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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  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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  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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  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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  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.

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  Be Aware - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By richr - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Pros: Great ride, gas mileage exceeds 18 mpg on combined, hwy & city driving. Cons: Transmission and electrical problems from the start. Land Rover Corporate has NOT been helpful in correcting these problems. Off-road: Good but beware, wheels go out of alignment extremely easily. Even in city driving, you need to check alignment frequently. The factory tires will cup if out of alignment.

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  Shouldve bought an X3 - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Joe Marton - July 9 - 8:20 am

  Car is 30 days old, been in to the dealer for service 3 times. First 2 times for a faulty passenger seat air bag sensor, now suddenly it has refused to start 3 times in 2 days with the check engine and battery lights coming on. First time it was in for 2.5 weeks, LR didnt have have a P/N for the part that had to be replaced then when they did they shipped it all the way over from the UK. The price of the LR2 was great, but perhaps "you get what you pay for." Beginning to wish we would have just purchased an X3.

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  never again - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By casper - June 30 - 4:03 pm

  Poor interior comfort. Horrible gas mileage and performance. Re-occurring mechanical issues. Yugos still have better resale value than these overpriced tanks. Never again!!!

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  BRITS REVENGE FOR THE REVOLUTION - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By R H B - May 23 - 11:40 pm

  I got this vehicle for a good price but I still kick myself for not buying a CRV. The sunroof was replaced twice, brakes were replaced twice, and now the transmission is gone, BUT we have an extended warranty. One note on the front brakes, I am trying the Powerstop brakes and rotors, and Im hoping that will fix that problem. Overall Land Rover of Albuquerque has treated me good, and honored all warranty work. Land Rover of Albuquerque also helped out with a rental, but its sad when my wife thinks a Pontiac Vibe is better then the Land Rover....

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  Worst Car of all Time - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By flyboyz123 - May 20 - 10:23 pm

  This is the worst car that I have ever owned in my life. 1.) very unreliable, less then 2 weeks after purchasing the car the air suspension went out. Grand total =$2,000 2.) less then 3 months after getting the suspension fixed the transmission went out. Grand total = $6,000 3.) Worst gas mileage on a vehicle I have ever seen I would not recommend this car to my worst enemy, it looks good and is comfortable but thats where the buck stops.

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  Run from this! Land Rover is the worst. - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Nitzervon - May 9 - 8:30 pm

  There is not a seal on it that does not leak, in 90,000 miles: new motor (twice), transfer case (three times), both differentials, rear driveshaft, power steering pump, power steering box, hydraulic hoses, starter, replaced plug wires (twice, due to sparking between wires), Brakes only last 10,000 miles. I averaged $900 each month in just repair bills. Not to mention 8 miles per gallon. My wife has a Jaguar that is the same way. No wonder every car company in England has to be sold every few years.