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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  Nice Vehicle/Awful Dependability - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Charles Renaud - August 30 - 4:53 pm

  What can I say, I fell in love with the design but quickly fell out of love with the constant time in the shop. I have had engine problem after engine problem plus the ABS lights are constantly on. I have spent over 7k just this past year and almost 2 months of being in the shop. If you get one of these MAKE SURE you have a warranty!

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  To many problems - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By jsat - August 17 - 10:00 am

  I had the vehicle for a year and 1/2 and it’s been at the shop for than 45 days. The vehicle has had transmission problems from the first month. It’s been a horrible experience

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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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  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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  Dont waste your money. - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Tom Mignano - June 18 - 9:43 pm

  Driving the vehicle during the winter months can be fun provided you get rid of the oem goodyear tires. They provide no traction with a vehicle this heavy. Ownership is expensive. For example the brake system is inadequate for the weight. Expect to pay around $700.00 per year if you drive everyday. The wiper arms for the year 03-05 are proprietary and will cost around $120.00 per year. Considering tires. new tires lasted 22,000. Im on my second set. So around 1300 more dollars for two sets during ownership. This vehicle is underengineered, expensive to buy and very expensive to keep. Even insurance will cost you more because of the weight of the vehicle will cause more damage.

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  Lemons - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Lynne - June 9 - 7:20 pm

  I love my Freelander, but damn reliability sucks! Brakes and rotors $500.00 every 6 months. Oil changes $120.00. Car is a gas guzzler add another $75.00 a wk. Come on Landrover, its a Freelander not a range Rover and a regular station wont touch them. My car had anti freeze smell from vents. They say reservoir, I say heater core cover up. Sunroof replaced 2 times. Car towed in twice once ignition switch, second coils. Strange clicking from dash sounds electrical (they cant duplicate, "anyone have an idea?) they told me they are having a ton of problems with this vehicle and not to let my warranty runn out. Im thinking of paying it off and selling it. Lately I sell my cars every two yrs for lemons.

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  LR3 - 2008 Land Rover LR3
  By richard - May 22 - 11:26 am

  Horrible gas mileage. Truly horrible gas usage. Uncomfortable front seating. Clunky. Great interior. Good looks. Massive depreciation. Wouldnt recommend.

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  I regret buying this car - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Nela Alvarez-Sotomay - May 12 - 6:20 pm

  I always wonder if its going to work when I start it. Things that have gone wrong with this vehicle are: New Brakes (twice @ $800), Wipers, Air Bags, Fuel line, Radio

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  Definitely NOT worth it - 2000 Land Rover Range Rover
  By CA Driver - May 11 - 2:00 am

  Cant say too many good things about this car. Price comparison was similar to an S-Class - should have bought the S-Class! Resale value is extremely poor - it been less than 4 yrs and the re-sale price has already dropped 60%. Cant even sell it if I want to - too much of a loss! Technology was really old when I bought it compared to available technology at the time. Unless you are into serious off-roading...its defintely NOT worth the money.

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  I expected so much more! - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Lynn C - May 3 - 8:40 am

  First the good: This is a great looking car and there are so few on the road I feel special driving it. Also, it handles quite well in snow and ice. The bad: Its small, you cant close the trunk from the inside of the car, the navigation system is horrible (Ive been routed to dead ends more times than I care to recall), the front seats have no lumbar support, the rear window is way too small and the transmission is jerky. The front console is too small and there are too many controls on the steering wheel that could adversely affect driving. The ugly: New front and rear brakes and tires required after only 25k miles! Cost of routine maintenance is ridiculous, and the excessive number of software updates required is unheard of and take FOREVER. Unless you like spending time at the service center and wasting money, move on to something else.