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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  Absolutley Unreliable - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Ben - November 21 - 11:40 am

  I bought this Land Rover after trading in my 02 Chevy Tahoe. I quickly realized it was a big mistake. The morning after buying it it would not start. This $80,000 cluster of garbage wouldnt start on the second day. Afterwards, there were 15 engine and electrical problems in the car and then the transmission completely broke down. I ended up filing a lemon law suit in January 08 and now I bought a 08 Chevy Tahoe ltz. So far, not a single problem and it is much better in every category than the Land Rover.

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  Great car....pick carefully - 2005 Land Rover Freelander
  By dli6990 - November 19 - 3:16 am

  I love my Freelander, my favourite thing is that its very rare. I had read about thousands and thousands of complains out there, but mine had none of them. Is not the most reliable car on earth but I love living with it. My advice is that pick a good one if you ever want to buy one, pay careful attiontion to every thing when you test drive. After you got it, check under the hood often and dun let any liquid in run below the "min" line(definitely dun let it run dry). I think most major problem are caused by not paying attention to your car, and the service the car as soon as the service is up.

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  Great 4x4 - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By Roverman - November 19 - 2:00 am

  No compromise vehicle on and off road. Drives like a BMW on the road and goes everywhere my Jeep Wrangler did. What else do you want in a small SUV. Plus it has some originality.

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  good car - 2004 Land Rover Freelander
  By strmman - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Love the car but it is underpowered, not fast, sucks gas like a v8. The lowest model has bad fabric seats and maintenance is quite expensive. The dealer is exceptional though and I will consider trading up to a Discovery S next time.

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  fun filled - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover
  By froyd88 - November 18 - 8:53 pm

  the greatest car suv or whatever I have driven . The life to drive it all and this is my first LR its a real gem. perfect on or off.

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  amazing - 2006 Land Rover Range Rover
  By tom - November 13 - 8:56 am

  this vehicle has been my favorite truck and ive been through a lot of trucks. it drives great and its very comfortable to drive

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  My Review - 2003 Land Rover Freelander
  By William Eve - November 13 - 2:00 am

  An excellent small SUV. Land Rover treats you like royalty even after you buy it the vehicle. Fun to drive, great handling. We have a 6 year old and can usually store all the items needed for a trip. I highly recommend this SUV in the small class. The certified used program makes them affordable too. The gas mileage is decent as well. Using synthetic oil is a bit pricey but it does increase engine life.

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  Love it so far... - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By Janet & Dave - November 12 - 6:16 am

  We have been a long time Jeep family (owned 4) and were looking at the Commander. For the same price we were able to get a 2005 new LR3 - no comparison! The ride is amazing, the level of service from the dealership second to none, and the third row is extremely comfortable. I am 62, 240 and have ridden in the 3rd row - I cant do that in any other SUV in this class. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking for a comfortable, luxurious vehicle, whether an SUV or not.

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  Style and Substance meet in the Disco - 2004 Land Rover Discovery
  By druidess - November 10 - 10:31 am

  I am the original owner of my beloved 2004 Disco 2, which has logged more than 220,000 miles, many of them hard ones in Maine winters. I love this car so much that I put in a new motor at 180,000 miles, but sadly just learned that the undercarriage has rust. The plan was to get a new Jeep for me when my daughter got her drivers license, but shes getting the new Jeep and I am keeping my Disco for as long as we can keep the rust at bay. Although in very inclement weather she will be driving the Disco. Some time ago a massive Ford truck slammed into the side grate of my Disco destroying his whole front end, while Disco sustained a slight smudge. Looking for a replacement when this one goes.

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  Best SUV out there - 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By TYLER - November 9 - 5:00 pm

  This is the best suv out there for the money. Thus far has been a fantastic vehicle and as far as the reliability goes it is just like any other vehicle out there. That is why they come with a 4 year 50,000 warranty. There are no concerns about reliability for those of you who dont know land rover have the best four wheel drive system available. Why do you think BMW bought Land Rover years ago. For the four wheel drive system that they think is in the X-5. Yeah right, the X5 couldnt hang with this vehicle at all.