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:

• 

  Four Months into Ownership - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Steve S. - March 30 - 12:43 am

  So 4 months after my first review I still like this vehicle but it has unfortunately been to the dealership for 3 major problems. Electrical problems, workmanship flaws (my entire LCD odometer display was replaced) and little rattles have put a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm for a car that costs so much. The car is beautiful to drive and extremely comfortable, but twice a week to the gas station is unbearable. I am averaging 10.2 miles/gal according to the cars internal meter. The AC is overly complicated. Bluetooth clumsy, I am told I am difficult to hear by the people I call. Navigation is a disaster. as I stated in my earlier review, my Q7 had a much better Nav & blind spot monitor.

• 

  Watch for Dips - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By becksnorth - March 18 - 10:00 am

  The only complaint that I have is that this car seems to have a life of its own when you hit a dip in the road or catch uneven pavement. Hold tight to the steering wheel.

• 

  Review of 2016 LR4 Landmark - 2016 Land Rover LR4
  By J. Cardenas - February 9 - 6:17 pm

  Purchased a 2016 LR4 Landmark Edition - great package ! Equivalent to the HSE LUX but a big savings. My wifes car and see loves the space, visibility, and safety. Not as peppy as the old 8-cyl LR4 but will do. Could use a little more leg room and rear seats dont recline. Compared with previous model of Audi Q7, BMW X5, Mercedes, and even 2015 Range Rover Sport and she liked this better.

• 

  Nothing like a Rover - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By nicedream - January 30 - 2:53 am

  Bought used with 40k on it, put over 60k more on it in 3.5 years. A joy to drive, with an unmatched view of the road and surroundings. Can tackle any conditions, been through over a foot of fresh unploughed snow like its nothing. Reliability for first couple years was outstanding with only routine maintenance needed, other than minor electronics issues. Around 80k miles started with frequent cooling system issues, culminating in needing head gaskets replaced, a very common issue in the Disco in the 60-100k mile range. Its a $3,000 repair, so beware. Some exterior body panels have deteriorated. Overall, a great truck, but expensive to own.

• 

  Transmission and Motor - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By HSE 06 - January 22 - 7:10 pm

  seems like the transmission slips quite dramatically to 3rd at 60 mph. Engine light at 1000 miles. Mass airflow issue. Please what is wrong with this vehicle? 300 Horses for the hse is a blatant lie, please compare with bmw x3! There must be a recall

• 

  From good to bad to worse...sad but true - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Peter - January 13 - 1:30 pm

  This is an update to my April 2009 review. Unfortunately I have no good news to report. My ownership experience continues to sour. The clunking in the suspension returned again a month ago. The saga continues. Apparently the dynamic suspension is malfunctioning and the vehicle has been in the shop for two weeks now. Not sure when the parts will arrive and will require a diassembly of the chassis to repair. I have now tallied the cost to repair all of these warranty items at almost $5,000 in the first two years of ownership. Cat converter $1,450, sway bar repair $475, Suspension actuator $2,750. This vehicle will be turned in at end of lease, cost and reliability problems abound

• 

  2015 RRS Supercharged - 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By wvrange12 - January 12 - 4:41 am

  Just took delivery of the truck. First Land Rover for me. My first impression is absolute rocket. Handling and acceleration are excellent. Handles at least as good as my previous five series and is considerably faster. Interior materials are top notch. so far my opinion is the electronics leave a bit to be desired for a vehicle in this price range. Meridian upgrade is pretty nice. I have not use the vehicle enough to determine whether navigation and other Bluetooth and iPod controls are good or bad but I will post a follow up after some time of ownership. Dealership experience at Rahal Land Rover was great; cannot speak to value or reliability since Ive only had the truck for one day.

• 

  Happy with the purchase - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By TBear - January 8 - 10:00 am

  I bought the car used with 33,000 miles on it. Paid through the nose for an extended warranty (used some of it but, in general, it was a waste). Car costs $1000 - $2000 per year to keep in good shape. The BMW 7- series engine is fantastic and drives much better than newer HSEs with the Jaguar engine. Transmission never hunts for the right gear like the Jag engine. I replaced OEM tires with much better Goodyear HPs and the difference is amazing. Much quieter and better handling. The styling is great and the annual mechanical costs are worth it.

• 

  Love the Disco - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By BlackhawksCRNA - January 4 - 2:00 am

  I drove every SUV made before settling on the discovery. Everyone said, it drives like a truck, well, I like it. Its not as smooth as the Lexus RX 330, but it looks and feels like a tough vehicle. I am very pleased.

• 

  Initial impressions - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Chris - January 3 - 3:40 am

  Just purchased an 08 SE model with 20k on it. Glad I didnt listen to the elitist, jaded reviews of car journalists (this site included) and decided on a test drive. The LR2 is a 4200 pound truck, it is not meant to take off like a rocket ship or handle like a Ferrari. That said, anyone not pretending to be Mario Andretti should be well satisfied by its power and cornering ability. The ride is very comfortable even on cratered NYC streets. Had a great time passing people who were out of control and stuck during a recent snow storm. Good fit and finish to the interior. The controls are a little busy and some are hard to use/find without looking. Will submit an update after a year.