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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  king of the hill - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By drgnbk - July 12 - 10:43 pm

  great handling for 3 tons of metal and aluminum. great ride quality and unsurpassed off road capability. I actually use mine for off roading and it doesnt get any easier than with this truck.

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  Peerless, in a class by itself - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By youngturk - July 12 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd Range Rover (95 County Classic, 98 4.6 HSE). I traded in my beloved Porsche Boxster because I needed a back seat. I looked at a 911 cab and a Cayenne, but was absolutely blown away by the Range Rover. Now I know why it has garnered such high praise and won so many accolades. The build quality is the best Ive ever seen. The performance is surprisingly good, and the cachet is undeniable. This is truly a world class car.

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  Buy it... if you love your service mngr - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By RolandLR4 - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Initially, we loved this vehicle. The look is clean and the drive is far superior to the LR3 series (quieter/tighter). Seats are reasonably comfortable. Some controls for navagation/cameras/dvd are a bit cumbersome but learnable. At about 3800 miles the first service visit was for a check engine light that we were told was a "computer reset" issue. Two days later the light was on again and before we could get a scheduled appointment another "impaired performance" warning light was flashing. 3 WEEKS later the dealership calls to say the backordered injector has been installed. My wife gets in and the service engine light was on before she left the lot. Doesnt bode well for reliability!

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  Very Impressed - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Craig - July 8 - 9:50 pm

  The 2008 Land Rover LR2 is a great little car. I bought it 3 months ago and have put nearly 11,000 miles on it. Zero problems. Runs perfectly -- averages 22 mpg everyday -- 25 mpg on trips (no kidding). Comfortable with plenty of power -- cant believe its a six. Whats not to like about this vehicle! Get the nav upgrade -- the sound system is one of the best I have ever heard.

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  Great car all over - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Sultan - July 8 - 6:23 am

  I bought this car based on an SMS message from the dealership, stating they have a special year-end offer. I saw the car first at the begging of 06 and it caught my heart but the price was over my budget. But with the new offer I could not resist. The dealer didn’t have a test drive vehicle. So I bought the car anyway based on research done on the net,especially this site. I noticed a lot of reviewers complying of fuel consumption. To me its not a problem because I live in the middle east and gas is cheaper than tap water (you are more than welcome to move here ). I fill up a full tank for $20. I recommend this car to any one with class and at the same time has some coolness left in them

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  perfect truck - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By rba8888 - July 6 - 2:30 am

  I researched for a while for a new truck to replace my lifted Tahoe. Im very happpy with the truck. The reliablity is better than I expected. I didnt buy the Range Rover for fuel economy (in the real world driving wife gets 16 I get 22) I bought it for rough roads towing; well almost anything I want really (7000lbs). The audio system is stunning, I cant help but to smile everytime I turn something on. I cant help but to smile every time I think of the range rover. If you do need to take the Range Rover to the dealer for repair or PM. They take very good care of you. My dealer in Cincinnati is excellent! Over all the truck is great of value!

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  So Far So Good - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By rgosalvez - July 4 - 8:20 pm

  I have owned my LR2 for 3 weeks now. I am very impressed with the level of standard equipment on this vehicle for the price. Comparably equipped X3s and RX 350s are several thousand dollars more. After 3 weeks, I have had no problems at all. I have, however, had many people provide positive comments on the look of the vehicle. The ride is very comfortable and the fuel economy is about what I expected. Most of the interior build and quality seems good except for some creaking I have noticed in the door panels.

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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.

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  gus - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By kosta - June 26 - 10:00 am

  very fun to drive and safe