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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  Just leased a week ago - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Monkeygirl - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I have had it one week and it has already been in the shop. My driver side mirror was scratched....they broke the scratched mirror removing it and then broke the new mirror installing it. So, they kept my new car over July 4th and then I picked it up yesterday. I drove off and then realized that the new mirror is distorted....great work guys. It is annoying and if I hadnt already taken the car off road and loved how it handled....I would be way more upset. Luckily, they gave me a great sports car as a rental while they fixed my mirror (the 1st time)....well see what happens on Monday.

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  In a market of its own - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Dr. French - June 7 - 6:40 am

  Im coming from a 2001 Wrangler Sport and a 2002 Infiniti QX4 and I must say the Disco is unique. For whatever reasons, I love the rugged, quasi- military/safari styling and how the truck sits, especially from the front, and especially with the newly designed front end and lamps. I bought it about 1 year ago for $9000 from a wholeseller (it was about a 7.5 out of 10 with massive head gasket and coolant hose leaks, a faulty oxygen sensor, a broken glove box opener and a slightly damaged rear bumper and a few dings) and was prepared to put money into it. $1800 later its a 9/10, puts a smile on my face, and is still cheaper than a Jeep product. More regal than the QX4 also and better leather.

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  Need to be Different! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By pappa granda - June 6 - 10:00 am

  After reviewing all of the SUVs out there, the LandRover DIscovery stands out!! 2003 offers abigger, more powerful engine, exterior changes, better warranty and noise reduction. She is tough, rugged and drives great!! If you care about gas mileage, she is not for you. If you wnat to be middle of the road, she is not for you. If you want class, power and toughness, call your nearest LandRover dealer. PS she has a bit of snob appeal, as well!!

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  RR supercharged - wow - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By martin thomas - June 4 - 12:46 am

  Having driven diesel landrovers for 3 years to drive a s/c V8 beast was just fantastic. Acceleration is phenominal and you can quickly exceed national speed limits without noticing. Going around corners fast is somewhat an experience with such a large vehicle, but stopping power is really good (thank goodness). Fuel consumption is hideous with a max overall of 15 mpg and a town drive of around 11mpg. Best I ever got was 22 on a motorway. But what the hey! the overall drive is just fantastic, sometimes I just pull away flat out just to listen to the V8, even pulled a coach off the road once, surprised me too. Performance is supreme, consumption terrible, but if you can affordone, go for it

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  Too Many Little Things Go Wrong.... - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By mthomas - May 21 - 11:56 am

  Wind noise around doors, wind noise around sunroof, adjustable steering column breaks and steering wheel falls in my lap while driving, noisy out of balance tires that cant be balanced, audio speakers falling onto floor- board, intermittent "jack hammer" sound coming from behind dash when accelerating (of course, it wont do it when its at the dealership). Did I mention all the noise!?!?!? A plethora of squeaks and rattles....PLEASE! A great status symbol and ego booster, but for $75K, how poor! And, for $75K, wheres the satellite radio, auto-on at dusk headlamps, automatic door locks, etc. etc. etc.????????? Go with the big Lexus SUV. You wont be disappointed.

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  best and worst of rr sport - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By mac - May 11 - 10:00 am

  ride is ok,def some electronic issues,250 miles cd never worked..reprogrammed,upgraded perforated leather is not up to the standard.showing some scratch marks onseats,exetrior paint is average, twice driver info shows gas tank empty,while in fact gas tank is full,numerous times radio doesnt sound even the power is on,ride is smooth, sitting position is excellent,for a 80k suv no power rear trunk opener? numerous times got my hand twisted while closing the rear hatch,i also own a 2010 bmw X6M,cost around 90k,but 10k make such a big difference or something tells me that germans are better auto makers than british,land rover needs to fix lotsa quality issues here,other than its fairly a cute suv..

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  One of the last real SUVs - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By saharatj98 - May 8 - 6:10 pm

  I researched this vehicle extensively and was warned about reliability issues although later Discos were to be better. I grouped most problems to improper maintenance. Owning other European makes I am well aware of religeous routine maintenance or expensive repairs. So far it has been just fine and I use it off road extensively. Having owned Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Wrangler I would never go back. The Disco has more storage areas, is much more comfortable and much more solid than any Jeep. Interior materials are much better and the suspension articulation off road is amazing even stock. Not for everybody, but one of the last real SUVs built for off road use.

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  Love my Rover! - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Andy - May 4 - 2:00 am

  My wifes GMC Denali was climbing in miles and she expressed interest in a Range Rover. I was a bit worried after all of the negative press I heard. After a test drive and a 4 hour conversation w/ the Sales guy at land Rover Guilford (CT), I was sold! We bought a pre-owned 2008 Range Rover, black on tan and loaded w/ every option. We see around 20 MPG on the highway and handling is excellent. Land Rover Guilford was recently awarded the Pinicle Award and they offered a weekend at Land Rovers Driving School in Vermont for their customers. My wife and I went and were blown away at what a "rover" is capable of. Only a few minor glitches but service has resolved them all.

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  top 4X4 - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By cbloomers - April 27 - 3:16 pm

  I had a range rover a couple years back and loved it, then brought a new Escalade 2008 it was fun for a while but then bad build quality showed through. Sold it for the LR3 and realized what I had been missing. Next car will be a range rover or LR4. Sorry to hear some people have had problems but these are the best off roaders you can get.

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  So Far - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Brenda - April 23 - 5:43 pm

  My New 2005 Freelander, so far, has not given me any problems. Its spacious for a 52", 110 lbs person and rides like a car. I drive dirt-rocky roads everyday with weather conditions of snow, rain, and mud. This SUV is the Bomb! It handled the conditions with ease and makes me feel confident, so far. Highly recommend if you live where I live and drive where I drive (So. California).