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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  A little glitch but still good - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Dwheels - January 13 - 1:00 am

  I bought my LR2 and took it home, unfortunately the fan module broke and the fan ran for an hour after I got home, I had to disconnect the battery and take it back in the morning. They patched it up and I was on my way. I work in Construction, and this car rocked out on the site, no problems in the sand or mud, it wa great! Got it a bit dirty, but handled great. I expect a few more glitches to come, but the service staff was great, so I didnt worry.

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  I feel decadent! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By crazycat - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Im a new Freelander owner, so I cant comment on things such as reliability and the like, but I must say that I couldnt be happier with my purchase. People assume that since its a LR that it has a high price tag; I keep telling friends that the base model is truly reasonable, which it is! The LR buying experience is truly no hassle, and the 3.9% financing cant be beat. Customer service from everyone was SUPERB!!!!! This mini-SUV is perfect for me, as Im only 51", but my husband, who is 63" would like more head room and a drivers seat up/down switch. Even if you have no plans of buying one, treat yourself and go drive one.

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  A LIL BIT - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Ric & Adrienne - January 4 - 12:26 am

  Having had to only do minor maint. Love it. Gets 22 + MPG , great in all aspects driving in Texas and a joy to zip around in here. Wife ,son and future daughter in law leave their cars at home in bad weather to take the Freelander.

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  LUV My Land Rover - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By jkincaid - December 28 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love my Land Rover. It sounds like some folks have trouble with theirs, but I have had none. I am going on almost a year now with it. I love the seating position, it drives through anything (including 18 inches of snow this last winter). There is tons of room for anything you would ever want to take with you. My Dad bought a 4Runner at the same time I bought the Discovery and is ready to get rid of his car now that he has driven mine. The dealership is great. They are friendly, keep to their appointments and finish on time. Just budget for GAS!!! I spend about $200 a month driving around town. Its a lot - but well worth it to me.

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  Disco Series IIA - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By mistermaher - December 24 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Disco and I must say its been the most complete vehicle I have ever owned.

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  excellent - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By houstonjer - December 20 - 2:00 am

  before last weekend, my freelander wouldve gotten about an 8. but when we took it offroad, i was blown away! with street tires, this thing took us everywhere we wanted to go; mud, steep hills, rocks. this thing just never let us down. the dealership sponsored an off-road event and we were one of 3 freelanders. ill say this, the freelander definitely held its own against the stock discos and range rovers. once again, extremely impressed!!!

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  LOVE - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By BillB - December 20 - 2:00 am

  YOU must take this thing OFF ROAD - it is what it was built for - FUN OFF road

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  Range Rover 2005 - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By BRickard - December 18 - 11:43 pm

  As a second time buyer of a Land Rover Range Rover, that being 2003 and 2005 I must say that I am extremely satisfied with my vehicle; the only thing I would like to change is the gas mileage. Well, most SUVs have that problem. This vehicle is very reliable and very safe. As a fun vehicle for children. I would like to put back the "James Bond" feature which allowed you to use audio tapes by pushing a button to turn back the navigation screen which hid the tape dec. I have audio books for my children which do not come in CD form.

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  ultimate SUV - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By jerrico - December 14 - 10:00 am

  great car to own. The reliability is awsome. Feel like you are in a different world driving one. Have test driven porsche and bmw SUVs and they dont compare.

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  LR3 owner review - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By SF Dude - December 12 - 8:00 pm

  This is a great SE V6 LR3. My wife and I got rid of two cars and are sharing this truck. She wanted to be high up, I like camping, we both wanted safety. This is our pleasure cruiser and grocery getter. What a wonderful truck. We are so happy every time we step out in it. Yes, its a pig at the pump but I have been offroading twice in it and its better than I could have imagined. I love the Jag v6 engine, the Volvo safety items and am glad Ford owns it. This car comes with a 4 yr 50k warranty and free scheduled maint. This beat out the Cayenne, Touareg, A3 Wagon, Jeep Unlimited, Subaru WRX wagon & more.