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 for Family - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Z DOGGIE - September 20 - 2:00 am

  great car, it has everything you want from every other car such as when it comes to room and distance! looks really luxeries! great for distant trips. Great family car!

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  LR3 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By mick51 - September 16 - 9:33 am

  A definite step up from the Discovery. I loved my Discovery but this offers much more comfort & same sense of rugged reliability. LR3 is a more comfortable ride.

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  It is such fun to drive!! - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By lola - September 14 - 2:00 am

  When we take a long and tiring day trip, the Land Rover makes it much more enjoyable, not only because of the smooth ride it gives, but the comfort level is way up there. We had another Discovery a few years back, and obviously there have been a few improvements since then. We love it!! This one is a true keeper!!!The service we receive at the dealership is superb!

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  Range Rover - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By cmdierickx - September 14 - 2:00 am

  The Range is smooth and easy to drive despite of its size. It is very comfortable. Owning also a G500 (that I LOVE!) makes driving the Range a very different experience. Its spacious and noiseless. Because I have children I love the fact that there are shoulder seat belts for all the seats including the middle back passenger.

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  LR3 perfect so far - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By trm2 - September 13 - 8:03 pm

  The LR3 is powerful, safe, and spacious for a mid-sized SUV. While the vehicle may turn out less reliable than some competitors, my experience so far has been delightful. In a recent round trip from the Jersey Shore to Buffalo, NY, the vehicle performed exceptionally in both dry weather and driving snow, on ice and through slush. I was able to maintain full control of the vehicle at a reasonable speed even in the worst weather, all the while experiencing the comfort and convenience of the vehicles interior. The only negatives with this vehicle so far are: the poor fuel economy (expected) and the lack of an 8-way drivers seat, which is inexcusable (esp. since LR promised it).

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  A Great Land Rover - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By micheal - September 13 - 12:36 pm

  What an improvement over the Discovery! This is a great truck; comfortable on long highway drives, able to get through the recent snowstorms in the Northeast, and up a very mucky 1/4 mile country driveway after the melting. Weve put 7K on our SE, without a single problem (knock wood). Its versatile, fun to drive, and very well thought out. We tend to beat up our vehicles, and this one seems up to every task.

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  2001 740il on a 4x4 Platform - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Peter - September 11 - 6:46 am

  After having BMW purchase back my 2004 and 2005 645s Total Electronic Lemons, I thought I would never have a good BMW again. I have been a BMW driver for years. Then I got into the 2006 RR HSE and I was back in my 2001 740iL. BMW did a great job on the design of this car and the new Jag engine and trani make it just perfect.

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  1st SUV - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By cliff - September 10 - 9:00 am

  This is my 1st SUV. I drove everything is the Sub $40K range and found a demo in that $ range. Love the off road and on road. Getting 14.8 in town and 22 on the highway at 75 MPH after minor mods. Holds 7 people no problem. Not much worse than our Honda Minivan. My wife loves it. Good complement to my Mini Cooper.

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  Over All, Not Bad! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By flboyinaz - September 8 - 10:00 am

  If you can aquire this vehicle at year end w/ rebates, its actually a really good deal!!! Fun to drive and not that bad on fuel...

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  New purchase - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By kungpao - September 7 - 11:20 pm

  Gorgeous car to drive and very luxurious interior. My favorite is the body style. I looked at several other luxury cars and when this version of the Range Rover came out I was enamored with the price point and I already owned a Land Rover Discovery so I traded it in for this one. Body style really mattered to me so I loved this when it came out. After all the bells and whistles/dvd/rear entertainment/aspen leather/bluetooth/navigation/heated seats etc...It came out to be 63k. It could stand to be a bigger as far as the rear cargo area is concerned, but if I had wanted the LR3 I wouldve had to give up the rear body style and it was just too boxy for my taste.