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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  Best Buy - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Shireen - May 2 - 10:00 am

  great so far. had it for about 2 months now and wouldnt trade it for nothin but maybe the new Range Rover. i chose the HSE Discovery 03 over a BMW X5 and Benz ML after driving all 3.

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  The best REAL SUV/4x4 - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By j kish - April 25 - 2:00 am

  I owned Fords for years and thank God Ford has not infiltrated the designers at LR, yet. If you want a true 4x4 with the style and grace of the overpriced overvalued overgrown station wagons such as the BMW, Mercedes, Porche, etc. Look no further than the Disco 2. It is a beast with a Swans exterior. Rugged, yet smooth as silk in the city. Its small enough to fit anywhere but deceptively roomy inside. I am over six feet and 250 lbms and I fit just fine inside. Elegant, yet VERY DURABLE.

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  Great 4x4, should have been a sports car - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By mike - April 21 - 4:46 pm

  Very impressed with ths vehicle. Glad we waited for its release. The size is right and it handles like a sports car unlike what you might expect. My only gripe might be gas mileage which is increasing as it breaks in. Otherwise we are pleased with all other aspects of this vehicle. My kids love the nav- (we have all options) and find it very easy to use. Would recommend to anyone who wants a real 4x4 and all the options without the big bloated feel of most other 4x4s.

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  LR# - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By stwsam - April 13 - 2:16 pm

  I have owned 5 new LRs in the past 4 years. This takes the cake. Even more bullet proof than our 2004 Range Rover. Just everything is flawless. 3800 miles and not the first sensor light. LR is catching up at long last. The ride is smooth, the power is great and the sound system with blow you away.

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  Better than expected reliability. - 2000 Land Rover Range Rover
  By runtgun - April 11 - 12:40 pm

  After buying a used 2000 HSE and putting about 40,000 miles on it, weve been pleasantly surprised by the reliability. In that time, we had the tie-rod ends replaced and the drivers seat heater element replaced. Nothing else has failed and it still drives like new. The Michelin tires are hardly worn (original!). The small details (side mirrors dimmable, etc) are welcome, but its the solid, unflappable performance on poor traction surfaces that makes it our favorite vehicle.

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  Lovin It! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By shebby69 - April 2 - 2:00 am

  Well, after I totalled my Toyota Echo I wanted something that could safely handle changing weather conditions. I test drove everything from Mazda Tributes to Ford Escapes to Isuzu Rodeos to Toyota Rav4s and this was by far my favorite! I dont really understand why many people say the car is not fast, or doesnt shift well. If you manually shift in the "sport" mode the Rover is actually very fast! I love it and cant wait to test it out in warm weather!!!

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  Better than ever expected. - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Razor - March 31 - 9:46 pm

  I had previously owned an LR Discovery and wasnt too thrilled with the design or performance. I thought Id never own another LR until I saw the Sport. I had to see it. Then had to drive it. Then had to own it. The car is incredible. Most nimble SUV on the planet and with classy style to boot. Plenty of power, interior space, and creature comfort features.

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  Love the LR4 - 2011 Land Rover LR4
  By buckybadger1 - March 31 - 9:29 am

  we have had ourt LR4 now for one year. it has been a wonderful truck so far and has exceeded our expectations. we are very happy we went with the Land Rover over the competition - and plan on having a Range Rover next.

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  vroom vroom - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By oohmali - March 30 - 3:16 pm

  Awesome ride! Superior handling on city streets. Had somewhat of a slight inconvenience occur while out shopping. Had to FOLLOW the culprits. They were driving a Chevy Impala (Pursuit Package). I was driving my RRS. This baby gets UP!!! I was highly impressed with the performance of this sweet SUV. Only problems have been the reverse tilt-mirror feature activates on its own on some occasions. The suspension warning light occasionally activates and will not allow me to change the height of the vehicle without turning the vehicle off and then restarting it.

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  Exceeds Expectations - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By C.J. - March 28 - 7:40 am

  Gambled and bought a Rover - and glad I did. Buying experience fantastic. Car is rock-solid - like driving a vault, very BMW-esque. It feels heavy (and makes my larger GMC Yukon seem flimsy in comparison). Thought at first that it was underpowered, but at about 500 miles it loosened up - and the mileage got better too. Suspension sporty but not too rough. Build quality appears to be excellent. Things that at first seemed not to work correctly were actually just a lack of knowledge on my part. Its a complicated machine and it takes some time and effort to understand (but some controls are just bizarre and unintuitive, i.e. radio tuning). Owners manual worth studying closely!