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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  What a waste - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By What a waste. - December 19 - 5:00 am

  Bought it used I am second owner at 75K miles the brakes are hard until warmed up. The Header gasket is gone. The worst thing is the car has a bad engine rap, diagnosed as a lifters issue. The dealer and HQ LR NA in NJ will not back it up. Imagine a luxury car whose engine is failing at 80K! Absurd. What we have here is a well wrapped interior and exterior with a piece of garbage BUICK engine.

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  Awesome Luxury SUV for the Money - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Mark Bulleri - December 17 - 2:13 am

  We love our LR2. We tested the MDX and Nissan Murano and as soon as we got into the LR2 and started it up, we were hooked. Our eyes said it all and our salesman knew he hooked us. There are 2 improvements that I would have wanted, more horsepower for changing lanes on the highway and the bluetooth doesnt work with my blackberry. But all in all, I would highly recommend the LR2 it is fun to drive and is super stylish.

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  Best of the Best - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Chuck McKibbin - December 15 - 2:50 pm

  I have owned many SUVs and many, many vehicles. This is the best I have ever owned. It will climb impossible peaks in Arizona, then hit the highway at a smooth 90 m.p.h. Everything has been well thought out and user friendly and this truck has PERFORMANCE.

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  Slow and Overpriced - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Tom - December 13 - 3:56 pm

  A good SUV in allot of way. It’s strong, solid and safe. However it’s a thirsty, under-powered slug with a nice leather interior. Also the ongoing service will take the fun out of having it. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am with this SUV, not to mention the hit I’m going to take to get out from under it. Never again

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  Great hidden gem. - 2013 Land Rover LR2
  By Tom - December 13 - 3:18 am

  I have a 2013 lr2 which I bought used and its been an absolute delight to drive. Its tough in the snow and handles it with ease an expertise, easily navigating the accumulated feet of snow and ice collected on our streets here in Buffalo NY. Its got great pick up and can be described as peppy as the engine picks up pretty quickly with pretty good acceleration and passing speed. Everyone who gets inside of it is impressed by its understated class and prestige and its commanding presence. The seats are more similar to the cockpit of an airplane as you sit straight up with armrests that are similar to a planes with great visibility if the road from all windows. Despite its off road credentials, its a really smooth ride. The Bluetooth works great and its awesome not having to fool around with an aux chord. As soon as I get into the truck, it syncs and plays all of my downloaded music. It has heated seats and a heated steering wheel as well as a winter mode which automatically raises your wipers off the ceiling to avoid freezing to the windshield . For someone who doesnt want to dump the cash into a range rover, has a small family and doesnt need the 3rd row seating of the lr4 and if you dont like the newer rounded style that land rover is adopting in contrast to the classic classy boxy lines still possessed by these, then it might be a great choice. Not sure why they never caught on in the US but now as an owner, I believe its our countries loss.

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  Lr3 review - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By JERRY HEATH - December 12 - 8:06 pm

  Great vehicle! It is better than expected. The interior is very nice and comfortable.

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  Nice SUV - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Wayne Joyce - December 12 - 10:00 am

  I drove the S500, AUDI A8, 745Li but bought the Range Rover. What a great vehicle! Rides like a Sedan. Feels like 1st class inside.

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  LR 3 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By OldBear - December 10 - 8:26 pm

  We traded our 03 Disco in, we drove the new porsche SUV and we choose the LR3 over it and the VW SUV. It has to be one of the best cars we have ever owned.

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  SUV that Drives like a sports car! - 2013 Land Rover Range Rover
  By docnaro - December 9 - 3:43 am

  Just purchased a fully optioned Range Rover. Solid build quality, rapid acceleration, superb carving on highway, active screen. 14 MPG in city, 22mpg @ 70mph, 21mpg @79mph. Eco drive takes getting used to, especially when taking off across traffic

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  Great car - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By john paul - December 6 - 10:00 am

  i have no complaints about this car