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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  Love my Freelander - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Cathy - February 3 - 2:10 am

  I love this SUV. It has been reliable, fun to drive and just all around a great car. Would definitely buy another one!

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  Happy with my 2002 Freelander - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Burn2 - January 30 - 2:03 pm

  Bought a loaner vehicle with 9,000 miles, so expected some minor cosmetic problems - only thing was the dash-mounted drink holder; replaced, no problem. Now have put 20,000 miles on vehicle and only problem Ive had was the transmission, replaced under warranty. Amusing since this is a BMW-sourced item, and not a Land Rover part. Other than that no reliability issues. The dealer (North Point, Alpharetta) has been very good, no complaints with their service. Gas mileage is as expected, 17 mpg all city driving. In the real world the power is just fine for merge into highway traffic, take left turns on busy roads etc. Feels solid without typical SUV porkiness, comfortable ride.

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  We love our Landrover Freelander - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Patty - January 29 - 8:16 am

  Theres a Landrover club and many other Freelander owners love theirs as we love ours and have had no problems with it other than normal wear items. It seems the only ones writing reviews are ones that have had problems but most Freelander owners I know have a good and reliable experience with theirs.

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  Happy I bought it - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Danny Paul - January 28 - 10:00 am

  I have had two very reliable Land Crusers before and I am very happy with this vehicle. It is clearly a luxury vehicle in every way possible

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  The money pit of cars - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By MG - January 24 - 4:46 am

  Order this car new with all the upgrades-experienced brake downs within the first 3mo. After discovering repair cost, got extended warranty - this car has never been off road, meticulously maintained - went through 2 transmissions, 3 rear ends, 2 front drives, 2 radiators & cooling-cd blew out and all of this between 50&90k. When it runs-theres non better on the road-repairs a nightmare-dealer response-"so sorry" but its your problem-they could care less-having owned several high end cars- this has been the worst of all-over 30k in repairs-if not for extended warr. I would be broke! Resale value-there is none-pd almost 100k, now worth less than 15k in 5years.

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  pls send the car to me - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By taiye ojo - January 23 - 10:00 am

  my address is no 3 sokoto road sabo oke ilorin kawara state nigeria

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  Hands Down Safest SUV - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Melissa - January 22 - 1:49 pm

  I leased a 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque (Pure plus with options) in February 2015. It had some software issues during the first month (key was locked inside vehicle so that was an issue that needed to be addressed early on) but the dealership was very accommodating. I never had an issue with the Evoque after that. I do find that a bigger engine would be better because it is a big sluggish to take off. It handled the road very well and it was a very smooth ride as well. It had very good gas mileage especially on long drives. Entertainment system is great! ****The most important thing that I will tell you is that 2 weeks ago, this truck was involved in a rollover accident and it was considered a total loss. Injuries to myself and the driver were very minimal as we walked away from the scene with minor injuries (cuts and scratches). For that very reason, I am going to get another one. I deem this to be a very safe vehicle. Dont take for granted the safety features in the truck. They work!

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  Looks Great - Poor Quality - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Jon - January 22 - 8:06 am

  This car is FUN to drive! There is no question about it. The exterior lines of the car are beautiful. The interior craftsmanship of the car are well appointed. The options and some of the gadgets (GPS/Satellite Radio/Climate control etc) are very basic in style and function. If you compare other cars in the same price range, Rover comes up on the short end of the stick for what you are paying for with how things were not integrated into a central console. The car has been in the shop over 3 times for an "ECU" related issue and has spent more time in the shop than on the road w/me driving it. If you want the prestige of owning a Rover its fun to drive, be prepared for headaches that can come

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  Love This Car - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Howard Popper - January 21 - 9:16 pm

  Only had this car for 3 weeks,but truly love it. Got rid of a 2 yr. old Benz and took a beating, but what a difference in quality! The 5k pricetag for the upgraded interior seems steep but is worth the price .Handles great and is a pleasure to drive.

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  great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 2:33 pm

  Great car that does not look like every other compact SUV on the market. The seating position makes it easy to see around you and is comfortable for passangers also. I have had the transmission and the sunroof replaced and there have been a number of smaller issues with the car but the dealer is fantastic to work with. I would recommend this car as long as there is a dealer close by. I do love the thing though and I have had other SUVs before and this one is by far my favorite.