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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  500 miles and loving it - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Kman - June 27 - 11:16 am

  I recently purchased the new LR2 and must say that at 500 miles I love this vehicle. It may to a little too early to tell but I am confident this will set a new bar for LR. The vehicle has the 3 options packages (climate, lighting and tech) which I was at first apprehensive on paying for. However when you consider that Hondas and Suzukis come with leather, navigation and decent sound systems it only makes sense to get a Land Rover loaded.

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  A Car with a Feel Good Factor - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By GuyC - June 24 - 4:03 am

  On a whim went for a test drive & I have to say the ride surprised me. I came away wanting to buy the car but needed to do some ‘web’ research. I found so many negative reviews, the fuel economy & bad reliability that I rang the dealer & declined the deal we had discussed. A couple of days later I felt the pain of ‘non buyers remorse’ I dug deeper & found the fuel economy is really no different to any other SUV of this size and capability. I went back, got the car, The fuel economy on commute is ~16mpg. When I drive, it feels like I should take a picnic to a polo game. This is without a doubt a car that makes you feel good and well worth the time to investigate properly.

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  range rover - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By mmmmmm - June 23 - 10:00 am

  even though this vehicle can be pricey, but its worth it. With its jaguar or bmw v8 engine( i dont know which one) and explorers designing it is REALLY worth it. This car has remarkable performance off-road, and on-road too.

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  Great Choice When Off-Road is a Priority - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Jean Orr - June 22 - 6:23 am

  Have owned since the end of August, & have put 6,000 miles on the vehicle. I bought it because Im a Real Estate Broker and sell large acreage properties upstate NY and wanted a good off-roader that wouldnt break the bank in the mpg department. Also, something with alittle snob appeal to impress my clients. This vehicle fits the bill perfectly--great off-road over hill and dale (and the back 40-- acres--that is), but has a wonderful on-pavement ride, my clients find it very comfortable, love the climate control, visibility, good acceleration, sound system, easy-to- use nav system, and, the interior finish is understated but elegant with nice wood accents. Has been mechanically perfect so far.

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  A Michigan Freelander - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Philip Dingle - June 22 - 1:00 am

  My Freelander is 4 years old now, and I am generally pleased with the ownership experience. There was an early-life electrical problem which required the car to be towed into the dealership, but with that fixed, there have been no other problems. Performance is quite adequate, ride and handling are good, comfort is reasonable, and it has handled the dirt roads in Michigan very well. Interior noise level is higher than I would like.

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  Freelander "A true Lemon" - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By B. Carpenter - June 21 - 3:20 am

  I love this car but, 2 Heater Cores, 2 Throttle bodies, multilple sensors, Alarm went bad, 3rd set of Brakes at 39K miles. Cheep plastic on the interior (which easily breaks), Windshield wipers that will not work from time to time. The good news is that my dealer has taken care of all of this. Now to get rid of it before the warranty expires...

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  Getting your dream SUV - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By natosanj - June 21 - 1:36 am

  I have a fully loaded LR3 HSE 2006. Great SUV. Dream come true. Sluggish at the starting line. Breaks make noise when try to stop at low spped. For a 60K car I am little dissapointed. Besides the breaks I can not wait to go off road and see its capability. Drove it on an icy road with TR on Wet and slippery. The SUV drove like a champ. Not a single slip at any urban speed.

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  Excellent to drive if not for twrrible problems - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By bns2013 - June 18 - 8:16 pm

  Bought the 2008 supercharged with 8000kms and have been using it for 1 year now....Done just 25000km as of now. Excellent car to drive but with problems of transmission. Gear change was knocking at low speeds. Took the car twice to the agents but came back saying nothing is wrong wasting my time. Third time, I had to insist them to do a proper check and they found that there were residue in the transmission oil. They changed the full transmission (at least this is what they said) and released the vehicle after keeping it for 10 days. Was driving good for 3 months and then came the problem again. Took it to the agent and they have to replace transmission again..8 days and still with agent...

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  The King of SUVS - Diesel Power!! - 2017 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Niten - June 18 - 11:11 am

  Well let me start off by saying - I love the RR HSE TD6. Its a great vehicle, like the driving position very much. The interior is sheer class and the ambience in the cabin is first rate. Fuel economy is great given its size and its competition. The Merridien sound system is a must, as is the black pack. I also got the 707 wheels in 22"s and they make the car! JLR have some great new colors - I chose Carpathien Grey and did not look back. Great car! My only wish is that the diesel had a little more HP. 350 would have been ideal.

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  best 4x4xfar - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By v yepremian - June 12 - 2:00 am

  Drastic improvement over the older model. The car is smoother, more refined and of oustanding quality. The engine and the ride quality are simply outstanding.