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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  The Dichotomy of Land - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Justin Woodall - February 17 - 2:52 pm

  Youll love it, & probably buy it, for the obvious reasons; style, class, comfort, luxury, utility, & the jealousy factor. But, in specific the leather, info touch screen, Harmon-Kardon stereo, & all options of the luxury interior package (an absolute must). You will grow to love the driveability, ride, & handling. If you have the guts to try it, being so expensive, the off road capability of the Range Rover is amazing. I sell ranches in Texas. I can sell properties that others cant in my Rover. Turn the suspension nob & lift the Rover 3 inches. It will now traverse the most challenging terrain with ease, & without feeling like it. Its the love child of a Jeep & a Mercedes sedan. You will HATE the repair bills! In 4 years or so, both front airbags failed (although, I love the feature) rendering it undriveable, a door handle broke, sun roof jammed, & the nav map stopped working (I just ejected the disc!). I suggest finding a expert Land Rover guy near you (NOT THE DEALER!). The dealer wanted $3k for each airbag, $1k for the door, $1k for Sun roof, & $500 for the nav map, thats $8,500! It still cost me $3k with my non-dealer guy. The 255 55 R19 tires are very expensive & the selection sucks. Also, it has the most expensive battery Ive ever seen. Overall, the 2006 Range Rover HSE is an awesome vehicle. Just remember, if you buy one be prepared to drop $5k for repairs at anytime.

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  So far, Im in love with this truck! - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By SF Owner - February 10 - 7:30 pm

  The design couldnt be better, and they realyl thought of all of the little details in this thing. I bought it with 45K miles on it, so Im hoping that anything that would have gone wrong by now has already done so. The company offers extended warranties as well. Great for road trips- very roomy.

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  lr3hse7 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By doctorp - February 8 - 2:26 am

  Ive only had a suspension fault issue. Everything else has been great. Except the mileage, but whadaya want for 3 tons.

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  Great vehicle - 2001 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Maryland - January 28 - 5:33 am

  We bought this Rover certified used with 20K miles on it in 2003. We have used it ever since, and have put 51K more miles on it. We had issues with the air suspension (replaced under warranty) and the radio (an amp blew) but otherwise the Rover has been rock solid. We get a solid 17mph, which I consider fine given the size of the Rover.

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  Great Car w/ Fun, Flexibiltiy, &Security - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By lorry bolton - January 18 - 2:00 am

  This SUV is great.....for everything! Its fun and sporty, while being dependable and flexible. Great European handling almost like a great sports car...but its an SUV with great style and class. Not to mention its got 2 sunroofs.

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  Read before buying - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Cameron - January 11 - 2:30 pm

  This vehicle is a typical German engineered product. It is luxurious and safe with nice additives but other than that, there is nothing special. The car is pretty much leech on your time and bank account. When you purchase German this is what you get, if you want quality go buy Honda or Toyota. However there is no accuse for the lack of assistance with with making things right. If you purchase this vehicle make sure to have a lawyer because more then likely you will be contacting him with this matter.

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  Fun Car but reliability? - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Adam The Ant - December 30 - 2:00 am

  Great Suv for playing hard! But the reliability of the Suv leaves a lot to be desired. In my first year alone a new transmission and 2 oil leaks expected to be the main seal but dealer will not say exactly what it is.

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  Bonatti Grey RRS SUPERCHARGED - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Tsai - December 27 - 5:53 am

  Great vehicle, fun to drive, strong performance, great handling and turns heads everywhere I go. I have only had one consistent problem and that is a "Faulty suspension" indicator that keeps coming on and locking the vehicle in standard height. I have to then restart the car in order to get it to go away. Its finicky and can happen several times in a day. Other than that, one of the best vehicles I ever bought.

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  If you want to lead the pack... - 2000 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Big Papa Pump - December 25 - 10:00 am

  There were 10 things I wanted to do before I die and go to heaven. Number 4 on that list was to own a Range Rover. This sweet riding vehicle reminds me of my first real girl...smooth...silky...and something everybody else wishes they had...enuf said!

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  Land Rover Discovery HSE - New to Brand - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Jim R - December 15 - 12:32 am

  Overall very happy with my new SUV. Drives great, looks great, and overall quality is very good. Minor issues with turbo lag but Ive learn how to adjust my driving to avoid unwanted turbo surges. Disappointed in Land Rover’s Incontrol Apps and Hotspot. The Incontrol Apps are glitchy and 50% of the time I have trouble connecting to my iphone 5s. The JustDrive app that is suppose too be the ultimate in hands free but a is a 3 on a scale to 10; 10 being the best. The Discovery 2016 has built in Hotspot, In-Control Apps, and navigation that require data plan with AT&T; cost less than $10 per month. For this to all to work the SUV has built in cell phone with sims card. The kicker is the cell phone is 3G (NOT 4G LTE). This means my 4G LTE iPhone connects to my SUV which is 3G service. The 3G is significantly slower than 4G LTE, and definitely a huge step backwards. Other auto makers are putting hotspots in the their cars with 4G. I never would have guessed this was 3G.