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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  Love it, but worth the $$$ ? - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By bluerover - August 5 - 4:13 am

  My girlfriend and I leased this car in CA in Sep 07. WE LOVE IT! Simple yet elegant interior. Handles extremely well on and off road. Moved to New Orleans, handles the killer pot holes so well and takes water half way up the doors w/o flooding! So far, not a single problem. Looked at BMW and others, LR2 was hands down the best deal. Lease is up and gf is so upset about turning it in, we are looking into buying it. But I am concerned about maintenance expense as it ages. (We only have 21K miles and all maint was free during lease.) If money was no concern, I would keep this car without any hesitation, but for the pot-holed street of New Orleans I would rather have a cheap beater.

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  LR3 HSE rating - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Jane Schlossberg - July 22 - 4:36 pm

  This car lives up to the Motor Trend SUV of the Year review. It handles beautifully, and is fun to drive. It maneuvers well on all types of surfaces, from gravel to snow to icy conditions. It drives very much like the Range Rover, but for $23,000+ less. I gave up my fully loaded Mercedes ML430 for this, and have no regrets at all. Reliability is not yet known, as it is too new.

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  2003 Range Rover @ 2200 miles - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Thomas R. - July 22 - 10:00 am

  got rid of my Mercedes ML320, which was totally loaded and had a sticker of $50k when purchased new in 2001. The Ml was nice but was in the shop for a lot of little things that I felt should never have broken. This Range Rover exceeds the ML in all catagories. For style, ride, and shear "show" value. The mercedes is nice but you see them everywhere. When you see a Range Rover , you notice it.

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  Land Rover got it right - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By rba8888 - July 19 - 5:11 am

  I was completely estatic to buy the Range Rover. My previous truck was a Tahoe. This is a polar opposite to that truck. The navigation does leave something to be desired. However the performance from a 4.4L engine is exceptional! Assuming you have a repair manual; maintance and repair costs arent anymore expensive than a domestic vehicle. I have zero complaints with this truck. Offroad is excellent. Road driving is also very smooth. The acoustics are a great thrill especially when connected to an Ipod. Trailer pulling was a pleasent surprise too! I didnt feel the car I was hauling behind me. Lastly on my summary the fuel milage is poor but I expected that. Overall Im very happy with Rover!

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  Four years later - 2002 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Christophe - July 7 - 2:43 am

  Have proudly owned 2002 for four years, 42-k miles, and had one problem with valve on suspension. Drives like no other, and best is last of true british design. Not the BMW/Ford redo. Original design stands for no nonsense, a true Rover owner.

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  Fun little rover! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Roverdude - July 4 - 2:00 am

  This is my second rover and Im loving it. Handling, handling, handling! Im continually amazed at how fast I can whip this rover around the corners. The steptronic tranny helps to get the most power out of the V6 as well. Interior is a nice combo of rugged yet comfortable, and very practical overall. I recommend it to anyone pondering entering the land rover stable.

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  Freelander Rules! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Kent Cys - July 2 - 10:00 am

  And the rules are: 1. Step up to the SE or HSE, especially the HSE for the sumptuous leather if you have the $$. 2. Make sure your SE comes with a Sunroof, Harmon Kardon stereo upgrade, and Heated Seats (All standard on HSE). 3. Dip your head and slide legs first across the front seats if you are taller than 58" -- Freelander has LRs standard Command Seating position. 4. Enjoy! Liberty and Escape V6 owners may dust you in a race. But bumps that make their vehicles shake like Strom Thurmond covered in fire ants will hardly affect Freelander.

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  Be Prepared - 2001 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Tiffany - June 29 - 11:43 pm

  I really like the uniqueness of the Range Rover--the style is superb if you like to stand out. But BE PREPARED for the maintenance costs-- they will kill your pocket--average visit to the dealership is about $2000- -and believe me this truck can go frequently of it wants to--the annual checkups range from about $1300-$1100 and are done every 15000 miles and there is always something extra to be done while in the shop. Remember to get spare keys--all keys are made in England and may take from days to months to get here.

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  Only minor problems - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By sam818 - June 14 - 2:00 am

  Great all round; but a few minor problems: steering wheel adjust will not go up/down, radio always reverts to "no tune" after being parked; strange "static" crackle in the voice of the navigation system. Engine and transmission roar is a little more than expected.

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  It is a great city and country car - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By L Lettice Carroll - June 13 - 6:36 am

  I purchased this car after driving a Toyota Highlander for 5 years this car was a bit of a change for me that took awhile to get used to. We drive from LA north for 200 miles and back again frequently. We have found that this car is a delight to drive both in the city and the country where we need the 4 wheel drive. It zips around the city and really does climb the slippery muddy roads on our property. I feel very safe in all sorts of driving situations.