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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  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 passengers 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 reccomend 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.

• 

  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 reccomend 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.

• 

  great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 1:43 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 reccomend 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.

• 

  great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 1:43 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 passengers 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.

• 

  Great car with some quirks - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By chris - January 19 - 1:43 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.

• 

  got the replacement, still suspicious! - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By rdnyc - January 18 - 3:30 am

  Got my HSE in June 05 and had nothing but problems since day one culminating in total suspension collapse at 50 mph. Dealership replaced car and have so far done 4k miles without a problem. Keeping my fingers crossed.

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  Most Bang for the Buck in this Segment - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By PM - January 17 - 9:43 pm

  It looks great, rides great and seats 4 or 5 more comfortably, with more elbow room and an overall more spacious feel than the BMW X3 or Acura RDX. Body is very rigid and conveys "bank-vault" solidity. Acceleration is more than adequate in real world conditions (even if on paper it seems slow by comparison). Handling is more truck like than the others, but that has some charm. Braking is excellent, though as with cornering theres a fair amount of body dive/roll. MPG is worse than I expected both highway and city. I average about 18 overall. I have had multiple, though generally minor, problems that resulted in trips to the dealer. But overall a better deal -- and much more unique.

• 

  45K Report - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By DH - January 17 - 4:43 pm

  Beenn nothing but perfect so far. Average over 22 mpg and the only problem was a clip in the tailgate came loose. Great comfort and visibilty. Easy and fun to drive. Best vehicle I have ever owned. Sound system is great as well as the lighting system. Not so sure about the key. Several times if you install the key and hit the start button prior to getting your foot on the break the computer gets confused and it has trouble starting. Take the key out and get the sequence right and it just resets. Not a big deal if you know about it, but otherwise you could sit for a while. Just a really nice small sized SUV.

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  Fell in love with Rimini Red - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Love the LR2 HSE - January 17 - 8:16 am

  Looked for a smaller SUV to replace Grand Crapokee Overland and test drove lots of others. Loved the LR2 and bought it. Rimini red/Alpaca is beautiful and the 19" wheels are striking and not tacky. Kudos to LR for this excellent midsize SUV. Drives like a sports car. Return LR/RR customer.

• 

  Enjoyable but disappointing - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By mrmhouston - January 13 - 1:10 am

  I love driving my Land Rover. It is great in Houstons frequent high water and I take it off road about a dozen times a year. It has been disappointing, though, due to the amount of times Ive had to take it in for repairs (approx every 3,800 miles while under warranty). Maybe the bugs have been worked out? It is a good working vehicle, not a lot of bells and whistles that most of todays cars have. Is the trade-off worth? I cant tell yet.