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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  Acknowledge the faults - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By VI Rover - March 6 - 11:23 am

  Eight months after getting my dream car I experienced transmision prolbems, got it fixed and now 5 year later I need a new transmission again. I have had to replace all the door/window acturators and issues with the brakes. I love the car, its fun when it works well. The A/C doesnt cool the entire car properly. LANDROVER acknowledge the faults and give remedy to the owners.

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  Dont Do It - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By pippy - March 4 - 8:16 am

  I finally got it, I thought it was the love of my life-the body-the presents.Its a Ego booster big time. First week leaks. fixed under warranty messed up keys 6months another dealer replaced the keys under warrenty. Problems Problems Problems road side assistance stinks, computer gone bad at 5000 miles not covered under extended warranty battery change $500 more money and sence get it. Never Again

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  1st Land Rover - 2010 Land Rover LR2
  By bobdb - February 24 - 8:04 am

  Ive had it for 2 months and love this suv. It was a loaner car w/1200 miles so I got it very cheap, just under $26K. Great size, smooth quiet ride. Mileage isnt what Id like, about 15 local, close to 25 hwy. Not as good as my Jetta, but better than my Tahoe.

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  After 30 Years - My First Land Rover - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By LingP - February 20 - 10:00 am

  I grew up in England and had always wanted a Land Rover. A good friend used to take me to the pub in a Series II which I loved. Despite its cute ute looks, I am pleased to report that the Freelander made it up the horse trails in the hills at our farm in Vermont very handily. The hill descent control was a little hair raising at first but quite fun once I got used to it. Overall, a nice machine.

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  Too new to fix. - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Sajo - February 20 - 10:00 am

  I love my New Range rover, but unfortunately it has been in the shop 5 out of the 14 days ive owned it.

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  Freelander - Funlander - Goddlander - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Casey Green - February 13 - 2:00 am

  Great SUV Great Dealership - They even have off road events.

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  Luxury at a price - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Gday - February 12 - 2:33 am

  Well its an eye catcher at a steep price. A princely car, gas guzzler, but the confidence you get when in it is not describable. It more than compensates for the shortcomings. It cuts through snow effortlessly. It accelerates beautifully, lifting its almost 4 ton weight effortlessly, but its not a sports car. Handling in corners calls for caution. It has some plasticky attachments which lower the overall quality together with the fact that it doesnt come with bells and whistles of Japanese cars. Eg the tail gate can be fully automated and there can be a rear camera without paying an arm and a foot. The power and control is great! Highly maneuverable for its size. Great car to own.

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  Third time is the charm - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover
  By David - February 11 - 10:13 pm

  Bought an 03-had problems, bought an 05-it was a better vehicle. Just bought the 07 and I think Land Rover finally got it right. The new suspension is noticeably tighter with less body roll around corners and the new seats "hug me" better than my other 2 RRs. Also considered the MB S550 4matic, although its comparing apples and oranges, I felt the RR offered similar luxury with more overall safety for my family. My only complaints are that the still too complicated radio/nav system is located too far away from the driving position, although Im 62" the stretch is uncomfortable. And the back- up camera picture quality is terrible. Id also like to see a diesel option.

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  Loved mine for 5.5 years! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By marylouise - February 11 - 12:50 am

  I got mine new in Aug 2002 and have loved it ever since. the only thing to go wrong was the heater 3 yrs ago and they fixed it, no chg. Brakes need regular maintenance as its a heavy car. Love the way mine looks and handles but it doesnt have much initial pick-up. ive had all the scheduled maintenance and am pleased with overall performance. I got a good one!

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  1st time buyer this type suv - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Tess - February 6 - 4:30 pm

  Love, Love, Love, look, ride,just about everything on or in this suv. still have not mastered some of the features there are so many. never have had it off road so not sure how its handles there. looking forward to that test drive.