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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  Fabulous Beast - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By bgsntth - September 5 - 5:00 am

  I just turned in our SE V8. It was a truly wonderful truck, and we fully utilized every aspect of its function and performance. We have had many luxury SUVs that performed the dual duty of soccer mom mobile and ranch truck. The LR3 exceeded beyond everything in both aspects, and was more reliable than all the others barring the Lexus GX. Cargo area is huge, rear seats are roomy and comfortable for adults, off-road capability with Terrain-response is w/o peer -barring my wifes 08 RR. Only wish it had the Dynamic Response and a diesel option.

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  My Freelander - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Oscar Rios - September 5 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle bacause of the superiority on off road courses compare to a jeep or any medium SUV my freelander has all the tools to compete with the Range Rovers. Mc Pherson independent suspension, Downhill control,Sincro 5spd/Automatic transmision, ALL wheel drive and many others,,,one more thing NICE SOUND SYSTEM yeahhhhh

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  Couldnt Be Happier - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Brad S. - September 3 - 10:00 am

  This is a fantastic vehicle. Do not buy another small SUV without driving one! We drove the Liberty, Escape, Tribute, Xterra and nothing else came close for ride comfort, handling, fit and finish, among others. Weve put only 1100 miles on it so far, but they have been trouble-free and an absolute joy.

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  Great Car - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Donselya - September 2 - 12:40 pm

  Bought a Westminster edition last January. No problems so far. Very fun to drive and definitely a head turner. I also love the ride quality. Quite expensive though.

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  Wish I knew - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Jholl - August 30 - 7:46 am

  I wish I would have seen these reviews before I bought the Freelander in April. I have only driven it about 5 weeks since I bought it. It has been in the shop the rest of the time. The place I bought it from wouldnt even deal with me. Neither would Land Rover. A trailing arm split in half, wish I could post pics, from a pot hole. The new problem is the fuel system. It was replaced a week ago and malfunctioned, leaving me stranded on the highway. I have seen the truck on a flatbed more than I have seen myself behind the wheel. I had to get AAA because I ran out of insurance tows. Oh yeah if an extended warranty is your thought, dont think it because LR nor anyone else will give you one.

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  90K miles - time to replace every gasket - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By BarryC - August 28 - 11:20 am

  I loved my 03 Disco until year 5. After 90,000 miles (147,000 km) every gasket in the engine had to be replaced. What originally appeared as a simple oil pan leak turned into the replacement of the head, timing assembly, and oil pan gaskets, plus radiator leaks and other miscellaneous hoses at the cost of CAD $2000 in parts and $1,300 in labor. Other annoying items: the passenger window motor self destructed, premature fading of wheel well fenders, excessive engine knocking even with regular 94 octane use, seat heater failing. The vehicle was serviced religiously. My advice - sell before the warranty expires. Im used to high maintenance vehicles but will never buy another Landrover.

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  L# HSE - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By jpanti - August 28 - 10:30 am

  The L3 HSE that I bought I use it on and off road, and its great on both. Mine is a diesel engine, so the fuel economy is great. You exchange power for economy, which isnt that bad, since its still a powerful engine. The comfort makes you overlook the possible flaws it may have as far as the interior. Overall, a great buy!

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  Love/Hate Relationship? - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By jclay1965 - August 26 - 4:36 am

  After pondering the decision to buy a LR3 V8 HSE after renting one for a week in California last year, finally got around to doing it this week. I can already tell it will most likely be a love/hate relationship. Right out the door, had to bring the LR3 back to the dealership the very next day, as there was some noticeably bad wobble/vibration coming from one or more of the wheels/tires. Also the seat memory switch #1 was DOA. While it was in being fixed, apparently the check engine light came on, and they fixed that as well, after running an engine diagnostic. I love the car, but we are off to a rough start. The dealership, on the other hand, is fantastic!

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  Fun Car with some imperfections - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By jonnyman - August 25 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car, even though people o know had some problems with it , i didnt, except for one thing, the brakes! the break pads use up realllly fast ,and then the discs usually follow, every 15000 kms, the breaks and discs had to be changed its crazy!

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  2007 Range Rover HSE - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover
  By C. M. Oliver - August 22 - 8:56 pm

  The 2007 Range Rover is an outstanding vehicle with comfort and features befitting of a premium class vehicle. The ride is smooth yet agile and the all-aluminum 32-Valve Jaguar V8 is very responsive providing ample power in most situations. The Terrain Response System provides optimum performance in every driving condition, creating tremendous traction and handling regardless of road conditions. Thus far, the Range Rover has performed well without any problems. This is truly a unique and remarkable vehicle.