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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  Great but not yet... - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By bizking - March 4 - 7:50 pm

  This is a GREAT SUV Ive ever owned. I have 13K now and got lots of service because of the "check engine light". But the problem is the they cannot find the reason for that problem. Hope next generation has much better reliability. But I think this is really great SUV especially in mountains.

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  British View - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Eddie - February 16 - 5:00 pm

  Hi Guys I have had a 1.8 Petrol engine manual for two years the only problem I have had is the three lights for ABS/TC & HD Kept lighting it took three attempts to fix the fault but after that I have enjoyed every moment with the car. I have found that over Mud and rough terrain this thing never lets me down. There are a few issues I have like the front seats are not very comfy for long drives but other than that the car is OK. I have done 20,000 miles in mine I have not had to replace the tires and Brakes as yet. I will be replacing this one with a New Diesel next week with an Auto engine.

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  Piece of Junk with a Fancy Cover - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Kathryn - February 7 - 3:13 pm

  At 61,000 miles, I had to replace the heating matrix for $2100 (car broke down on side of road). At 67,488 miles, I had a manifold issue that (luckily) was replaced under the CA emissions warranty, or I would have paid $1700 (almost broke down). Now, at 70, 777 miles, my timing belt busted (broke down on side of road) and Land Rover is saying that, despite their scheduled maintenance at 72,000 when they replace the belt, its my problem - regardless of the fact the belt busted before the company- mandated replacement mileage. Two tow- truck drivers have told me that they love people who own these cars. They make their biggest profits off Land Rover owners. Do not waste your money.

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  Feeling like one of societys elite. - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By la forno - February 5 - 10:00 am

  College grads. like myself or folks just getting into a good paying job can now afford to buy what was once a well- off persons brand and the 30K price tag is well worth the admission. Not quite the upper echelon of SUVs, but far above the "standard" ones built for the "Honda Accord/Civic & Toyota Camry" masses.

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  best 4x4xfar - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By supadan - February 1 - 10:00 am

  bought my disco2 in november and have been thrilled with it every day. Never have i had such a capable vehical. This from a guy who owned a jeep wrangler,bronco and f150 for the past 20 years. took it to the dunes of Yuma,CA.in stock condition and went where no other 4x4 could. Even dunebuggies had difficulty and h2s were left stranded in camp. winter driving is profoundly better due to the incredible traction control and ABS that actually works. As a bonus you can take it to a swanky restaurant and feel as good about it as you would a great sports car.

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  Must love bumps! - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Nlighten1 - January 27 - 1:26 am

  This vehicle is amazing at making bumps feel insignificant on the trail. I got 24 MPG highway on my first tank on the highway up to northern Michigan with cruise set at 70 MPH. The bad part is my 2002 Ford Expedition can climb a sand hill way better since the LR2 doesnt have 4 wheel low but has the power to weight advantage. The second day I drove it there were three things wrong with the vehicle. The air bag system warning light is on, a 12 volt power outlet quit working and the MP3 jack quit working. The key (Landrover calls it "the unit") has to be inserted into "the reciever" and then you push the start button to start the vehicle. This process doesnt always work. Bad luck or quality?

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  Cool Ride - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By PANOMARK - January 24 - 4:33 pm

  Great ride on the road and get lots of complements. Very comfortable and I love the looks. Not easy to lay down the second seat due to front seat leaning back to far. If you dont need lots of room in the rear, its a great vehicle. Compared to the BMW, much more practicle and will keep its value.

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  Great Small SUV - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Spesh - January 24 - 2:00 am

  Handles great for an SUV and stops on a dime. Good looks outside, simple inside, but functional. Awesome in foul weather and limited off-road use so far. Great SUV, some minor complaints.

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  Supercharger in Samana - 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By tonysamana - January 23 - 7:51 am

  I live in Samana, Dominican Republic. A region with lots of mountains and dirt roads. I come from Toyota diesel Prado, then Volkswagen Touareg diesel, then BMW x6 diesel and after that the LR SS. Changed the BMW into a LR because the X6 is to low for the sandy roads here in Samana. Bought LR new in sept 2010, model 2011. Changed tires from 40-45 for the roads here as well. Very comfortable car in al ways. Always and very suffucient power. Offroad nothing. Totally shit. And maintenance you can not imagen. At this moment second time in garage for changing the suspension system and connections. And the funny part, now out of the guarantee, after 51.000 km.

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  LR2 2008 mixed feelings - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By pmtjrt - January 10 - 7:50 pm

  Delivered in Late November of 2008. Ride and design is great BUT currently having major issue with the Car shifter getting locked into Neutral. It will fo into reverse, park and neutral but will not engage into drive, sometimes as long as 20 minutes before it releases. I am having to shut the car down and restart, not once but several times. This has happened 6-8 times and have gone to the dealer 2 times in less then 2 weeks, and am having to go again. Dealer is telling me no problem showing up when checking system. Has anyone else had this problem? Or does any one have a solution.