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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  Third LR - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By Finman - November 29 - 2:00 am

  Loved my previous 2005 and 2008 LR3s. This is the best of all. Smoother, much quieter, significantly more powerful. Speeding ticket within 3 hours of ownership! Outside facelift is a huge improvement, much classier looking, head/taillights, grille. Inside, overall much nicer and higher quality except a few pieces, better leather, inside of doors is a huge improvement. Miss the old headrests with the handles on them, adjustable headrests should be better, but love the old handles. Off road is amazing, love climbing boulders in this thing. No significant problems in any of the 3 LRs. Gas mileage is a little worse than previous LR3s. Sound system is improved somewhat, nav also...both are fine.

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  Fun little SUV - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Mike - November 27 - 8:16 am

  Just purchased my LR2 a month ago. I love it! Its fun to drive, comfortable, and looks great. Im making my first trip to Montana next month and will submit an off road review then. Im sure I wont be disappointed. I traded my Audi A6 S- line in for this. I thought I was going to compromise some driving performance for a better fishing vehicle, surprise! The LR2 has a very sprited inline 6 that wont leave you wanting for more power. Great job Land Rover!

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  I Love It! - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Dave - November 27 - 7:23 am

  It is the best driving experience out there. I have owned just about every great car and this is the best. I know it gets bad milage and it has reliability isues, but it is all worth it. It is smooth, the sound system is insane and it is just relaxing to drive. I actually like driving it more than any other car I have owned. I love it! British class with German engineering. All good.

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  Off Road Supremacy - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Jrwjr - November 26 - 2:00 am

  The most capable vehicle in the world. Eventhough its built for offroad supremacy, the HSE Discovery drives comfortably on the highway. Instant confidence booster for offroad adventures. Traction control is the best out of any vehicle ive ever driven. Hard to believe that Ford owns Landrover. Much better offroad handling and Design than H2.

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  Better Buy Two - 2002 Land Rover Range Rover
  By rockman - November 24 - 8:20 am

  Looking back, I should have bought 2 of these so I would always have one to drive while the other was in the shop getting repaired. Its great off road and reasonably comfortable on the highway. If I were to ever buy one again, not likely, I would sell it the day the warranty expired. Since the warranty expired about 3 years ago, I have averaged $3000/yr in repairs and I have all the receipts to show for it. Lastly, my RR leaks like a sieve when it rains and the dealer cant seem to find out from where. I actually drilled a hole in the spare tire well to let the water drain out on its own so I wouldnt have to suck it out with a hose after every rain.

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  Fantastic SUV - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By MarkHalp - November 23 - 1:40 pm

  I traded "down" to the LR2 from the Range Rover Sport and love this SUV. In some ways it is a more enjoyable vehicle. It has more interior room than the Sport, a comparable stereo, looks and for 2/3rds of the price. Although I have only owned this vehicle for a month it has had no problems which is better than I experienced with the Sport in the same time period. Recommended.

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  Love my HSE - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By CapnCurry - November 20 - 4:23 pm

  Love this vehicle. My criteria was 1) had to have navigation, 2) good in snow 3) has good towing capacity 4) was a luxury SUV. It met all of this in one nice package. Believe it or not its rated towing capacity is 7,700 lbs, thats more than a Hummer H2! And the Jaguar engine is smooth and sweet. This one is a keeper.

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  I bought a lemon - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By JABEL - November 17 - 3:56 pm

  Although I thouroughly enjoy my LR3 when its not in the shop, I almost to the point where Ill have to take a hit and sell it. Many times the onboard computer has affected the ability to drive, to raise and lower the vehicle, to operate the radio, and most importantly to shift. I should have known that the electronics would live up (or down) to their reputation.

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  Looks Good but a real Brit Junker - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By swamp - November 17 - 7:16 am

  I purchased my Diccovery in 2006. It had 20k miles on it. I had to replace all of the rotors and pads at the same time around 50k miles and they are not cheap cause you cant just replace the pads, must replace pads AND rotors. It overheated in Atlanta (it has 80K miles now) dealer tells me I have to replace head gaskets ($2800), Mass airflow sensors ($600), Thermostat ($470) .. and my window wont roll down anymore so i need a window regulator ($435) DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE CARS YOU WILL REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. YES THEY LOOK GREAT BUT THEY ARE GARBAGE ON THE INSIDE.

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  too many problems with this one - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By verrrry unhappy - November 15 - 10:00 am

  i bought the freelander in august 2003, it has been in the shop twice for leaking antifreeze, once for the sun roof, twice for the engine knocking, and is now in the shop for the air conditioning not working, still smelling antifreeze after turning car off, and having hard starts. i would not recommend this car to anyone. will trade it off if i can get out of service long enough.