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:

• 

  Range Rover - 2009 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Lia - January 29 - 9:06 pm

  Dried shaft problem,coolant pans always some how links,brakes,I was so please to own one,but I had so many problems,always in the shop for repairs

• 

  Horrible Electronics - 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Picartist - January 29 - 3:19 pm

  First off, they forgot or screwed up and not put in voice navigation direction. You have to punch it in each time. The so called apps they have suck. None of the navigational apps they have work for me, despite spending hours trying to learn them. They simply dont work. If I had known the programmers put this car on the market without a good navigation voice assist software, I would never have bought it. Check this out before you buy, make them show you it works (which it doesnt). They keep saying they will have an update to the software soon, but so far zap.

• 

  Be warned - 2009 Land Rover LR2
  By Jimmy - January 28 - 9:10 pm

  Great car until you you need to buy parts. A cracked windshield 3 month back order. Front bumper 6 weeks minimum. Accesories out of sight. 1600 for a tow package, 1000 for roof racks. Already had a fuel pump leak 2 months after buying it. It cost 41,700 I tried to trade it 3 months later and the best i could do is 30,000 and that was at the dealer I bought it from, Before it had a scratch on it. So much for resale value. Drives great good gas milage for an AWD great stereo but will never buy another Landrover at any price

• 

  2004 Land Rover Discovery - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By DickB. - January 28 - 3:16 am

  We thought we had purchased a very will built car. Front brakes went in less than 35,000 miles. Rotors cost $130 each. Brake job just for front was $650. 56k miles, 6k after warranty ended dealer told us head gaskets leaking, $2500 to fix. Head gasket leaks means poor seal at factory or poor design. Rubber guards on front headlights, tail light etc, broke off, dealer fixed for free. Quality poor from factory Cannot trade in, as gas mileage is about 14. Car insurance very high. Value of car went from $34k to $11k in 4 years, cost to us $5700/yr deprecation.

• 

  Love it - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Jay - January 21 - 10:13 pm

  I have had the car for six months. No issues to speak of. car had a bad window seal which was repaired at purchase. Otherwise, no issues. Car is very quiet and fit and finish is ex excellent. Beutiful and roomy interior. Outstanding sound system. kids love DVD in rear seats. Navigation is easy to use. i dont like voice command. often doesnt understand me. Very fun to drive. Wants to go off- road but is Lexus quiet. Only car that I have had (and I have had some nice vehicles) that I truly enjoy as much now as I did when I purchased it. Hopefully, I will continue to have good luck with it.

• 

  3 Year Report - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By Rick G. - January 21 - 2:43 pm

  My 2008 Tambora Flame LR2 just turned 3 years old. I am still completely satisfied with this vehicle. It has remained very dependable, comfortable, and fun to drive. Outside of regular maintenance, it has only been in for service for a couple of very minor issues over the past 3 years. It still gets lots of looks and I still get lots of positive comments from people. It is a really nice mix of a rugged "go anywhere" SUV and a comfortable luxury SUV at a very reasonable price considering all the standard equipment it came with. I am still very happy with my purchase.

• 

  No one comes close - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Rod - January 17 - 3:53 am

  Beautiful driving experience, out of all my vehicles I’ve owned including other SUV’s this is the best built, ride and handling of all. Makes me just want o get in and go for a ride no destination in mind. Ride comfort is accentuated when you feel as if all your troubles have been left outside the minute you close your door. The sound system is spot on, clear and very relaxing. There is no outside road noise to disrupt your travels, even in traffic jams I feel relaxed, compared to my previous vehicles this is like sitting in a sound proof room. My children love the seating layout and the sound system connect

• 

  DONT GET SUCKED IN - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Pete - January 15 - 8:36 pm

  Dont let this vehicles awesome look bring you to purchase one. I bought a 2003 disco 4 months ago in pristine condition. Until after having it a weak the Lifters failed, the oil pump went and needed a total engine replacement at 58,000 miles. Local LR dealership put in a "used" engine in "good" shape and repair cost $8000. Two weeks after getting it back the head gasket blew on the replacement engine! Also a $3000 repair not covered by the warranty! I have never had a more terrible experience with a vehicle in my life. Its funny sitting in a million dollar showroom around all these high end vehicles,while theyre telling you that these repairs are normal. I sold the car after 5 months

• 

  Calakes Review - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By wjones - January 15 - 10:00 am

  This is an awesome vehicle to drive. The handling far exceeds what I imagined. I have driven 4x4s for some 20 years, and this is an incredible machine, both for getting around town, and (my favorite) hitting the far off and hard to reach fishing spots in the Eastern Sierras that only can be reached with a 4x4. What else can I say, this vehicle is real fun!

• 

  The Most Realistic 04 Range Rover Review You Will Read - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By randa314 - January 14 - 2:42 am

  I purchased my 2004 HSE last year for roughly 13k and I have without question LOVED everything about the vehicle. Comfort, the performance, the overall ride of the vehicle. Ive been pleasantly surprised by the gas mileage. Not sure how I would measure by the gallon, but I will say that when I fill up for 75.00 a tank, I can go from central VA to North Jersey on one tank and still have some fumes left over. A full tank gets me roughly 476 miles total for highway driving. For my local 20 minute each way commute to the office and my around town stuff, I can get through an entire week on one tank. Due to lack of characters, I will need to continue in a seperate review.