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:

• 

  My Cell Plays Better Audio - 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Tee - June 29 - 12:54 pm

  WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!!! This is my very first Range Rover. I decided to give it a shot since I was tired of the QX80s size. I ordered my 2016 Range Rover Sports SE and did not upgrade the audio system because I did not think the standard radio will be that bad. I am not an audiophile and I listen mainly to the Enya station on Pandora, classicals and Jazz. My vehicle was delivered to me last week. What a shock!!! My Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge produces a better bass sound quality that the piece of worthless stuff they put in the vehicle and called speakers. The enjoyability of a ride is always complimented by the rides audio system. This is such a disappointment!!! All the false buzz about the meridian speakers sound on the range rover is plain total baloney. I am so disappointed and I am now thinking of selling the car. Also, the entire incontrol app is total nonsense. There is no usable app amongst the 6 or 7 apps thereon. The horrible audio and incontrol app system aside, the car drives well. Its a Range Rover!

• 

  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...

• 

  Caveat emptor - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By CH - May 29 - 10:00 am

  This is a high-maintenance vehicle that has lots of gizmos that go out of whack and are hard to get serviced. The commitment of the company to you after they have cashed your check is minimal. You better love the design and flexibility of the vehicle, and I mean really love it, because the problems, potential and actual, are many, and youre mostly on your own.

• 

  Too Mnay Problems - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By martman99 - May 17 - 6:00 am

  This was Land Rovers supposed entry-level vehicle for their "premium" line of autos. Have yet to get that "premium" feel. Too many electrical and engine problems and now there appears to be a transmission issue with this car although we have kept up with the maintenance. Additionally, the dealership is NOT owned by Land Rover and they are less than helpful. Land Rover, NAs customer service dept has to be one of the worst I have had the opportunity to deal with in my 30 years of buying and maintaining cars. DO NOT buy a used Freelander - You WILL regret it!

• 

  My personal warning to all - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By carguy951 - May 5 - 10:37 pm

  Warning to all Evoque owners Will let me start by saying that Im 38 years old and have gone through about 37 cars already due to my love for cars , However I have never experienced such poor service then land rover.The major problem that we experienced was due to the shifter malfunction causing the car to engage in gear and running into my parked Car. Range rover had found 3 fault codes and replaced the electronic gear shifter.After calling range rover they are refusing to pay for damages and my demand of replacing the car. This car could have killed someone and they just dont seem to care . This was my 1st and last Land Rover I will every own.

• 

  What a nightmare! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Ronda - April 30 - 3:46 pm

  Dont be fooled by the Land Rover name or how the truck drives. These things are a nightmare. I had a gasket replaced at 80000 miles and it seems that I was one of the lucky ones to have mine last that long. I have been told that eventually I will need a new motor. The truck drives great in the snow and will turn heads driving down the road. That is if you can keep it out of the shop long enough to enjoy it. Buyer beware!

• 

  Junk - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By shamfam - April 20 - 8:10 pm

  My husband and I have had our Freelander for almost 4 years. Two weeks after we got it, it stalled leaving me and my then 1 year old stranded. That was the first engine problem. Then we had three recalls, child safety lock on passenger side door, brake light and gas cap. We have had a ticking noise for over a year and for some reason the dealership mechanics cant seem to find out what it is. Mind you this was before the warranty was up. Now after the warranty has expired, they tell us we need a new engine! Weve had numerous problems! The leaking of coolant that has now leaked into the engine oil, the resevoir has been replaced among many many other things. This car is nothing but junk

• 

  dont purchase... read on - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By jay - March 30 - 12:53 am

  Ive had my Range Rover for 5 years now, and have had nothing but problems for the last 2 years. Its to the point Im just waiting to see what will break next. Air Suspension went out last month, Steering column adjustment went out last week. Various exterior pieces - left headlamp assembly, side air vent, and tag light are all falling off or the plastic holding it together has broken. Oh yea, reservoir tank cracked 3 months ago and the front end differential broke last year. My family is actually afraid to drive the thing for fear of when it will break down again ( the differential went out on vacation to TN from FL., Dont expect Range Rover to fix out of warranty - 5 yrs. for $80000

• 

  disappointment - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By alex - March 23 - 10:13 pm

  three friends have this vehicle and have been disappointed with how many things have gone wrong in so short a time. programming and electrical issues prevail. cameras do not function properly.

• 

  Great Looks, HORRIBLE TRANSMISSION - 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By cgallen - March 21 - 7:05 pm

  I got the Dynamic because I liked its sportier looks, but I cannot get over how much I HATE the transmission programming. Around 30 mph if you are maintaing speed in traffic and give it just a little gas, it drops a gear, jumps the rpms to 3000, the turbo kicks in, you yank your foot back off and try to slowly accelerate. HORRIBLE, especially for a >$60k vehicle. I have never had a more jerky ride, and it is making me hate this vehicle. And on top of that, my tail lights filled with condensation after the first car wash. 6 months later, I am still waiting for the "new improved ones coming out in 2014." Kind of ruins that look of quality and prestige...