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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  Worst car ever - 2009 Land Rover Range Rover
  By eddie obrien - January 9 - 6:10 pm

  Ive owned three range rovers, why Ill never know, worst car on the road-fuel tank dropped out- electrical system bad, steering wheel was stuck in down position(like driving a go cart), car had to be towed 3 or 4 times-dont buy a range rover-theyre crap

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  Get rid of it ASAP - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Pilianni - December 5 - 10:33 pm

  spend 9,000 for an used engine. 5,000 for transmission 1500 for a water pump 1500 for a fuel pump and I have only drove the car for 80,000 miles now I may have to replace the transmission again.

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  Cheap Manufacturing - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By DamSr - November 15 - 10:10 am

  Gas mileage is horrible. You will likely average 19mpg highway which is a joke, I could have bought a Suburban. Plastic interior. Engine sounds like a diesel. I bought this thing based on its looks. After 4 months I traded this tank in for a more gas saving, well built vehicle. The sound system is horrible. The interior ergonomics are terrible.

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  8 months into ownership - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Steve S. - August 8 - 2:00 am

  My 2010 Range Rover is currently sitting at the Hornburg Service center in Los Angeles for warped rotors. This will be the third time in less than 15,000 miles they have been replaced. The brakes are not worn down. I will be opening up a Lemon Law case against Range Rover because of this problem that apparently cannot be fixed. Service manager said my driving habits have cause the rotors to warp every 5,000 miles. My 2008 Range Rover never had any brake or warped rotor issues in the 22,000 miles i drove it for the year I owned it (purchased in 2009 and traded it in for the 2010 model. The other problems are too numerous to list hear. I am shocked and dismayed at Land Rover.

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  Finally paid for & it died! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Mary - July 29 - 11:33 pm

  Three weeks after we bought it NEW - it blew a head gasket. Dealer of course fixed it but it never had the initial power quality again. Then the many recalls -overheating - then the hill descent started coming on at inappropriate times - dealer could not find anything wrong - dash lights flashing - tires wearing out much too quickly/noisy. Finally paid it off & at 75,000 miles the transmission goes. Anyone needs parts?? Oh thats right - there arent any worth selling!!!

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  the worst car i ever owned - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By camille defilippo - July 19 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car two years ago and have been in the dealership 10 times with simialr problems.

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  too bad - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By vsgbad - June 30 - 9:53 pm

  I thought I was buying quality when I went to land rover, but that didnt work out. The car rattles, the driverseat is uncomfortable, I bump my head on the ceiling, the engine is lazy, the steering stinks, the boot is far to snall. I wish I had gone for the Santa Fe, but I was afraid of poor quality.

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  Garbage - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By m waldner - June 12 - 10:00 am

  We found the car was in the repair shop 1 month after buying it. We became best friends with the head of service sfter that because thats where the car stayed. We had problems with the suspenion to the electric to the valves all major problems that land rover in their own words could not stand behind.

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  BAD BREAKS - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By stephen - March 24 - 2:00 am

  what is up with the breaks on this car? a new car that needs breaks We will never purchase another one of these vehicles or recommend one to are friends.when communicating with the service dept., at Hubacher Cadillac in Sacramento Ca. my wife was told that it has been a problem and the brakes on the freelander are needing replacement after 15,000. When the brakes fail they go metal to metal without warning very strange and dangerous to drive. Maybe we should park are freelander across the street from the dealer ship with a big sign on it as to what is wrong with this car. Oh by the way when the brakes go out there is know warning.

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  Not Worth The $ - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Virginia - March 4 - 7:36 am

  Traded in my BMW X5 (8 Cyl) ...and totally regret it. I paid $85,000.00 for my Range Rover, I had extras installed in addition to fully loaded. I have had my vehicle for 2 months and I am already having problems with it. I do not recommend this vehicle, unless your not looking for reliability. I am very disappointed.