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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  Drivetrain / Transimission Breakdown - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By mjhanold - June 20 - 2:00 am

  I spend three hours per day (90 minutes each way to work) in the vehicle, and have really been pleased with the expereince, performance, design, and to my surprise, the fuel economy (16.5 mpg). However, my disappointment comes after losing the transmission and drivetrain through basic highway driving, and of course Im 4,000 miles over my warranty for this 1 year old car. Ive placed tremendous miles on vehicles, but Ive never had one with such dramatic breakdowns so quickly, and worst yet, Ive never spent so much on a vehicle!

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  better postioned than the Freelander - 2009 Land Rover LR2
  By Bill - June 7 - 2:43 pm

  Having previously owned an Lr3 and Freelander, the Lr2 sits comfortably as the entry Land Rover. Off road/Snow capabilities are very strong, and extended driving stretches of 8 plus hours with a family of four are certainly comfortable. Great driver visibility all around. Sun roof in front/moon roof in back make the cabin feel airy and spacious. Armrests are comfortable enough, but lack the plushness of the Lr3. Adequate storage space in back, good sound system, great warranty. Would recommend for those looking for a compact SUV with better than average snow/off road capabilities.

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  Adaptive Lighting - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Trooper - June 5 - 11:56 am

  Adaptive lighting failed whilst driving at night on the day I collected my new car. Dealership "upgraded" the software however, this did not rectify the problem. After several emails to Land Rover UK, the diagnosis is that one of the motors needs replacing as the light is not swiveling as far as it should. Identical issue as misswho. Will advise once motor replaced if this solves the problem. I currently (touch wood) have no issues with starting the engine!

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  The true King of SUV - 2002 Land Rover Range Rover
  By browrck - June 4 - 11:46 am

  I brought this vehile with 27,000 miles on it. I had a Jeep and a Envoy before this, they are a 5 with the Range Rover being a 10. Gas mileage is poor 14mpg around town and 20hwy, but it weighted almost 5000lbs, so what can you say. There Rover can go any where, if you need to go thru snow this the vehile. I looked at the Hummer H2, but it looked to cheat on the inside and just felt cheat. I also looked an the BMW X-5, but like the Rover seating much better. My wife like it a lot and she have a BMW X-5.

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  Looks good, runs bad! - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Nikki - June 3 - 11:26 pm

  I have owned the car for a little over 90 days now, and it has been at the dealership for repair for 35 of those days. Parts to fix the LR2 seem to be quite complicated to get, I have been waiting 2 weeks for a gasket on my new cylinder head. But then, who would think you have to replace a cylinder after 90 days? I also had problems with the car not starting/stalling out.

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  Range Rover 02 - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By KaplanNYC - May 20 - 10:00 am

  There is no other SUV like it - truly a pleasure to drive - wonderfully appointed and spacious.

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  The perfect SUV! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By James Chandler - May 20 - 10:00 am

  Bought the 2003 Discovery SE in the summer and still get a kick out of climbing in behind the wheel! Great looking vehicle with a little more class than your everyday SUV! No quality problems or returns to the dealership. Land Rover seem to get a bad rap, but I dont believe it any more or less reliable than any other make. Drove lots of other similar SUVs (BMW, Mercedes etc) before going with the Discovery, but none seemed to have the Land Rover edge. Also not so many of them around!

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  I love the RRS supercharged - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By joeygrouper - May 15 - 2:26 am

  I just picked mine up in July, I love the interior but agree the refrigerator needs to go. The supercharged engine is an awesome experience to drive. I havent experienced anything falty with the car yet, but I do have a defect in the wood grain that runs along the left of the center console. Its very noticeable and the dealer agreed to replace that part. My range is metallic black with black upgraded leather package seats and ebony stitching (piano black wood). I sueded my head liner with high quality suede. I would recommend to anyone wih this car to suede the headliner, it makes all the difference in regards to the interior ambiance. Style 7 20 wheels, all in all great ride.

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  Enjoyable - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By Prawdz - May 8 - 3:23 am

  We really enjoy our Land Rover. We are first time owners and feel the realibility and service is teriffic. Because of the large engine and performance, the gas mileage is disappointing. As well all the offroad gadgets can get in the way. Really, do any of us actually use half of what the Land Rover offers in off- road performance.

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  Not Dependable - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Monster - May 6 - 4:13 am

  The Land Rover LR3 is a beautiful car. But is not very reliable. In two years we had our car towed three times due to failures with the transmission. But the car is a blast to drive. I have spoken to others and it has run fine--but I think we got a bad seed.