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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  1st World Problems - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Heath Sellers - November 28 - 11:15 pm

  We have this LR3 and an E350 (W212) Benz and fight over who gets to drive the Rover (hint - my wife always wins this one). It is as smooth as silk, has power to spare, lots of room with a useable 3rd row that still leaves cargo space when it is up and a lot of cargo space when the rear seats are down. Maintenance has been minimum with the exception of a replacement transfer case. It gets awful gas mileage and it eats tires but I would expect nothing less from a 6000 pound car. We always feel safe in this and have a firefighter neighbor who said he bought solely for the safety factor. Plus, it looks amazing (it is a love it or hate it style) but there is no way that it can be confused with anything else on the road.

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  Everything you want in an SUV - 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar
  By TravelGal - December 31 - 12:47 pm

  Love everything about this SUV. It’s ultra modern dash was a huge selling point. I got the R Dyanamic with the digital display. If I had to find something that I didn’t like it would be the gas tank at 16 gallons is too small.

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  Bmw cant touch this - 2005 Land Rover LR3
  By KEN - December 31 - 9:36 am

  5000 Mi its been great,fun to drive,plenty of power ,tons of room ,my 63" son can sit in the third row seat in comfort,can play my ipod,nav super,my wife keeps telling me to stop driving it like my jag, why? You can!Great handling,great suv!!!

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  Electronic gremlins - 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  By Sin City Ferrari - December 30 - 12:33 pm

  With 13 months of ownership I can honestly say Im seriously debating whether to get another one when the lease is up. The recent electronic gremlins, engine light turns on and off, and noises the vehicle is exhibiting is suprising for a vehicle costing 75k+. One day the radio and nav didnt work; I was ready to drop it off at the dealership when it miraculously started working again. The engine light intermittently turns on and off. Theres also this "crunching" noise when I drive over large bumps. Definitely will have the dealership look into this. On a positive note, I enjoy the supercharged motor, the exterior styling and interior ergonomics.

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  Step aside tiny cars and shoddy SUVs... - 2003 Land Rover Range Rover
  By AzJamie - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Your friends will be impressed, your enemies will fear you, your mother will be happy that you ditched that "dangerous" sports car... I purchased this vehicle about two weeks ago and have loved every moment of driving it. It feels solid and looks tough. The interior is top notch and filled to the brim with technological goodness. The gas mileage averages out to about 16 mpg - not bad considering the size of the vehicle. Everyone seems to complain about the NAV system, but I dont think it is all that bad. Once you read the manual, things are pretty easy.

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  transmission slippage possible recall - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By salvador - December 29 - 2:00 am

  After about a year, Ive notice transmission is starting to not shift into second. It gets stuck and will not shift. It is getting worse. In addition, the vehicle rises and lowers while sitting at stop signs(I dont think this is normal?). I AM MOST CONCERN ABOUT THE TRANMISSION NOT SHIFTING. RANGE ROVER IS AWARE OF THIS.BUT YOU HAVE TO FIGHT LIKE HELL TO HAVE THESE DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PROBLEMS. I understand that Range Rover is now going to redisign the transmissions. I guess they added the BMW Transmission with the Range Rover differential system. The problems are starting to happen around 20-30 thousand miles.

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  Very Pleased - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By Pleased - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Driving the Land Rover Range Rover has been a thrill. This SUV not only turns heads based on the sleek appearance, it handles like a dream. The interior is exceptionally comfortable-it just works well. The stadium seating is great for the kids. Ive never noticed so many people checking out my car as I do now driving the Range Rover- its a great SUV!

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  best - 2004 Land Rover Range Rover
  By hahano - December 29 - 2:00 am

  this is the best ever

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  Excellent SUV - 2006 Land Rover LR3
  By Jamie - December 28 - 1:10 am

  I just purchased the LR3 HSE and it is the best SUV I have ever had. We just had a blizzard in the Northeast and this car did not even flinch. It feels extremely safe and it so much fun to drive. It has so many great features that other SUVs dont have. I would recommend it to anyone.

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  electrical gremlins - 2002 Land Rover Freelander
  By oliver986 - December 27 - 10:00 am

  has already been out of service for 14 days - close to hitting lemon law requirements. numerous electrical problems- windows not working - heated seats going out - but most importantly - a/c system backup causes water to shoot out of dash vents! shorts out radio and a/c and eventually the battery!