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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  Fun to drive - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Allan - July 31 - 10:03 am

  This is my first SUV and Im enjoying the experience immensely. The first 2000 miles have been a joy and the quality is amazing. This is definitely an excellent value. The comfort is better than the Mercedes CLK it replaced. The safety features are second to none. The upgraded 14 speaker sound system has a range that makes it a joy to listen to, especially the classical music, where the highs and lows are lost in most vehicles. The upgraded halogen headlights follow the steering wheel around corners and up and down hills. There is so much to recommend in this vehicle, I suggest you take it for a spin. This is my first Range Rover, but it wont be my last.

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  Love My Freelander - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Love It - July 30 - 7:03 pm

  I read the reviews and bought mine anyway. It had high miles but looked brand new. I love it! It is fun to drive, looks great, and mine really scoots. Gas mileage is way better highway where I get 22-24 mph. In the city I only get about 17. What vehicle is ever cheap to repair? If you maintain well, the vehicle will last. I dont take mine to a dealer, I use Columbia Rovers. They know their stuff.

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  Basically cool - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By UFOFLY - July 29 - 2:00 am

  I have this vehicle since OCTOBER, and have 3000 miles on it. Tight feel, great handling, quiet vehicle. However, my husband needs to slightly tilt seat back to keep his head from touching roof, and last week, during a cold snap, the power window button fell off in my hands causing the other windows to open/close on their own and act wacky. The good news is that the dealer, after calling on my cell phone fixed it almost on the spot when I drove in. It was COLD with a window open all the time. Great service and treatment! I also got a great price as a leftover with 4000 off the list price.

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  Love my 2007 HSE - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Marc - July 27 - 10:06 pm

  Awesome car, turns heads, fun to drive, easy to operate. Re-sale value is the pits. Averages 15 mpg which is not bad considering how big it is. Awesome boat tower, you will never get stuck on the ramp. Definitely would buy one again. Due to cost of maintenace, makes buying on still in warranty or new very attractive. My only proplem has been defective head & tailight assemblies that fog up. Of course dealers say they are not fogged when you take it in. So take pictures!

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  Excellent purchase - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By steve - July 24 - 9:23 am

  I felt I got A LOT for the price. I was very impressed by how it drove but the style of the vehicle is very impressive !!! I get stopped a lot by people telling me how sharp my car looks. I see a lot of LR2s around beautiful Santa Barbara. Kids love their own sunroof for the backseat !

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  excellent - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - July 23 - 8:23 pm

  maybe some have had a bad experience but i have had nothing but a pleasure owning this truck, i have 53000 miles on it and have no problems whatsoever, regular maintenance and thats all. my 3rd rover and my brother has had 9 and currently owns 2, get a good garage people, the freelander is a great vehicle

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  Happy LR3 Owner x2 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By texaslr3man - July 22 - 1:53 am

  I owned my first LR3 for 7 months (7,000 miles) before it was broadsided by a suburban. The car did so well in the crash that I couldnt get the drivers insurance company to total it. The side curtain airbags worked like a champ, and since it will take 3 months to repair it, and I dont want to drive a near totaled car, I bought a 2006 LR3 and plan to sell my old one when it comes back from the body shop. I took a client out last night (CEO of a company), and he couldnt believe how well made the car was. I am thinking of selling my wifes suburban and buying a third onefor her.

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  Great CUV with Offroad Capability - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By BAM - July 18 - 3:36 am

  This is a great crossover SUV, maintains offroad capability while still offering a very nice onroad experience. I spent quite a bit of time comparing to RDX and X3 and test driving each, and disagree with the Edmunds review about "workaday" interior with the LR2 compared to the X3. The seats are great and the interior is sharp too. Acceleration wont be winning any races, but its just fine for what it needs, I never feel like the engine is straining at any speed. Although the cargo space is listed as lower than the X3, it didnt really seem so after taking a look inside. I would definitely recommend this car to a friend.

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  Great SUV - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By happy - July 13 - 12:03 pm

  Traded in our Sleepy Lexus LS430. This car is in a word Great. Always wanted one now I am sorry we waited for so long! Drives great very smooth. Great amenities. Great Color combinations.

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  Disco is dead - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By ROVER NO MORE - July 13 - 11:03 am

  My wife saw this Disco and had to have it and just like the music it didnt last. The real problems started last year when we replaced the power steering pump, then the head gasket went at 67k, then the throttle body heater. The car never went off-road and we had to replace the transfer case at 88k. So much for its legendary off-road capability. And Finally after all that we were told after a flashing service light, one of many, that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced at 93k. Six years old five years owned, bought with 8500 miles. P.O.S car. Never buy english V8s.