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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  Great SUV/Land Rover - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Kathleen Wicker - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Very flexible vehicle, fun to drive, stylish and modern but with old world craftmanship.

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  LR3 Fun - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By mick51 - July 16 - 5:40 pm

  Fun to drive, comfortable, quiet for an SUV. I had a Discovery and was prepared to dislike the LR3 but have found it to be an excellent upgrade by Land Rover

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  Would buy it again! - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By pressare - July 15 - 7:56 am

  Ive had the LR2 for a little over a month (February- March) in Cleveland Ohio, so saying that, Ive been impressed by how the truck both handles & performs in this harsh climate. I really like it & Ive owned a BMW & Jeeps & neither truck comes close. The fuel mileage is bad, but who cares, it probably cost me an extra $300-$400 year (worth it!)

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  Drive Around with Class & Style - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By roversocal - July 13 - 11:45 am

  The car is BEAUTIFUL!! I cant believe its mine for only 30k. I just stare it at sometimes. Neighbors think I am noveau riche. People everywhere look at you different when you step out of a Rover. Apart from a new Jag or Rolls Royce there is no other feeling of pride & prestige. Yes, it does have a few reliability issues but my friends who have 2009 and newer have 0 problems but paid 75k. The pros outweigh the cons. If you are thinking about buying 1, do it!! You live only once. Just dont take it as daily commuter and the drive-thru. Use it on weekends on special occassions

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  Great Car, Terrible reliability - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By Pameal - July 9 - 8:40 pm

  I love to drive the car, but I have not had the chance to enjoy it. In the 6 months that I have owned this car, It has been in the shop for 2 1/2 months of it. The service department has been very nice but no one can fix the vehicle.

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  consumer nightmare - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By brian brickey - July 9 - 4:50 pm

  The vehicle is fun to drive and handles well in adverse weather conditions.BUT it has a few problems, like the brakes wear out faster than any other vehicle you only get about 24000 miles out of a set of brakes and i dont do a whole lot of braking. I came to find out from other freelander owners that the brakes tend to heat up fast and then it set off your traction control warning. it tends to create more of a problem in the summer.The gas mileage for an suv this size is not the greatest.one of the biggest problems is you can only get the filter from a landrover dealer you just cant take it to the nearest jiffy lube to have your oil changed.it also doesnt have alot of room for car seats .

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  too bad - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By vsgbad - June 30 - 9:53 pm

  I thought I was buying quality when I went to land rover, but that didnt work out. The car rattles, the driverseat is uncomfortable, I bump my head on the ceiling, the engine is lazy, the steering stinks, the boot is far to snall. I wish I had gone for the Santa Fe, but I was afraid of poor quality.

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  Dont buy 2004 DISCO - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By AJ - June 27 - 4:23 pm

  I had always admired Land Rovers and had saved enough money to buy a used 04 Discovery last summer for my new wife thinking it would be a safe, cool, and reliable vehicle for our family for many years to come. It only had 44,000 miles on it and the Coil pack went out:$750. Then needed new plugs and wires because they were damaged too:$300. At 48,000 miles the Cruise Control went out:$500. The downhill assist feature never worked, but I did not have an extra $1000 to fix that. Then at 55,000 miles the Oil pump went out:$2300. I had taken all the Land Rover hits I could handle, and traded it in. Land Rover should recall many features on this model due to an abundance of lemon-like problems.

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  Best Luxury SUV For The Money - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By Chicagos Car - June 25 - 5:23 pm

  Everyone expects a lot of vehicle at this price point, $40k - $50K. I had researched and shopped the Toyota Highlander, Buick Enclave, Mazda CX-9 and the Honda Pilot. For the bottom dollar cost - the LR3 had the most standard amenities and safety features by a long shot at this price point. At the upper levels of any of the models I looked at, they all came within a stones throw of my purchase price. This SUV is extremely secure in all driving conditions. Driving in downtown Chicago, this car handles stop and go traffic with ease. Very strong braking and sufficient acceleration with the V8. Highway driving is whisper quiet - and theres no other SUV that has a better driving position.

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  FANTASTIC RELIABILITY (266301 kms ) - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By td - June 23 - 6:03 am

  i bought my discovery just as it came off of a lease return. ive had many off road vehicles and have done my stint in the military and saw my share of off roading there! iv been very impressed with the reliablity of this vehicle and will proabably always have a discovery or other landrover in my stable. i travel all aross Canada on business with my disco, as well as hooking up with some off road clubs. it is awesome on ice roads,deep snow and mud! it goes through all this and still looks awesome for business meetings. i now have 266301kms and counting with only regular tune ups,and tire replacements! SIMPLE AMAZING! BUT,if you own one, you HAVE TO do the regular maintenance!