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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  I love my Range Rover - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By tgwilburn - August 3 - 10:00 am

  What a great vehicle. I have owned many luxury cars and SUVs. This Range Rover is a perfect combination of the two with a heavy dose of exclusivity. Its great.

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  The Range Rover Should Look - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Micky - August 3 - 10:00 am

  To Lexus and see what customer satisfaction is all about.My RangeRover is a piece of very expensive junk! The steering wheel makes a horrible noise, the entire rear cupholder came out from the rear seat, the glove box never closes, the roof leaks,the doors dont stay open,need I go on?

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  ROVER - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By 4x4xfar - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Nothing but wonderful, the new 4.6 v-8 makes a world of difference!!

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  Very Disappointed - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By West MI Car Owner - July 29 - 6:06 pm

  Good looking and fun to drive when it works. However, this is the least utilitarian sport utility ever. Clearly a vehicle designed as a tall station wagon for soccer moms and was a big let-down as my first Land Rover. Second sunroof was a cool feature until I discovered that prevented me from having a roof rack, and bumper design made a putting on a hitch a very expensive custom job. The seat heaters drained the battery if you forgot to turn them off and the crazy windshield wipers are $60 each. Also, dependability was surprisingly poor. 2nd week off the lot the car stalled and died on me and wouldnt start again. Pretty embarrassing as I was on a 2nd date. I will NEVER buy LR again!

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  the best midsize suv there is - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By j skaggs - July 27 - 10:00 am

  it rides better then a cadillac. It rides real smooth, its quite, it handles curves like a sports car, and it is real roomy

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  "Its Still in the Shop" - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By What next? - July 25 - 10:00 am

  At the beginning of this year, my 2005 Freelander with less than 50,000 miles started overheating. They replaced head gasket #4. They had the car for 2 weeks. Then, less than 2 months later, it lost power going up hills, they replaced head gasket #2 (they had the car another 2 weeks). Then, a month after that, the radio stayed on when I turned the car off. They changed out some electrical thing, (they had the car for a week). Approximately 1 month later the car was overheating again, it was head gasket #1. They decided to replace the engine (they had the car 5 weeks). Last week my new engine was leaking oil, faulty oil gasket in the new engine. (They had the car 1 week). Craziness..

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  Buyer beware. I tried to like it. - 2010 Land Rover LR4
  By acpryor - July 25 - 10:00 am

  Great seats. Power when you need it. Awesome stereo, when it works. And therein lies the rub. Routinely the nav/stereo/phone would go out, no sound, no screen, etc. Been to the dealership 5x and they still didnt fix it (or replace 1 part). Sent letter to lr intl pursuant to lemon law. They arranged for 1 more opportunity to fix it. Didnt fix it. Acted up again requiring me to drive over for the 7th time (with company in town for dinner no less). In the process of trying to get my money back based on ky lemon law. Dealership has been great (not their fault) but lr intl who approves warranty repairs hasnt done jack. Id never buy one. If asked, Id tell my friends never to buy one

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  Buyer beware of Maint cost - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Turbs - July 25 - 10:00 am

  Buyers should be aware that the maintenance cost for the Range Rovers are huge. Count on replacing brakes and tires every 20 to 30k miles. I am told by my dealership that this "is to be expected."

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  07 Range Rover - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover
  By TOM - July 24 - 12:26 pm

  This is my second Range Rover, having replaced my 2004 with a 2007. Having read reviews only after the purchase of the first, I was a bit skeptical. However, I have found my reservations totally unwarranted. As long as Land Rover maintains the current level of quality control, I will never drive anything else. The styling goes without saying, only surpassed by drive responsivness and passeger comfort. Often labelled a gas guzzler, it is no more so than any other SUV in its league. There is a reason the current Range Rover has become an icon. It is just that good.

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  dissapointed - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By J Davis - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Well considering I paid $41,000 for this car I have to say I miss my old RR 98 model. The drivers window fell out, Alternator packed up. 3 sets of brake pads in 1 year. New jack didnt work when tire went flat. Insurance rate on this car is ridiculous and every service still costs $$$$$ for the smallest little repair. Gear train is noisy as hell and people constantly comment on how loud the whining of the engine sounds. Fule economy is amazingly bad and turning radius is a joke for an off road vehicle. Then a dealer tells me that after a year I would be lucky to get $20,000 for it.