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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  Easy to Drive - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Neil Schroeder - November 21 - 8:30 am

  Just purchased vehicle therefore too early to determine reliability. First impression is a great vehicle. Smooth, quite, plenty of power and fun to drive. The interior is very classy and I cannot wait to go on long trips to Colorado. More to follow after a few months of ownership.

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  Best LR Yet - Lot of Vehicle for the $s - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By NaplesLR4 - November 17 - 2:36 pm

  After 2 months, loving this vehicle more and more every drive. When storms and rain kick up it somehow makes me feel even safer than when pavement was dry. Great on the highway. Havent been off-road yet, but if it handles like previous LRs it is sure to be amazing. 375 horse has some kick but supercharger would be nice option. Cant stand the heater elements in the windshield. They are less noticeable with sunglasses. Priced out a new windshield without them for $675 - we dont have ice on the windshield in S Florida. Stadium seating in the back beats all the competition. In fact, you cant find a vehicle out there for 7 with all the quality LR4 has for the price period. Nothing compares.

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  Best yet! - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By DJ - November 13 - 11:10 pm

  This is my 3rd Rover: IIA, Discovery and LR3. The LR3 Outperforms all the rest. My MPG is 13 city and 21 highway(I drive low key.) When I pull a 5500 lb. trailer, I get around 12 mpg - not bad! Bad news - Dealer "forgot" to replace the fuel tank, caused a transport to have it replaced. Cost a week, and cost Land Rover over $2500 in tow bills. Minor sensor problems with coolant tank.

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  2005 LR3 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Michael - November 6 - 3:00 pm

  Solid and strong new engine with 300hp. Smooth power transition. Well appointed inside, with significant increase in rear seat room from predecessor.

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  42,000 Miles Later - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Steve Schneider - October 31 - 10:53 am

  I bought two LR3 HSEs in 12/06. I cant remember owning a car that Ive enjoyed as much. Never spent a nickel on service. Theres been 2 or 3 items to deal with during the 42K miles, but the dealers have taken excellent care the entire time. I have clients that all drive high end cars and just cant stop raving about the LR3s. 5 stars!

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  First Impressions - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Chai - October 31 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I happened upon the Freelander in the 2002 Vancouver Auto Show. The deal clincher occured when we test- drove through a demanding off-road track - it blew the other mini-SUV competition (RAV4, CRV, Escape) away. Then the on-road handling was also extremely impressive, hugging the road on fairly tight turns (although not as good as the Audi A4 or BMW 325i but better than the mini-SUV competition). The ride is quiet and very comfortable. We did ourselves a favour and got the wood trim, which greatly improved the appearence of the dash. More detailed review after driving it for a month.

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  LANDROVER HORROR SHOW - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By WEREFOUR - October 27 - 10:00 am

  HOW DO YOU SELL A USED CAR AS NEW? ASK THE FOLKS AT LANDROVER. THE SALESMAN TOLD ME IT WAS A NEW DEMO/LOANER CAR WITH 4800 MILES,BUT I FOUND OUT LATER THAT HE NEGLECTED TO TELL ME THAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY REGISTERED BY THEM. THE SERVICE DEPT. ROAD TESTED IT 50+ MILES EACH TIME I BROUGHT IT IN FOR WARRANTY.THE FIRST TIME I LEFT IT, THE SERVICE DEPT. KEPT IT FOR 4 DAYS OVER THE WEEKEND AND WHEN I GOT IT BACK SOMEONE HAD SMOKED IN MY CAR AND BLEW OUT MY SPEAKERS. I COMPLAINED TO CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT LANDROVER AND IM STILL WAITING FOR THEM TO GET BACK TO ME.(THAT WAS 4/01/04).THE CAR NEEDS FRONT BRAKES EVERY 15000 MILES.DONT BUY IT LIKE I DID. LEASE IT.

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  2004 Land Rover Freelander SE - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By clwoolner - October 17 - 11:10 pm

  A fun and sporty vehicle to drive. I have had no mechanical or structural problems with the Freelander. Its been safe and consistently reliable and handles well in all weather conditions (snow, sleet, rain). Gas mileage is average and is noticably worse when A/C is used. Overall, very pleased with my purchase!

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  We were one of the lucky ones - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By tjwat - October 13 - 1:58 am

  You read either glowing remarks or the worst. We were one of the lucky ones to get one of the best cars we have ever owned. My wife had owned every luxury car on the road, and the Range Rover has been one of her favorites. Car was originally returned under California Lemon Laws for a continuing computer error the dealer couldnt solve. Land Rover took it back, fixed the problems (whatever that was) and we ended up with it. Now, with nearly 80K miles, it still drives and rides wonderfully. Very comfortable. We are looking into getting our next Range Rover.

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  Dont buy into the disgruntled naysayers - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Freelander02 - September 26 - 10:00 am

  I got one of the first Freelanders in the USA. The people who have had problems are very vocal, as is human nature... but there are TONS of these running around with no problems at all. If you want something to just drive and ignore, dont get one. If you plan to get something for ENJOYMENT youll love this thing. I routinely go off-road and in all the trips Ive done Ive run right around stuck Jeeps, Discoveries and made a Defender look silly trying to climb a hill behind me. Some of the info on Edmunds is wrong though- Do your homework to get more accurate info.