We are now looking for a nice family car for about 10k. The requirements are that it has room for a double pram, dog, luggage, the wife, twins and myself. Must be respectable enough that I can turn up to businessy things in it but rugged enough that it can take a bit of a battering.

Mrs wants something that she won’t have to bend over all the time to get babies into so we are looking at a taller car.

Is this a good idea? Any experience of the new Freelander? Anything better for the money?

Your thoughts, advice and abuse are gratefully received as ever.

its your birthday, just go out and buy the fastest thing you can find. she’ll forgive you if she’s forgiven you for putting twins insider her tiny body

in the end you could fit all that into a rover metro, but what you really want is something fast, really really fast. so fast she wont have time to be angry

Fast is over now. All we have left is safety and load space.

I am more concerned about nice arm rests than bhp these days and I always have the convertible to fall back on 🙂

We drive one down here in oz, and it’s a pretty nice drive. Almost car like on road and has shown up a couple of ‘real’ 4x4s very much off the beaten track. Because it is an SUV designed with still working off road in mind, boot space is compromised by wheel arches and suspension pillars.

The one fault we have had is the rear diff failed at 25k. I strongly suspect landeover’s service for this-not re-sealing it properly, but the Internet does indicate I’m not the only one who’s had this problem

We have had one for about 18 months. Comfortable, plenty of room, surprisingly good to drive and plenty of room

It is also very capable off road – Mrs M uses it fairly seriously working the dogs

It is also very capable off road – Mrs M uses it fairly seriously working the dogs

Yep, we’ve turned up at a few bush campsites in ours in oz and been asked by drivers of raised patrols and land cruisers how we got there.

In comfort is my usual response!

I’ve recently got a 190BHP auto version as a company car. 8000 miles so far, 35-38MPG. Quite quick and handles well, too. Plenty of room in the back for bikes. Interior is a bit basic but nicely screwed together and really easy to keep clean. Not had it away from tarmac much but it gives the impression that it would tackle anything. Fantastic view out and easy to park. I’ve heard some horror stories regarding fuel consumption, but this one does a fair bit of towing and has never gone below about 35 MPG.

we’ve just gone from a vw touran to a freelander 2. I really like it despite having reservations about fuel consumption and the emmisions (neither of which are much different to the touran actually). The boot space is not massive to be honest and certainly less than the vw.

Swapped ours for a Passat for a few reasons. It was good fun but… The boot space is ‘vertical’ and therefore quite limited if you want to avoid packing things on top of the dog, or the dog on top of things. A service at 80,000 miles revealed about £3000 worth of work that’d need doing for the upcoming MOT. It was all wear and tear stuff that wore and tore at the same time…

ETA – tax was annual ‘vomit in bin’ moment too (we had two cars in the same band), but almost outweighed by the fun had ‘inventing’ parking places for the Whinlatter Challenge.

ETA – tax was annual ‘vomit in bin’ moment too (we had two cars in the same band).

Just goes to show how fubar Australia’s view on the climate and car emissions is. Ours is seen as an Eco car here 😯

I’m in a similar position to you (twins but no dog) and seeing as though some kind soul wrote my car off on holiday in France a couple of weeks ago I had to go and buy a car quick smart at the weekend. We wanted a big car and usually have Berlingo’s as the family car but this would have been the 4th in a row so went for something else. Stayed with Citroen as it is a friend who owns the dealership and bought a 09 Citroen C-Crosser Exclusive. 26k miles on the clock 2.2 HDI with 165 bhp so pretty quick and fully loaded inside with pretty much every optional extra including reversing camera and heated seats. Didn’t cost much more than 10k and is in pristine condition. It’s not as capable off road as a Freelander but will go everywhere we will need it to and is delivering about 39mpg at the moment. It is the same car as a mitsubishi outlander just with nicer body styling.

We love ours. 2 kids with 3rd on its way. No bending down to strap kids in. Fuel mpg a bit disappointing around town. Very solid vehicle and great in snowy conditions. Tow bar to mount bike rack carries our bikes!

2010 XS TD4-e

I’ve been in a few. Interior seems really nice but IMO small inside and boot was shockingly small for the size of the car – was filled with a single “jogging” pram as far as I could work out.

My wife has a Freelander 1 TD4 that’s currently at 110k. It’s had a few issues, but all related to the engine (BMW supplied).

She’ll be swapping it for a Freelander 2 at some stage.

Fuel economy will never be great on something with perm 4-wheel drive and sit-up-and-beg aerodynamics (35mpg max for her auto) – and for you tax-complainers, ours is £475! As the regime changed for post-March 2006 cars, although not at the time…

Off-road and its ability in snow is quite amazing, even with normal tyres – never been stopped and able to tow a loaded horsebox across a muddy paddock quite happily.

The boot is tall though, lots of space but not handy for a dog and buggy.

Neighbour has had one for a few years & it’s been a reliable vehicle. Plenty of good info here.

1995 – 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser VX Limited 4.2 Litre Turbo Diesel Automatic.

That will be my next purchase.

p/s: I was checking out some 4X4 today but I did not like them at all … saw 4 Freelanders and I thought Nissan X-trail would be better off by comparison since it is much more comfortable.

Had an XTrail which was ok, fairly bulletproof and didn’t require any major garage time in the 6 years we had it. The 4 year old Freelander 2 we have now has already been in for a new clutch and slave cylinder when the DMF Decided to go and disintegrate and recently the crank oil seal has gone which is about a grand fitted for a ten quid seal. Its only done 60k. Nice, won’t be having another one.

I seem to recall that early Freelanders weren’t that great in the crash tests – I remember Clarkson taking the rip out of school run mums using them when they only had a 3 star rating.

Not sure at which point/model that improved, but suggest that you double-check!

If you really are going for a hair saloon “4X4” out there then today I have seen …

Nissan X-trail – just right for a family and surprisingly solid build. Not particular good looking but I would have this over the rest from this garage.

Toyota RAV4 – too small for a family.
Freelanders – small, tight and not solid at all.
Hyundai – funny looking car … feel like sitting in a boat.
Renault – some weird design stuff there.
Suzuki – small, reliable fun car but not suitable for a family.
Mitsubishi Shogun – well, the ones I looked at look weird.
Subaru Outback … oh well … I like it but not cheap to maintain.
Volvo – just a glance – Ok build but I think I rather spend my money elsewhere. Slightly over priced.

So this round X-trail wins … the rest or some of them are really beginning to look flimsy.

🙂

+1 for the X-Trail. Had ours for 3 years and 50k miles. Top spec for the money, cheap to service and very reliable. It’s got good space and is pretty good off road. Ours could do with some new shocks but otherwise it’s been great.

Freelanders are not flimsy. OK the first one had engine problems but the ‘2’ is as solid as a rock. Plus, it is as quiet and smooth as a luxury car at sensible speeds. Have you actually driven all those cars?

failedengineer – Member

Freelanders are not flimsy. OK the first one had engine problems but the ‘2’ is as solid as a rock. Plus, it is as quiet and smooth as a luxury car at sensible speeds. Have you actually driven all those cars?

Test driven all those except Volvo, Renalt, Hyudai (funny looking duck like boat …) and Freelander 2.

Mate’s Freelander 1 engine blew-up (test driven his for a while. Ok-ish but rather tight) and he had to write it off … was on motorway when it happened. The gf was driving at that time … 🙄

p/s: it’s the Hyundai Terracan … who buy that “boat”?

The Freelander 1’s engine problems are well documented. That K series engine had head gasket and cooling issues which killed many of them. easy cheapish fix now, though.
I get fed up of defending British vehicles. Just have a drive in one and then decide. Besides, if image is important, the others are bloody hideous (with the possible exception of the Volvo). Resale values are good on Landrovers, too.

Check out the Subaru Forester too.
The comfiest seats you’ll ever sit in. Not a real or even pretend offroader at all, but designed for rough conditions, which it copes with admirably. Solidly built and totally reliable. Makes Volvo feel flimsy…

Dmf issue affect most modern diesel cars , not just the freelander 2
The freelander one is a totally different thing to the current one so don’t be out off but tales of there issues

And for those that bash uk stuff , its not been a great few years for BMW or vag as many threads here will show

Ok, I think I am unfair to Freelander 2 as I have only driven Freelander 1.

Therefore, Freelander 2 is better based on others’ experiences.

If you have the chance then compare the space … somehow all of them are rather tight. i.e. hair saloon 4X4.

DMF … hhmmm … expensive stuff to fix.

its no secret why 4x4s seem smaller inside – its because they are

the propshaft , gear box, transfer box , diff and suspension units all have to go somewhere – if you actually want the car to any cope off road.

im a 4×4 fan and a land rover fan but i would look at a crossover unless you actually need 4×4 – youll save a heap of cash in consumable and have a number of potential costly drive train issues removed.

oh and FWIW the suzuki , the shogun and the outback are not hair salon 4x4s – all very capible bits of kit 😉 if you have any ability to drive with them. stock suzuki jimny with only a set of bfg Ats fitted wins our club events fairly often and has won the stock class for the last few years.

Of course if you want a practical answer you’d buy something like a Touran or a Golf Plus. Not 4×4 so normal ride height means masses more interior space. Better fuel economy too.

Thanks for the input everyone. I will have a look at the X-Trail.

I know a Golf+ would be more economical but I have always fancied a landrover. It is probably something I will get over pretty quickly but it will make the wife feel spoilt and that has to be money well spent. 😀

trail_rat – Member

oh and FWIW the suzuki , the shogun and the outback are not hair salon 4x4s – all very capible bits of kit if you have any ability to drive with them. stock suzuki jimny with only a set of bfg Ats fitted wins our club events fairly often and has won the stock class for the last few years.

I agree that Suzuki is no light weight when off road is concerned. The other two can be expensive to mess with (limited parts and expensive) so most of my 4X4 friends just play around with Toyota … plenty of spare parts.

🙂

Ok, I think I am unfair to Freelander 2 as I have only driven Freelander 1.

Correct

Therefore, Freelander 2 is better based on others’ experiences.

Also correct

somehow all of them are rather tight.

Mainly because all of them are 4×4 to some level, meaning transmission taking up space below, and big intruding wheel arches and suspension pillars. The freelander, being one of the most capable of those means that it’s also the least car like. In ours I’d happily sacrifice a couple of inches of rear legroom for more boot though.

Thanks for the input everyone. I will have a look at the X-Trail.
I know a Golf+ would be more economical but I have always fancied a landrover. It is probably something I will get over pretty quickly but it will make the wife feel spoilt and that has to be money well spent.

If you’ve always fancied a land rover, and have the cash, get one. The x trail is a poor imitation, and feels like one when you’re in it. The freelander does just feel like it will go anywhere. We bought it because of this i.e. we want it to go anywhere. If i was Living in the UK, and only really ‘needing’ that capability for a bit of snow once a year, I may well make a different choice

Another happy x-trail user here. Great drive and loads of room in the back. Only complaint is the removable boot cover as my spring in it has failed and rendered it pretty useless.

Bought at 2 years old and sold this year at 10 years old- best car I ever had , no more than a clutch and a slave cylinder plus the normal brakes etc, I so miss her and regret selling
The YOY number plate used to make me laugh buy never went wrong for it to be justified

I wouldn’t buy a 2 , the shape leaves me cold

x-trail owner here. 2011 2.5l CVT with 2x/4x and lock.

Took it on the beach and around the dunes a few weeks back. Very happy with it. Huge amount of space in the back.

From a mechanics view, spend too much time doing work on land rovers/range rovers, expensive service bills, dmfs not exactly bullet proof, the active anti-rollbar on the front of some has a habit of disintegrating. Alternators burning out, not expensive just a bit of a pig. Nissan X-Trail in the main not many issues, but when something does go it’s expensive and main dealer part only, there is an electric fuel pump that sits in front of the tank, that was over £300 for a little pump and bracket only sold as an assembly.

I would personally go for a Japanese 4wd over the land rovers. Pleased to see no one has mentioned the SSang Yongs as they are ugly and fragile.

Have you considerd a Jeep Patriot?

I have an 08 Limited model that has a 2.0 VAG engine and averages low 40’s mpg. Fantastic spec inside with full leather and heated seats upfront.

It is not permanent four wheel drive bit switches automatically if required and you also have a manual override button.

The build quality is not brilliant but they are cheap. Later models switched to using a Mercedes engine.

I bought mine a year ago with 78k miles for £6.5k

I had a Freelander 1, 2005 so a year you’d have thought they would have ironed out the glitches, in the first year 3 injectors needed replacing £800, fuel pump died, clutch went, the whole thing was very rattly and not well put together. I look for 4 months and test drove loads of sheds, this was the pick of the crop too 🙁

I like the Freelander 2’s, and according to honest john, and reliability index they are a massive improvement on the 1.

Reaplced the FL1, with an Xtrail though, 2005 plate, so probably older than what your considering, but huge boot space compared to the FL, with seats down full bike fits in with wheels on. 2wd/4wd selector switch, so I can drive around town with economy in mind, it returns 33-40mpg, depending how many motorway journeys I do.

The great thing about the xtrail is it handles like a car and goes really well, at 140bhp, 2.2 litre, 0-60 in less than 10 seconds. Cheapo brand tyres in the snow last winter stuck like glue, it really could go anywhere.

this is a good watch

I don’t bother switching to 2wd in town. I think most of the power goes to the front wheels unless it’s needed at the back. 90/10 or something, I think I saw.

Have you seen the leaked shots of the new exy? *yuck* Much lower and rounded. Kinda looks like a soggy suby forester.

In auto, a similar current is sent to the back wheels akin to being in lock mode. Theres quite a lot about it on the xtrail forums. Pretty much in low gears, so starting off from lights, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and low speed 4th, auto is “locked”

So definitely worth leaving in 2wd, and only turning onto auto in the winter/ice/snow.

Not seen the new one yet lol

Hmm. Winter. Ice. Snow.

Winter here is a harsh 18c at the moment! I guess I should hop on the x-trail forums and read up on this! Fuel economy-wise on long runs I’m getting around 8 but interestingly whenever I switch to the sequential manual gear it’s very rarely in 6th. Doing 100kmh on the freeway in manually selected 6th I can get down to 7.1 / 7.2.

I wasn’t sure about CVT but compared to other autos it’s one long smooth acceleration rather than a bump up through each gear. Quite happy with it. I know it’s a “soft” roader but it’s been blasted on the beaches and seems to do ok in soft sand and mud. 17″ rims with 235/65 with some air left out and it’s probably all the 4x i’ll need. Not quite got the bug for a Landcruiser or Patrol just yet…