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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  Keep looking! - 2002 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Woody - January 4 - 8:53 am

  Owned this vehicle one month. Selling dealership was great, vehicle was horrible. Many interior and exterior plastics fell off, loud transmission whine and clunk when upshifting, strange clicking noise from air conditioner, two bolts fell off onto the floor from the steering column (didnt know what they went to!), both door speakers fell off, had to glue them back in place, rear cargo light fell off, rubber door seals sagged letting water in when raining, and many other things I dont have space to write. Vehicle was great on the test drive and the 5 hour drive home. Nothing but problems ever since, traded the vehicle for a Porsche Cayenne and will never regret getting rid of it.

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  Nice Car - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By B wilmot - December 10 - 10:00 am

  Nice Car. I have two small children and I find it difficult to get them into the back by lifting them into their car seats. I would have liked the option of 3rd row seats which are not available. The cargo area is big but with kids I could use even a larger space.

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  Slow electronica - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Eric - November 25 - 12:24 am

  My second Range Rover. Absolutely loved my 2012 sport. The 2015 full size electronics are so poor that it ruins the otherwise great car. Range Rover provides little to no support for this.

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  worst car ever - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By dk - November 19 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the LR2 last year and it has spent more time getting repaired than a car should be. Factory tires were wore out at 16,000 miles. Constant software and electrical issues. There has been a code that trips the check engine light that is apparently cannot be fixed until new software is produced. So the engine light comes on and off. Now the latest which happened today. Went to start the vehicle and its like it shorted out everything. Will not start and would not eject the key fob. This car looks great from the outside but what a mistake I made trading in our STS for this thing. About to move cross country and now I cannot trust this car.

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  Owned 6 years, traded for a Hyundai - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By capecodrondo - November 1 - 9:47 pm

  I purchased my Freelander brand new in 2005. I loved the handling and ride but over the years found the vehicle to be gas-hungry, under-powered and of poor build quality. Constant electrical problems including a repeated problem with windshield wiper switches. After having driven Jeeps for many years I was surprised to get stuck in the Freelander during snowstorms that the Jeeps handled well. I traded for a Hyundai Veracruz two years ago and found it a much more reliable vehicle. The Veracruz (now a long body Santa Fe) is better in the snow than my Rover was and is an all around more civilized vehicle.

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  Fun to Drive only - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By locoant - October 2 - 2:00 am

  This car is not to be taken anywhere that debris may hit it. IT WILL BREAK!!! Underside real susceptable to damage. Dealership suspects customer for all damage and they check it accordingly. Also dealer will treat you like your second class because you bought the CHEAP model. This car sucks 2002 Lemon lawed due to main seals in the engine. 2003 had a main seal go at about 2500 miles.

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  I should have listened to my husband - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Kelly Weaver - September 17 - 6:46 am

  After owning about six reliable Toyotas, We purchased a 2006 LR3. While the car is fun and rugged, it has not proved to be a reliable, quality vehicle at all. Many of the problems have been minor (broken seat belt, gas cap fell apart, bright lights come on with blinker, etc.)but there are a couple of larger issues we are still trying to solve regarding suspension and the radio(which sounds incredible when it is working). The suspension fault indicator sometimes comes on daily for no reason. I had a problem with something else that was causing the check engine light to come on, which required two trips to the dealership to have a part changed out. Too many aggravations.

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  typical Brit engineering - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By LarryG - September 11 - 10:00 am

  2002 SE Expect brakes and rotors to go every 15K Fuel economy 12mpg at best, even on 1000 mile highway trip Power not close to the Liberty

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  Leaked oil in first month - 2014 Land Rover LR4
  By Mark Kalogeras - August 15 - 12:56 am

  I bought a new Discovery in December 2014. In January, it started leaking oil. We took it back to LandRover and they needed 3 weeks to fix the engine, a major component of the engine had to be replaced. I really do not want the car back--it was obvious that it had significant defects when it left the factory. I asked LandRover to replace the car but so far they have refused and have not offered any other compensation for the fact that they sold me a defective car and all the hassle, grief and inconvenience associated with the whole mess. Obviously, if I had any idea this would happen, I would not have purchased a LandRover. Buyer beware.

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  beware British engineering - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By VolvoAndy - July 27 - 2:00 am

  towed into selling dealer after 8 months and 5800 miles. they have no clue whats wrong with after having car 1 week. when questioned about the status, service dept. is vague and disinterested. high-class image, low- class service.