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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  An awsome vehicle, on-road and off - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By UnbrknCh8n - May 18 - 4:56 pm

  I had some fear about buying the first year of the LR3. However, with almost 25,000 miles on my truck, it has performed flawlessly (except for the tires, but thats another story). It is wonderful off-road, smooth on-road, stops on a dime, and is fun to drive. It truly does seat 7 adults, and the fold-flat rear seats are very useful. The terrain-response really does work (Ive tried it in mud, snow, sand, and on steep, rocky trails). If you are not ever going to off-road, there may be cheaper SUVs, but if you spend any time driving on anything other than dry pavement, it cant be beat!

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  Great Choice - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By grendal_fly - May 4 - 12:26 am

  We also shopped the BWM and the Volvo, but in the end we wanted a SUV with lots of interior room that you could actually park in a normal garage. Outside of the poor gas mileage this delivers almost everything you can ask for in the price range.

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  Great Mix - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Poloboxer - May 3 - 11:23 pm

  RRS feels so solid and has great acceleration. The ride is a little stiff, but the payoff is the sport car like handling. Very comfortable for its size - top quality materials!!!

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  A winner for Land Rover - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By mike - May 1 - 10:26 pm

  Excellent vehicle so far! So glad we waited till these were available. Handles like a much smaller vehicle, but feels so capable! Very impressed and confident driving this SUV. Purchased with all options and the color shown on this web site. Excellent Volvo engine pulls very nicely with lots of torque. Nav is great. Wife and kids love it too! The size is just right without that big and bloated feeling we had with other SUVs. Must say the brakes are fantastic and build is top notch!

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  great for the money - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By blackcloud1959 - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Luv the driving of this vehicle. extremely smooth ride and offroading is no problem. dealership is the best that i have ever dealt with. friendly and not pushy at all! got 0 % interest and paid off my lease on a rodeo. was cheaper than a jeep liberty if you consider the 0% interest-paid off old loan-the standard options that are extra for most other vehicles.

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  A joy to drive! - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By oobatz316 - April 27 - 10:00 am

  a great car to drive. it handles excellent. the exterior has a baja look to it which i find attractive. the v6 engine with the small suv i find has excellent excelleration. leather seats, automatic sunroof, excellent stereo system and all wheel drive make this a desireable vehicle.

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  Greatest SUV ever built - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By bk - April 16 - 9:06 am

  This vehicle is the sickest SUV ever built, effortless steering, and all the goodies that come standard on it are unbeatable. And they are rare, not every joe schmoe is driving one.

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  Excellent Truck, did I mention Excellent - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By pgf27 - April 10 - 8:56 am

  Wow is a good word for this truck. I traded my Infinity 2003 loaded QX4 for this, not really wanting to, and I tell you I am so glad I did. This SUV has the engine to back its size, so it actually moves like the cargo area isnt even full. The creature comforts are there, just keep in mind it is designed to be a TRUE off road vehicle, so some standard features like auto lights are not a part of this car. Ive been over several terrain types, and the trucks program selection for off roading made the truck handle things easily (Like curb climbing, etc). The vehicle does use gas like any suv, but I am definately VERY happy and always excited to climb in for a drive!

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  Excellent versatility in the city - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Magnus - April 10 - 12:36 am

  Weve owned an SE for 2 months and 5,000 miles. Fit & finish inside & out is flawless. Mechanically perfect. Rides, handles, accelerates & brakes almost sports-sedan-like. Engine even sounds powerful. Exterior size isnt big, but inside, it "lives" huge. Visibility is very good, especially if you fold down center rear seat. Sunroofs make the interior bright. Seating is very comfortable and roomy in every seat. Ability to lower the vehicle with one switch is very handy for shorter people & dogs to get in/out. Rear seats fold flat easily in many different variations. Transmission "sports" mode allows fast & easy merges with heavy city traffic. Very comfortable on long freeway rides

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  In Love with LR4! - 2016 Land Rover LR4
  By Bob - April 1 - 4:00 pm

  Authentic SUV impervious to road and weather conditions providing secure, comfortable ride for both driver and payload of either 6 additional passengers with seats up or spacious cargo with seats down. The 2016 is our 5th successive LR purchase/lease in USA following my wifes early childhood addiction to the LR Defender acquired while traveling through Asia.