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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  My RRS HSE - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Charlie - November 29 - 10:53 pm

  I bought this truck the weekend it was available to the public back in July of 2005. I cant tell you the goose bumps Id get when people on the street turned their heads to check it out, saying, "I thinks thats the NEW Range Rover Sport", and "NICE TRUCK!" I still have the same sense of excitement every time I start the ignition now at 5,500 miles as I did the day I bought it! If you are looking for a sports sedan - scrap that - a sports car feel but in a full-time all wheel drive luxury SUV, this is your vehicle. I challenge you this...if you have the means, just test drive it and I bet you buy one.

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  Get ready to know your Service Manager - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By WarEagle Tiger - November 9 - 10:00 am

  I am a Lexus owner who decided to buy a the 2003 HSE and after owning it for 2+ years I would recommend staying away from this SUV if you are sensitive to dealership repair bills. The HSE is wonderfully appointed and a prize to drive, but it is very temperamental and with over 60 engine sensors- the service engine soon light goes on every three months. To add to this, the labor and parts charges are a college tuition bill. A heavy SUV that burns through brakes every 20K. Be forewarned it will cost you about $2K per year and the dealer will charge you $130 for an oil change.

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  I love this vehicle! - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By M. Gilmore - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Even though I owned an LR3 with no reliability probs I was a touch nervous having read other reviews about the RR Sport. Sitting in the tow truck on my way back to the dealer after one week I was not too happy! Turned out a faulty cell in battery was why my car was dead. Changed it and since then a dream come true. I got black on black with the contrast stitching (a must) looks beautiful. Drives like a dream, such a comfortable seating position and great power I never want to get out of it. If you are thinking of this vehicle just get it, you deserve it. I have had only fun driving since the battery debacle of first week and highly recommend this car. Looks great inside and out,I love it!

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  Stylish SUV - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By Cliff - November 6 - 6:12 pm

  The Evoque is a fun car drive. It looks great inside and out. The ride is comfortable most of the time, although larger bumps are not suppressed. It is a great handling SUV. My gas mileage is about 21 in mixed driving, although the Evoque on board computer says its 23. The transmission has 9 speeds, and it can take a second for it to find the gear you want in comfort mode, it reacts faster in sport mode. The paddle shifters work well. I would not recommend this as a family SUV its too small, but if its just you or just you and a friend or spouse, its a great size. The panoramic sun roof is a great feature at night or when its not too hot out. The stereo and navigation controls can use some improvement, they are slow to react to touch. The climate system is excellent. Overall, after one month and a thousand miles, Im happy with the Evoque, it could use some updating in the electronics, and the gas mileage could be better, but I just enjoy driving it.

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  Looks good! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Bettycat - November 2 - 10:00 am

  Love the looks & feels good inside. A good chicks car. The driver needs an arm rest, the engine needs more power, the upgraded stereo sucks. The rear passenge windows only go down half way. ( but I do love the vehicle anyway ) Looks DO matter!

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  The real freelander - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By M-technic - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Very nice car. I boudht it for my life and she is realy rest satisfied.

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  FREELANDER SE3 WORKS FOR ME - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By BRADE1063 - October 19 - 10:00 am

  FREELANDER IS MY FIRST SUV. AND WHILE NOT A LARGE SUV, I NO LONGER FEEL INTIMIDATED WHEN A TRUCK OR OTHER SUV COMES UP BEHIND ME. MY SE3 IS COMFORTABLE, SPORTY, SOLID AND GETS LOTS OF LOOKS FROM OTHERS ON THE ROAD.

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  I know but I still cant part with it - 2002 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Rocks5 - October 8 - 6:23 am

  We are into 6 years with this car and have had issues (all handled by warranty and extended warranty) but cant part with it. It has had enough work to seem new still and rides like it. It tows like a truck and during the worst Colorado winter on recent record was the only vehicle to get out of the neighborhood(including Hummers and a Ford f250 4 wheel drive). We have an SRX Caddy awd and an Audi w Quattro. We keep the RR as a second car now, but, when it snows the Range is what my wife insists on having drives. Its quirky but gets the job done when we really need it.

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  Warranty Only Please! - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By kcslc - October 5 - 11:00 pm

  My LR3 was a heartbreaker. I just traded it in after only 18 months of use. In that time it cost me nearly $1,700 at the dealer, and it was looking to need nearly another $1,200+ in work. Air compressor died, keyless entry died, rocker mouldings fell off regularly, front axle bearing bad, undiagnosed HDC fault, pass door lock died. This in a vehicle with 62,000 miles on it. I average 20k miles a year and had more problems in 15k on this vehicle than any other vehicle Ive owned! If you can stand the maintenance, this is an awesome vehicle. I almost kept it.

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  Land Rover 04 - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By lsd1 - October 5 - 4:47 am

  Love the Land Rover design and purchased a certified 04 Range Rover a few years ago. The car was wonderful to drive and the most comfortable SUV found. Navigation system was not has hard to figure out as others have suggested. I did have mechanical issues such as engine light repeatedly coming on, steering column falling in my lap, tail-gate latch failing . . .but nothing kept the car off the road (albeit the steering column issue was tricky and fixed ASAP). I have since sold this SUV, but still in love with the styling and going to give Land Rover another chance. Trusting that the new owners have made some headway on reliability, while keeping awesome design.