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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  Bring it back! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By weinsteinb - June 25 - 11:26 pm

  This is by far one of the best looking trucks ever made. The ladies love its sexy looks and the interior! Fantastic sound system!

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  Awesome dude where is my car - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By browns - June 23 - 11:50 pm

  I love my car nice dark windows, to party behind, no problems, sweet , my wife loves bought for her for x-mas

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  The best SUV in its class - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Happy LR3 owner - June 23 - 6:46 am

  Pros: The new style, technology, on-road and off-road capabilities, and gadgets in general far exceed its competitors. Not to mention, the outstanding, complimentary service for the first 45,000 miles. Ive been to two dealerships in different states. The service is excellent. Cons: This SUV is the quintessential "gas- guzzler". Note: I have clocked approximately 20,000 miles since May. Therefore, I expected to meet or exceed 30,000 miles before May, 2006. Yes, I know high mileage does not help vechicle resale value, but I enjoy driving the LR3.

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  Spot On - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By jjs57 - June 13 - 11:03 am

  This vehicle was bought to replace the Lexus GX 470, it is far superior to the Lexus and it a real pleasure to drive. They thought of everything, already own the Range Rover and could not be happier with the new body style and cockpit design.

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  Excellent Car - 2009 Land Rover LR3
  By Hash - June 11 - 3:36 am

  Great Car, good Drive, Powerful Engine and Car for difficult missions. Safe for Family, Luxury and conformable.

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  Hot hot - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By To Hot to Handle - June 6 - 11:26 pm

  This suv can turn heads all day long, smooth, fast, sexy, Ive had mine 9 months and not a problem yet, also Im getting 15.2 mpg and driving hard.

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  recent freelander owner - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Suzanne - June 1 - 1:36 am

  I bought my car 3 weeks ago and I love it. The rides very smoothly...doesnt have that boxy feel that larger suvs have. I probably should do this review again later since I have only had my new freelander for a short time. Just got through my first snow storm and it drove amazing ease throught the snow. If you are a very tall person I would try getting in and out of it several times, you might find it difficult.

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  Worth Every Penny - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Tom M - May 30 - 1:33 am

  Ive only owned this Range Rover HSE for a few months, but in the time, it has performed beautifully. It truely is like driving a status symbol. The ride is unbelievably smooth, and the ability to lower the car a few inches when in a parking garage or wanting an easier fall out of the car is very well thought out. Off road, there is nothing else I would rather be in. Build quality is good, but I have had some minor glitches with the satellite radio and the built in DVD entertainment system in the rear headrests, but they corrected themselves. Truely an excellent truck.

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  one of the kind - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By cate - May 25 - 2:00 am

  safe that is how you feel inside this car.yes it is not the best for gas mileage but who care.being safe has no price.off road capability are the best and all the benefit of that gives you the best ride on snow , rain ect...

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  Happier than ever - 2011 Land Rover LR4
  By mryan2756 - May 19 - 7:51 am

  We traded in a 2011 Ford Explorer on the LR4. My wife hated the Explorer we previously had a LR3 and loved it. We only went to the ford for better gas mileage witch did not exist. This vehicle is far better than the LR3. We purchased the LR4 lux package.