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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  Excellence - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By George - November 4 - 8:13 am

  This is a great SUV. The interior of this car is amazing. Its almost as if you were driving the more expensive range rover but for a lot less. If you want a great SUV that will serve your every need, this is it.

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  My first Land Rover changed my life ! - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By DAISY GAMBLE - October 30 - 4:50 pm

  A Pleasure to DRIVE...6 Flags for FUN My first Land Rover...I am now into the Land Rover Lifestyle. Joined a Land rover club in California and Now I can go ANYWHERE in My Lr3 HSE! Other Drivers in Other Cars Take Notice of a Land Rover. Other luxury SUVs are boring! I still need to read the entire owners manual. So many fab features. Yep, I miss my Xterra involved in a crash once in a while... But my Land Rover makes me get over it fast ! Recommend this SUV ! Carries two great danes in style !

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  94,000 mile review - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By mks9 - October 29 - 4:12 am

  Been very reliable. Only routine maintenance. Oil changes, brakes at 75,000 miles, tires about every 42,000 miles. Fun to drive, good gas mileage for its size. Still dont like te key, but it seems to be the new trend. At the moment, its the nicest vehicle I have ever owned. Its my 6th vehicle and I never get rid of them with under 150K miles on them.

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  crazy in the range - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By kit kit - October 27 - 10:00 am

  i feels like first class in a jumbo jet.Drives like 740 bmw.such interior design so luxurious.the queen has put together a beautiful piece of machinery I give it a perfect 10

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  Dig it - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Jim - October 22 - 2:10 pm

  The car is truly great to drive. Love the standard features and overall look of the car.

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  Looks good, reliable, well-built - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By propertybroker - October 19 - 8:56 pm

  I am very pleased with my 03 Discovery after 95k miles. It adopted the 2002 Range Rovers silky 4.6L engine, and is as powerful as it sounds. Shifting is smooth and quality- sounding. Sharp- looking inside and out. My friends, neighbors, and client like the luxurious look of it and think it costs much more that it did. Vehicle rides tall on the road. I get a good view of the road and feel safe in the vehicle. Surprisingly quick acceleration, plows through heavy rain and snow. I have had the vehicle for 4 years and have only had to do regular maintenance on it.

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  Briefly - 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By rovernewbie - October 17 - 7:51 pm

  Quite and amazing vehicle. Literally 5/5 in all categories with the exception of the infotainment system. This is about 5 years behind leading competitors like Audi. Fortunately I predominantly use my iPhone for music/GPS so its not a huge problem for me. The 510 hp is absolutely insane. I highly recommend this to anyone who can afford this.

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  Range Rover 2004 - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By trgsam - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Excellent vehicle. Far better than the LX 470 I had!

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  loving it - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Brian - October 12 - 11:30 am

  Just took a quick road trip in my new supercharged sport and I LOVE IT! I wasnt sure about buying an SUV but since my needs were changing & a RS4 no longer made sense I went looking for a sport SUV. The Cayenne-S drive was a disappointment and the X5 doesnt really have enough room so the only option was the RR sport super. Having gone on a road trip there is no question this was the right choice. I wanted performance & this is total performance. Acceleration, handling, braking everything is exceeding my hopes. The interior is beautiful but the drive is what really counts. If the maintenance isnt a prob this will easily be the best SUV for those that really wanted a sports car.

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  My one owner LR3 before me. - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By rhazen541 - October 11 - 11:26 pm

  Honestly when I considered purchasing this I was looking at a 06 MB C230, and my LR3 I usually have SUV but ins. good on MB. I only drove the LR3 for about maybe a mile on test drive, and liked it but was strange feeling. Later after purchasing it that day the more I drove the more I loved the LR3! Then when did my first road trip to visit family, there is a lot of passing power on highway and for hills, the top was not heavy so it didnt lean bad at all, w/ 50/50% (close to) weight ratio there is not any under or over steer! I love the ride comfort and steady feel on road even higher speeds. Seen one hit at 55mph head on and doors still open, it drove fine only radiator leaked so took in!