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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  Dont Front! - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By Jungle Fever - May 10 - 11:36 am

  If you cannot afford a highline sport- utility vehicle do not buy one. This is NOT a KIA Sorrento, Suzuki, or a GEO Tracker. I have owned mine for 4 years and have had no problems even though I have well over 100k on it now. I regularly have the fluids changed and scheduled maintenance done. No it is not cheap. Do a True Cost of Ownership. If you live pay- check to pay-check you will not like the MPG. Again its not Suzuki, KIA or GEO. I enjoy the vehicle and it is very comfortable. It is an all-weather, all-terrain SUV. Handling and torque is sufficient. You do not need to go 0-60 up a mountain in 4 seconds. Buy what you can afford , not what you want your friends to see you in.

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  Enjoyable - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By Prawdz - May 8 - 3:23 am

  We really enjoy our Land Rover. We are first time owners and feel the realibility and service is teriffic. Because of the large engine and performance, the gas mileage is disappointing. As well all the offroad gadgets can get in the way. Really, do any of us actually use half of what the Land Rover offers in off- road performance.

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  Sorry, but no Cigar! - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By mmr1 - May 6 - 8:07 pm

  Im the original owner of a 04 Disco and its been a living nightmare. Its had excessive oil/antifreeze leaks, consumption, blown head gaskets, axle replacement, worn cam lobes/lifters among many other things and now the infamous "slipped cylinder sleeve" rendering the block useless! All this at only 100k miles on a car which has been fully maintained, never over heated and has had the oil changed every 3-5k miles. Sorry, but complete engine failure at 100k miles is just unacceptable! Other Auto Mfgs. today hold a minimum durability requirement of 150k miles and have far exceeded this on vehicles costing half what this one did. So no cigar LR, Ill spend my money elsewhere!

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  Awesome Vehichle Horrible technology - 2013 Land Rover Range Rover
  By jonathandaniel - May 6 - 12:48 pm

  Range Rover builds a magnificent vehicle, however, they cant seem to get their technology and navigation right. BMW, Mercedes and Audi blow Range Rover out of the water with their Navigation and Technology. The navigation in the new range rover is horrible. For the price of the vehicle they need to do a better job. We will be purchasing a portable nav unit for the car.

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  Not Dependable - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Monster - May 6 - 4:13 am

  The Land Rover LR3 is a beautiful car. But is not very reliable. In two years we had our car towed three times due to failures with the transmission. But the car is a blast to drive. I have spoken to others and it has run fine--but I think we got a bad seed.

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  2007 Range Rover HSE - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Mike - May 5 - 5:03 pm

  I have owned many cars - including many luxury SUVs (07 Escalade, 06 Discovery, etc.). I am forced to compare this vehicle to the 07 Escalade AWD that I owned. As far as comfort goes - the Rover is more comfortable for the front passengers, but not as comfortable for the rear passengers as the Escalade. This is mainly due to the lack of being able to recline or adjust the rear seat. As far as driveability - the Rover wins hands down. The Escalade would toss the occupants left and right through corners - the Rover is very solid. As far as power - even though the Escalade boasts 400+hp - I feel they are very close in power.

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  Junk - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Lou - May 4 - 5:50 pm

  Stay away from this car and all other land rovers. This model is land rovers dirty little secret

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  Dont buy it - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By J. Hartman - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I should have listened to the dealer. If you want a realible SUV, buy a Toyota. Not a glowing review from the dealer of the car. Constant breakdowns. It needs new tires and brakes on semi annual basis. Impossible to sell. Word travels fast. Bad car in every way. Extremely expensive and unreliable.

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  Best Buy - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Shireen - May 2 - 10:00 am

  great so far. had it for about 2 months now and wouldnt trade it for nothin but maybe the new Range Rover. i chose the HSE Discovery 03 over a BMW X5 and Benz ML after driving all 3.

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  Just got it - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By newguy9 - April 30 - 3:30 am

  Just got it 4 days ago & love it. The gas millage is brutal, but love the truck! Cant believe that there are no floormats- thats crazy!