[Closed] Why shouldn't I buy a Freelander?

I'd only get one of the very recent ones, which sounds like it's going to be way out of your budget. Most, and particularly the early ones had a terrible reputation for just about everything going wrong with them. You hear the odd story of 'nowt wrong with mine', but running costs (repairs, general wear and tear like tyres, brakes etc..) will be very expensive.

I'd be amazed if you could get 40mpg on average out of even a diesel one.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/land-rover/freelander-1997/

scroll through to the what's bad page...

TD4 is the only one worth having. Should do 30 something but 40 mpg is optimistic. They have quite a few niggles but all 4x4s do. As you say they are actually quite compact for parking and around town with reasonable carry space.

id eat my hat if you got 40mpg

would much rather have a nissan xtrail - and thats from a fan of land rovers !

youll find out the hardway that if its reasonably cheap its had the VCU removedf as many do as they broke early on and are expensive and give more mpg and less tire wear when they are removed - essentially making it fwd not 4wd

If you can get the 2003 onwards model that was facelifted, much better than previous model in looks, I've got a sport with the 18 inch wheels but the tyres are 160 each so look for a HSE or similar spec , you wont get 40 mpg either
more like 35 have a look at landyzone for ideas of issues etc
The Xtrail is also one to look at for your price point
Matt

Beat me to it!!

x-trail or Rav4 both far far better vehicles.

hahaah dont expect a serious answer on landyzone talking about a hippo

they will tell you the doors will fall off when it rains

and as a cyclist I'd hope you'd know it's not 'road tax' 😉

Horrible Rover K series petrol engine in some of them.

Not sure about the diesel options.

Why do you want a Freelander specifically?

I would just buy an estate, more comfortable for the drive and probably more room inside!

Either get a brand new one that is still under manufacturers warranty

or something that costs no more than a grand, and you know that in a year, if it fails the MOT, you can scrap it.

Anything inbetween, you'll lose a fortune when it goes wrong, and costs you a grand plus to repair.

btw if its for getting to glencoe in winter etc

my top tip as a new driver for cheap insurance and cheap to run is

berlingo/partner multispace - 1.6 petrol or 1..6 HDI - and some winter tires.- will go damn near as far as a freelander - just means the tow truck will have less to tow you back out of the trouble you got your self into with the 4x4 safety cushion ....

Why do you want a Freelander specifically?

Mainly because it's the first "big" car that i've driven that didn't feel too much like a bus (scratched a friend's Q7 on some wheelie bins trying to turn a corner ffs!).

Cheers for the replies, I'll have a look at some others. Hadn't realised that they had such a bad reliability repuation.

I get a feeling that small van is probably more suitable for mpg/space/cost needs, but I really want/need more seats - which is why i've ended up looking at small 4x4s. Estates are also an option I suppose.

multispace ...... 5 seats when you want them - van with windows and good visiibility for new driver when you dont neeed them !

7 seater version of the Chevrolet Captiva is a lot of car for the money. 5 year warranty too.

I would be stunned if you could get 40mpg from a Freelander.

As has been said by people above, go for a Mk.2 version and get a diesel if you are going to go for one. I drove a Mk.1 when I was looking to replace my Frontera and I was shocked at how cramped it was. Yes, it had more go in it than the fronty, but it was a far smaller car and was far more basic inside.

The Mk.2 I have driven was gucci. Really nice interior, lots of toys, very modern. The engine was a joy as well, but it was well and truly over my budget.

Think long and hard about why you need a 4x4 before buying one. They are/can be more expensive to run than a 2wd car and only really come into their own in conditions that we rarely have in this country. If you really want one, a second hand X-Trail is a good alternative, or maybe a Forrester, although the X-Trail will be larger (if you can stand the central dials...).

Most, and particularly the early ones had a terrible reputation for just about everything going wrong with them.

I've been eyeing them up for a while now, especially as a m8 got a bargain "van" version. Very cheap broken one [he knew the history] but was repaired for less than £500.
My take on them is the TD4 is the one to go for, the face lift ones look the best (IMO), and even the van version has bugger all space in the back (5 door or 3 door are both the same length). I had a quick drive in it on Saturday, and it's definitely a 'truck' to drive, holds line pretty well but you'll never be hustling it about the back lanes. This is a vehicle, which was described as the most car like of all landy's, so gawd knows what a disco drives like then.
I've driven a late 80's Landcruiser that was more car like.

If you read the forums, you'd never buy one, as all you read is about broken ones... but then take a moment to check out how many you see about, fricken loads, so they can't be that unreliable....

Oh and if you can get past the 4x4 pureist's the electronic 4x4 aids are supposed to make it a capable off-road vehicle.

I'd do some search on the forum for common faults and find out about long term maintenance, as they are seemingly very robust if you keep ontop of stuff like this.

BTW what Trail rat says is very true about a Berlingo, it'll definitely not be half the money pit that the hippo will be.

PS: I'm still looking at em, for all these 'bad' points...

Hadn't realised that they had such a bad reliability repuation.

My friend had a nice one, until the engine blew up.

Let me just add I've had mine 7 years it's done 105k and the worse thing that went wrong on it was a master cylinder on the brakes
Plus points
Brilliant in winter, snow ice mud etc
Not too bad on fuel
Tonka toy looks
Post 2003 so colour coded etc
Electric everything
Leather seats
Drives very well, comfy on long journeys
Not too much has gone wrong on mine

Minus points
Tyres expensive
Corrosion in weird places- door trim and high tail light
Not as spacious as you think
Can't get towbar mounted bike rack due to spare tyre
Roof mounted bikes are a bugger to get off due to height
Servicing costs can be high
Underpowered td4 but can be modded as its a detuned BMW engine
Lots of FAIL stories , sunroof,back window electrics

I bought a Nissan Pathfinder that was huge last year and hated it do went back to my Freelander as luckily I had kept it
It's a car I will keep now for towing the caravan , taking dogs out , fishing, cycling, etc
It's probably worth about three grand if I'm lucky but worth more to me as its been so reliable
If you get a good one then they are worth it
Here's mine

I have a '54, remodelled series 1. TD4.

I got it as a 4WD car that wasnt too much of a hulk to get around. So far (touch synthetic woodlike walnut veneer dashboard) no problems.

Reasons to get one:
good handling, esp in the snow and ice with the right rubber. I have had General Grabber AT2s fitted which is a lot of rubber, but doenst drag too much during summer months. However they do work very well on sloppy surfaces or snow and ice where we are off the beaten track. Good for a family car, plenty of space, comfortable ride, easy access for kids in and out. Lots of reasons that probably arent relevant to you.

Ive no reason to get rid of mine, but some things to bear in mind:
The Viscous Coupling Unit method of managing 4WD is a bit "user remote" - i.e. you cant control it save for ragging the throttle on loose surfaces to get the viscosity in the box to increase and transfer some drive to the rear. You get to learn/teach yourself how to make the most of it, but you need some snowy weather and no traffic 🙂

You can get a bit of rear wheel wind up on powered cornering at low speeds. But that's more a function of a fat tyre tread. You MUST NOT run different tyre diameters front & rear, or its flaming ostriches time.

Nobody makes an aftermarket steel rim that fits the freelander '53>. This means you need to own 10x alloy rims if you want to run winter and summer tyres. Hence why Ive got the AT2s fitted and run them all year.

30-35mpg is the norm. But the big tyres dont hit it much. 40mpg - unlikely.

There's not that much space in it unless the seats are down if you're thinking bike transport. Its pretty easy to fit your own towbar though as I have.

IMO, its not a bad compromise. Good 4WD if you learn how to use it that will get you around and out of trouble, comfortable family car. Ive not had any service issues yet and mines done about 40k but I bought it at 20k 2 years ago.

EDIT: matzzzzzz zbeat me to it, but we've said much the same.

Being as my link doesnt work heres the pic of mine;

[IMG] [/IMG]

artistic look through the wheel of my Fury

[IMG] [/IMG]

4x4 for normal driving - total waste of fuel, not good.

I've been in one that was new around that era and it was small, bumpy and handled crappily. You could get a far nicer normal car for that cash and save loads on fuel. Think of the polar bears.

Also don't be fooled into thinking you need it for snow and ice. Winter tyres on a normal car is better than a 4x4 on summer tyres, and you don't lose out on fuel the other 360 days of the year.

Get a Subaru Legacy/Impreza, Mitsubishi Legnum or something similar if you want AWD.

Tbh, winter tyres would be more useful to you than 4wd, 4wd can help you go, but not stop which is more important. Winter tyres will do both.

4x4 for normal driving - total waste of fuel, not good.

but it's not 4x4 for normal driving. it only transfers drive to the rear when there's enough differential to engage the VCU - which is rare, frankly.

http://www.freelanderspecialist.com/freelander-problems/freelander-problems-from-replacing-your-tyres-and-how-a-viscous-coupling-vcu-unit-fails

I drive the later Freelander 2, and it's apparently about as far removed from the original as it's possible to go. Not had a peep from ours in over a year's driving and it works very well off road (which is why we bought it). I also do get nigh-on 40 mpg from the TD4e, and that's with a heavy right foot.

I have a friend who's an LR nut, which is good, as he spends about as much time as I spend driving my FL2 under his FL1 cursing it.

In a nutshell, if you can get the FL2 it's a great car, if it's the FL1, that's a lot of money for someone else's problems. As some FL1 owners have said, when they work they're great - my following of that is that if they're still working, the owner won't be selling it....

Need a Freelander to go to Glencoe in winter? Bah, humbug - I did it all the time in my old 999cc Panda...

but it's not 4x4 for normal driving. it only transfers drive to the rear when there's enough differential to engage the VCU - which is rare, frankly

The main reason they are inefficient is the weight and the un-aerodynamic shape. It makes little difference if it's in 4 or 2 wheel drive at any given instant.

Need a Freelander to go to Glencoe in winter? Bah, humbug - I did it all the time in my old 999cc Panda...

It's been done all this season in a completely battered japanese thing that i don't even know the name of and doesn't go over 80mph 🙂

Despite the fact we've pushed it out of a ditch a few times, it has the benefit of being so battered that you don't care when you reverse it into things when parking up for climbs, and people give you a wider berth on the road because they assume you can't drive!

That said, trying to fit in a whole weekends worth of winter kit is not the most enjoyable experience, especially when you realise that your wallet/mobile/keys are in the side pocket of the pack which is completely out of reach 🙂

un-aerodynamic shape

pffft! Seen a Berlingo?!??! 😉

7 seater version of the Chevrolet Captiva is a lot of car for the money. 5 year warranty too

Had one as a hire car a couple of weeks ago. Ganster rap exterior, Poundland interior. Bloody awful thing.

In the only snow we had this year we drove over the Beacons. Loads of people were stuck at Nant Ddu so we diverted and went over the top. About a foot of snow and soft powder all over the road and the winter-tyre shod Prius didn't even notice.

Panda 4x4?

7 seater version of the Chevrolet Captiva is a lot of car for the money. 5 year warranty too

Ah, the Holden Craptiva. Horrible things, and probably no better than any normal car in the snow.

"Mainly because it's the first "big" car that i've driven that didn't feel too much like a bus (scratched a friend's Q7 on some wheelie bins trying to turn a corner ffs!)."

Mondeo Estate - massive car that feels small to drive.

From

cp - Member

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/land-rover/freelander-1997/

scroll through to the what's bad page...

Low profile tyres fitted to 'Millennium' model Freelanders are't up to suburban kerb mounting, which is the main off road activity of these vehicles.

As had been said already, I'd stay clear of pre 2003 models.

We (with previous partner) had a new 2003 TD4 and it was great for the 2-3 years of ownership. No mechanical issues. All that went wrong was the rear window dropping on occasion - was fixed under warranty.

We also had a fully loaded 2006 HSE a couple of years ago. Again, mechanically sound but did have (known) problems with a couple of door seals. Warranty only covered 50% of cost.

Both were autos and I reckon we got 30mpg at best on long hauls.

Wouldn't say they have a huge amount of carry space either.

Still sound agricultural, have barely any acceleration and incredibly dull cockpit.

Like most others though, why a 4*4?

No real draw towards a 4*4 as such, more because my mate's packs up really well and it was nicer to drive than I had imagined.

After being able to rag around in mrs peterfile's little japanese pea-shooter all winter, i'm not bothered about getting an "off-road" type car, it was more the space I liked (both inside and on the rack).

My uncle has some sort of BMW estate he uses in the winter when he's not on his motorbike, I might ask for a blast in that.

EDIT: i should probably point out for the benefit of those who haven't already worked it out, i know naff all about cars other than i'd quite like one that i can dump all my stuff in and drive about without much hassle.

Hope you are driving all these cars legally since you don't have a license right now 😉

Either revoked / banned or you haven't passed your test.

You don't want more points/points before you have even started to drive!

Of course, tarquin 🙂

I'm on mrs peterfiles insurance as a learner driver. I even have an up-to-date address on my provisional!

Panda 4x4?

Ah MrGrim, you have taken me down memory lane with that.

A Panda 4x4 (old version, not the new one) is an ideal snow/mud car. Brilliant 4wd system, light, spacious, low tax. I managed to get a surfboard _in_ my D reg one, but it did mean that I could not get a passenger in the car. Or get it into first gear.

The new ones are good, but my heart belongs to the old version. Bless it.

"My uncle has some sort of BMW estate he uses in the winter when he's not on his motorbike, I might ask for a blast in that."

BMW + Winter = Fail

After being able to rag around in mrs peterfile's little japanese pea-shooter all winter, i'm not bothered about getting an "off-road" type car, it was more the space I liked (both inside and on the rack)

All the 4x4s I've been in have been far smaller on the inside than you'd hope from looking at the gigantic outside. Big estate cars are better in every respect apart form off-road ability and possibly towing.

ffs i thought this would be quite easy.

are merc estates any good? seems to be loads of £2k-3k ones knocking about

Check the ABS if the one that locked up trying to avoid running me over on my bike the other day is anything to go by 🙂

If there are lots of cheap ones.. there might well be a reason.

are merc estates any good? seems to be loads of £2k-3k ones knocking about

Yes, my brother bought an E Class diesel Mercedes estate for about £2.5k. No issues and its massive inside. My next car will be a Merc estate.

if i only do one mor ething in my life it would be to stop someone buying a freelander.. our 03 owned from new had three engines in 3 years to the stage where the dealer would nt take it from us in px... so i have a simples message ..

do not under any circumstances buy a freelander