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:

• 

  Awesome ride!!! - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Craig Hollaway - August 9 - 11:26 am

  This is an amazing vehicle with amazing features! Fun to drive and completely reliable!

• 

  I do not recomend this car - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By kimabob - August 8 - 11:46 am

  My last 3 cars have been Land Rovers. I like them because they are so big and roomy. I dont get claustrophobic in them. So as usual I got a land rover when it was time for a new car. I dont recomend this car one of the worst things with high gas prices is the 15 mpg and premium gas. The first few weeks the engine was smooth and fast but now it is pretty loud and a little bumpy. All the features are a little hard to remember how to use. Folding the second row seats flat is a little bit of a struggle and there is not as much leg room as expected in the back seat. The third row is pretty comfortable but with the third row up there is only a couple inches to put bags. And only 1 of the three sunroofs open

• 

  Worth every penny - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Pat Mancini - August 8 - 10:00 am

  Great SUV clean, turns heads, sexy look,fun to drive, very solid,everything a hummer offers but more practicle. 2003 comes with a great warranty and if still in doubt about british engineering get their extended warranty. Fuel economy sucks but if this is a major concern than buy a Honda.

• 

  HSE Disc II - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Swanson - August 8 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the 2003 HSE Disc II. I received everything I expected and more from my Land Rover. I love the redesigned look for the 2003. The vehicle has great acceleration and towing capacity. If your lloking for a luxury SUV with great off road handling, this is the vehicle for you.

• 

  Very costly - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By mlaxiniowa - August 7 - 8:23 pm

  We enjoy this car when its working. However, weve had repeated radiator problems. All repairs are very expensive and service is lacking. Can take up to 6 weeks to get parts.

• 

  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.

• 

  Love it, but worth the $$$ ? - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By bluerover - August 5 - 4:13 am

  My girlfriend and I leased this car in CA in Sep 07. WE LOVE IT! Simple yet elegant interior. Handles extremely well on and off road. Moved to New Orleans, handles the killer pot holes so well and takes water half way up the doors w/o flooding! So far, not a single problem. Looked at BMW and others, LR2 was hands down the best deal. Lease is up and gf is so upset about turning it in, we are looking into buying it. But I am concerned about maintenance expense as it ages. (We only have 21K miles and all maint was free during lease.) If money was no concern, I would keep this car without any hesitation, but for the pot-holed street of New Orleans I would rather have a cheap beater.

• 

  Terrific - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Jim - August 2 - 5:26 pm

  I have put 15,600 miles on my Rover so far and I love the vehicle. Mainly on road driving, but some off-road on iced dirt roads with inclines and sideways washouts. The Rover virtually drives itself with the auto programs and didnt hiccup. In some snow/ice storms I was forced to drive through-I always felt safe and secure in the vehicle. Near sports-car handling in such a big vehicle-contrary to some writing it is not tippy to me at all under any conditions Ive encountered.

• 

  2002 Landrover Freelander - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Kate - July 30 - 9:03 pm

  Its sad to say I must agree with all the negative reviews written. This by no means was the worst vehicle I had ever owned. Within the first few months the sunroof went 3 times, after the 3rd time landrover replaced it, but the new one had issues too. I stopped using the sunroof. The driver side rear window broke 3 times. After the 4th year of owning this vehicle hugh mechanical disasters, and finally the engine went, transmission started slipping and the diffrentials went. I would never reccommend landrover products to anyone, waste of money and time. Landrover should pay the customers to driver the vehicle.

• 

  not tired of it yet - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By laserdoc86 - July 27 - 4:19 am

  I have owned by RRS for 2 years now, and I still love driving this car. I love the driving position, acceleration and looks of the car. It is one of those cars that stands out from the rest. Over all the experience has been positive. The car has been reliable, except for the earlier problems with the camera system, which I really think you only need the rear camera. The brakes do wear early, got mine replaced at 21,000 miles.