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:

• 

  Evoque Dynamic 4 Door - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By 248_streetrace - August 10 - 7:54 pm

  Love this Evoque!!!! Sexy, luxurious, gorgeous, head turner, packed with Technology. Priced high, but when you add comparable options with the competition its all in the same arena. Rides great, Peppy Ford Sourced Engine, Quiet, well sized for a major city like where I live, Fuel Efficient. Just a great all round vehicle. Buy one!!!

• 

  G4 Discovery - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Doug - August 10 - 3:46 pm

  I got one of the 2004 G4 Discoveries and I love it. So far its been a great ride...except for gas mileage.

• 

  LR3 Not Reliable and in the Shop - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Rob - August 8 - 8:10 am

  I must say the truck is fun to drive. Im not sure how it won SUV of the year. As much fun as it is, its in the shop. You may want your own personal mechanic when you buy this truck. Good luck and maybe the 2006 model will be better, oh yeah, lose the Jaguar engine. Lots of power, no where to go but the shop.

• 

  NIGHTMARE - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By brad - August 2 - 11:06 am

  Bought the car with 65,000 miles. It overheated on my cross country move at 67K (left me stranded with my family in Nebraska) and now there is irreparable damage done to the engine. I need a new engine which costs $12,000!!! WTF this is a total NIGHTMARE. Be careful Head gaskets go early and often. Land rover makes a horrible engine. I thought I was getting a unique car that would be a beast offroad, but it couldnt even handle on-road driving. I would not use this car to tow anything. It says there is a 7700 lb towing capacity but the weak engine shouldnt be forced to tow anything but the car itself.

• 

  Beware! Total Lemon - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By chrisl - August 2 - 1:00 am

  This care is a piece of crap. UNDEPENDABLE! Have had it 3 years and nothing but problems. Thank God I purchased an aftermarket warranty which more than paid for itself. The warranty has expired and I have to dump this car pronto and cut my losses. Anyone who owns this car and hasnt had problems should consider themselves lucky as it seems to be few and far in between.

• 

  Run, Dont Walk, Away from This Car!! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By DHall - July 31 - 12:33 am

  We really like the look of this car and interior, but the reliability and service is the worst. This car has been nothing but problems since day 1. Service people not friendly and overcharge you on everything. Dealerships all very far away unless you live in a bigger city. Engine went out at 50,000 miles, right after lease bought out and warranty up conveniently. Brakes suddenly went out with no warning and ruined the rotors right away. Heater never worked right and sunroof broken. NEVER AGAIN will I step foot on a Land Rover lot or recommend them to someone else. I wouldnt want someone else to be stuck like us. Run away fast!!

• 

  Great SUV----Fix the Bluetooth - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By dsprga - July 28 - 10:33 pm

  Im ending my first month and 1000 miles. I get great comments on the look of the car and I like the ride more than I thought I would as I was changing from a sedan. Great visibility and very comfortable seats. For tall people, there is more than enough room in the drivers seat. I purchased the upgraded sound system and lighting package. Im glad I did. Great sound and great visibility at night. My main complaint is with the bluetooth phone system. There are very few phones that are compatable with the LR2 and no PDAs. Hopefully, LR is working on a fix for this. Other than the bluetooth issue, I think LR has done an excellent job in this redesign.

• 

  Realize what youve got - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By usexpat - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car since 6/03 and it has been the most enjoyable vehicle Ive owned. Potential purchasers need to understand what they are buying--an offroad vehicle that has been given the creature comforts of a family car. Youll be getting the best offroad vehicle money can buy, but you will be giving up some things. There are reasons fo the apparent downsides of this vehicle (e.g., slow acceleration... so I dont fly off the side of the mountain!). Bottom line, its a great vehicle and a lot of fun to own/drive, but realize what youre getting.

• 

  A - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By AMER - July 28 - 2:00 am

  GREAT VEHICLE TO DRIVE

• 

  hope you dont wreck - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By kosjo - July 27 - 10:00 am

  Initail diappointment derived from poor quality interior (some elements did not even match), cheap leather, disturbing heating elements embedded in the windshield (which have become more distracting with time), and an annoying lurch between first and second gear. Catastrophe set in when I was struck by a hit and run driver. Since Feb 27 2002 (today is June 6th), Land Rover has been unable to supply parts to repair the vehicle! Moreover, the national customer service has ranged from disinterested to rude.