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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  RR Sport Rocks - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By billb - March 15 - 12:40 pm

  Simply a pleasure...Everthing about the car says luxury and cornering in this vehicle is a breeze. This SUV is made for someone looking for that "sport car feel" with all the off road capability. To me that gives you the best of both worlds. That being said if you need the the absolute best from both worlds dont expect this car to deliver. It is made to handle almost anything not outperform everything.

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  dont do it - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By teri - March 13 - 7:46 am

  I have had nothing but headaches with this truck. Always in the repair shop. overheated 4 times, replaced fuel pump, temp gauge, radiator, headlights both went out due to an electrical problem, back window regulator went at $500.00 just for the part, a few recalls, inspection failures and the I replaced brakes 3x and rotors once. and heres the big one. My Tranny went at 65,000 miles. Land Rover said ... oh well its over warranty. Truck looks good but is a lot of trouble. Not worth it. Stay away from this one.

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  Love My Freelander! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By LoveMyRover - March 11 - 7:26 am

  Ive had mine for 4 years and have not had any problems with the engine or any of the technical stuff (power windows, etc). I do a lot of trail blazing and this car has gotten me places other SUVs cant (or wont) go. While I feel bad for those who have obviously gotten cars with factory defects, dont let that deter you from buying this very fun car!

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  Love it! - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Gary Wood - March 8 - 11:10 pm

  Other than one misalignment of the sunroof (which has worked perfectly after repair), the LR2 has been a gem. I am completely satisfied and with close to 45K, it is still like new. We have driven it across country a couple of times without a problem.

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  me and my Discovery (love it hate it) - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Ken - March 5 - 12:33 am

  Always wanted a Land Rover I have admired them since forever. My land Rover is love/hate relationship. The thing cant go more than 6 months without need for a trip to the dealer, most of the time it is for something minor. My rover loves to gulp gas even on highway trip if Im lucky I might get 14 mpg (avg speed 66 mph). Ergonomics poor, off road performance way better than great. Snow, mud, water no problem. I purchased it with the older style nav system, which after the $700.00 cost Land Rover decided not to make map upgrade DVD disks for up dating. Great they have rendered the system useless as for up to the date maps and such, thanks Land Rover.

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  Almost Perfect - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By jmr1967 - March 4 - 8:50 pm

  The build quality is great, and I have had no problems wiht the car over two years and 25000 miles. Great for road tripping, being stuck in LA traffic, or a moderately spirited drive on some country roads. Plenty of power, competent off road (yes I really have taking it off road), and it can pull my Defender 90 on a trailer.

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  I think I bought a lemon - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By DLW - February 27 - 9:43 am

  I loved my LR2 so much, until numerous electrical issues, having to get it towed twice, $900.00 break jobs. The car looks great inside and out, but I have had nothing but problems with it and it is exceptionally expensive to service. Even oil changes...can only be done by the dealer. I would not recommend this car, unless you have a lot of expendable income you would like to blow on service issues!

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  FOLLOW UP - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Curtis Hall - February 24 - 1:40 pm

  I just wanted to give an update on my 04 RR HSE (bought with 34K in 4/08). So far so good, no problems just regular maintenance (Brakes & Oil changes). I did have the Driveshaft repaired under the Factory recall ($0). I must say they seemed to make alot of strides with the 04 models. I would definitely buy another one.

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  range rover - 2002 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Matthew P. - February 24 - 10:00 am

  Range Rover is beyond "ANY SUV" or my s420 mercendes benz.

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  Nice but fickle - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By bayviewwilliams - February 19 - 10:26 am

  Bad weather of any kind, this LR did not put one wrong foot forward. I also thought the Freelander was handsome, and unique among all the RAV4s and CR-Vs. The gas mileage for a small ute was appalling. Some niggling problems with LR, even covered under warranty, were an inconvenience. $100 oil changes made me sick-a workaday Rover 2.5 V-6 really needs synthetic oil from new? If you need to be unique, go ahead but be warned. Otherwise, keep looking!