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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  Westminister - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By mbr6362 - August 18 - 2:00 am

  Great ride and build quality. Just boughtn the Westminister version....a terriffic suv!!Currently also own a Lexus LX470, the Range Rover is a much more sporty ride with better power. The suv handles very well, ac/heat extremely effecient. BMWs influence is very apparent, many of the interior components are BMW. CD changer rack in dash somewhat of an inconvience. I was surprised at Dunlop tires on the vehicle, it deserving of better. Overall very pleased.

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  Great Ride - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Edward Blakely - August 15 - 7:33 pm

  Buying a new one to replace this one!!!

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  SUV Knockout punch - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Dean - August 14 - 10:53 am

  This SUV is the best in the market; its just right in everything (very roomy and not too big). Get the third row seat it is worth it. If your wife does not like driving minivans or the big 7 passenger SUV’s then look no further. My wife loves driving it all the time & I love the power and the way it handles curves. In addition to all the perks this car is workhorse too. If you have a family with more than one child this is the car for you. If it isn’t for redundancy I would by another one in a heartbeat

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  Perfection - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Melissa - August 14 - 4:13 am

  The ride is smooth and very relaxing, especially on the mountain terrain. The new terrain system is a masterpiece. Its better than the Range Rover.

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  Smash Hit and Fun in every way! - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By atf - August 13 - 10:23 pm

  Fit and finish is great. Once you sit inside you are impressed. This car has it all plus character! Power is great! The sound system is second to none...simply the best. Steering is supurb. Comfort for all passengers. AC in the seats. This car will wow you!

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  05 Tonga green with tan HSE - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By MrMaster - August 10 - 6:16 pm

  Originally wanted a silver HSE, realized availability issues; found a Tonga green due for delivery and not yet spoken for. Im really happy with the color combo we got (tan interior) and actually feel it looks better than the silver, due to the freezer-box shape of the vehicle. Added a brush guard, door guards, and rubber mats.

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  Bold and Beautiful - 2008 Land Rover LR3
  By Gautam Gupya - August 9 - 10:43 pm

  Fun to drive, very comfortable ride. I have test driven BMWs an Audi but of no match. Shift it to manual and then feel the difference if you want to.

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  Get it! youll never have anything else - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By RoverfreakNH - August 8 - 7:56 am

  I cant even explain how happy I am with my " Rova," its such a pleasure to drive, The dealership service is flawless, 30K miles in 16 months and the only service has been oil changes, tires and a secondary dead cooling fan that was covered by the factory. Salesperson told me " once you have it for a year, youll never want to be in another SUV but yours", She was right! I cant stand being in anything else!

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  Wonderful 2010 RRS has crown waiting - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By RRS10owner - August 6 - 12:50 pm

  Ive owned my 2010 RRS HSE Lux for about a week now. Im impressed. Its Santorini Black with the Black extended leather package, 20" alloys, HD/Sat. Ive owned many luxury SUVs but this one is special. I visited my dealer with the intent of picking up a 2009 full sized RR SC but after seeing the improvements to the Sport, especially the 2010 interior and the new engines, I was sold. Even talked myself out of the SC unit since the 375HP standard Jaguar based engine is fabulous. What an amazing vehicle, 500 miles to date and since reliability is always a question for these vehicles I should report that mine is perfect so far. Please be as reliable as my BMW/Mercedes and you will be king.

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  Stylish Beast - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Mike J - July 31 - 11:36 am

  The best looking crossover out there, with tons of safety features- in the safety department, second to none. Everyone thinks its a Range, but its half the price and does the trick for me. Ive had it for over a month and still love getting inside to drive every day.