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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  Has not met expectations - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By Charles from Canada - March 28 - 3:13 am

  Replace our Honda Pilot with this and not sure it was the best move. At times the LR3 is great and a cool car with great features and technology, but the reliability and service has been poor. Also the handling is not good and the fuel mileage is a disaster. We generally enjoy it with the family, but glad we leased because this vehicle unfortunately has caused too many problems. Our Cadillac SRX blows this vehicle away in every regard and every day the short stick gets to drive the LR3.

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  rangerover - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By dedric - March 22 - 6:20 am

  i enjoy the truck but too many small things continue to occur

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  Junk - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By bbealko - March 22 - 1:36 am

  This vehicle is junk. It has been a headache for my family. The fuel pump was recalled and still doesnt work properly. Lights on the dashboard come on and go off randomly. My back passenger windows will not go down. Both broke on the the same day. Everything is so expensive to get fixed on this car. Would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  Youll get to know the service guy - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Dave - March 11 - 3:50 pm

  This car is very fun to drive and is a blast with the top off. The problem is keeping it out of the service department. The windshield wipers failed twice, windshield washer once, one recall for brake lights. The car wouldnt start at all the 2d day I had it & had to be towed back to the dealer, & problems with the transmission. The key is to enjoy it and then get rid of it before the warranty expires.

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  My Freelander Experience - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By sarahjane24 - February 24 - 1:11 pm

  Though I loved this car, it was NOT a good investment. My 2003 landrover had one problem after another. The 4 years I had it, I easily put over a thousand dollars each year for repairs. Land Rover parts are EXPENSIVE. I had TWO new engines within 4 years (thank god for warranty). I also had to replace multiple window motors, a muffler, the starter, pumps, axels...the list goes on. The repairs dont seem like big repairs, but these parts are NOT cheap. Unfortunately, a deer ran into my drivers side and TOTALED it. It seemed insane! The damage was moderate Id say. But because its so expensive to fix...my baby is gone.

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  Buy a Lexus - 2011 Land Rover LR4
  By Anonymous - February 14 - 11:55 am

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  3 x Electronic Meltdwn ongoing Nightmare - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By CALandRoverHell - February 7 - 1:50 pm

  Briefly- This SUVs electronics systems are defective, and LR must know it! I have had 3 different, brand new models 2-LR2s and 1 LR2 HSE. Similar issues have re-occurred with all 3 vehicles: 1) passenger front seat airbag/seatbelt sensor malfunction even after fix, comes back on. 2) nav screen freezing and not moving forward 3) gas showing EMPTY when is 1/2 or more full 4) sound system muting after rear sonar has engaged 5) rear latch when opening at night, turns on ALARM 6) incompetent service people. their systems never seem to find the problems, and I have to have solution for them by finding on internet

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  21 months of experience - LR3 for sale - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By LR3Dude - November 18 - 4:13 pm

  I knew I was taking a risk. My previous Disco II engine was replaced at 22K miles. I have 14K on the LR3 HSE and no problems the first 6 mo. Then everything broke loose. First was electrical – every warning light went off when the LR3 was wet or below freezing, numerous sensors replaced, suspension faults, automatic door locks would open and close setting off the alarm (removed horn fuse), wood dashboard replaced, fuel tank replaced (recall), replaced fuel tank return hose disconnected and gallons of gas poured out on my driveway when I attempted to start the LR3 (my wife and kid had to step in the gas to evacuate), ash tray broke and awaiting parts, etc.

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  Love/Hate Relationship - 2001 Land Rover Range Rover
  By wytex - November 18 - 12:08 pm

  I love the look and image of Land Rovers and Jaguars. The 2001 Range Rover that I purchased has had way too many problems, but it still has an appeal that makes me continue sinking money into to keep it rolling. The styling has a classic appearance that makes its age irrelevant. I like to fly fish and this vehicle is a perfect match to my bamboo fly rod and Filson vest and waders. Once I reach 200K miles in this vehicle I will likely buy a newer Range Rover and go through the whole love/hate routine again.

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  UNRELIABLE LEMON - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Mike - November 1 - 10:00 am

  This is my wifes car. She acknowledges that it was a bad choice. Like someone else said, this is not a real SUV. This is a very low car that should really be a station wagon, but a wagon is better because it has more cargo room. The cargo room in the LR2 is a joke. What were they thinking? You could fit one stroller in there and thats it. This is a city car. It will get you from A to B in relative style, and its easy to park. Thats it. It is not a good grocery getter, not a good family car, nothing like that. This car is really meant for single young professionals who are frugal with their money and want to drive a brand name. Electrical left us stranded more than once.