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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  RRS replaced my X5 4.4i - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By upstate NY - October 2 - 5:53 pm

  Test drove number of the high end SUVs including the new X5. All to replace my 04 X5 4.4i with all the toys. Selected RRS S/C in Black/Ivory. Very impressed with it - dont miss the X5. Drove it recently in heavy snow - it was better than my X5 was. Its also firm and fast on the open road. Its not cheap on gas - but then there are other brands that cost alot less that have worse gas mileage. Doing about 5mpg less than the X5 was overall. Didnt find it slow to heat up, nor difficult to aviod the heated elements in windshield. Controls are all easily reached. Great SUV - dont hesitate any longer!

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  Nice Ride - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By JCP - September 30 - 2:00 am

  Have owned since december of 2002. Have had no issues with the vehicle and it rides better than I had expected. It is obvious that the design of the SUV is that of BMW. Fast, Quiet, comfortable, eye catcher and unique.

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  Freelander Rocks !!! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By W.Carlson - September 29 - 10:00 am

  My family and I are quite enamored with this car. It is the perfect size for our needs. We looked at other small SUVs and the Freelander was our favorite, HANDS DOWN ! It is great looking and a pleasure to drive. The ride is smooth and it handles superbly.( It is the perfect ski mobile). The sound system is of high quality. The car attracts a lot of attention. In summary, the Freelander is worth the money.

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  LR2 is solid - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By yeomancavalry - September 24 - 12:40 pm

  Excellent visibility, excellent ride, and very little wind noise. Standard luxury interior, standard features are simply remarkable for a vehicle within the $35,000 price range. For a small ute it has excellent leg space and headroom. The wide body gives a nice distance between driver and passenger. Dependable terrain response. Fully more off-road capable than initially expected despite not being a true 4x4. GPS is awesome! Well laid out. Very solid doors. Lots of safety standards like drivers knee airbag. Related to the Volvo S81, so you know its safe! Peppy motor and easy access maintenance. Awesome 7.1 channel Dolby, 14 speakers surround sound!

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  Stay Away - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By rockyroad - September 24 - 2:00 am

  Overall quality very poor for the price and fuel economy worse than 12- 16...DO NOT BUY THIS

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  More problems - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By monkeygirl - September 22 - 10:00 am

  Got my mirror fixed, but now there is an annoying chirping sound coming from the passenger side wheels. They serviced and said it was fixed. It made the noise after 20 miles. I have had this car for 26 days & spent 7 of those in a rental. Everyone I deal with is so nice it is hard to get angry with them for their incompetance.....its like yelling at a puppy. The dealer I purchased this vehicle from "forgot" to return my previous leased vehicle....and now I am trying to get that mess sorted out. It has been such a horrible experience that I wish I had kept my other vehicle (and I hated that Explorer).

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  Love It - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Susan - September 21 - 5:30 pm

  This car is great. If you want a unique car that is fun to drive and has functionality, this is it. I searched for a 7 passenger vehicle for my family and was two seconds away from buying an Acura MDX when we stumbled on the Land Rover. I am so happy and love everything about it.

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  on my 3rd engine - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Lisa - September 21 - 3:06 pm

  I am now on my 3rd engine it this vehicle, and I only have 60,000 miles on this car. Land Rover is offering me 50% off the engine. Its not drivable... please get these cars off the road as they are seizing up on people while driving.

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  Worst purchase ever - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By cb - September 20 - 10:26 am

  I bought my LR used with 40000 miles & thank God I bought the extended warranty! It was in the shop 18 times in 16 months-1 time it sat there for 6 months waiting for an engine that cost me 15,000 dollars! Coolant leaks coils going out window motors broken. At 44,000 miles new engine-I waited 6 mos for that one. 5 months later same problem- I needed another new engine! Out of my 18 trips to the dealer 15 were the same engine problems. The dealer bought it back as a lemon. Oh yeah-it was towed 7 of the 18 times because it didnt run. Never again will I buy a LR. Buyer beware-you will have problems!

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  From Audi All Road to L R 2 - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Audiallrd to LR2 - September 17 - 5:26 am

  I must say that since I purchased 4 of 07 that the LR2 has been perfect in every aspect of driving pleasure, no problems or unexpected annoyances. This SUV is a great vehicle. Land Rover is great!