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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  Highly Recommend - Superb features, unbeatable value! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By offroadfanatic - December 12 - 5:52 am

  I bought this car a few years back, primarily on the fact that I could afford it and it basically met my needs. I had to put a little work into it, but nothing more than you would expect out of a car with 100k miles on it. Minor things have stopped working like the cruise control but nothing thats worth bothering fixing. This CUV has acceptable clearance and can accept tires 4 inches taller than whats stock (my estimate) and give it a lot more capability off road regarding clearance. Now, the best part of this car is the amazing capabilities. Aside from the luxury accessories - heated seats and windshield, etc. The performance of this little guy is absolutely amazing - on & off road!

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  Purchased 05 in 10 (LR3SE) - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By landroverjack - December 8 - 2:25 pm

  I absolutely love this vehicle. Ive owned two 4-Runners, a Land Cruiser, an Audi and two BMWs. This LR3 is far and away my favorite vehicle. I will never own any other type of transportation. Ease of use and its generous driving proportions are a delight to the hands and feet. I purposely sought one that did not have the navigation as they just a pain overall. Especially when my iPhone can take me anywhere.... anyhow. This vehicle has the cold weather package which I recommend if you live in the north. Ive been out in the boonies with this man-car a few times and have driven it cross country twice. Did its duty and worked like a manly man car should. I dig it.

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  Dont use a shotgun to kill flies. - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Mountainman - December 5 - 9:33 pm

  First and foremost, this is a luxury OFFROAD vehicle. Its onroad performance is on par with the best, but when ice hits the mountains or it rains buckets, I remember why I bought the RRS. Ive been places on my property in it, that Id only been able to hike into before. The interior is ergonomically sound and beautifully executed. The subsystems work quite well and most of the complaints Ive heard come from folks who, seemingly, didnt bother to read the manual (s). Also, I dont mind the "bling" factor, but dont use the 20" wheels offroad, or youll run the risk of pinching a rim. Overall, the RRS is head and shoulders above the rest. If you want a luxury car, buy one, an SUV,the RRS

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  LR3 First In Its Class - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Sontob - November 30 - 2:40 am

  Great overall vehicle. Offers everything one would need in an SUV; practical design, great modern looks, utilitarian interior, and incredible off road ability. Driving experience is very smooth and quiet. Everything that the vehicle offers from the tailgate and navigation to stadium seating and terrian response provides an easy and useful experience. I have driven it in snow, mud, and over rocks with no problems. My wife enjoys locally driving to the market or to work from time to time and I enjoy using it for off roading, snow trips and camping.

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  Third LR - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By Finman - November 29 - 2:00 am

  Loved my previous 2005 and 2008 LR3s. This is the best of all. Smoother, much quieter, significantly more powerful. Speeding ticket within 3 hours of ownership! Outside facelift is a huge improvement, much classier looking, head/taillights, grille. Inside, overall much nicer and higher quality except a few pieces, better leather, inside of doors is a huge improvement. Miss the old headrests with the handles on them, adjustable headrests should be better, but love the old handles. Off road is amazing, love climbing boulders in this thing. No significant problems in any of the 3 LRs. Gas mileage is a little worse than previous LR3s. Sound system is improved somewhat, nav also...both are fine.

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  Fun little SUV - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Mike - November 27 - 8:16 am

  Just purchased my LR2 a month ago. I love it! Its fun to drive, comfortable, and looks great. Im making my first trip to Montana next month and will submit an off road review then. Im sure I wont be disappointed. I traded my Audi A6 S- line in for this. I thought I was going to compromise some driving performance for a better fishing vehicle, surprise! The LR2 has a very sprited inline 6 that wont leave you wanting for more power. Great job Land Rover!

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  I Love It! - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Dave - November 27 - 7:23 am

  It is the best driving experience out there. I have owned just about every great car and this is the best. I know it gets bad milage and it has reliability isues, but it is all worth it. It is smooth, the sound system is insane and it is just relaxing to drive. I actually like driving it more than any other car I have owned. I love it! British class with German engineering. All good.

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  Off Road Supremacy - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Jrwjr - November 26 - 2:00 am

  The most capable vehicle in the world. Eventhough its built for offroad supremacy, the HSE Discovery drives comfortably on the highway. Instant confidence booster for offroad adventures. Traction control is the best out of any vehicle ive ever driven. Hard to believe that Ford owns Landrover. Much better offroad handling and Design than H2.

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  Fantastic SUV - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By MarkHalp - November 23 - 1:40 pm

  I traded "down" to the LR2 from the Range Rover Sport and love this SUV. In some ways it is a more enjoyable vehicle. It has more interior room than the Sport, a comparable stereo, looks and for 2/3rds of the price. Although I have only owned this vehicle for a month it has had no problems which is better than I experienced with the Sport in the same time period. Recommended.

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  Love my HSE - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By CapnCurry - November 20 - 4:23 pm

  Love this vehicle. My criteria was 1) had to have navigation, 2) good in snow 3) has good towing capacity 4) was a luxury SUV. It met all of this in one nice package. Believe it or not its rated towing capacity is 7,700 lbs, thats more than a Hummer H2! And the Jaguar engine is smooth and sweet. This one is a keeper.