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:

• 

  R Disco - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By BWLaClair - September 3 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car over the weekend. After 3 days i have fallen in love with this car, I had a 2002 Disco and i thought that was GREAT. THIS CAR CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED IN 1 WORD WOW. This car is fablous and i recomend to everyone to get one if you want to have performance sex appeal and well to have your neigbors look at you and go wow. YEAH GREAT CAR.

• 

  A real off road vehicle - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By ThorsDad - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Like most SUV buyers we purchased this vehicle as a daily driver. That was until Land Rover invited us to a free off-road school. In case you didnt already know, buying a Land Rover makes you a member of their club. After a full day of driving the off road vehicle park in Hollister, CA we came to the conclusion that the Freelander is not a car nor a truck but a real 4x4 off road vehicle. Without any prior off road experience our group drove our stock Freelanders over black diamond trails with minimal coaching from our instructors. Even veteran off-roaders stopped and got out there cameras as we traversed some extreme terrain. Best quote of the day: "WOW!"

• 

  Very satisfied - 2005 Land Rover Range Rover
  By jed - August 30 - 5:53 am

  Ive looked for a new car for over two years. I wanted an sport utility vehicle and looked and drove the Mercedes (too small and minivan looking), the BMW X5 (too generic), the Lexus LX (poor steering response and marginal quality of some of the interior items), and the Lexus GX (too small and common). Waiting for the 2005 Range Rover was definitely worth it. The style, build quality, and smooth ride are worth the wait. Power is good, particularly in the high end. The new navigation system and voice activated telephone (using Bluetooth) are excellent and intuitive with any technical background. The ride is the best thing about the new RR, smooth with stiff and responsive steering.

• 

  Things to Look For in a Used LR3 - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By OoltewahLR3 - August 24 - 5:46 pm

  I bought this LR3 in 2008 when gas prices skyrocketed, and everyone was dumping their SUVs for better fuel economy. I bought a 2005 LR3 V8 with 30k miles for $20k with a full bumper to bumper warranty. Once I took it off- road with the dealership mechanics, I fell in love with it. I dont care that the sunroof leaks - at least not that much. If you buy one, make sure to buy it during a rain storm and drive it aggressively. Thats when youll notice a leak problem if there is one. Also - look for signs of leakage below the VIN number plate. There is a piece of paper below it (likely from the factory). If it is discolored, it is probably from one of those crummy sunroof drains.

• 

  I like it a lot! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By LaRhea - August 21 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love and have never owned such a great vehicle. Another great part about the Discovery is how easy they have made it to work on yourself. The back area is perfect for my Dog and he goes with me most everywhere. My last SUV was a GMC Jimmy. To say the very least, this Discovery does far more. The draw back is getting in and out of the backseat and gas milage is a bit less than the Jimmy, but not by much.

• 

  Tough trucks, but expensive to operate - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Raoulduke101 - August 21 - 2:33 am

  Ive had my 03 Disco for just over 6 years now. Bought it used w/ 10k miles. It is a very capable off-road vehicle and can even tough a 4000 pound boat with relative ease (braking is not so great). The truck has held up relatively well, but I have had a number of major problems including a blown manifold gasket ($800 repair), blown axle seals (warranty), 02 sensor ($800 repair), and the window motor ($200, installed myself). Alot of annoying minor problems have occurred also. The gas mileage really stinks (11-12 town, 13-15 hwy) for such a small vehicle. The car is not very comfortable, as you feel pretty crammed inside it. I would not buy another one.

• 

  LR3 the Best of All Worlds... - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By JKC - August 17 - 11:53 pm

  Overall I am very satisfied with my new LR3. It is rides smooth (like a Lexus), quiet (again like a Lexus), and handling is firm (like a BMW) both on and off-road - something most SUVs can claim. There were very minor problems when I picked mine up, but service corrected quickly. However, they shouldve done it beforehand. Not something you want to deal with when getting a new car. MPG is horrible, but already knew that beforehand. LRs has always been a favorite of mine, but always fell short of me getting one until now. The main reason is reliability. Hopefully, they corrected that or at least working on it. Ill see...

• 

  Love to Drive - 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By kohnw - August 17 - 10:21 pm

  Ive had this SUV for a couple months now and Ive very enamored with it. The Evoque features great design inside and out, with excellent comfort and performance.

• 

  Freelander best of both worlds - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By mikerover - August 14 - 10:00 am

  The Freelander has been excellant both on and off road. Suprisingly comfortable it has not let me down on or off road. It out performs all the compact SUVs I have driven, including Honda and Toyota and I slam dunked a Chevy trail blazer off road. Its a great car.

• 

  Lemon? - 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By mike111111 - August 11 - 8:21 pm

  New 2014 Evoque in for its first service plus periodic loss of power, dome light comes on when encountering a bump in the road and the sunglasses holder is either stuck closed or pops open on its own. Dealer had to replace a bad fuel injector and order a new upper console. Result is that the parts take a while to deliver from England and I am without my brand new Evoque for 5 days.