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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  Stay away!! - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By neverbuyLR - May 15 - 3:30 pm

  I have had this car into the dealer several times starting with a coolant leak, failed water pump, computer system failures. The dealer didnt do all the work they said they did or the problems I had, wouldnt have happened. One cylinder lost compression at 58,000 miles with no warning. Dealer says needs a new engine that will cost $21K. But, they have no idea what broke. Car isnt even two years old. Land Rover and dealership customer service is horrorific compared to my previous experiences with dealerships. Then even stuck me with the rental car bill and towing bill after they took 5 days to tell me anything. I am now stuck trying to unload this car at a loss. This car is like a hot guy with no brains... looks good on the outside, but cant go the distance.

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  Buyer beware - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By tbone1 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a fully loaded Range Rover and after only 1,200 miles it is back at the dealership with the following. Electrical problems, Frame problems, Steering colum, Trans warning light and shutdown, Not starting and many more. And if that was not enough the dealership and Land Rover wont replace the car. I had to hire two law firms to assist and the problem is still not close to being resolved. For the money you pay for this car you would think Land Rover would bend over to help, but no way. Then they are owned by Ford

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  Worst vehicle I have ever owned - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By George - April 16 - 9:53 am

  Throughout my life I have owned many high class vehicles and this is by far the worst vehivcle I have ever owned. It has more problems then can be listed in this 700 word review. Among some of the many problems were incidents such as disabled suspension, steering column failure, being locked in the vehicle, the windows mysteriouslty going down over night, the security alarm dosent work, and Land Rover North America refusing to take responsbility for all these problems and admit ITS A LEMON. In short I would not recomend this car to anyone I personaly am getting rid of mine and purchasing an Audi A8L.

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  WARNING Horrible quality, design, - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By kitchenma27 - February 5 - 6:33 am

  This is the absolute worst vehicle ever. In addition to being noisy uncomfortable and riding like a farm tractor, the FreeLander has a fatal design flaw in that the Head Gasket fails requiring a new engine. Nobody wants these vehicles (80% depreciation in 3 years) resale is horrible. You would actually feel guilty selling it. I was 2 years and 51k into my 5 year 50 k warranty and Land Rover refused to warranty the engine this engine is notorious for head gasket failure, Everything breaks in this car wiper motors, all latches for the glove box, center console fuse cover, mirror motors the heat, defrosters switches gas cap. You name it it breaks. The cost to make repairs is astronomical