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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  Sport Rocks! - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By KRBJr. - March 13 - 7:46 pm

  Best looking SUV on the planet. Ride and handling are close to the best as well. A real head turner with the guts to do more off road than most are willing to try. A keeper.

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  Take the Good with the Bad - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Charlotte Driver - February 26 - 2:00 am

  The overall look of the 2003, while having only minor cosmetic differences from the 2002, gives it a vastly richer look. Had a problem with the sunroof leaking and had to get the headliner taken off to fix it. Not very settling when purchasing a $40,000 truck. Some features seem a bit cheap, such as the automatic shifting gear. Turning radius is horrific and the gas mileage is as expected for a large V8. If its the overall look youre after, the 2003 Discovery is exactly what the consumer ordered, but with the great look comes some necessary refinements (dont come out with another design too quick though!)

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  Do not buy this car! - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By skinnyheart - February 23 - 9:53 pm

  I love so many things about this car - but I hate many more. I have lost count of how many times Ive taken this car to the dealership to repair malfunctioning lights, seat heaters, etc. (I think its been 8 so far). The front window molding blew off on the highway 3 months after purchase. In the last two months this car has broken down twice - while we were on vacation both times - and it only has 25,000 miles on it. It is at the shop now, 400 miles from my home. Who knows what is wrong with it. It is very poorly made.

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  Would love it more without problems - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Mtnplay - February 21 - 2:03 am

  I bought one of the first LR3s. I love the vehicle, but I have had many problems. An undiagnosed HDC failure, and air compressor went out at 58,000 miles, rocker panels fell off in the car wash, now I have a yellow engine light on. They want $1000 to fix the HDC problem, and $1000 to fix the air compressor. I am replacing the battery this week to see if that resolves the engine light problem. I absolutely love this vehicle for its looks, comfort,engine, and ability, however it could be built so much better. Would love to buy another one, but the dealer and Land Rover should have treated me better. I now have 102,000 miles on the LR3, and I plan to drive it until it dies.

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  My first SUV - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By jamesr717 - February 10 - 10:00 am

  Its my first SUV, and Im delighted with the choice! Great dealership, and an even better deal. Went ahead in spite of some lukewarm reviews, and Im glad I did. It has enough power to get out of its own way. It looks and feels sturdy, and is unique enough to turn heads. The Land Rover cashe is a bonus as well. Rides fine on the highway, and gets far better gas mileage than expected. I get 27mpg on the highway (70mph - Cruise on - A/C off) Interior, even with the leather option, is a bit spartan for a vehicle with such a "luxury" reputation. Do they really need so many "Land Rover" badges?

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  Best Car Ive Every Owned - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By jerrocopter - February 10 - 5:45 am

  Weve had our "hippo" since 2005 and purchased it with only 12k miles on it. We now have over 110k and weve loved driving every mile with this SUV. We did a lot of research before we made the purchase and knew about the many problems that others have reported with this vehicle, but we have been so pleased with the reliability and fun-ness of the Freelander. We have not experienced any of the frequent problems that are reported. Neither my wife or I take very good care of the mechanics of our cars. We usually go 10-15k between oil changes, weve never changed the transmission fluid, and sparkplugs were replaced for the first time at 95k. It still runs great and is very reliable.

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  Every day Tank - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Warwick Dales - February 3 - 4:03 pm

  This vehicle is only comparable to a Sherman Tank when looking at its off road capability.Been very impressed at what its got me through and out of.To be honest most of the places i thought only mad or insane people would get through,ive saunted through with this vehicle.Fuel consumption is the only hindrance,otherwise good to look at and my wife looks hot in it!

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  SUV/Luxury - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By tony - January 27 - 7:26 am

  I LOVE my Range Rover. I initially had a bad experience. I bought my new Range Rover in 9/04 and within 1 week had issues with the steering. After several (3) attempts to repair, Land Rover could not fix the issue with the steering. I insisted that it needed to be exchanged and with a bit of help from Land Rover Corporate, I was given a brand new Rover at no cost. I love my new Range Rover and it performance is outstanding. I now understand why people love the vehicles so much. I was a Mercedes/BMW luxury driver before but, now I feel like I have the best of both worlds. I just hope Jaguar doenst ruin it in 2006.

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  Great all around Vehicle - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By RM - January 20 - 2:16 pm

  So far it has been great. I especially enjoy the feeling of security when driving around in the LR3. In addition greatly enjoy the Logic 7 sound system, the simple to use NAV/GPS, the integration of Bluetooth and Voice Command. Voice Command takes a little getting used to and can be a little frustrating at first. When driving I enjoy using command shift. The brakes are amazing for a vehicle of this size and weight. The steering is precise and the ride is very smooth thanks to the air suspension. The flexibility in seating/cargo configuration is amazing. The kids love just about everything about it. Cant hardly wait to take it on a long trip. The more I drive it the more I like it

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  Great looking car - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By iii - January 17 - 9:33 am

  This is my 4th Land Rover. The RRS is my wifes car & so far (700mi) has been a great car to drive. looks great, goes well & drives great.