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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  Still has reliability problems - 2011 Land Rover Range Rover
  By m2140 - June 25 - 9:14 pm

  Ive had my Range Rover for 6 months and around 10,000 miles on it. In that time Ive had 2 major service visits that required the SUV to stay at the dealer a combined total of 3 weeks. On the first visit the engine had an oil leak. A gally plug near the started was the culprit but oil leak Oma brand new engine with on 3000 miles was surprising. At 9500 miles the started showing an error and would not move up or down. Turns out the compressor went bad. Ive also had both seals on the main windows replaced, on the passenger side the mirror had to be replaced all together Its way too many issues for a brand new vehicle this expensive.

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  Still unsure about my HSE - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By tikelmeami - June 24 - 10:00 am

  Had my truck for 1 hour. Pulled in my garage with AC, and headlights on. Took key out of the ignition, the air was still running. Thought the engine was on but it wasnt. Turned off lights to get out of the car, my AC went off. HA HA...No key in the ignition but the lights turn on and off my AC. Dealership said they never saw this before and called technical support. Said it was minor. The HVAC system wasnt programmed right so they had to reprogram it. THE TURNING RADIUS SUCKS.Makes me feel like I dont know how to drive when parking or making a u turn. When you roll the window down an inch,the wind in the car is unreal. I like some fresh air, but geez

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  04 LR Disco in CA - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By 04 LR Disco in CA - June 23 - 12:36 am

  3rd eye tail light out after first 3 mos. Windshield washer pump didnt work from the beginning & has already been replaced with pump that works occasionally. Upper corners of front windshield leaked from beginning & has stained the headliner - now trying to get replaced. Also have problems with the front passenger compartment being soaked. Told it is a common occurrence with LRs so will need to get it drained (odd for it to be common on a $40k+ auto). Brake pads & rotors have already needed replacement and is costly (& not covered under warranty). Left front headlight has also gone out. Luckily, all these problems (minus brakes) are covered under 50k warranty

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  not so reliable - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By vince lombardi - June 20 - 4:10 am

  First Land Rover ive owned kind of disappointed. Its been in the shop too many times in the last year. Plastic Panels on the exterior fallen off 3x, breaks have squeek that dealership has not resolved. Its too bad because i like the ride, great on road trips, although automatic transition through gears could be smoother. There are cheap plastic pieces that cover the front seat tracks affixed to the floor that have cracked in various places, kinda cheap. I have to agree the gas mileage is far from ok, likely $100 to $150/wk in gas. tons of space in the rear w/o the 7 seater, lots of headroom and cabin space. A good friend of mine had his LR3 declared a "lemon"?? Be wary!

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  Very fun car to own and drive. - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By John - June 16 - 6:03 pm

  I have had no problems at all. The colors are very fun (yellow). Perfect car for young person.

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  2003 Range Rover vs my old Escalade & ML - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By georgekessel - June 11 - 2:00 am

  This Rover drives so nice, and has such a good quality feel to it (both inside, in the genuine wood - none of that cheesy Cadillac 50cent plastic fake wood) and in the way that it handles bumps. It drives like a dream, and with the hyper-adjustable power seats & air suspension it just blows away every other SUV that Ive owned or tested. I race SCCA showroom stock, so when I picked an SUV I judged it pretty harsh. I liked the interior room of my ML500, but the ML drivers seat is uncomfortable without lumbar or a usable armrest. If you can afford it, this Rover is the finest SUV on the planet

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  1st year status - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By 9k9 - June 4 - 4:03 am

  The cooler is great but it will run down the battery. We use it camping. A queen air bed just fits in the back and the LR tent is great. Gas mileage is not so good but we have a Fit for zipping about town. We get suspension faults about once every three months but stopping and resetting the car clears it. First trip was to LA from San Francisco down 5. Cruising at 100 was like being in a jet in first class. During last winter I hit patch of water about 6 inches deep at 50 mph. The car was rock solid and carried straight through. Off road it works well but be aware that steep slopes will cause you to have to reset it.

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  Best in Class - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By hpug - May 31 - 10:00 am

  We purchased the Freelander after test driving it, the Jeep Liberty, the Toyota RAV4, and the Honda CRV. The Freelander was in a class by itself with respect to the ride, comfort, and off-road ability. We have had a few electrical problems with the driver side window and the moonroof, and the speakers in the front doors vibrated, but the dealer fixed them rapidly and we have not had trouble since. We really like the vehicle and would consider getting another.

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  Rova - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By jaden - May 31 - 10:00 am

  I absolutly love this car, i have had no problems with it AT ALL! Get yourself one

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  outstanding - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By michael ford - May 31 - 10:00 am

  we have 2 land rovers and one is a 2000 discovery sereis2 and an 88 range rover and both are the moist reliable trucks i have ever seen!