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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  03 Rover - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By azviper - January 24 - 10:00 am

  The only problem I have had is with the motor in the steering column went bad after 100 miles making it dificult to drive as the steering wheel will not telescope out and down. Apparently it is a common problem as the motor had been backed ordered for months.I love everything else about this SUV.

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  #1 SUV.... - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Ryan McC... - January 24 - 10:00 am

  This to me I have found is the best SUV on and off road (Except HUMMER, of course.

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  Land Rover Discovery III - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Steve Baldwin - January 23 - 9:36 am

  My LR3 (Discovery III) is a wonderful vehicle which continues in the best Land Rover tradition of luxury and off-road leadership. This is my thrid Land Rover and certainly wont be my last. I am very happy with the design improvements and the fact that Ford has allowed Land Rover to remain Land Rover (Thank You Bill!)

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  2004 Fl hse...Great!!! - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By gjrugby - January 23 - 5:40 am

  We traded in our 02 Acura TL-S for this pre-owned 04 FL HSE with very low miles, and we have not looked back since! Aside from not having a dealer close by, there is really nothing to complain about. My wife drives her to work everyday and she loves it. I get to drive her on the weekends and if we go out (instead of driving my gas- guzzling Tahoe). We have not had any serious weather, but I am looking forward to driving it in snow, possibly make a roadtrip to Colorado for that. Basically like everyone else has said; cup holders, interior is a bit cramped, but all-in-all a great, quality vehicle that is easy at the pumps. Also has the safety of AWD when needed. GREAT SUV!!!!!

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  She Delivers - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Oregonian - January 12 - 2:00 pm

  This Rover fills all my needs, and does it very charmingly. I ski, and its a champ on the mountain. I haul kids and gear, and it delivers with grace. I tow my boat, and it pulls with ease. I take dirt roads, and it loves it. I go from point A to point B, and this Rover takes me there in style and comfort! However, in return it expects handsome spending habits from its owner. Fair enough.

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  Free Lander / Compared to the rest - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Off-Roader - January 10 - 10:00 am

  Okay....Ive read allot of the BS people like to talk about and i thinks its pretty funny...Ive had this car since January 2002, and what can i say. I own 2 Landrovers including a new Range rover and an old defender 90...This car is a little expensive for whats its worth, considering a little more will buy u a Discovery...I tested this car in the mountains of vancouver and i have taken it to many ski trips. If you are even thinking of comparing this to a Jeep or even toyota, you are crazy...The off road capabilities on this car is amazing....if ur looking for onroad capabilities then go buy a minivan...

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  Land Rovers best - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By maciosaig - December 25 - 9:13 am

  The LR3 has been nothing short of excellent. Its on-road performance is excellent for what it is. Off -road it surprised me, I do a fair amount of medium to difficult off-roading and the LR3 has not let me down yet. I use the LR3 to commute every day, so I wish it had a diesel engine option like the rest of the world has available. I hate the complicated voice activated navigation, it has difficulty understanding alot of commands, especially when asking it to find Italian restaurants. The off-road part of the nav system is excellent and very technoligically advanced. Passenger comfort is great and cargo hauling is excellent. More aggressive tires and manually locking diffs are needed

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  Finally got myself a good SUV! - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Greg Thomas - December 23 - 2:00 am

  First I had a Chevrolet Tahoe with its plastic interior parts and it didnt make it home before it started having problems and the factory had to buy it back. The Range Rover has it all, looks, quality, luxury and performance. The dealership, Land Rover of Marin is the best I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with.

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  2003 range - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By silrover - December 23 - 2:00 am

  This is the best suv produced today.It is rock of gabralter solid.It glides with grace over NYC potholed streets.There is always enough power and its application is smooth.The interior is among one of the finest ever to grace any auto,it is silent, all the controls are legible, easy to use, and most importantly feel like they were made with great care and quality.The materials are first rate.It blows away the interior of my wifes 2001 mercedes- benz S430.I thought my prevoius 2001 toyota land cruiser(which my son now drives) was the best suv all around, but there is clearly a new benchmark. this suv truly feels worth more than the price of admission.

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  Great SUV - 2010 Land Rover LR2
  By silthedoc - December 19 - 11:01 pm

  Im rather stunned by some of the lame reviews Ive read here. Ive driven BMWs, Jaguars, etc., and my LR2 is by far the best vehicle I have owned for the value. If youre not obese you will be o.k. with the armrest. What the heck do people put inside a console anyway?? If your family does not resemble the Brady Bunch, youll be just fine with cargo space, and with space in general. The SUV is well built, rides smoothly and comes with tons of features for which youll have to pop extra bucks on RX350s, X3s or X5s, ML 350s or GLK350s. Trust me, it is a beautiful machine that looks no where near what everybody drives. My SUV is fully loaded and I paid less than $28,000.