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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  satisfied with my landrover - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By sherry heverly - October 12 - 7:03 am

  i bought my freelander off the showroom floor, love at first sight!, it is my first suv and i bought it mostly for my dogs, who travel with me daily. all in all it is reliable. there have been some english quirks, but it starts up every day and gets me to work and i love the style and handling. the quirks have been, a recalled engine at 35,000 miles, brakes that squeal, it does go through brake pads quickly.but i am still satisfied with it.

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  King of the Hill - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By renaldop - October 11 - 8:43 am

  I love my Range Rover. It is fun to drive both on and off road. I have a Lincoln LS V8 that I am planning to trade in, probably for another Range Rover (or Range Rover Sport). My RR has been in the shop a few times, but this is not out of the norm for such a highly technical masterpiece. Additionally, the top notch service at the dealership certainly helps. Ofcourse, they always provide either a Range Rover or LR3 for me to drive while my vehicle is being serviced. Although Lexus makes a "cute" and “inexpensive” SUV, it certainly doesn’t compare to the class and pedigree of the Range Rover. Range Rover is the best vehicle for a person that is willing to pay a little extra for the best.

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  Best of the Best - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By gjrugby - October 10 - 11:46 am

  We purchased our Freelander not three days ago, and we love it already! Filled it up with gas after leaving the dealership (87 octane) and drove around the city for a bit, then on the highway to our hometown. We drove for around 2 hours on the highway plus another hour of stop-and-go driving, and STILL got 20 mpg when we were all said and done. That was the first day. She is still clean and running like brand new!

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  2003 Land Rover FREELANDER 6-Cyl. 2.5 L - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Bellap - October 10 - 4:30 am

  When I bought this vehicle 3/07. I thought it was sporty and great size. With all the bells and whistles. Soon after buying this found that one of the tires was bad, had to have that replaced. Then found my brake lights had issues. Took back to the dealership advised they never worked properly. All within 1 mo. of buying this. Then recall: Brake Light Switch Replacement Recall Action P004. Which came after 6mos of me owning this. Then 2/19/08 my engine over heated. We thought oh, maybe new thermostat. Nope, the whole engine has to be replaced. Guess what? It cant be found. Currently stuck in a car rental warranty only covers 6 days. So I am SOL. Do not buy this vehicle.

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  The curse of Lucas electrics lives - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By aatk - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Im a Brit. I bought a British car built by scousers. I should have known better. This must have been a Friday vehicle. So far were up to a new engine management computer, a new nav system, 2 heads (for the stereo) and its back in the shop for a problem with the airbags that they cant seem to diagnose. There have been other minor problems (faulty power windows etc). At least its all under warranty... If it hadnt lost 1/3 of its value in 12 months Id be getting rid of it and going back to a BMW. As it is Ill probably amortise the cost over another year.

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  Disapointment with Landrover - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By paulnaples - October 10 - 2:00 am

  We bought the top of the line 2003 in August....traded it last week.. It was too hard to drive, terrible turning radius and horrible to get a baby seat in and out of the back seat...It cost $50.00 a fill uo and would only get 250 mile per tank.....We couldnt wait to unload this huge albatross.....I am not a pessimistic person but I would never recommend one of these heaps to anyone... PJH

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  04 rover - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By vettvet - October 10 - 2:00 am

  vehicle is excellent. this our 2nd rover and it is much improved over the 2000 4.6. we are very happy with our choice. the optional leather package is the way to go

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  Rent before you buy! - 2009 Land Rover LR2
  By W. Debley - October 7 - 11:33 am

  The LR2 was my first choice because of the styling taken from its big brother, the Range Rover sport. Thank goodness I rented before I took the plunge (I backed out). The LR2 is under powered and presents a problem when passing on the highway. The body roll is significant, and if you had to swerve to miss and object in the road , it could get dicey. The off-road capability is robust and it does about 90% of what its larger counter-part can do, so, no complaints there. The seats are small, and hard as a board. The seating position is high and upright. The interior is small, without much cargo space. So forget bringing your buddies and their gear on an outing. The interior is pretty basic.

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  a great drive - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By luvmyrover - October 6 - 10:33 pm

  This is my second Range Rover. My first was a 1995. Love the new body style. The drive is fantastic. It is equal to sitting in a barcalounger and the view out the windows is your tv. It is one of the smoothest vehicles that I drive. I travel 11/2 miles on dirt road, and you would never know I have left the pavement. I have had a few unusual mechanical problems; however the dealership has taken great care of me. Will most likely buy a 2006 or 07.

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  Worse vehicle ever - 2001 Land Rover Range Rover
  By tripper - October 6 - 2:46 pm

  This has been a terrible vehicle. Since owning i have replaced the transmission at 45k, replaced air shock system, and now a new head gasket with only 72,000 miles on it and it has never been off road or out of the garage in the weather. Land Rover and Bear Valley Rover have not stood behind their product. It is a poorly made vehicle. I have owned BMW, Chrysler, Pontiac, Fiat, Oldsmobile, Buick and they were all better than this product. Even the car tag screw holes were drilled off-level so the car tag sits crooked.