Incredible response to the road in the pouring rain. I could not be happier with my Discovery Sport.

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  Great Vehicle - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By spider348 - December 22 - 6:20 am

  This is my third Disco and I am very pleased. Much better then the 2002 I had. Tighter turn radius and more power are the most notable pluses. Everyone likes to bash the fuel mileage - I just averaged 18 mpg on my last tank mixed city and highway. The trick is, dont drive it like a sports car (just take it easy use a light foot - it will coast on its own momentum a lot of the time) and remember - it has a big 4.6L V8 and it is heavy ! As for reliability, learn what to look for in these vehicles and have the usual suspects addressed before you buy. 200k+ miles and I have never been stranded.

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  One year review - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By atownrox - December 20 - 7:56 am

  I wanted to wait a full year and put some miles (18k) on this vehicle before rating it. Id definitely buy the Rover again. Looked at the ML, Toureg, Cayenne, and Rover. The Porsche was excellent but priced itself out for me. The VW was a close second but was still $5K or so more than a similarly equipped Rover. Dealer service is fantastic and has a fleet of Disco loaners. Well see what happens but its all good now.

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  Best SUV on Market! - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By napcommprop - December 19 - 2:00 am

  my 6th rr and its the best one yet!

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  Expensive Electronics Repairs - 2010 Land Rover LR2
  By Bob DeBenedittis - December 15 - 10:00 pm

  Ive had this vehicle since May of 2011. Loved it until August of 2015 when electronic problems started. 1st the fuel gauge/range display would fluctuate from accurate to immediately dropping to E/0 miles of range, then go back and forth. When check engine light came on, time to get service. Only dealer could do the work and at about $3000. Two months later, seat belt and airbag warning light come on, back to dealer. Diagnosis: faulty sensor in seat, seat needs to be replaced at cost of $1600. Totally unacceptable, Im looking to sell and get something more reliable.

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  Fun, Practical, & Capable!!! - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Galonzow - December 12 - 1:49 pm

  Overall excellent performance on road & off road. Transmission shifts are rough & unpredictable. Normally drive in Sports mode, tends to smooth out transmission shifts & acceleration. Cargo space is great! Electronics are sometimes a bit quirky. (for example: side view mirrors dont fold out automatically sometimes when they should, get fault that auto high beam sensor is blocked when it is not, rendering auto high beam inoperable).

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  Consumer SUV lover - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Jhomefinder - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Great midsize vehicle-fun to drive, nice to look at. Third row seats are a snap to use and to pur away. Only complaints are poor stereo sound quality, poor placement of CD changer (under passenger seat) and poor gas milage. Plus, I think they could do something a little different with exterior design, but overall a fun and stylish vehicle!