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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  Always amazing - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By YellowFever - April 13 - 12:30 am

  This is my 3rd Land Rover. I owned the Discovery I, a 2000 Range and now this. I love them all. They never cease to amaze me. You feel like a King in this thing. On road it handles like a sedan, off road (yes I use it for what it was made for) you can go anywhere. The Range Rover design has always been classic. No over abundance of plastic looking parts like the Asian SUVs. No crazy body lines to take away from the Land Rover look. Just pure and simple. The new Jag engine is plenty fast. The 6 speed trans helps out. Especially compared to my 2000 4.6 Range. Reliability issues, yea it has some but who cares. They are worth it to drive this car. Did I say you feel like a KING in this SUV?

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  Very Nice - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By chazfresh - April 11 - 6:56 am

  The truck is great so far. Many more amenities than the competitor. The statement that it only comes with a V- 8, is incorrect. We just bought the 6 cylinder SE model. Very comfortable. Quiet, and a smooth ride. I found that the sales people are all but useless. Read the owners manual. This truck has way more than the dealers know about.

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  Very good car - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By NYC-driver - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Got this SUV for my wife, but she decided do not drive it and took my "everyday" Jetta. I use it every day, in any weather condition all year around. Excellent in snow blizzard! No any problem so far.

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  Landrovers rule! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Richard - April 5 - 11:26 pm

  I love my Landrover! Bought it used with 28,000 miles last year. And yes I have had to take it to the dealer for a few things but they treated me right. If you like jeeps wranglers on the outside but hate the way they ride this babys for you.

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  its terrific! - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By gbstage - April 5 - 10:00 am

  its fun,elegant, reliable and feels like it could climb the side of a building with no effort. zero problems, built like a tank, great vision, two sun roofs with screens and a proper english speaking navigation system. only minus is premium gas and poor mileage.

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  RR Sport SC - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By platnim - April 4 - 11:43 pm

  I was hesitant to trade in my M3 for a family car, but have been extremely pleased with my RR Sport SC. It has more than enough power/performance at any speed to satisfy, has the ability to travel in any enviroment, seats five and has the "park it in the front" apeal to the valet parkers anywhere I go in sin city. Who could ask for more?

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  Has not met expectations - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By Charles from Canada - March 28 - 3:13 am

  Replace our Honda Pilot with this and not sure it was the best move. At times the LR3 is great and a cool car with great features and technology, but the reliability and service has been poor. Also the handling is not good and the fuel mileage is a disaster. We generally enjoy it with the family, but glad we leased because this vehicle unfortunately has caused too many problems. Our Cadillac SRX blows this vehicle away in every regard and every day the short stick gets to drive the LR3.

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  Roving Rover - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By John Paul - March 24 - 11:03 am

  I cant say enough about how pleased I am with my Sport SC. Great fit and finish iside and out. Better than the 1997 full size Rover I owned which treated me well. I own a Vesuvius Orange and it turns heads wherever I go.

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  rangerover - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By dedric - March 22 - 6:20 am

  i enjoy the truck but too many small things continue to occur

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  Junk - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By bbealko - March 22 - 1:36 am

  This vehicle is junk. It has been a headache for my family. The fuel pump was recalled and still doesnt work properly. Lights on the dashboard come on and go off randomly. My back passenger windows will not go down. Both broke on the the same day. Everything is so expensive to get fixed on this car. Would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.