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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  Brass Ring - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Sontob - December 28 - 5:53 am

  Already 1000k on car. Bought it three weeks ago. Drove from SF to LA & back with no problems-amazing performance for an SUV. Also, lots of local driving and 2 Tahoe trips in major snow storms. From the silent ergonomic cabin, sturdy vault like build, crisp clear sound system & command style seating to the terrain response, navigation, & air suspension...each drive is an experience. Driving to Tahoe in a major snow storm has never been more fun & stress free. My wife loves the car & has never been more confident driving in bad weather. This is the kind of car that you look forward to driving even if it is to the local market. Have owned several SUVs LR3 by far takes the cake!

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  Youll need to make it yours - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Skifishhunt - December 26 - 9:10 am

  I have owned my Disco for 3 years, I average over 20,000 miles a year. No major problems at all. This vehicle is not a car, it is a truck, and once you replace the oem goodyear tires and put a multifunctional roof rack on it, you will be on your way to owning the most capable SUV on planet earth.

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  Excluding safety, its a great car - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By SeattleSteve - December 20 - 2:00 am

  The only worry in purchasing this car is its safety record, which isnt that much worse than other cars in its class, but still not as good as a 4dr sedan. Besides for that, the car works very well and we have no complaints. Its good for people who like to ride high (in a SUV), still like to have a car that is nimble, yet dont need the cargo space of a larger SUV. The ride is a lot more comfortable than the Jeep Liberty, Rav4, etc.

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  Made a mistake - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Diana Sargent - December 18 - 3:53 am

  The ride was ok. felt safe. Loved the looks. No pick up. wipers broke motor in window went out. engine problems. LR does not stand behind there product. Warranty was denied under bumper to bumper. Inside controls were in a weird spots. seats were to stiff.

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  Perfect blend of Land Rover and BMW - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By teamyonex - December 15 - 5:16 am

  Purchased in May as dealer was anxious to clear inventory for 06s. 1% over invoice. Wife drives a BMW 5-series, and the connection between the RR and BMW is unmistakable. Very tight build. 13.7mpg overall. Rear facing sight lines arent that great due to pillar and head rests, which could be an issue for some. Awesome stereo. Plenty of acceleration for my tastes. Considered a Cayenne S, but decided against it due to rear leg room. RR is 7" longer, and is much more comfortable in the back. Aerodynamics are strange: water pools on hood even at 70mph, and rear end has an updraft that gets it dirty in about 5 seconds. But a fine vehicle, one that Ill be hanging onto for a long time.

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  2006 Range Rover Sport HSE Review - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Aaron Yeung - December 7 - 10:36 pm

  This has to be the best vehicle Land Rover has come out with. The engine (4.4L) and transmission are improvements from the 4.4 and 4.6 L engines of the Land Rover Discovery II and IIa (1999 to 2004). The smooth ride rivals that of the Lexus GX470. The interior is well-appointed.

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  Awesome Truck - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Ken - December 6 - 12:26 pm

  This is absolutely the best off-road/on- road combination SUV I have ever had. My wife has an ML-500 and we have owned a GX-470, ML-350, Grand Cheerokee, Lincoln Mark LT 4X4 and Jeep Wranglers. This is the best truck for the buck going. It has been bullet proof, unlike any of the others, I take it on Off road excursions where I would never take my Jeep and have never had a problem or gotten stuck. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking a cool, competent and reliable performer.

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  2002 Land Rover Freelander - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By J. - December 3 - 10:20 pm

  I purchased this used about 1yr 1/2 ago.Its been nothing but trouble.To start the back window wont roll up,the sun roof wont roll down,the heater went out,the A/C does not work.I have put over $1000 into this vehicle in the past year on top of car payments and have another $2000 to put into it to be able to trade in for a reliable vehicle,not a Land Rover.This truck has depreciated in value $3000 in 4 months. So all in all I lost $6000 by owning this vehicle for a little over 1yr. There was a recall on the brake lights,this truck should be recalled all together.My mechanic advised me to get rid of it asap.Im trading it in and taking the loss so I dont face another $6000 loss next year.

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  Low Quality Craftsmanship - 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport
  By Raining in Washington - November 29 - 5:15 pm

  Been to the dealer to many times to count. After four months the vehicle check engine light came on; injectors had to be replace and black plastic on top of license plate had to be replace because of squeaky noise. About eight months, engine overheat when setting in traffic, cooling fan had to be replace. Also water got in the driver rear marker light and had to be replace. Ten months or so, check engine light comes on: it comes and go randomly (software had to be updated and problem solve). On the 11th month, rear passenger seats and plastic on A pillar made squeaky noise (parts are being ordered and will be replace in a few weeks). The driver seat is not very comfortable, had to get aftermarket seat cushion. I own this vehicle for about a year now and drove this vehicle in all types of road and weather conditions and theres a great amount of road noise in cabin, huge turbo lag and poor acceleration. A few pros: good exterior design, heated/cooling seats works great and huge panoramic sunroof.

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  supercool - 2009 Land Rover LR3
  By paganviking - November 29 - 10:46 am

  love the all-conditions suspension control and full-time AWD. a solid truck worthy of the land rover brand. safety, comfort, and reliability are excellent. definitely worth the price. i look forward to many years of land rover ownership.