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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  Problem every 2,000 miles. - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Disappointed - January 26 - 9:30 pm

  Bought with 50,000 miles and thank god I bought a 3rd party warranty ! By 75,000 it had 2 ball joints go, needed a brand new radiator, then a new transmission, then I got stranded in another state with a blown water pump, 2k miles after that the fuel pump went, then $1,200 worth of electrical work. I put less than 10k miles a year because its ALWAYS in the shop. Will NEVER by a Rover again ! And advising my friends not to either !

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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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  Sell before warranty ends! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By alesha1 - November 19 - 11:23 pm

  I liked my car. But the brakes go out a lot. Antenna definitely not in a good location, was ripped off by a tree. Its kinda loud, when you drive. As soon as the warranty expired at 50,000 within a month I needed a new g filter $500 Landrover would do nothing. And now at 70,000 I was loosing coolant car will not start. Apparantly like everyone else I need an engine. I called Landrover the day it would not start, they acted like they had no clue why. Once I got on here I know they know whats wrong with it they are just trying to get me to tow it there so they can charge me an arm and a leg to fix it.

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  Chronic problems - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By cabledave - October 17 - 9:56 am

  If you are looking for a way to flush $80-95K down the toilet, look no further. Chronic issues. Now that we own it we are finding out about Land Rovers numerous design flaws that have festered for years.

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  DISAPPOINTED BUYER - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By KRISTY - October 6 - 10:00 am

  I BOUGHT MY FREELANDER IN FEB. 2003 WITH 5 MILES ON IT. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP FOR THE MIRRORS FLAKING, ASH TRAY BROKE (TOOK 4 TIMES TO GET THAT RIGHT), WINDSHIELD WAS DEFECTIVE, SUNROOF HAS BROKEN TWICE (ONCE ON EACH SIDE), FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW REGULATOR BROKE, BACK PASSENGER WINDOW REGULATOR ALSO BROKE, AND THE MAIN COMPLAINT I HAVE IS THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER IS SO LOUD ON HIGH SPEED THAT YOU CANT HEAR OTHER PEOPLE TALKING IN THE CAR AND IT DOES NOT COOL EFFICIENTLY.

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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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  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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  Bad Dic Brakes - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Harry Schneider - July 2 - 9:13 pm

  The Freelander has great visibility and layout. Very tall people cannot get into the cabin easily. Overtaking other vehicles is hard. Vehicle engine feels like a Diesel. Fuel consumption for the weight and slow speed is very high. However its weakest component are the brakes. Dealer says 20000km/14000miles is the norm.Then you have to replace not only the discs but also rotors.Heater and a/c very marginal !

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  Stay Away From Disco - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Stay away - July 2 - 2:16 pm

  Ive had my 2003 disco SE7 for 3yrs. Purchased at 50,000. Less than 2 months, I spent over $800 on axle job. Next it was $3200 engine gasket leak plus a host of other issues. It does not hold second hand value either. It looks great and people think it cost a lot but I will not buy landrover anytime soon. Poor engineering period.