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 this thing - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Thomas M - May 7 - 1:10 am

  I absolutely love this thing. It feels very responsive and comfort is second to none. We have put 25,000 miles on this thing since September and have had no problems this far. My previous vehicles were an 08 Cayenne and an 04 Jeep Wrangler. The Rover doesn;t handle as good on the road(its not a porsche) but I feel more at ease knowing I am in one of the best off road vehicles in the market and it is a hell of a lot more comfortable then the Jeep.

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  Wow! Amazing Best car I ever owned - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By coldenny@yahoo.com - April 22 - 8:01 pm

  This car is amazing! Ive owed this now for 18 mouths and put on about 26,000 miles on it. Truly a total package. Very fast, ride is smooth and exciting ! I receive unbelievable gas miles On my hour commute to work which is 50 miles one way I can average 26 to 30 miles per gallon. This is mostly highway driving at highway speeds. Think about that a 500 + horse powered 5500lb car getting these kind of numbers! Everyone that I take for a ride is super impressed. I also Live in snow country never an issue !

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  Freelander winning our hearts... - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Morvac - April 20 - 10:46 am

  We was looking for a small SUV for my wife (Ford Escape/Explorer) but came away with this and couldnt be happier. Weve put a few miles on it now and have came away impressed. It took awhile to get used to the non- traditional interior placement of items. Driving is impressive, road conditions do not matter and it inspires confidence youre going to get to wherever youre going. We average 20.1 MPG which isnt bad since Im used to 17 with my Explorer. Plus the 4 yr/50k mile warranty is nice. All in all we would buy again. We plan to use it 98% on pavment; the rest maybe for camping, fall foliage or something - nothing hard core.

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  1st time LR buyer - 2011 Land Rover LR4
  By batesoh - April 14 - 1:38 am

  Bought the LR4 LUX (new) over the BMW X-5 turbo and Volvo XC90 V8; Mercedes was +$12,000 for similar engine/options. An absolute pleasure to drive. Plenty of power for all 7,000 pounds. An absolute delight on the freeway. Excellent visibility from drivers seat. A few electrical/communication issues, but dealer has been there to support us all the way. 19,000 miles and counting.

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  awesome SUV - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By joe sumlite - April 13 - 7:30 am

  I have driven em all.... This beats LX470 by far. This truck is extremely comfortable, the ride is smooth & quiet. I wish for a bit more power at low end - but everything else is perfect. Havent found anything I dont like. Worth every penny.

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  Awesome - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By arogin - April 4 - 9:13 am

  I LOVE this truck. ordered an Alaska white with ebony interior LUX package. other than the fact that the gas mileage stinks, i am completely in love with it.

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  My supercharged rover! - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Rick Respicio - April 4 - 1:40 am

  Its been a month now since we got our RR Sport Supercharged and it has been and still is and will always be "FUN TO DRIVE"! If you dont mind the gas mileage on this baby then you should take a look at this SUV. I checked out the competition and this became my choice of toy. Overall, I give high remarks on the FUN FACTOR, Performance, Overall Design, Quality, Creature Comforts, etc. Maybe they should rename this car and badge it as "Range Rover SuperSport"! ;)

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  Very nice SUV - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By chris - March 28 - 3:56 am

  There are only 2 brands of SUVs in the world, in America there Jeeps and in the rest of the world there are Land Rovers. Sophistication meets true 4x4 ability, the one aspect all other SUVs lack. Truly refined luxury, solid, and fun to drive. This machine makes you feel good driving it. Thank God Ford made a better engine, my disco was weak in the power area and this machine is a powerhouse. Its not as interactive as a BMW, where all the electronics almost know what you want and everything works together, but it is a wonderful machine in its own rights. Yes, even a 2008 Tahoe has more "stuff", a X5 is more electronically advance, and some have more room, but this is an amazing SUV!

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  Gotta Like It - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By rs1 - March 23 - 5:06 pm

  Since I bought this vehicle I have gotten a lot of comments about it. It is awesome to quote my kids. It is a pleasure to drive. The mileage is not great, but is what I expected. Have slowed down a little on the highway in order to maximize mileage. Not a real problem as the seats are comfortable and I enjoy the ride. Average mileage has been 17.5 mpg plus with about 2/3 of miles on highway. Everyone who gets in it likes how airy it feels with the rear moon roofs.

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  The best - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By smith - March 19 - 3:43 pm

  This land rover is just like its older brother but is more sportier in the inside and out. It delivers the best quality performance you would like in the price range for this SUV. During the test drive, we went on a 70 degree angle which I thought we were going to tip but the sales lady assured me that these cars were made to do this off road activity and give a sporty atitude at the same time. Its not very powerful, I would compare the power to a BMW X5 3.0. However the Supercharged is very powerful like the X5 4.8. I give this car an A+ in all its capabilities and performance.