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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  4 months In - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By i. scott - March 25 - 3:50 pm

  Have four months and over 3000 miles on the Discovery so far. Found the ride and finish to be excellent. Fuel consumption is better than expected, short trips to and from work in the low 20s, highway between 26-28. Managed 30.9 on a long highway trip thru NC mountains! Havent taken off road yet, but expect to use the 4WD modes this winter. Interior gets lots of positive comments, rear seats for tall passengers is great. Looked at the Q5/7, Infinity QX line, Porsche Maycan & Cayenne, found the Discovery to fit all my needs for passenger room, cargo area, and towing, as well as fit and finsh. Did not expect it to be a speed demon, but the turbo kicks in nicely when needed. Ride is very comfortable on in-town roads, very smooth on the highway and a delight thru the mountain curves. The pano roof makes the interior very well lit and roomy during the day. I ordered the options and color I wanted, which took 3 months due to the end of European summer holidays, it has been well worth the wait.

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  A total lemon - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By PeterJ4 - March 21 - 5:06 pm

  Leasing this car has been an absolute nightmare! From the brakes to the electronics, from the sunroof to the stereo, everything on my vehicle has needed to be repaired. LR North America rushed this vehicle to market and consumers have paid the price. Totals lemons! Land Rover could learn a lot from Honda about customer service and customer retention. Would- be Land Rover owners, BEWARE! My warranty just expired and LR refuses to fix my defective sunroof even though this is known to be a common defect.

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  King of the Road - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By upper midwest - March 21 - 11:23 am

  Was a Volvo wagon owner and follower but always admired Landrover. Was concerned about reliability, but after a bad dealership customer service experience at Volvo, I traded my vehicle in for a demo 2006 LR3. The ride is phenomenal. Im 61, 205 lbs and theres nothing like Landrover headroom, they are second to none. The seats are firm and supportive, and the instrumentation clear. An extremely technologically advanced vehicle as far as stereo, electronic gizmos i.e. rain sensor wipers, backup alarm, air suspension, ride dial and things Im still discovering! The lure was all servicing is complimentary during warranty. Cant wait for the Minnesota snows!

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  Rovin with my Lil Rover - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By emprise411 - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Extremely pleased with the vehicle. Fun to drive, great comfort in seating, handling fine (not truck-like) for an SUV! Dealer treatment, though have the cheaper of the LRs, is exceptional! Good pick-up and acceleration, good braking, and I find I have plenty of cargo space for my needs! Nothing to dislike about this vehicle--so far!

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  A Driving Experience - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By jtouch - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Discovery for 7 months. I have enjoyed every moment of owning it except when I have to fill the gas tank. Going from an Audi A6 to the Disco. in a gas shortage is quite a shock to the wallet. I have been impressed with the over all vehicle and its performance. I am hoping that I will be able to buy the Range Rover or LR3 in the next two years.

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  One of the greatest SUVS ever - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By RRS enthusiast - March 20 - 6:43 pm

  I bought my Range Rover Sport back in July and had to search high and low for one and use a dealer who is not a new Land Rover dealer. My local dealer told me they couldnt get me one. The SUV itself is great, however there are a few minor adjustments that could be made to make it even better. But overall it is fun to drive, everyone who sees it is amazed by it and very few people have them which is better. I have owned numerous SUVs and this is the best by far. It definitely beats its big brother the HSE as well as it is sportier and more fun to drive

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  A little more HP please - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Kevin - March 18 - 9:46 am

  I purchased my Stornoway Gray LR2, with all all options, in late April and now at 2100 miles I still am impressed. Originally I was thinking about buying a LR3 but needed something a little smaller and the BMW X3 didnt cut it. Overall the exterior and interior look of the vehicle is sharp but I wish the engine had a little more HP...like 275- 280. I primarily use the LR2 for work so its mostly paved road driving which is very comfortable. However I recently took it off road and realized it was truly a Land Rover but it does have a pretty good sway over rough terrain. For myself, my wife and dog this is our weekend getaway vehicle and it is more than enough room and very fun.

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  The little Rover - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By biz816 - March 18 - 3:10 am

  It has never broke down on me yet, but I have been to the dealer for a lot of little stuff (engine lights, window, wipers, speakers). Overall I love the car it drives great, and looks amazing. I cant complain about the problems I have had, since I have driven hard in the past 3.5 years. I love the Rover line and plan to buy again another rover soon.

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  This is a REAL 4X4. - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Stillwaters - March 16 - 10:36 am

  The LR3 is a true 4X4 off road vehicle. Everything else is just a station wagon! I dont know where to begin. The ride on road is smooth, stable, and quiet. Off road, this thing is a "Mountain goat!" Couldnt get it stuck (I tried). The build quality is fantastic, tight, sound and poised; simple, yet elegant. If you have been thinking of buying the Lexus, Acura, or Mercedes, do yourself a huge favor and test drive the LR3. Those other cars are just station wagons is disguise (and boring to look at). The LR3 has personality, and rugged profile, and a cast iron constitution. It will take you anywhere you want to go and then carry you home safe (with a huge smile on your face)...

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  My Land Rover is a paper wieght - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Lo Lo - March 7 - 6:40 pm

  At 42 thousand miles my engine needed to be replaced. 2 thousand miles after the warrenty was ended. I looked on line and found this to be a cronic problem. Several webite dedicated to Freelander that were lemons sonme had replaced the engine 2 or three times. All my service was done at the dealership. After the engine was replaced the car overheated again. The dealership said the headbolts needed to tightened (cant belive they had the nerve to tell me that)...I am scared to drive this car.. Do some research .. dont buy one