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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  Gorgeous design - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By kungpao - June 28 - 1:20 am

  Yep, I am a gal that owns the Sport and I absolutely dig this car! Of course the gas mileage can be an issue but other than that and a few other issues: the tailgate is a little heavy for me to pull down, there isnt a lot of room for stuff in the center console (girls need room for stuff!) and the steering wheel blocks the odometer panel so that I am constantly having to look around and through it to see the stats etc... Now for the positive stuff! Design is incomparable! This is a beauty on the exterior and I got the total package so my clients can feel comfortable when viewing property. (Im in real estate). My kids love the dvd and surround sound, its killer! Buy it, you deserve it!

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  JENSEN Bring the LR3 around!!! - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By LR3 for three! - June 20 - 1:16 pm

  Ownership of our LR3 HSE has covered the last 5 months, and have been relatively uneventful. The hood latch required a minor adjustment, and a small rattle from the right rear of the vehicle disappeared when we adjusted and unrolled the cargo cover. Some minor tightening of screws was about all that was involved for the actual warranty work. The Java Black with black leather interior truly has an upmarket look and feel. Terrific to drive on dry pavement or snow and ice. No complaints. Finally an SUV with British manners, unique styling, and go anywhere capability. With the exception of a Range Rover, nothing else to date seems to quite pack the panache of the new LR3 HSE!

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  The Best SUV out there!! - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Rover Owner - June 16 - 2:00 am

  The Land Rover Disco is absolutely the best vehicle I have ever owned. Its off-capability is unmatched. Seems to be a very reliable vehicle, no problems at all.

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  Discovery - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By jwilson93 - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Just a great vehicle to own. Drives well and also handles well. This is the fifth discovery that I have owned and by far the 04 is the best one yet.

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  Very well thought out - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Timothy Knight - June 10 - 2:00 am

  This Rover hits on almost all points. The Navigation system seems a step back from the BMW nav. system that it is based on, and the BMW unit was no great shakes. I am hoping that the electronics are going to hold out, I have 3 BMWÂ’s currently and one of them seems to have gremlins. Lets hope that Ford had a good look. Drove that car across the country, the car preformed flawlessly and comfortably. We live in the mountains so the Rover should be a match made in heaven! Love the fit and finish, outstanding!!!!

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  luv my landrover - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By discovery2owner - June 4 - 10:00 am

  this is the first landrover disco, i have ever owned, and i love it!!!!! but it!! you will not be sorry. This car dose everything right, and it dosnt blend right in. it diffrent. It has a quirkyess to it that can no tbe explained. I love it!! Plenty of grunt, and i love the new front end, looks like a rangerover! spartin interior but it works in this truck. I have attended a few off road treks since my purchase, and it great. i feel like a pro. I am 62 and the front seats are very comfortable, and pleny of room up front for my legs. very little windnoise for such a boxy truck

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  Love our LR3 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By SJB - May 17 - 3:10 pm

  We looked at and drove every 7+ passenger SUV before buying the LR3. Our final choice was between the Lexus GX470 and the LR3. Adults can actually sit in the rear seats of the LR3 and the seats fold completely flat and you wouldnt even know that they are there. When they are upright they have a footwell. I have more room in the back seats of my LR3 than my brother does in his Yukon and Im pretty sure I could park my LR3 inside of his truck. And thats really where the LR3 stood out for us. I never feel like Im in a truck. The over the hood visibility is tremendous, the ride, while tight, is smooth and quiet. We often get 20 mpg on the highway... on and on and on, we love the LR3

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  Winner of Our 10-Vehicle Drive-Off! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By j!m - May 17 - 10:00 am

  We spent a month researching the 17 vehicles in this category, and test- drove 10in a multi-round drive-off; this one had the best balance of on- and off-road capability, and ultimately, off-road performance was the decider. Traction Control, in particular, has already carried us through five spots where other vehicles without it got stuck. Dealer-sponsored outings are great, and we held our own with ~20 Discoverys on medium-rated trails with rocks, steep grades, water crossings, and soft sand; most of all, the Freelander is FUN, FUN, FUN to drive!

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  Better than my range rover and ML500 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Guess402 - May 16 - 1:10 pm

  This is far and away the best all around SUV on the market today

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  best land rover yet - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By mrocho - May 14 - 4:00 am

  i have driven a lot of suvs and particularly land rovers. this thing is head and shoulders above. it is the quitest vehicle i have been in and has plenty of power. the 6 speed transmission is very smooth. the 3rd row seat is fantastic and folds flat in the floor. so far so good on reliablility. no problems at all.