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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  New Range Rover Sport HSE in California - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Randy - February 4 - 12:56 am

  I have about 2,000 miles on the new HSE. Terrific SUV. Previously have had Yukon, GMC Envoy, and BMW X-5 3.0. This vehicle makes the others look, drive and feel cheap IMO. Love the styling, the "Luxury Package" option is a MUST! Much better grade/quality of leather in the luxury option, as well as the "turning" bi-xenon headlights. Wonderful german-made ZF 6 speed automatic. Great air suspension ride. Also have this same supension in my Bentley Continenatal GT and Mercedes S55AMG. Makes THIS S.U.V. drive like a car, not like a truck. IMO, RIP-OFF $130 for injection molded plastic "cradle" that you MUST have to mount the Nokia phone to this model! I love this SUV!

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  Great Luxury SUV - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By P K Able - February 2 - 9:33 pm

  It has been a great car We take it to Tahoe and Carmel plus around town driving--it is the only true 3rd seat SUV in this price range--When you need that extra cargo room the 3rd row seat is hidden and you get total use of the cargo space--try that with a Lexus, Escalade, Denali Toyota you get back sprain lifting the 3rd row seat out to get the max cargo room

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  Disco - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Carl Krane - January 29 - 2:00 am

  The Discovery has great styling and stands out in a crowd. This car has maintained a 1960s styling because the design is timeless. This is my second Disco and I am impressed with many reliability improvements.

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  02 Freelander S-review - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Jerome - January 24 - 2:00 am

  Great car, very safe. Great fun when driving off road in the dirt !!!

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  LOVIN IT - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By MC - January 20 - 1:56 am

  We bought a Range Rover initially and loved it so much we bought the LR3. And it does not disappoint. What a great SUV. Absolutely no complaints. The Range Rover may have a sleeker style but otherwise the LR3 is very comparable.

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  This car meets all of my high expectations...so far! - 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By polarbearmike - January 19 - 12:35 am

  1. I love driving this car. I am 62" and weight 230lbs. I am uncomfortable in 95%+ of all cars I sit in. Some of you will understand this. 2. The new standard 375hp V-8 is super smooth and faster from 0-60 than all 17 cars I have owned minus a 911 and a Mini Cooper S. The sport mode is really not necessary, but if you want to beat 29 of 30 cars off the line, sport mode is available to you. 3. The nav is noy super hig tech, but it works well and the is easy to use once you unlearn your old nav system. 4. The interior of this SUV is of a very high quality. It is my favorite. Even better than a MB E320 I once thought could not be improved upon. 5. I feel very safe in this car. 6. No regrets.

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  The good gets better - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By Alex - January 17 - 12:03 am

  I just exchange my 2008 LR3 to the new LR4. Its a great improvement, never had any problem with the LR3 but, this one its quicker and interior is very handsome. I know, the gas is kind of low but what do you want for a big truck. The ride is supple and secure, and that is the important thing for me.

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  An authentic off road vehicle - 2009 Land Rover LR2
  By Forester - January 16 - 1:30 pm

  This car is just plain fun to drive. It is great on the highway and very capable off road. I have driven in mud, deep snow and dirt roads. It may look like a Lexus but the LR2 can really go off road. After 6000 miles no problems. Seems to be put together very well.

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  best car ive ever owned - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By vanessa - January 14 - 12:53 pm

  this is the best car ive ever owned. ive had 6 of the largest range rovers and switched for fun. it is a ball and everything its advertised as. great car!

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  Excellence from Land Rover - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By LandRoverLuvr - January 6 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is best value in my opinion, for this class. Its easy and fun to drive, lots of creature comforts and is built to last. The only time it has been in the shop has been for regularly scheduled maintenance. A little more storage room would be nice but, overall, its tops in my book.