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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  If you drive it..you will buy it...!!! - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Gaven Smith - May 20 - 10:00 am

  After seeing one of these new Rover designs I quickly buzzed right over to the dealership. I fortunatly got a sales person that was in full knowledge of the new vs. the old. WOW...what a change. Being a past BMW owner it has all the fun things I loved, and many more. This is my 5th full size SUV. Most of which high end. This one takes top honors with me. I tow a 3000 pound boat each weekend, and she tows it like its not there. Breaking...is amazing. Without being in tow she cranks out some speed and handling. The down hill decent is nice feature. I have tried this SUV in as many akward positions as possible. NO Worries. It just wants more.

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  The king of Suvs - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By EvelynPeraltas - May 20 - 10:00 am

  I always wanted a Range Rover and I am glad I waited for the new model. It is much more beautiful and modern and also i know that Land rover had many problems with the old Ranges but this time they really perfected those problems.

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  the best sport utility ever - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By mike smyth - May 20 - 10:00 am

  This is the greatest sport utility ever! You will love this truck.

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  wicked awesome - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By jumpeight - May 20 - 10:00 am

  have owned three other range rovers and they were mediocre. actually traded in a range rover with only 17,000 miles on it in the fall of 02 for a new bmw x-5. but when this vehicle came out i drove it and read the reviews. not even close to previous RRs. it has great brakes, great steering, great size. fixed all the "dead" qualities of previous years. kudos to bmw--they have built the best car i have owned to date, never mind the most fun! (well, besides my 911)

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  got new weel - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By stesy - May 20 - 10:00 am

  excellence excellence the best suv i ever drove and you see the look on the face when you go by. If you can effort it buy it leases it but get it ????????????????????

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  A TRUE MASTERPIECE - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By SCOTT STIRLING - May 20 - 10:00 am

  NOTHING LESS THAN SPECTACULAR. THIS SUV IS A MASTERPIECE WITH AN ORIGINAL DESIGN. A ONE OF A KIND SUV WITH SO MUCH STYLE.

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  Best Range Rover Sport Ever! - 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By sobemen - May 12 - 2:00 am

  A superb vehicle. Fantastic response and handling

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  2011 LR4 HSE - 2011 Land Rover LR4
  By red_rover - May 11 - 8:11 am

  After years of debate, I finally bought one of these things despite the warnings of high costs, poor mileage, and electrical problems. Now I have an LR4 and am experiencing high costs, poor gas mileage, and electrical problems. That said, I love this truck. On-road it is elegant and well-behaved; Off-road it is unstoppable. However, the LR4 is not for everyone. It should be a purchase based on emotion, as it is primarily an off-road truck that happens to drive quite well on the road. If you think youll like it - youll love it. If youre worried about cost or reliability, or if you never go off-road, then you may want to consider something else. But then again, life is too short!

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  Dont Front! - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Jungle Fever - May 10 - 11:36 am

  If you cannot afford a highline sport- utility vehicle do not buy one. This is NOT a KIA Sorrento, Suzuki, or a GEO Tracker. I have owned mine for 4 years and have had no problems even though I have well over 100k on it now. I regularly have the fluids changed and scheduled maintenance done. No it is not cheap. Do a True Cost of Ownership. If you live pay- check to pay-check you will not like the MPG. Again its not Suzuki, KIA or GEO. I enjoy the vehicle and it is very comfortable. It is an all-weather, all-terrain SUV. Handling and torque is sufficient. You do not need to go 0-60 up a mountain in 4 seconds. Buy what you can afford , not what you want your friends to see you in.

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  Awesome Vehichle Horrible technology - 2013 Land Rover Range Rover
  By jonathandaniel - May 6 - 12:48 pm

  Range Rover builds a magnificent vehicle, however, they cant seem to get their technology and navigation right. BMW, Mercedes and Audi blow Range Rover out of the water with their Navigation and Technology. The navigation in the new range rover is horrible. For the price of the vehicle they need to do a better job. We will be purchasing a portable nav unit for the car.