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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  beware British engineering - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By VolvoAndy - July 27 - 2:00 am

  towed into selling dealer after 8 months and 5800 miles. they have no clue whats wrong with after having car 1 week. when questioned about the status, service dept. is vague and disinterested. high-class image, low- class service.

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  Range Rover 2 year owner review...... - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By SH - July 24 - 1:36 am

  Overall it is a great vehicle. Ride for an SUV is excellent, interior well laid out with superior craftsmanship. Better than anything else I test drove. Reliablity for its size and amount of technology is good. Great ride in snow, off road and highway. Acceleration is good for moving 6700lbs. Excellent service by dealership, they stand behind the vehicle.

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  LR3 HSE rating - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Jane Schlossberg - July 22 - 4:36 pm

  This car lives up to the Motor Trend SUV of the Year review. It handles beautifully, and is fun to drive. It maneuvers well on all types of surfaces, from gravel to snow to icy conditions. It drives very much like the Range Rover, but for $23,000+ less. I gave up my fully loaded Mercedes ML430 for this, and have no regrets at all. Reliability is not yet known, as it is too new.

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  Amazing! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Cornellian - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE IT!! Amazing in horrendous conditions! Really powerful and cute too :)

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  2003 Range Rover @ 2200 miles - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Thomas R. - July 22 - 10:00 am

  got rid of my Mercedes ML320, which was totally loaded and had a sticker of $50k when purchased new in 2001. The Ml was nice but was in the shop for a lot of little things that I felt should never have broken. This Range Rover exceeds the ML in all catagories. For style, ride, and shear "show" value. The mercedes is nice but you see them everywhere. When you see a Range Rover , you notice it.

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  2003 rRR - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By randy riggs - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought the 2003 Range Rover after owning a 2001 Lexus RX300. I wanted a more "real" 4WD auto and one that not everyone had. The RR is that car! It is a very smooth ride on rode and very dependable off. I love the build quality and the BMW influencfe even though now that Ford owns them.

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  Land Rover got it right - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By rba8888 - July 19 - 5:11 am

  I was completely estatic to buy the Range Rover. My previous truck was a Tahoe. This is a polar opposite to that truck. The navigation does leave something to be desired. However the performance from a 4.4L engine is exceptional! Assuming you have a repair manual; maintance and repair costs arent anymore expensive than a domestic vehicle. I have zero complaints with this truck. Offroad is excellent. Road driving is also very smooth. The acoustics are a great thrill especially when connected to an Ipod. Trailer pulling was a pleasent surprise too! I didnt feel the car I was hauling behind me. Lastly on my summary the fuel milage is poor but I expected that. Overall Im very happy with Rover!

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  An incredible vehicle!! - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Bart Chamberlain - July 16 - 12:26 pm

  Ive owned my Range Rover Sport for a month...simply an unbelievable ride. Its a perfect combo of luxury, refinement, and sportiness packed into one vehicle. Gets looks everywhere I go and is a true joy to drive.

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  Finally! An SE3! - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By SE3 - July 15 - 2:23 am

  The reason why I purchased this 2 door convertible SUV was because I didn’t need a large vehicle since it’s just me and I wanted something that you dont see everyday. For the year 2005, they only produced 234 of these SE3 Freelanders! I also got this one because it had 1600 miles and an extended warranty till 2012. The cool thing is that the back can be removed and the sunroof glass panels can come off entirely for a really open air feeling. It is true that a Jeep Wrangler can become more open air than the SE3 but they are a dime a dozen. It looks very sporty and it gets lots of stares. It even goes off road fairly well although it is restricted on certain terrain due to no low range gear.

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  Best SUV ever! - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Cathy - July 8 - 10:00 am

  I leased my LR3 for two years, then when the lease came do I could not think to give it back! IT WAS MY BABY! So I moved forward and purchased it and I could not be happier! My car has 60,000 miles on it now, I did in fact have an issue with the sunroof, and it was fixed about a year ago, it took a little bit but they did get it! I only care about the performance and the fact that my car runs like its brand new! In swear by my LR3, and think that sometimes we all run into a lemon as I did with one of the five Grand Cherokees I leased. I would never buy a Chrysler at 30,000 your car starts to fall apart. LR3 are solid, and I am very happy, will keep it forever! BEST TRUCK OUT THERE!