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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  Love it - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Andrew - July 12 - 5:50 pm

  We purchased this vehicle and almost immediately drove across North America and it was absolutely flawless. My wife loves this vehicle and my children appreciate the stadium seats. I like the fact that my family ride in safety and style.

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  Total Testimony! - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By TN J - July 12 - 10:00 am

  My Freelander had 9600 miles when I got it (Demo Model), and now it has 48756. Ive been on long trips of 1800+ miles and Yes Ive gone on the Land Rover sponsered 4WD trips. Off-road its traction control system was 100% soild. In town the ride was very comfortable (I loved the high seat position very comfy on the knees on long trips). If your over 60" you might have head room problems.On 09/2004 while driving on a local hwy I had a major accident rolling the Freelander 6 to 8 times going 60+ MPH. The Freelander all things concidered held up great! I crawled out of the wreck with one tiny cut on my face, and minor bruises. Very Impressive!

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  Freelander - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By dhranitzky - July 12 - 10:00 am

  A joy to drive, handles like a dream, accelerates very well in spite of the V6, and it always turns heads. The only complaint I have with the car is that it gets surprisingly poor mileage for a V6.

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  Satisfied Range Rover owner - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By SDH - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Best SUV made, the Range Rover is just an awsome vehicle, superior off and on road performance.

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  Very Impressed - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Pete - July 12 - 2:40 am

  Have owned two weeks now and so far very happy with this vehicle. Performs very well on dry, wet and snow covered roads from acceleration to handling and braking. Tried all the competitors and for the best choice for performance plus off road capabilities this vehicle won the contest. I did not buy this for fuel economy (who buys a supercharged car for good gas mileage) so I am not put off by the 14 mpg I am getting.

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  I dont recommend any Land Rover - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By AnaJara - July 11 - 5:23 pm

  I have an 08 RRS with 3000 miles. It has a leaking sunroof that the dealer has tried to fix 4 times. They did not take it back the 5th time saying Land Rover said it was normal to have some water enter the suv. I spoke with Land Rover and they looked into it but have now closed my case saying "normal". This is not normal by any standards. Land Rover needs to build a better car! I only bought it because I loved the look of it. I am filing for help under the TX Lemon Law in hopes that they buy back the car so I can get into another car, not a land rover!!

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  Love this Small and Sporty SUV - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By joncourage - July 8 - 12:26 pm

  Weve really enjoyed having our Freelanders (2 2004s). We enjoyed the first so much we bought a second. Its a sporty, competent, and sharp- looking little SUV. It rides great as a commuter, and handles off-road (in our case beach and woods) adeptly. Id feel confident going just about anywhere in it. Weve put a decent amount of mileage on it and have had only a handful of very minor problems. We find the car comfortable and well- designed, although its smaller size limit its carrying capacity. We bought a roof cargo carrier to help compensate.

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  LR3...Yipee! - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Funk Master - July 5 - 5:16 pm

  Bought my LR3 in Oct. of 2004 and have been happy with the ride comfort (because of air suspension). Also happy with the Programmable entry feature on key fob. I am not so happy with the frequent trips to the pump. In KC Missouri gas is $2.98/gal. CRAZY for a car like this that gets 14 mpg. (my average)

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  Junking it! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Indistress - July 4 - 6:23 am

  Bought the truck with 17K miles for $17K, thought it was a good deal for a Landrover. At 35K Miles the Engine needed replacement and now at 73K Miles the Transmission is slipping and needs replacement. Radio is shot. Sunroof was replaced twice. Brakes AND Roters wear easily. Maintanance is costly. Would not recommend buying any of the Landrover vehicles after their latest Consumer Report Reviews. Company should be taken out of business for the quality of their vehicles...THere is nothing luxurious about them....

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  One Year Later, Still Love the Rover! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Chad Starling - June 28 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the Freelander (S) for a year (12000 miles) now and havent had anything major go wrong. At about 5 months, the heated windshield had to be replaced due to a factory flaw, but it was taken care of quickly and at no cost, so not a hassle at all! Love the way it rides on and off road and was surprised at how capable it was off road the first time.