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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  SE-7 - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By guillermo islas - October 18 - 2:00 am

  The Discovery 2003 incorporates the engine 4.6 and transmission from the 2002 Range Rover, the brakes were improved also over the 02, the front suspension was reconfigured to reduce body roll without the need of the expensive ACE system, so you basically are driving a cool series II Discovery with all the better things that were just available in the expensive RangeRover that made it famous. It is a vehicle designed 100% for offroad, that transfers a great handling SUV for your daily drive in highways. Probably the only car that looks in place offroading in high mauntains and at the vallet parking at the Opera in the same Saturday.

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  LR3 HSE7 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By KandG - October 16 - 3:16 am

  We cross shopped the BMW X5 4.8is, X5 3.0 (0nly one with a manual) and Volvo XC90 V8. LR3 won out over others for features at price point and legendary capability of the marque. So far so good. Mileage has been better than average (approx 19.7mpg) LR3 is very stable at triple digit speeds on the autobahn. Utility, versatility and ergonomics are great. Steering feel is perfect and not overboosted like the Volvo. Only wishes really are for a manual tranny, cloth seats/rubber mats (leather is too much to upkeep) and Tdi options stateside. Navigation could have better input control such as a column stalk/selector. Touch screens tend to get tedious. Voice Command is really unnecessary.

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  So far so good - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By bestdeal - October 15 - 2:00 pm

  Range Rovers have a history of failing over time. The $6000 dealer cash sealed the deal for me. Although the Range depreciates faster than any other luxury SUV I feel it is still a good value. It just needs to be taken into consideration before purchased. Residual value is low. Dont let the TMV fool you! You can get a Range for well under factory invoice. I got mine for $5500 because of the dealer cash.The advertised $795 with no money down can be beaten by a large margin!

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  Second Impressions - after one month... - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Chai2 - October 10 - 10:00 am

  Having driven just over 1,000 miles in a month I must say that our Freelander is a winner. It is without doubt the best handling SUV Ive driven, hugging the road like a BMW in tight turns. Its traction is superb in slick conditions. Weve been off-road a few times and our Freelander surprised every time with its electrifying performance. We improved upon the already excellent seat comfort by installing third-party armrest (found through the internet). We also installed full length roof rails further improving the already stylish look.

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  Emasculated Range Rover - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Barry - October 1 - 10:03 am

  We recently traded our 2003 RR for the new 06 RR. This may have been a mistake. The biggest complaint has been in the drive train. The 03 RR was based on a BMW V8 from the 740 series. It had 286 hp. The car always seemed to have ample power and acceleration, no matter where you were in the RPM curve. The new 06 is based on a Jaguar/Ford V8. The spec sheet says 305 hp. Frankly, I dont think the engine puts out half that much. It feels anemic, has no pull through the gears. When you finally make the transmission kick-down, the gears seem to have the wrong algorithm. Land Rover probably couldnt afford the price of the BMW powerplant now that it is a Ford company. I miss my 03.

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  An Outstanding Choice - 2000 Land Rover Range Rover
  By RTL--Bellevue - September 24 - 10:06 pm

  I use my Range Rover--and it really performs. Snow, mud, sand, up hills and down without complaint. Towing is a breeze--very stable frame. Throughout it all, my RR has been outstanding. Excellent driver visibility and superior lighting make it a treat to drive.

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  Superior versatility - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Jeff Makowski - September 20 - 6:36 pm

  Id been looking for a compromise between a full-sized SUV, for off- roading and poor weather safety, and a sedan, for better milage and handling. The Freelander hasnt disappointed. Very smooth ride, with little to no body roll, great visibility, superior snow/mud/muck handling, and Im still getting relatively decent milage (18-20 mpg). The styling certainly sets it apart from most other vehicles in its class. Very unique interior material (Technical Fabric), with excellent seat support and comfort. Plus, the hardtop is easily removable, looking forward to adding many summer driving miles. The Freelander is the compromise that doesnt feel like one.

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  Fabulous Beast - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By bgsntth - September 5 - 5:00 am

  I just turned in our SE V8. It was a truly wonderful truck, and we fully utilized every aspect of its function and performance. We have had many luxury SUVs that performed the dual duty of soccer mom mobile and ranch truck. The LR3 exceeded beyond everything in both aspects, and was more reliable than all the others barring the Lexus GX. Cargo area is huge, rear seats are roomy and comfortable for adults, off-road capability with Terrain-response is w/o peer -barring my wifes 08 RR. Only wish it had the Dynamic Response and a diesel option.

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  Wish I knew - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Jholl - August 30 - 7:46 am

  I wish I would have seen these reviews before I bought the Freelander in April. I have only driven it about 5 weeks since I bought it. It has been in the shop the rest of the time. The place I bought it from wouldnt even deal with me. Neither would Land Rover. A trailing arm split in half, wish I could post pics, from a pot hole. The new problem is the fuel system. It was replaced a week ago and malfunctioned, leaving me stranded on the highway. I have seen the truck on a flatbed more than I have seen myself behind the wheel. I had to get AAA because I ran out of insurance tows. Oh yeah if an extended warranty is your thought, dont think it because LR nor anyone else will give you one.

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  Love/Hate Relationship? - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By jclay1965 - August 26 - 4:36 am

  After pondering the decision to buy a LR3 V8 HSE after renting one for a week in California last year, finally got around to doing it this week. I can already tell it will most likely be a love/hate relationship. Right out the door, had to bring the LR3 back to the dealership the very next day, as there was some noticeably bad wobble/vibration coming from one or more of the wheels/tires. Also the seat memory switch #1 was DOA. While it was in being fixed, apparently the check engine light came on, and they fixed that as well, after running an engine diagnostic. I love the car, but we are off to a rough start. The dealership, on the other hand, is fantastic!