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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  Spend wisely and buy a Trail Blazer - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By AAOct2002 - January 7 - 2:00 am

  First off, my truck was in the shop SEVEN times since it was deliverd to me in 09/02. Repair visits 1-3 involved the same steering and seating electrical problem. Repair visits 4-7 involved the navigation system, which was STILL FAULTY after I sold the truck. The Nav voice system would NEVER work. Of course I took this matter up with Land Rover USA and the Dealership and neither did a thing except apologize, schedule another repair visit and give me an Enterprise rent-a-car for the seventh time. As a matter of fact, that is when I drove the Trail Blazer and WOW!!!! What a truck!

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  Disappointed Buyer - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By Sadly Disappointed - November 17 - 6:16 pm

  I absolutely love the look of my Freelander inside and out. However, I am disappointed at the ergonomics. I am only 55" and I constantly hit my head getting in and out of the vehicle. Also, in order to reach the pedals I have to sit so far forward that I cannot use the armrest and the sunroof ends up behind me. Also, if I put the sunvisor down I cant see out the front windshield. I have only had my Freelander since January 29th but I am looking at trading it in for something else. This is very frustrating because I spent months researching vehicles but apparently not long enough to get something good!

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  fun but not reliable - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By r-a-m-a - November 14 - 10:00 am

  not very reliable when it comes to functional items but very good offroading and comfort.

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  Another Bad Review - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By Cono - November 11 - 1:40 am

  Purchased this vehicle as a certified used for my wife to drive. The vehicle was covered under warranty until 03/2008, at which point I knew its days were limited. Weve repaired a door sensor ($400) and coolant leak ($700)within the last 8 months. Luckily, we just traded the unit, but only before the vehicle needed a $700 wheel bearing repair. We were lucky. Read the other consumer reviews.

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  rotten rover - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By surreyman - September 24 - 10:00 am

  Purchased in 2007 this 2004 model had done only 15,000 miles. The first thing to go wrong was a fuel pump at 15,500 miles. The lr dealer did not want to know neither did lr head office. Then the window regulators went within weeks in the back. Finally, having serviced the car every six months and at 35,000 miles the turbo went. The workshop said I should use an lr new turbo due to the quality so I laughed and said I had had it with lr quality. I found an independent shop reconditioning turbos and got one for another workshop to fit. Thats $2500 instead of $3300 at the dealers. So about half the car value retail and close to trade in prices.

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  Love it or Hate it! - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Malvert - July 18 - 3:43 pm

  Problems: Serpentine belt replaced three times, left front headlight twice, third brake light, leaking throttle body heater gasket replaced three times, rear brakes at 25k, now new brakes front and rear at 54k (doing myself). New tires at 46k. DVD screen wiring came loose, vacuum lines replaced at 53k. Horrible turning radius. 10 seconds 0-60. Vomit inducing cruise control. My wife loves this truck. I personally hate it...but fail to mention this to her. The styling is great but the mechanicals and electricals are just terrible. LR would sell a ton of trucks if they could just improve the quality of their products. Good things: Has never left us stranded.

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  sad - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By diana66 - July 13 - 3:35 am

  i bought mine with 87 000 miles on it, i paid 3000.00 and in my first year i spent 4000.00 , head gasket, power windows, etc, and i had two recall. now a think the car has transmission and engine issues, so sad!!!

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  nothing but problems!!!!! - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By mike w - July 8 - 10:00 am

  i have had my freelander for about a month now and it has been in the shop 4 times. where do i start.... a/c spits water out of vents, front brakes squeek and grind when i turn right and now for the latest i got in my car this morning anf my passenger side floor in the front and the back were completly soaked with water. i am completly unhappy with this vehicle!!! buying it was great at the dealer my saleman was great, even the service department is nice it is not their fault that the car is a total jalopy!!!!!!!! i have already contacted land rover and basically told them i do not want this vehicle anymore!!!!

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  Defective Air Conditioner: Sprays water - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By wish I didnt buy it - July 8 - 10:00 am

  In 9 months our vehicle has been to dealer 4 times to repair AC. AC sprays water out dash vents into passenger compartment. Has damaged dash electrical components, including the radio. Service bulletins did not fix problem. Vehicle depreciated approximately 35% in only 9 months. We do not intend to purchase another Freelander. It seems like it is in the dealers garage more than it is in our own.

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  The most unreliable vehicle on the road. - 2003 Land Rover Discovery
  By Peter - July 4 - 9:50 pm

  As the owner of a 2002 Freelander which I traded in for a 2003 Discovery I can tell everyone to take seriously the ratings given by both JD Power & Associates and Consumer Reports magazine (among others). JD Power & Associates reviewed 38 auto manufacturers and Land Rover placed right at the bottom for the reliability of all their vehicles. Consumer Reports magazine ranks Land Rover vehicles as "much worse than average" for reliability but also displays in graph form how much worse than average Land Rover vehicles actually are. When compared among 48 other midsize SUVs, the Range Rover, LR3 and Range Rover Sport all ranked between -129% to -195% in reliability (a score of zero is perfect