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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  Lets try this again! - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By doc1899 - October 21 - 4:43 pm

  First I would like to apologize to anyone who purchased a Range Rover based on my first review. I should have waited more than a month to write it. Im actually on my 2nd 2010 RR HSE because I had way too many issues with the first one. My dealer was kind enough to get me into a new one with no hassle. HOWEVER- Ive owned the second vehicle for a little over a week and it has already been back to the shop for an equipment failure. I fear that 90k just went straight down the drain.

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  My nightmare is over - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By That was a nightmare - October 18 - 12:23 pm

  Here is what you need to know about the Freelander. It is different from all other Land Rovers and you cant get it serviced anywhere but the dealership. Shops that advertised they worked on Land Rover would not work on my Freelander. They dont make engines for them anymore. It cost me $400 to get a window fixed that was stuck down. I traded it in for $7,000, bought a Hyundai, and literally cried with relief to be done with this vehicle. Land Rover to Hyundai and never been happier. Please do not purchase this vehicle. No power, terrible gas mileage, terrible and expensive service. Be smarter than I was.

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  need 2 for in is always in the shop - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By now - September 21 - 10:00 am

  had it for 2 years in for repairs 25 times. Told this car needs alot to twicking by the shop manager. Something was either broken or a warning lignt always on Trade in lost more than half its value. Would not recommend this suv to my worse enemy.

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  Money pit - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Gem Elliott - September 2 - 1:29 pm

  These types are only good for one thing and thats leasing. Make sure to get out of this vehicle by the time the warranty is up. The engine works well but all of the peripherals along with electronics are suspect. Also the air suspension will fail around 80K miles. The dealer freely admits to this. Each corner is $1500 to repair. So youll end up spending about $6,000 on all for corners at some point. Then you will most likely get the dreaded steering column lockout. This is actually a safety feature that eventually craps out. Replacing this unit with a new one is $6,000. If youre smart you can get a salvage unit for around $1200 and then spend another $500-700 on installation or try doing it yourself. Of course thats if you get one that works to begin with. The cars electronics are also very temperature dependent. Here in Chicago it suffers from many cold related ailments. The rear trunk section will get loose and will need to be rebuilt at some point before 100K miles.

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  bad apple - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By HNV - August 29 - 10:00 am

  Our Freelander has been nothing but problems. First of all, you can not take it off road, even though that is what they are designed for. Secondly, if you do take it off road, be prepared to pay dearly for any repairs it needs. We have paid for almost $20,000 in repairs that Land Rover claims are caused by offroading, even though the car has not been offroading for almost a year. Our car was poorly made, and does not hold up to what Land Rover claims and advertises it is, and they do not stand by their vehicle. I am reluctant to drive it now, fearing the transmission (which has been completely replaced) will die and leave me stranded again.

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  hope you dont wreck - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By kosjo - July 27 - 10:00 am

  Initail diappointment derived from poor quality interior (some elements did not even match), cheap leather, disturbing heating elements embedded in the windshield (which have become more distracting with time), and an annoying lurch between first and second gear. Catastrophe set in when I was struck by a hit and run driver. Since Feb 27 2002 (today is June 6th), Land Rover has been unable to supply parts to repair the vehicle! Moreover, the national customer service has ranged from disinterested to rude.

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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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  worst car ever - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By sw47 - June 8 - 9:52 am

  this car has been a disaster from day 1. new, it began with water leaks, and electrical malfunctions. LR once offered to take it back, and i was foolish not to take them up on it. problems continued with electrical malfunctions, rear wiper failures x2, jack failure, window insulation failure, and the big one ABS modulator failure, an approx. $3000 repair. oh and also ignition key breakage in the lock. (never happened before). this truck still has less than 70k miles. Despite appeals to LR they will not stand behind their product. (there was an ABS modulator recall for some models) best advice, stay away!

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  Dont buy - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By jin - May 8 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has nothing but problems since day one. The extended warranty helped but the car has been a money pit. It is in the shop every two months, engine light is always on, this time the time belts had to be changed at 46,000 miles. Electrical problems abound, Fuel economy is terrible, interior design is a joke and as stated reliability is very poor. It has cost more to maintain this vehicle that what it cost to buy.

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  Freelander Lemon - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By trburton - February 18 - 1:10 pm

  I babied my Freelander for 55,000 miles. Not a scratch. Never replaced Rotors & replaced pads only once. Loved the handling & snow traction (800 miles from TN to DC & back in 8 inches). No problems until transmission started slipping at 45,000. It was replaced under warranty. Engine made noise when I picked it up at Dealer. Noise continued in cold weather at startup. Dealer said "not to worry". In August noise started & engine disintegrated