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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  Luxury at its best - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By 08m3_12rrs - May 8 - 10:09 am

  I purchased the RRS for my growing family. The drive quality is awesome. We looked at the Cayenne, X5, & Q7 and though all of these had great attributes the RRS took the cake. We wanted something that was going to give us the luxury of the Cayenne with the build and reliability of the X5 & Q7. The RRS has everything that you could ask for we opted for the HSE LUX which provided just what we needed not going into the Supercharged. That was too much for the wife and with owning an M3 we didn’t need that for our family. If you’re looking for luxury, reliability, and presence on the road this is your vehicle; plus it makes you feel very safe.

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  Best vehicle I ever owned - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Gary Bryan - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I have owned mercedes 500s and Ml430 and sl45o, This is the best easiest fun to drive vehicle I have ever owned.

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  Best Ride Ever - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By BinacoInc - May 4 - 8:16 am

  I love this car. The only thing we do not like is that it has no protection from dents, no side molding. This is the best riding vechicle I have ever driven and I have owened some very nice cars.

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  2003 Range Rover Freelander - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By cvandiver - May 1 - 6:00 pm

  Just purchased a 2003 Land Rover, I have had this for 1 week and it is already given me problems. The first day I found out ignition key will not unlock the drivers door, which by the way is the only lock on this rig besides the tailgate, the gas cap fell apart in my hands, the gas mileage is really bad. Driving today it is shifting on its own going down the road, but is shifting hard. The dash is blinking 4F and is says that it is decending down hill,. Being in park is it saying 4F. I took it to the dealership had their mechanic come out and take a look, he checked it out and is saying that I have a Transmition Problem. This is NOT GOOD, used dealer is not anwering our calls to him,NOT GOOD

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  Mistake - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Simon - April 29 - 4:33 pm

  Leasing this car was a big mistake. NO acceleration, car is sleepy, I have to change brakes every 10K miles ($600 each time) Rear hood is pain. But the most painful part is combination PRICE/QUALITY. My advice: think twice.

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  Love the car, but - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Russ - April 26 - 6:53 am

  We bought the car in Oct 07 fully loaded. We have had the car in the shop 13 different time to repair things like sensors, temp sensor, tire pressure sensor, occupancy sensor on passenger seat (still not working right). We have had many problems with the bluetooth. They put a new module and microphone (still not working right). Navigation problem, not to mention weather stripping and other trim parts replaced. Front drivers seat was replaced after leather cracked. Front windshield had a stress fracture that they replaced. The car has been in the shop the last 5 days they are saying it needs a fuel pump and maybe more. not sure.

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  a lot of problems - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By dp - April 25 - 7:43 am

  I have owned high end vehicles and never have I spent so much time at the service depart.The front seat at purchase had threads unraveling (it has been replaced), now a headrest has the same problem. The rear view side mirrors malfunctioned (when you pushed to fold in one went in and one out).The navigation voice controls do not work as well as a mercedes and often do not understand commands. Also, the bluetooth does not work with most bluetooth phones-the screen locks up. Fans that cool the electronics are being replaced(I had to diagnose this prob myself even though 3 people had same prob LR no help, a seal at the windshield which makes road noise.For the money too many prob,more prob not list

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  Sporty SUV - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Dr. HAH - April 23 - 10:00 am

  After much research and shopping many top end sedans,SUVs and other cars this RR has been nothing but more of a pleasure to own and drive. Had a LandCruiser and thought it was excellent but this RR really puts everything about it to shame. The BMW engineering is incredible. For almost 5500 pounds it will get up and move. So far so good. Would highly recommend if money is not an issue.

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  Best over - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Donnie - April 17 - 4:46 pm

  Owned previous model, 2004 before interior update and this one is the best ever. Even the floor mats exude quality. Fit and finish is probably the best Ive seen in a long time. Owned Lexus LX470 and it is just a plastic Toyota upside this vehicle. The constrasting stitching, smooth drivetrain is second to none. Expensive, but worth every penny!

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  Should have bought something else - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By MrJake - April 17 - 2:00 am

  I bought a Freelander because it was well equiped and would do well off road and in the snow. What I have experienced is a vehicle with poor reliability. I have had oil and water leaks, cracked cylinder head, bad transmision, and a host of other problems. Dealer maint, costs are steep ($90 oil change). Gas mileage is not very good for such a small SUV.