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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  wouldnt buy one - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By powershopper - February 6 - 8:00 am

  The test drive was impressive so much so that you could visualize yourself driving on the off-roads on the weekends but discover there is no compass! The windshield sensors dont work right and so you have to manually operate them which can be hazardous on long drives. (There is no intermittent control) Ive had the car for three months and it has been in the shop for at least 3 weeks. Lots of trouble with the compressor and rattles we cant get rid of. There are a lot of blind spots. Should be more luxurious for the price. Hard to find climate control buttons. Doesnt have a lot of pick up for a V 8. Car has a nice exterior appearance. Im a little worried about taking it on a long trip.

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  almost there - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By veradu - November 21 - 10:00 am

  the steel outer shell is extremely thin (I could push it in by touching it lightly) and cheap. Does not compare to the thick steel of the Liberty (much less $). Handling is very nice on the LR, milage undoes the fun. Shift is good, horsepower is shameful. sunroof cover has slits in it. Controls hard to see, clock does not light up at night. For side impact this car is dangerous. Nothing but a ridiculous floating bar protects driver and passengers from a fatality. No side crash test results on this matter suggest neglect, and mars seriously the Landrover reputation.

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  Horrible Reliability and Service - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Mike - November 19 - 10:00 am

  Dealerships has had it for the last month and a half trying to fix multiple problems. In the last 4 months it hasnt started about 40% of the time Ive had it in my possession. The last two times I have picked it up from the dealership after they have stated they fixed the problems, Ive had problems with in one day. Customer Service at Land Rover North America is horrible and wont return phone calls. They also dont provide a rent car when they keep it for weeks at a time.

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  A real stinker - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By luckyhit - October 10 - 11:53 pm

  This car is one to avoid. New or used avoid buying this one. I know it looks great but dont be fooled. It will not last. In 23 months of ownership the car was in the shop 10 times for repairs. The last repair was replacing the fuel pump and the dealership telling us there were no parts available. Our car sat for almost a week before they could locate the parts. Not only that the dealership advised us is was okay to keep driving it with the check engine light illuminated....can I say daah! Believe us do not buy this car.

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  Renamed ****lander - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Dawson - October 10 - 12:50 pm

  Wow, What a huge mistake this Small SUV is. All I can say is thank god We purchased an extended warranty. We paid $14,000 for this car and have had close to $20,000 in repairs in 2 years! We blew the original motor at 80,000 km and that was replaced. Within 10,000 km that replacement motor blew. Covered under land rover warranty. Not really sure that a "new" motor was ever put in. what a pile of garbage.

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  BEWARE OF THIS CAR! - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By mtd130 - October 10 - 7:16 am

  I bought this car and have had nothing but major saftey issue. It just died on me while I was driving before I had driven it 2000 miles. It got towed to the dealership and they had a software update for it. I then took it back and then less then a week, it died again. The tech at Land rover told me it was a "docking of the key" problem and it loses communicaton with the fuel line! No fix out there for this computer- key problem and yes there are getting more complaints about this issue. As of right now, I am not getting into this car.

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  Nightmare. Dont Fall for the Looks! - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By OrthoDr - September 25 - 6:36 pm

  Despite my better judgment, advice of knowledgeable friends and my own happy history with German cars (Porsche, BMW) I went with the RR. In the shop about 50% of the time: suspension, brakes, engine light etc, etc. I now know that any real car enthusiast snickers when they see some moron (like myself) driving a Range Rover down the street, knowing they succumbed to great looks, marketing and desire to exhibit ones W-2 in vehicle form. Please dont, unless your RR technician is a starving family member. Buy a BMW X-5 or Cayenne instead. And yes, I told you so.

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  Nothing but problems - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Nothing but problems - August 5 - 6:13 pm

  As soon as my 50,000 mile warranty was up, so was my suv. At 63,000 miles I needed a new engine due to a crack in the block that was causing coolant to leak into the engine. I picked it up from the shop about a month ago and my heater core and heater motor now need replacing at 65,000. Unfortunately, I cant get rid of a car that doesnt run and that the heater core smokes so Im forced to fix it.

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  wish i would have read these reviews before buying!! - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By jferguson74 - May 21 - 8:56 am

  i bought my freelander in july of 2011 it only had 55,000 miles and got a good deal on it. only put 3,000 miles on it since i got it and have spent over $4,000 in repairs!!!!! starter, head gasket, window motor, radiator, etc! almost everything. its so hard to find someone to work on it and the parts and labor are ridiculous. once we get it out of the shop this time we are trading it in!!!! do not waste your money... it may sound like a good deal but its not worth the money and aggravation!!!

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  Looks great in the shop! - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Ted - May 1 - 2:36 am

  Transmission failure, suspension failure, rear differential replaced, water in front head lamp, water leaking into cabin from sunroof, water collecting in floor boards, e-brake failure, right rear break shattered, leaking oil from oil filter connection, recalled gas tank, faulty coolant indicator. Thats 12 issues in a little over a year of ownership, and there are other smaller issues as well. If my LR3 qualified for the Lemon Law (under 15k in mileage) Id return it. Given previous issues with the Discovery I would not spend money on a Land Rover again. The quality is just not there. At this moment its being fixed again, then it will be traded in, not for another LR.