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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  Evoques all senses - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By caroma - December 2 - 3:04 pm

  Absolutely fun to drive, definitely a lot of sport in this less utility vehicle. Styling turns heads. Prestige of a premium brand name. Well done interior. Land rover packaging really sucks. I liked the prestige interior, but magne ride is available only in dynamic. Liked the hood scoops but available only in coupe.... Otherwise its a fun a little ride.

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  Off-road There is no Equal - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Edmund1001 - December 1 - 2:00 am

  I have had no major problems with the vehicle in the 9 mos. of ownership. While I believe the Jeeps to be superb off-road vehicles (owned every model at one time), the Discovery is phenomenal off-road. The dealership offers excellent service and many perks, such as a day of off-roading that is first-class and exciting. The vehicle has a stiff suspension, but is comfortable on the highway with no drift. This is made to go on safari but has comfort amd luxury for everyday driving.

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  Red Rover - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Andy King - November 25 - 5:36 am

  This vehicle has been great for us, and I enjoy driving it. Its a high- scale suv with a very attractive exterior.

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  Diamond in the Rough - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By kwon303 - November 21 - 9:43 pm

  When I decided to buy this car I knew what I was getting into. Land Rover is known for off road greatness as well as luxury, but also very poor reliability. With that being said I still bought one and dont regret it. I love this car. I bought mine used because they depreciate so much that it just was not worth it for me. Not to mention you can find this car in L.A. at a dime for a dozen at a good price. I definitely got the extended 100,000 mile warranty to hedge my bet. Also you have to test drive it and check how it get out, transmission is key. No slips and your good to go also clean interior tells you everything you need to know. Gas is not great but what do you expect. Overall Great car.

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  FREELANDER 04 - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By D.M. ATWOOD - November 21 - 10:00 am

  HAVE DRIVEN THE FREELANDER FOR TWO MONTHS. HAD TWO SMALL PROBLEMS RIGHT AWAY WITH A SWITCH AND THE OUTSIDE TEMP GAUGE BUT BOTH WERE FIXED RIGHT AWAY. VERY FUN TO DRIVE, IN FACT THE FOUR OF US IN THE FAMILY DEBATE OVER WHO DRIVES IT.

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  04 range - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By habeeb - November 21 - 10:00 am

  i love this car it is great to look at and fun to ride the air supensions are fun to play with and to show off to friends

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  Drives Great, Technology Lacking - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Duba3 - November 9 - 2:06 am

  The RRS drives great but, having owned 4 previous Land Rovers, I expected that. This one is, by far, the quickest though. And, it looks great too. Now if the engineers can get the technology up to par with the competition, we would be all set. Case in point: the $2500 rear seat entertainment does NOT come with, nor can it be equipped with, wireless headphones. I usually put all after market entertainment systems in the Rovers but was told NOT to with this one due to integration with the cars computer. So, cmon guys, lets get a better audio screen and some wireless headphones. I know it can be done...I have done in my last 3 Rovers!!

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  still like this car... - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By justin - November 7 - 11:20 am

  Ive had this car for 7 years and will be somewhat sad to trade it in soon. I think its one of the best looking small SUVs made. I had a few reliability issues (like other owners of this model) but the positives outweighed the negatives.

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  awesome first car experience - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By beetlejuiceplz - November 4 - 11:00 am

  i bought my se3 at 34,000 miles as my first car in 2007. after recently selling the car, i now realize how lucky i was to have such a reliable car. the only time i had to take the car in during the 4 years i owned it was to get the get the oil changed (which is expensive because it will only accept synthetic oil barf). towards the end of my relationship with the car however (aprox. 74,000 miles), engine lights began coming on due to an ABS sensor which costs $540 dollars for just the part itself! I also have read that these cars dont usually last much longer after 100,000 miles. my suggestion is to obviously buy this car with low miles in order to have an awesome car experience.

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  2005 LR3 - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By bkalhor - October 8 - 9:53 pm

  This is my third Land Rover and so far my best Land Rover! I highly recommend it...however the gas mileage does put a nice dent in my wallet - it is still better than the mileage on my Series II!