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:

• 

  2012 Range Rover Evoque Dynamic 4 Door - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By 248_streetrace - July 15 - 10:42 pm

  This Evoque is more than I expected. I absolutely love it. I lookd at all the other Compact Lux-Suvs and sure they start at a lower price but once you add comparable options theyre all in the same ballpark. This thing is gorgeous,sexy,efficient,roomy and surprisingly peppy. Great for the major city I live in perfect size, but very roomy and luxurious interior. The 2 DR looks sexier but the 4 DR was more practical for me. Its fun and gets looks everywhere it goes. I couldnt be happier, I couldnt wait so I got one off directly off the showroom floor. Wish I couldve ordered it but couldnt wait. But still happy as hell. Worth every penny, you wont be disappointed. Get a bright color..

• 

  The Critics are WRONG! - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Stefan King - July 13 - 1:36 pm

  Critics of this cool little SAV were WRONG. I signed the dotted line to purchase, then read the reviews and became nervous. All of my fears were unwarranted. Performance? Spirited performance is how Land Rover describes it and theyre 100% right. True, its a small displacement V6 which means that the upper rpm range is where the fun is! Leave the shifter in SPORT mode and FUN. Mash the throttle from the light and it zips from 0-60 in 8 seconds. Try this in a Trailblazer. Handling is very good in dry and especially wet weather. It loves the curves and handles them with confidence. Sluggish at times? Top speed was around 125 - left a Tahoe a Navigator and a Civic Si in the dust!

• 

  Better than Expected - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Bannerzap - July 13 - 4:13 am

  This is a great vehicle. The offroad capabilities are superior, comfort is great, GPS is really nice, and the air suspension is just plain cool to use. I find a new feature every day on this LR3. Im glad I spent (leased) the extra money to get the HSE because the memory seats, 500+ watt stereo and rear stereo controls are really sweet. Makes a Grand Cherokee look like a toy compared to this monster.

• 

  I love my car! - 2009 Land Rover LR2
  By Ray - July 12 - 11:56 pm

  I recently purchase a 2009 LR2. I was impressed at what the car was able to do off road. I also understand that the same characteristics that make it a superior off road vehicle will relate to on road performance and safety. The LR2 has power leather seats, two sunroofs and a very nice sound system. It was a wonderful buying experience.

• 

  Love it - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Andrew - July 12 - 5:50 pm

  We purchased this vehicle and almost immediately drove across North America and it was absolutely flawless. My wife loves this vehicle and my children appreciate the stadium seats. I like the fact that my family ride in safety and style.

• 

  Total Testimony! - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By TN J - July 12 - 10:00 am

  My Freelander had 9600 miles when I got it (Demo Model), and now it has 48756. Ive been on long trips of 1800+ miles and Yes Ive gone on the Land Rover sponsered 4WD trips. Off-road its traction control system was 100% soild. In town the ride was very comfortable (I loved the high seat position very comfy on the knees on long trips). If your over 60" you might have head room problems.On 09/2004 while driving on a local hwy I had a major accident rolling the Freelander 6 to 8 times going 60+ MPH. The Freelander all things concidered held up great! I crawled out of the wreck with one tiny cut on my face, and minor bruises. Very Impressive!

• 

  Satisfied Range Rover owner - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By SDH - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Best SUV made, the Range Rover is just an awsome vehicle, superior off and on road performance.

• 

  Very Impressed - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Pete - July 12 - 2:40 am

  Have owned two weeks now and so far very happy with this vehicle. Performs very well on dry, wet and snow covered roads from acceleration to handling and braking. Tried all the competitors and for the best choice for performance plus off road capabilities this vehicle won the contest. I did not buy this for fuel economy (who buys a supercharged car for good gas mileage) so I am not put off by the 14 mpg I am getting.

• 

  Love this Small and Sporty SUV - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By joncourage - July 8 - 12:26 pm

  Weve really enjoyed having our Freelanders (2 2004s). We enjoyed the first so much we bought a second. Its a sporty, competent, and sharp- looking little SUV. It rides great as a commuter, and handles off-road (in our case beach and woods) adeptly. Id feel confident going just about anywhere in it. Weve put a decent amount of mileage on it and have had only a handful of very minor problems. We find the car comfortable and well- designed, although its smaller size limit its carrying capacity. We bought a roof cargo carrier to help compensate.

• 

  Discos rock! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By astroboy - June 28 - 10:00 am

  Love to drive my discovery 2003. Rides high. Great off road. Buy it! Be apart of the oldest off road club in the world.