I’m thinking of selling my VW T4, and quite like the look of the Freelanders as I want a vehicle I can still chuck the bikes in and camping gear etc. Anyone got any advice, which engine or model to go for/avoid?

Is it worth stretching my budget to get a high mileage Freelander 2 or go with a lower mileage Freelander? Budget will be between 6-10K.

Cheers

TD4 is the best. Load space is ok. Takes bikes well. They have a few common faults like the VCU (which sometimes fails and takes some of the transmission with it). Some people ‘fix’ this by removing the prop and running it 2WD so check that. Ours had a few electrical niggles. Nothing major but very annoying when it shut the engine down and refused to start or randomly opened the rear window. They drive well and are fantastic in the snow and ice. Wouldn’t buy another though. I was hoping Landrover ruggedness meets BMW build quality but I think it was the other way round.

If you test drive one reverse at low revs, then put it on full lock if it slows down the VCU is on the way out. Don’t buy a replacement from Freelander Spares UK. £6k should get you a nice one but ours was one owner from new full BMW history and it still had issues and some service items had been missed.

They’re completely different beasts aren’t they? Our Freelander2 has been good. Thirsty on the juice, and tyres are expensive.

The early ones are bloody rubbish. I had a diesel 2002 one for work.
The worst piece of shit I have ever driven.There really wasn’t much room in it either unless you permanently had the back seats down. It had electrical and mechanical faults on a weekly basis.
Saying that I got a 2004 Disco and that was no better.
Mrs iolo has a 2012 Disco and that’s superb so I would suggest if you want a freelander go for the best you can afford.

You’d do better to buy a decent comfortable diesel estate car with good mpg and a set of steel wheels fitted with Avon Ice Touring tyres for the winter. It would be unbeatable as a practical family car for cyclists.

M8 has the facelight freeland 1 van version, I really fancied one till he got his, as bloody hell it’s small inside. The load space is silly small (even with no seats) and the cabin is tiny. He loves it though, but did pick it up as a bargain – it potentially needed a new engine but turned out to be something silly, but has been faultless since.

My thoughts.. if I was to buy a practical(ish) 4×4, it’s be an Nissan X-trail

mm, pretty mixed feelings about them then. I read the freelander 2 cleared up most of the issues found in the first ones, and seems to be a bit bigger inside. Any other suggestions for alternatives?

I have (well, the Missus has) a Freelander 1 post facelift and fix, ’54 plate. We love it. I dont find it particularly small but then I have a tow-hitch bike rack, VW T4 and a Defender and a trailer for big stuff.

Best thing I did was take off the VCU and rear prop shafts, intending to replace the prop mount bearings, which I did, but I didnt bother putting it all back as it drove much better as FWD only. Good tyres make the world of difference – General Grabber AT2’s are a favourite. Great in winter and off the tarmac.

My mum liked it so much she got an identical one.

Dad, on the other hand, has always been a Disco man but it’s time to move on his old 200tdi so he’s planning on picking up a 55 plate freelander 2 – i.e. pre VED hike. It’s a bigger vehicle than the FL1, (and more to the point a completely different vehicle – it didnt “clear up” anything to do with FL1s, so dont treat them as similar, rather than as if they were two different models).

We’ve done around 60k in ours in 4 yrs with few problems other than a weepy clutch master that had to be replaced and a torn check strap mount which needed welding back on (lube those check strap sliders people! 🙂 ) We will keep ours until it expires or a clutch and DMF change makes it reason to swap.

The original, pre facelift petrol’s have the really bad reputation that gets put upon the markedly improved post facelift TD4s.

I have an ’04 Freelander 1.

I have replaced the VCU and rear diff’ mounts (both common problems). It’s done 100k miles so I expected this.

Other than that it’s been great fun and holds my bike (BFe) easily if you put the back seats down and take out the front wheel. It does around 30mpg so if that matters look at a Diesel estate car 🙂

We have a 2010 FL2. I like it, but I’m also glad of the extended warranty, having had the rear diff and instrument cluster fail in under 50,000 km. The boot is much smaller than you’d think, as a lot of it’s taken up with transmission and suspension, etc.

If I didn’t use it to do some pretty serious offroad, I wouldn’t have one, I’d have an estate instead. If I lived somewhere with snow, I’d have an AWD estate.

DO NOT EVER EVER EVER even consider one they are the single worst vehicle i ve ever owned..

03 all the leather all the options nice interior however ride was enough to make you sea sick imagine being a weeble for comparison.

THREE engines in 1 year, maniflod sheared from cylinder head, engine destroyed itself in a motorway service station, engine seized on a test drive with main dealer following fitting of a new engine ( they only replaced it as one of there guys was driving it..

Meanwhile my Passat estate is now 48,000 miles and 30 months old and has had….. ZERO faults.

Have you considered the Nissan X-Trail? Diesel and petrol engines available, the 2.2 diesel, which is a Renault engine, returns about 35mpg.

Alternatively, the Toyota Rav 4’s are very good reliability and economy wise, just the image put me off 😕

My wife has had both; 2006 TD4 Mk1 and now a 2012 SD4 (different engine to earlier cars). They are completely different vehicles, only sharing a name.

Her current car has about twice the power, but same economy (30mpg, both autos) although it is half the VED – the old one was caught in the co2 ‘trap’ that inflicted many later-2006 cars.

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables

The older shape looks like it is small inside, but it’s tall so more space than you realise – although longer bikes will need the wheel out. Good workhorse and ours was done many miles pulling 2-horse trailers, plus brill in 5h1t conditions (original Michelins lasted +60k).

Another possible alternative is a Mitsubishi Outlander, loads of room in the back.

Freelander 2 here. Nice car, but terrible quality.

– rear diff went 3 weeks outside warranty. LR not interested
– known steering rack fault – again LR not interested
– door locks gone one by one
– rear door lock gone twice

I get 30-32 mpg max.

Nice to drive, comfortable and great offroad. Just waiting for the next big thing to go on it.

Freelander 2 TD4 XSe here

Very happy with it so far just turned 3 years old no major probs
Doesn’t have a spare wheel so amazing how much stuff you can stow away under the false floor in the boot
Tow bar fitted to carry the bikes
Very nice comfortable car to drive. Heated seats great in the winter , prob replace it with either the same again or possibly an evoque next year

jumble – Member
Freelander 2 here. Nice car, but terrible quality.

– rear diff went 3 weeks outside warranty. LR not interested
– known steering rack fault – again LR not interested
– door locks gone one by one
– rear door lock gone twice

If you’ve a full LR Dealer Service History LR should’ve paid up.

The Freelander 2 is very much like driving a van. They often have very few toys and the mpg is a bit ropey. I don’t mean “where’s my massage seat” re the toys, I mean no climate or cruise. Bizarre on a pricey modern car.

And it’s a Land Rover. Which if you’re a towny, means it’s a credible vehicle. If you’re from the country, it means you were too daft to buy a Shogun.

The Freelander 2 is very much like driving a van. They often have very few toys and the mpg is a bit ropey. I don’t mean “where’s my massage seat” re the toys, I mean no climate or cruise. Bizarre on a pricey modern car.

You clearly drive different vans, or different Freelanders to me…

If you’re from the country, it means you were too daft to buy a Shogun.

Which is barely better in its off-road ability (and possibly worse in some situations given the Freelander’s clever traction control), and drives like a barge by comparison.

I had a mark 1 Freelander and an X-Trail.

The Nissan was superior in every respect and is what I’d get in your place.

We looked at an X trail – I couldnt live with the dash.

We bought a facelift TD4 HSE. Few niggles but mainly wear and tear. Parts are cheap (even good quality ones). I really like the ride and the visibility is great. HSE has all the toys and it manages the twin axle livestock trailer easily when moving the sheep around.

I really like it and pinch it whenever i can. Would I buy another? Nope.

Now I would go for a Discovery 2 as I want more room and more towing capacity for the animals.

The FL is the GFs car though mainly and to replace it for that role I would get a Mitsubishi Outlander. Reason we didn’t go for one was price as they were still a lot higher than the FL.

The FL is also very capable off road.

I really wanted to like the X trail but the renault engines put me off along with the styling and dash.

For me next it is either Disco 2, Disco 3, Isuzu or Defender if the heart wins over the head.

And it’s a Land Rover. Which if you’re a towny, means it’s a credible vehicle. If you’re from the country, it means you were too daft to buy a Shogun.

Yeah? Funny, rarely see Shoguns around, but lots of Landies.
North Wiltshire, BTW: lots of country around here…

A friend had an early Freelander, luckily it started when she finally managed to persuade someone to take it away.
X Trail? Drove one of the 09 ones round most of SE australia, small inside compared to the outside like all 4×4 cars as to get the extra height the interior space goes. Noisy but at least you will get all of the medals/tokens/points/glasses from petrol stations as we were there a lot.

Unless you have any real need for 4×4 (not getting across a campsite) head for a decent sized estate car, if you want space head for another van.

Lots of good advice, I think I will still consider a later freelander TD4, have a look at the Outlanders, and consider an estate, possibly a Saab or VW Passat?

The Freelander 2 is very much like driving a van. They often have very few toys and the mpg is a bit ropey. I don’t mean “where’s my massage seat” re the toys, I mean no climate or cruise. Bizarre on a pricey modern car.

My FL2 is nothing like driving my van. It also has climate and cruise among lots of other modern car features. Sadly it is just built very poorly and LR feign ignorance of common issues.

the 2.2 litre Engine in the Xtrail isn’t Renaults the YD series is Nissans own Engine and is v robust

the current 2.0 series may well be a shared Engine with Renault