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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  Great but not yet... - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By bizking - March 4 - 7:50 pm

  This is a GREAT SUV Ive ever owned. I have 13K now and got lots of service because of the "check engine light". But the problem is the they cannot find the reason for that problem. Hope next generation has much better reliability. But I think this is really great SUV especially in mountains.

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  Supercharged 2006 - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By E S - March 3 - 4:10 pm

  I traded in a 2004 HSE for the 2006 Supercharged. The difference is incredible! The power and ride of the Supercharged is a vast improvement on an already great truck! The subtle styling changes are beautiful. The luxury interior is relaxing and refined. The power is unbelievable. Range Rover did an incredible job. The difference in price between the base and Supercharged is worth every penny!

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  You better have cash - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By titan9 - March 2 - 2:50 am

  You can pick this little SUV up for a good price these days. Dont let the price trick you, Its a Land Rover. Land Rovers are a high end SUV. You cant stop at the local quick lube and the get oil changed, they dont have a filter to fit it. They cost a ton to keep up, electrical problems, tranny problems, over heating problems. If you buy this SUV, you are going to have problems with it. Is it worth it for you to drive a Land Rover? I sold mine after 18 months and took a beating.

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  lr3 rating - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By stephanie elendu - February 28 - 2:36 pm

  my car (lr3) is fun to dive, she does whatever you want. Its a pleasurable experience to own an LR3, if you own one, then youll understand what Im talking about; thats why the LR3 is rated "the SUV of the year" for 2005.

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  Completely disappointed, cheaply made - 2007 Land Rover LR3
  By e - February 27 - 5:00 am

  We sold our 2 year old GMC Denali to get the LR3, and have regretted it every since the first week. We have had nothing but problems, one thing after another and live 3 hours from the dealership. The Land Rover is built like a car 1/4 of the cost. To pay 50+K for our land rover, you should expect more things standard like a navigation system or at least something that tells you which direction you are headed. It seems the LR3 is poorly made and we will not be upgrading to the Range Rover sport as initially intended. I would NEVER recommend one. I am a mother of three and drive very conservative, still after less than 20K miles we are having to replace the brakes and tires. WHY? Cheaply made.

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  4.6 vogue - 2001 Land Rover Range Rover
  By ash - February 23 - 3:23 am

  A great vehicle which I have had converted to lpg. I have added a sport exhaust so that it sounds like a proper v8. Never had any problems since purchase in March of 2007. Electric seats dont work and the rear wash has died but the enjoyment I get when I drive this superb piece of machinery far out weighs these trivial problems. Havent been off road yet, one day soon i hope.

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  Love the LR2 - 2008 Land Rover LR2
  By tom m - February 20 - 4:46 am

  This vehicle continues to amaze me with its incredible design features which makes it so enjoyable to drive. It is very comfortable to drive with precise steering and powerful brakes. The fuel economy has been much better than I had expected with mileage rarely less than 20 MPG and as much as 30 MPG when driven at steady 60 MPH. My major problem is getting the car before my wife takes it.

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  British View - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Eddie - February 16 - 5:00 pm

  Hi Guys I have had a 1.8 Petrol engine manual for two years the only problem I have had is the three lights for ABS/TC & HD Kept lighting it took three attempts to fix the fault but after that I have enjoyed every moment with the car. I have found that over Mud and rough terrain this thing never lets me down. There are a few issues I have like the front seats are not very comfy for long drives but other than that the car is OK. I have done 20,000 miles in mine I have not had to replace the tires and Brakes as yet. I will be replacing this one with a New Diesel next week with an Auto engine.

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  Worst car I have ever bought - 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
  By erinr - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought car january 2 from Patrick jaguar Naperville. Car towed one week later. All warning lights on, car would not shift to another gear, power steering did not work. Took one week to repair replace module. Complained to land rover and received $500 land rover certificates. Scheduled service appt. today because neither smart key worked. Tried to start car and would not start. Car towed again. Called land rover prior to appt. stated I had received one time certificate before and car under warranty. Did not offer help? Worst service I have had from a luxury car. Regret purchase. Will not buy again. My husband was considering jaguar. After this service changed mind.

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  It would be nice, if itd start. - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By Laura E. - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle in January of 2007. It ran fine for a few months but then started experiencing every problem you could imagine. Would jolt from 1st to 2nd gear. Electrical issues were vast. Vehicle rarely started. I could get up and drive it to work but then once you turn it off, it wouldnt turn back on - say if you forgot your cell at home, etc. Was temperamental. The air from the vents stunk like pickles.