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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  Discos rock! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By astroboy - June 28 - 10:00 am

  Love to drive my discovery 2003. Rides high. Great off road. Buy it! Be apart of the oldest off road club in the world.

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  Gorgeous design - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By kungpao - June 28 - 1:20 am

  Yep, I am a gal that owns the Sport and I absolutely dig this car! Of course the gas mileage can be an issue but other than that and a few other issues: the tailgate is a little heavy for me to pull down, there isnt a lot of room for stuff in the center console (girls need room for stuff!) and the steering wheel blocks the odometer panel so that I am constantly having to look around and through it to see the stats etc... Now for the positive stuff! Design is incomparable! This is a beauty on the exterior and I got the total package so my clients can feel comfortable when viewing property. (Im in real estate). My kids love the dvd and surround sound, its killer! Buy it, you deserve it!

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  Cons and Pros - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By mgur1 - June 22 - 3:50 am

  Just returned fully loaded LR2 after lease with 32K on it. After first six months was thinking to keep it. Sluggish acceleration was only one thing bothered me. On a highway you can use a sport mode to go uphill or to pass another vehicle, but in a city it doesnt help. Soon multiple recalls and electronical problems started building up like snowball and that turned me off. Steering pump broke, heated seats element burned, sunroof went off the rails, check engine light, air pressure gages mulfunctioned, fuel gage drops on zero and "Low Fuel" warning beeps with more than half tank of gas. Dealer fixed it, after two weeks got same thing. Bluetooth drops signal very often

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  JENSEN Bring the LR3 around!!! - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By LR3 for three! - June 20 - 1:16 pm

  Ownership of our LR3 HSE has covered the last 5 months, and have been relatively uneventful. The hood latch required a minor adjustment, and a small rattle from the right rear of the vehicle disappeared when we adjusted and unrolled the cargo cover. Some minor tightening of screws was about all that was involved for the actual warranty work. The Java Black with black leather interior truly has an upmarket look and feel. Terrific to drive on dry pavement or snow and ice. No complaints. Finally an SUV with British manners, unique styling, and go anywhere capability. With the exception of a Range Rover, nothing else to date seems to quite pack the panache of the new LR3 HSE!

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  The good, the bad, and not so ugly. - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By kwon303 - June 16 - 10:23 pm

  I bought this 05 model in 07 with about 19000 miles. It now has about 65,000 and I have to say overall I have been very fortunate. Ive heard lots of things about reliability and to be honest and here my experience, tranny is starting to jerk a little when I slow down and speed up so Im a little concerned but I bought the 6 year 75,000 mile warranty so well see whats up. I had to get the rear tailgate fixed...NOT CHEAP..latch broke and would not open. Also sunroof leaks out of overhead dome light... not covered under warranty. BUT this thing rides like its on a cloud, and handles anything off road and looks are timeless. Overall I think I got one of the decent rovers and keeping it.

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  Think Twice - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Kross98 - June 16 - 9:20 pm

  I thought buying a Land Rover would mean minimal problems but this vehicle has given me more headaches than any vehicle Ive ever owned. Bought it used in 04 and have had it in the shop at least 10 times since. Mostly mechanical problems such as window malfunctions, door locks, etc. Have problems with it starting on occasion but LR says they cant find a problem. Very disappointed with the reliability of this SUV and usually disappointed with the customer service as well. Think twice before buying this vehicle.

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  The Best SUV out there!! - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Rover Owner - June 16 - 2:00 am

  The Land Rover Disco is absolutely the best vehicle I have ever owned. Its off-capability is unmatched. Seems to be a very reliable vehicle, no problems at all.

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  Discovery - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By jwilson93 - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Just a great vehicle to own. Drives well and also handles well. This is the fifth discovery that I have owned and by far the 04 is the best one yet.

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  Range Rover expencive but worth it. - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Phil Susterick - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I live in MN & were known for harsh winters. As result Ive been driving 4x4s for the past 18yrs, Jeep Grand Cherokee mostly, but, my 2003 Range Rover beats the heck out of all of them put together. Ive never felt safer or in more control as I do with this vehicle. And off-road - there is NO equal. If you can afford one youll never regret ownership. I will buy another.

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  Very well thought out - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Timothy Knight - June 10 - 2:00 am

  This Rover hits on almost all points. The Navigation system seems a step back from the BMW nav. system that it is based on, and the BMW unit was no great shakes. I am hoping that the electronics are going to hold out, I have 3 BMW’s currently and one of them seems to have gremlins. Lets hope that Ford had a good look. Drove that car across the country, the car preformed flawlessly and comfortably. We live in the mountains so the Rover should be a match made in heaven! Love the fit and finish, outstanding!!!!