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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  Not all are bad - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Wayne - October 11 - 10:00 am

  I read several of the reviews listed here before purchasing my 2005 Range Rover HSE as was very nervous about doing so due to all the negative comments about its reliability. I purchased the vehicle with approx. 68K miles and to my surprise it has been one of the most reliable vehicles Ive ever purchased! Now I have ~109K miles on it a it runs just like it did the day I purchased it. The only major cost was the front suspension. This was a 2K+ repair but other than that nothing more than routine maintenance. I love my RR there is nothing like it on the road or off! With the air suspension it rides smoother on the highway that most cars! Sounds system is awesome and the engine sounds great!

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  My first Range Rover - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By James Daniel - October 8 - 8:16 pm

  This is my first RR purchase. The reliability has been superb at 7000 miles. What a looker! Turns heads of all ages. Maybe too small up front for a big guy (64", 220lbs.), however controls and seats are top notch. Fuel mileage has averaged about 14 city and 20+ highway. I have tried regular gas for several tankfuls without any noticeable problems. Has the best nav system on the market, period. The infusion of BMW engineering (RRs previous owner) and Fords money (RRs current owner) has created a desirable, competitive and trustworthy product line.

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  Im Very Happy - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By mcapurro - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I shopped several SUVs and was very surprised at the drive experience on the Discovery. With the larger 4.6L engine and the improved suspension and braking, it performed very well on the road. This caught me off guard in that with the height and weight of the car, I expected it to be a dog. I was proven wrong. Off road it lives up to its reputation. Dealer experience post-sale has been great!

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  A Nightmare in Sheeps Clothing - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Dale Booth - October 4 - 8:30 pm

  Well, Where do I start - Land Rover ought to really be ashamed of the product they built. This engine design is a total joke. I had my Freelander approx. 1 year before I had to trade it in. The problem was with a leak of the engine coolant into the engine. This slow leak was unrepairable. The only TEMPORARY solution was a new engine for a cost of $10K, according to Land Rover-Jaguar of Houston. I had them put the SUV back together and drove it to the nearest TOYOTA dealership where I traded it for a 2005 Toyota 4Runner. It has been happy driving ever since. MY ADVICE TO ANYONE THINKING ABOUT PURCHASING A NEW OR USED LAND ROVER. DONT DO IT; UNLESS YOU HAVE MONEY FOR REPAIRS.

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  30 K report - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By DH - October 2 - 12:30 pm

  Just took it in for 30K check up. Been flawless thus far, all I have done is the free service. Lots of fun to drive, 22 mpg. Very happy with this purchase.

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  Great Choice!!! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By firstimebuyer - September 29 - 10:00 am

  This is the first car that I have bought myself, and I am very impressed. I was looking at a lot of other SUVs and almost bought a Pathfinder, until I saw the Freelander. The difference in the handeling and smoothness of the ride separates this vehicle from all the others in its class. And of course, you cant go wrong with a Land Rover, even one thats affordable!! I reccommend that anyone who is interested in buying or leasing an SUV take the Freelander for a ride, you will be very glad you did.

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  great car - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By don - September 28 - 9:33 pm

  this vehicle turns heads and gets you lots of attention if thats what your looking for. Great interior design and exterior design, all the exterior curves/lines of the car are beautiful. Ive had some trouble with the air suspension not lowering by itself when the car is turned off; the car will sometimes do it and sometimes wont. also note, that the voice command for the cd player, if you ask to play track "seven" the car will play track "seventy". Overall, great car, very sturdy and powerful. Anyone in the orange county area, Land Rover Newport Beach dealership has extremely friendly service.

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  LR3: Driving can actually be fun - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Marloag - September 28 - 4:03 pm

  My experience with the most recent LR3 I purchased has been great. It is actually fun to drive. It has wonderful off-road capabilities, as well as being very comfortable and roomy inside. The three sun roofs make the whole car bright and even more spacious. The navigation system is relatively easy to use, and very helpful. The folding-down back seats has been very useful as well.

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  Outstanding Vehicle - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Jim - September 24 - 11:40 pm

  I have used the vehicle to travel 3- 400 highway miles a week. I have towed 20 boat 300 miles w/o effort, pulled boat full of water from sandy beach without trouble. I have driven through sandy orange groves...the vehicle performs as advertised. I use the lowering function for easier entry for the ladies, (still too high for elderly to easily access)parking in the garage and when using drive up banking services. I currently have 54,000 miles on the vehicle, 0 problems and I have averaged 18.6 mpg.

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  Love my FullFat Range Rover - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By bergml - September 23 - 2:19 am

  107K miles, no major faults to note. All records going back to new. Typical fiddly LR stuff here and there (door handle release cable, dead battery---but it was the original that lasted 7 years, and these things are typically hard on batteries, occasional goofy electrical gremlins, cooling hoses randomly burst---this is well documented) but all in all, the truck has been tremendously reliable and is very comfortable and nothing feels as safe when youre having to navigate through blinding snow storms and 10 degree temps. My truck has the lux package so the seats are straight out of a 7-series BM and are very comfortable. Find one that has been looked after and youll see why we love them!