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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  Traded my Carrera S for more fun. - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By kenjohnson1 - February 5 - 12:01 pm

  Just turned over my first 2,000 miles in my white and black Evoque Pure and I am totally adjusted to visability limits and the sound of the little 4 cylinder turbo...decided to think of it as the sound of economy rather than missing that Porsche Carrera sound of power. Several times daily I get compliments, Oooos and Aaahs, and comments like "Beautiful, Tight, Awsome". Driving slow or fast, the Range Rover Evoque handles it in style and comfort with a feel of total control and confidence. Gas milage is 30% better than my 06 Carrera S and I dont miss the speed because the Evoque is plenty fast enough and has great off line punch. Highest recommendation from me.

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  WARNING Horrible quality, design, - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By kitchenma27 - February 5 - 6:33 am

  This is the absolute worst vehicle ever. In addition to being noisy uncomfortable and riding like a farm tractor, the FreeLander has a fatal design flaw in that the Head Gasket fails requiring a new engine. Nobody wants these vehicles (80% depreciation in 3 years) resale is horrible. You would actually feel guilty selling it. I was 2 years and 51k into my 5 year 50 k warranty and Land Rover refused to warranty the engine this engine is notorious for head gasket failure, Everything breaks in this car wiper motors, all latches for the glove box, center console fuse cover, mirror motors the heat, defrosters switches gas cap. You name it it breaks. The cost to make repairs is astronomical

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  Great vehicle - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By tgcrains - February 4 - 10:00 am

  42 Years old and my wife gets pregnant. So I have to trade in the luxury sedan. I have two kids in college and needed something to throw a stroller in and be able to keep my golf clubs and my 11 year olds baseball stuff in. This SUV for the price is the way to go i have had no problems and it runs and feels great.....of the small SUVs I drove.....none compare.

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  Incredable - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Ryan n/a - February 2 - 10:00 am

  When people want to by a land Rover they would probably want an exspensive one but in this case the Land Rover Freelander S is the leats exspensive of the 3 (se,s...)i had it for 4 months now and i dont have any problems with it its an amazing car, but my girlfriend makes fun of me because she has the new hummer h2 she always races me and wins but overall i think the freelander is an incredible car!!

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  Range Rover - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Riatanas - February 2 - 10:00 am

  This an excellent SUV, among the best. Do not mind Landrovers poor reputation, that problem has been taken care of.

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  2010 Range Rover Super Charged! Amazing! - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By twedell3 - February 2 - 8:04 am

  Owning a Range Rover was always something I hoped to do. It was worth the wait! I was a good girl and test drove other SUVs to make all the necessary comparisons ... but of course found that no other car compared! I bought it new and have had very little shop time. In just over 4 years ... A rear camera, brakes, oil changes. Mostly basic stuff. This ride is amazing inside and out. Paint and exterior styling stand out against the rest, and the interior is heaven. Luxurious and beautiful! Not to mention the power and smooth handling. Hard to believe its weighs as much as it does. You would never know. I wouldnt trade it! Happy Customer!

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  what could be better - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By ZeeZee - January 30 - 10:00 am

  well it is my first car, and i love it. it is awsome in the winter and i am able to get around whe a winter storm tears up the area. the hill decent is cool and i love the dash boad like a table for doing my work on. umm more power is recommeded but i love the sport mode, makes up for the bad power with the extra punch. I would like to say im happy with the interior quolity but the interior lights are crappy looking and the plastic is cheap looking for a Land Rover. I take it off roading on up to medium levels and it preformes exelent, 2 complaint the AC drainage is a little wierd so it will spray at you form the fornt vents. but i love this SUV.

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  Lots of Fun for your Buck - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Family J - January 30 - 10:00 am

  We went looking for a fun, small SUV that would be easy to parallel park, would handle the snow and would have a more sophisticated interior. The Freelander has surpassed our expectations! The ride is surprisingly smooth. The car in sport mode has a little punch, similar to the X3 2.5, but costs about $10K less.

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  LR 4 LUX - 2011 Land Rover LR4
  By mkcoach - January 30 - 4:46 am

  This is my third Land Rover and it is another great vehicle. The LUX edition of the LR4 has great features for any purpose, on road or off road. The 2011 LR4 is a significant improvement over my 2009 LR3 HSE. It has a tremendous ride and the increased power is a great improvement. The new Land Rover dealer in Tulsa was great to deal with and provided a very pleasant experience.

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  Nothing like a Rover - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By nicedream - January 30 - 2:53 am

  Bought used with 40k on it, put over 60k more on it in 3.5 years. A joy to drive, with an unmatched view of the road and surroundings. Can tackle any conditions, been through over a foot of fresh unploughed snow like its nothing. Reliability for first couple years was outstanding with only routine maintenance needed, other than minor electronics issues. Around 80k miles started with frequent cooling system issues, culminating in needing head gaskets replaced, a very common issue in the Disco in the 60-100k mile range. Its a $3,000 repair, so beware. Some exterior body panels have deteriorated. Overall, a great truck, but expensive to own.