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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  At last... - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By 3stripes - September 2 - 2:00 am

  This has been a dream car of mine for years. Have always liked its unique design and rugged features. Surprised to find my wife likes driving it as much as I do. Toddler loves the view from her seat. You must like British styling to overlook many of the comforts available from lower priced competitors. I love it.

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  Head to Head, better than X5 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Kat-LA - August 31 - 11:10 pm

  Loved my X5 over past 5 yrs but too many trips to service so went with fully loaded LR3. LUV this vehicle! Incredibly fun to drive, great features. Only had it 6 days and cant wait to learn all the gadgets. Terrain system far superior to the new Range Rover, and thus LR3 a better vehicle IMO.

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  Great - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Jon - August 31 - 10:00 am

  I Love this car it is spectactular. Buy it now I love it. I think it is the best car in the world.

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  DISCO x 2 - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By dblake - August 27 - 4:18 am

  had a 04, HSE destroyed in Katrina, Bought an 03 right after. Typical issue as everyone elses. But one thing you have to realize is if you want town this type of vehicle be prepared to spend the maintenance cash. Yes its expensive to maintain & i have found parts via ebay OE sellers, in addition i happen to have my own personal mechanic with 30+yrs of experience & a 65$ an hr labor rate, so maybe not to shabby for me. For sure if i had to pay the dealer for all the work done so far it may have been sold long ago. I am @ 127k, replaced the Head gasket which is now leaking again 3yrs later. & just routine work. Its long paid off now & i invested so much in repairs ill run in 4ever

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  Good on everything but milage! - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By CocoandBobo - August 26 - 10:00 am

  This car is great and well worth the extra money! Compare to Jeep Liberty, Toyota Rav4 and you will see that the Land Roover is SUPERIOR!

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  Worst car ever - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By mr0618 - August 24 - 8:53 am

  I was so excited to own a Land Rover. The excitement did not last very long. I only owned this vehicle for 2 years and it broke down every few months. It is also extremely uncomfortable, too tiny.

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  I dont think its luck - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By happyhippo - August 23 - 11:40 am

  I thought Id give my two cents on this SUV. Ive had this thing for 4 years and at 52000 miles Ive had very few problems. I think you here more from people that do than from people that dont and I think this FL is getting a bad rap. Its a european vehicle not a chevy or a ford. It takes a little more care and driver knowledge than US cars for sure. Knowing how to drive and what to listen for mostly. Ill admit there are apparently some inferior parts in some of these trucks and it doesnt sound like Land Rover NA is concerned at all about consumer relations. That being said, Ive loved this SUV from day one and intend to keep it for quite a while yet. BTW luck is almost never on my side.

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  No Value For The Price - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Never Again! - August 21 - 6:20 pm

  I will never buy another Land Rover product again. At 57,000 miles I had to have the engine replaced (past warranty but got it "comped" by the dealership, thankfully!). Now at 58,000 miles I have an O2 sensor that is out and an ABS problem AGAIN! The ABS problem has been looked at 3 other times. Additionally, it has had new brakes at 40,000 miles that now continually squeak. The fold out seats in the back continually squeak and the gas tank door has broken at least 5 times. Now the CD player is broken and we have had to replace the front left headlight (which seems to be a recurring problem with a lot of the reviews I have read. It will be someone elses problem after this weekend!

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  Overall best luxury small SUV - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By lakes00 - August 21 - 6:13 pm

  I checked quoted and test drove the whole small SUV market. I chose the LR2 on features, looks, comfort and warranty. Within price range my finalists were the X3, Tribeca and the LR2. The LR2 won on features, comfort and looks. Lease price was the hardest part to digest, BMW and all others offered much better deals. I do love this little SUV, as it is so much fun to drive. Fuel economy is pretty decent for an SUV (getting 21.3 avg MPG). The standard Alpine radio is excellent. I do not recommend buying the Technology package. Tech package is $4000. For $350 I bought a Garmin navigation with Bluetooth that fits perfect in the NAV space..and the bluetooth does work with my Blackberry.

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  A million miles away from the Discovery - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By stephen murphy - August 20 - 11:53 pm

  To start with, I cannot express enough what a thrilling vehicle the fantastic new LR3 is. The old Discovery, of which Ive had three, is positively prehistoric, by comparison. Without going into technical detail I can say that the ride, handling, dynamic looks and attention to detail are all first rate. In fact, I also test drove the Range Rover and preferred the LR3 hands down. The designers and engineers deserve the highest accolades for bringing the LR3 to market.