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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  The little Rover - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By biz816 - March 18 - 3:10 am

  It has never broke down on me yet, but I have been to the dealer for a lot of little stuff (engine lights, window, wipers, speakers). Overall I love the car it drives great, and looks amazing. I cant complain about the problems I have had, since I have driven hard in the past 3.5 years. I love the Rover line and plan to buy again another rover soon.

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  This is a REAL 4X4. - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Stillwaters - March 16 - 10:36 am

  The LR3 is a true 4X4 off road vehicle. Everything else is just a station wagon! I dont know where to begin. The ride on road is smooth, stable, and quiet. Off road, this thing is a "Mountain goat!" Couldnt get it stuck (I tried). The build quality is fantastic, tight, sound and poised; simple, yet elegant. If you have been thinking of buying the Lexus, Acura, or Mercedes, do yourself a huge favor and test drive the LR3. Those other cars are just station wagons is disguise (and boring to look at). The LR3 has personality, and rugged profile, and a cast iron constitution. It will take you anywhere you want to go and then carry you home safe (with a huge smile on your face)...

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  Great SUV - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Jay - February 20 - 2:46 am

  I bought this car for my wife about one month ago & we love it. The Disco rides great & is very easy to drive.

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  Range rover evoque 2014 premium - 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By sammy2014 - January 10 - 5:04 pm

  THIS IS a SMALL SUV, if you want big cargo dont buy small suv, the exterior of the car is very good sexy looking, it is more manly than the other small suv ,it is the hottest small suv on the market, it look better with 4 doors than the coupe which looks funny, the interior is state of the art, very nice one of the best with no comparison to the most oudated interiors of the other competetives. the car is fun to drive, it change gears very quickly but sometimes when you dont want t , it could be on the 6th gear at speed of 40, so sometimes you may feel that, vibration side merrors are ugly but compensate for the limited rear view, gas milage as stated, GPS is state of the art. no issues

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  Landrover LR3 HSE - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By F. A - December 27 - 8:06 am

  A remarkable vehicle that sets the benchmark for capable off-roading SUV with refined on-road capabilities. Very ergonomic, has all of the features and more expected from a luxury SUV. If you want plush trim select another SUV e.g. Lexus GX 470. If you want a car with many intuitive features, without sacrificing the need for a "go-anywhere" SUV then the LR3 should be on the top of your test drive list. The V8 is very adaptable and will not leave you wanting more power when you have to get out of the way quickly. The terrain response is really neat and will help you avoid potential accidents. A must in the colder northern US states.

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  Love it - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By gpp - December 25 - 10:00 am

  We picked up an SE7 with a couple of extra features. To accomodate child access to the back seat, we added running boards. To date, the car drives very well with nice pickup. Driver space is super -- at 63" my only complaint is with the steering wheel positioning for entry into the drivers seat. Surprised also by stopping distance, which is quite good given the weight. While moving, the car seems to float, giving the imprecise feeling of standing still -- I still have to look at the spedometer to gauge the speed Im going. I mean this in a good way:. Basically, we love to drive it. Also, the gas mileage in town has averaged 16! Better than I had expected

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  Loving it so far... - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Its been a fairly snowy winter thus far in Central Massachusetts. I live on a min-mountain, let me tell you I have not had a problem getting home on those snowy nights.

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  Great hidden gem. - 2013 Land Rover LR2
  By Tom - December 13 - 3:18 am

  I have a 2013 lr2 which I bought used and its been an absolute delight to drive. Its tough in the snow and handles it with ease an expertise, easily navigating the accumulated feet of snow and ice collected on our streets here in Buffalo NY. Its got great pick up and can be described as peppy as the engine picks up pretty quickly with pretty good acceleration and passing speed. Everyone who gets inside of it is impressed by its understated class and prestige and its commanding presence. The seats are more similar to the cockpit of an airplane as you sit straight up with armrests that are similar to a planes with great visibility if the road from all windows. Despite its off road credentials, its a really smooth ride. The Bluetooth works great and its awesome not having to fool around with an aux chord. As soon as I get into the truck, it syncs and plays all of my downloaded music. It has heated seats and a heated steering wheel as well as a winter mode which automatically raises your wipers off the ceiling to avoid freezing to the windshield . For someone who doesnt want to dump the cash into a range rover, has a small family and doesnt need the 3rd row seating of the lr4 and if you dont like the newer rounded style that land rover is adopting in contrast to the classic classy boxy lines still possessed by these, then it might be a great choice. Not sure why they never caught on in the US but now as an owner, I believe its our countries loss.

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  Amazing SUV - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By mrjohnnycat - December 1 - 1:03 am

  I bought the Rover from a private party, the guy only had 18K in two years. I bought it for 40K it was in perfect condition. I bought someones supercharged pipes for and put also purchased chrome caps for the side mirrors and most importantly 22" wheels. The car gets a lot of attention! Everyone digs this car because it is very clean but not over the top. We just took it up from Orange County up to Carmel, Northern Cali up PCH and this car drove like a champ! No power lag for a two ton and I avg 18 mpg, not great but hey, if you dont have money you shouldnt be buying this car period. I havent had any problems from random lights a couple of times put I have been very happy with this car.

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  2004 Land Rover Discovery - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By xtern0 - November 30 - 2:00 am

  This is NOT something you take Madison to soccer practice in. This is a 4x4 yuppie tank, a posh off-road vehicle. Imagine a Jeep built back when the Military set certain requirements on the base design (pre-Hummer era). As expected, gas mileage is awful. Downside: The "Ford Business Model" shows. Hmmm...4x4 off road vehicle that requires a $250 option in order to get floormats? I wonder if the Land Rover plant counts the squares on the toilet paper rolls and unscrews half the lightbulbs? Sounds like a corporate executive or two need to retake Marketing 110. That being said, if thats the only downside I can find, well, you be the judge.