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 best vehicle ever owned or driven - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By esaias - February 24 - 2:00 am

  the freelander is extremely capable off road. I took it to a ladrover "wheels" offroad event and it was extemely impressive. I driven a lot of vehicles and few have impressed me as much as the freelander with its off-road capability.

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  Disco SE7 - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By ckadventure - February 21 - 1:53 pm

  I am not sure what the negative fuss is about in relation to Land Rover products. My wife & I purchased an 04 LR Discovery SE7 for the purpose of a daily driver that will seat 3 children comfortably, yet is capable of handling serious off road conditions-as we are very outdoor oriented. We made the correct choice! Yes it is an expensive vehicle to both purchase & to maintaine; however, if you DO maintaine the vehicle properly (just as you should any vehicle) you should be issue free. We have never been left stranded, nor have we had any catostofic failures. My Disco is fast approaching 100K miles & I intend to put that many more miles on it. Amazing offroad & equally amazing on the Hwy.

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  Just bought - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By K and G - February 21 - 12:33 pm

  Picked it up Wednesday. QC issues apparent still. Moonroof wouldnt open (solenoid, relay, switch, fuse?) Ding over gas tank. Orange Peel. For $50K should be better esp. upon initial delivery. I realize its a LR which will be taken into the wilds but dings are acceptable new only on a Defender. Drives comfortably but not sure if im confident enough to take it up to Bimmer speeds on A3 autobahn. Still too new to review accurately. Cross shopped with X5, XC90. Nav system is intuitive but ive found systems such as the Portable Hertz "neverlost", easier. Location of CD Nav player is ridiculous. Not too concerned over the Logic 7; which carmaker really knows audio? Best in Class room.

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  wish test drives were a 1000 miles - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By crashajeep - February 18 - 2:00 am

  cruise control surge. gear box high pitched whine,both fixed now there worse than they were before.factory says to bad. 5 times in shop

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  Love my Rover - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Rover20171 - February 13 - 10:00 am

  I have had my rover for a few months now. I originally looked in this market 2.5 years ago when my lease on my Jeep Cherokee was up. Looked @ X5 and RR. Ended up with a slightly used RR. Liked the fit/finish of the X5, but was turned off when sales guy got spastic when I tried to go over a curb. Was also pleased with my choice then- especially when I sw my neighbor with snow chains on her X5 this winter. The 03 brought the BMW fit/finish to my rugged ride. While doing so, it also cleaned up most of the 00s quirks and gave me a killer engine to boot.

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  Crazy in love - 2010 Land Rover Range Rover
  By KIT SCHREINER - February 8 - 6:03 am

  I love the look, I love the roar, I love the thrill, I love the ride. This is without a doubt my favorite machine. It is as close to an orgasmic experience as you can get even my toes tingle when I lay down the throttle. It exceeds ALL my driving expectations and experiences, including my X Mercedes SL500 and an X Cadillac Escalade EXT. At the moment I am not concerned with reliability because I am enjoying the ride which doesnt come cheap, or easy! It was in the shop yesterday for an update to the computer and it pained me to drive their loaner HSE something. And then my eyes fixed on this gorgeous piece of equipment heading my way and it was my Rover. Hello Darling!

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  Great Looks Are Not Everything - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Amanda Jean - February 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought a Land Rover because I thought if I was going to own an SUV it should be the best. Well, as far as looks it is better than any other small suv out there. As far as reliability, not so good. I bought my truck in may 2003 and have had it to the dealership for faulty electrical 3 times!! I know cant unlock or lock my doors and the dealership wont look at my car for a week!! Gas is also unreal. Though the truck is a headache I love to look at it in the driveway.

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  Range Rover Sport - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By wineangel - February 6 - 5:03 am

  Many problems with our RR Sport. Fuel pump went out at less than 500 mi while we were on the interstate. Car came to complete stop, we were nearly killed. 5 months later the differential went, 1 after that back in shop for transmission problems. Back in shop again today at 1 year with bad alternator. Very unreliable for a $65k car. Love the look, comfort, amenities, etc..., but if the car wont run, none of that really matters does it?

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  This SUV made me sad - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By My dream SUV - February 5 - 10:00 am

  Land Rover Freelander 2002 was my dream SUV but I had sad news about this car. After 8 months and 60000 miles I had to replace the fuel pump and head gasket. Not mechanics were available to fix this vehicle, not guarantee. I had to pay $4,000.00 to fix this truck and I really was mentally affected for all the problems that this truck gave to me. I not recommend this truck to anybody. I had to give this in trading. Then, I received a letter from Land Rover about a recall part but I didnt have the freelander on my own. But, I had the all receipts, the answer from Land Rover was that if I dont have the truck with me I can not going to receive refund for all that I paid.

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  Great SUV - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By DriverLR3 - February 3 - 9:40 am

  Excellent SUV overall. No problems other than regular maintenance. Maybe a bit underpowered but overall we are very happy with it.