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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  Do not buy!! - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Mrs. M - May 30 - 4:50 pm

  I bought the Evoque in a bit of a hurry because we were moving to the mountains and I needed a four wheel drive. I am so sorry that I didnt do any research! I hope these reviews save someone else. We bought the Evoque used with 20,000 miles and a 50,000 warranty thank God. Long story short...at 36,000 miles it had to have front and rear brakes replaced, a new battery and then after I had had it home only ONE week I also had the gear box fault another reviewer mentioned. It had to be towed!! Thankfully I was not in traffic like the other reviewer!! They said they cant get the part for a month, I still dont have it back. I am really in disbelief over the whole thing. I thought Land Rover was a good brand. I see them everywhere!!?? So if I ever get it back, I am getting rid of it right away of course and at a BIG LOSS!

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  Dont waste your money ! - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Karen - January 23 - 10:10 pm

  The 2008 Range Rover Sport is the biggest mistake I ever purchased.I had a BMW X5 4.4 before this and a Mercedes ML 450 and both were better than this horrible truck.If you wear glasses forget the heated front wind shield, the lines create a glare that will give you a headache. The horn is another nightmare , good luck finding it when you really need it.The design of the interior is idiotic as well.Where is the button for the rear hatch? Opening the rear hatch is a challenge in itself. There is nothing nice to say about this truck and the next 30 months of this lease are going to be painful !!!

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  Worst Car Company Ever - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Matt - January 23 - 6:00 am

  Worst car company ever. I too fell for the range rover dream. How do they keep selling these cars. Most people, like me were too consumed with how it would make them feel to ever read reviews.

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  Land Rover is bad - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By sw - January 3 - 10:16 pm

  Terrible electrical and water leaks from inception. Poor construction and quality. Poor gas mileage. Failure of abs module which lr will not make good on. No redeeming features

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  Rolling disaster - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By PabloM - August 20 - 1:26 pm

  This car is a death trap. It has completely shut down at highway speeds twice, leaving us coasting and weaving through traffic. First time the fuel pump died and it seems that the second time this is the same problem. While these are the two biggest problems, it has had several others. Brakes and rotors shot after less than 14000 miles (this, according to Land Rover, is normal). Runs lousy with various odd noises - it is in the shop all the time.

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  Dont buy this car!!! - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Kerry - June 27 - 12:26 pm

  This car is a death trap. It has been in the shop more than in my driveway. Too many electrical issues to speak of. Bluetooth replaced and still works when it wants to. Navigation is by far the worst I have ever seen. Oh yeah and the whole shutting down while you are driving on a major highway and locking up for no reason thing. I took it in for the same issue with wanting to stall since the first week I drive it off the lot. I was given the car back numerous times with the "We couldnt find anything" speel every single time. It has now been put back in the shop after the 5th or 6th time only now it completely shut off while driving. Then theres the random throwing itself into park and shutting down while trying to pull into my driveway as well. I can go on all day with what a piece of garbage this almost $50,000 vehicle is. The customer service is a joke as well. You will bring it in and wont see it sometimes for weeks. They will lie about not having a replacement vehicle for you to drive and whether you have an appointment or not you will spend a minimum of 4 hrs there. However if for some insane reason you do buy this joke of an suv, when you bring it in take a look around and watch how many cars get pulled up to service while you are there. Some with 13 miles on them not 13000 but 13!!! Too many to count came through and when speaking to the valet they said more cars in service than on the lot. So there ya go. I hope whoever is thinking about buying this pos looks at all the horrible reviews and goes to toyota and gets a real suv.

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  Not Worth The Money - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Speed Fry - November 3 - 7:29 pm

  "Purchased my first Range Rover HSE 2015 ( six weeks old 3200 miles) and this Friday it goes into the shop for the 6th time. It could have been 40 times (electrical issues) but Land Rover does not have a fix for the Navigation Screen that completely shuts down (43 times and counting). Causing a total shut down of any feature you were using until it reboots. Worse off they knew about this issue and sold me the car without disclosing this. But I have several other electrical issues with this vehicle ( radio malfunction, phone issue, but scariest when my distronic did not activate), the list is longer but you get the point. Dont get me wrong, nicest driving car Ive ever owned, but for the price tag you could do so much better. Whats going to happen when this car is out of warranty, SCARY THOUGHT. Plus Land Rover Corporate is the worst company to deal with. The wont even acknowledge my issues or concerns. My dream car that I waited 45 years to buy, has turned into a nightmare. If your like me and can afford this vehicle... DONT, get something that is reliable. Worst vehicle purchase of my life. Hope this helps. Your Friend The Honest Business Guy"

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  Beware - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Nigel - November 2 - 3:53 am

  Transmission failed at 75 000 Km and will cost US$14 000 to replace. Re-con unit available for US$3 800. So had the re-con fitted and lasted 50Km. Now back being fixed

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  Junk - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Lou - May 4 - 5:50 pm

  Stay away from this car and all other land rovers. This model is land rovers dirty little secret

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  Dont buy it - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By J. Hartman - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I should have listened to the dealer. If you want a realible SUV, buy a Toyota. Not a glowing review from the dealer of the car. Constant breakdowns. It needs new tires and brakes on semi annual basis. Impossible to sell. Word travels fast. Bad car in every way. Extremely expensive and unreliable.