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Freelander 2


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In December I became the custodian of new Freelander 2 TD4 S (base model) I have now covered 8,000 miles and thought I would put down my feedback, clearly not meant for the owners on the Forum but more for people considering buying one, searching the web and coming across the forum I would have put it in the members vehicle forum but don't think that is searchable without being a member also as it's a company car I will not be doing anything to it apart from adding miles...

So it's just really a review of how it's doing what I think and what if anything has gone wrong given that I am likely to put around 20,000 miles on it before I leave it for six months when I go to the US which should be a pretty good test of how it holds up to a semi hard life.

Background Mrs S has owned 2 freelanders in the past and to be honest the build quality has never impressed me given they were both previously enjoyed they were not bangers and each came to us with one previous owner but the truth is they were not that good, doors failing, windows and regulators failing switch gear not working electrical problems and not to mention the well documented issues with overheating of the K series engine. After we sold the last Freelander we said we would never buy another one.

So why did we? I am a Land Rover man through and through owning 3 at the moment albeit two 110's and a Series One, Our company was taken over and under the new regime we could no longer opt out and take the cash but instead had to take a car, I couldn't bring myself to have a Prius and thought well as it's not my money and worse case I could make them take it back and they would have to give me a hire car. I chose the base model as I spend a lot of time travelling overseas and wanted to keep my tax burden down.

First thoughts, when it arrived I was impressed with how it drove, seating position, steering adjustment and general overall build quality everything seemed to work one annoyance was the clock in the dash didn't work there was just a --/-- image on the dash, reading the book there was no mention about how to set it, finally I found out that if I altered the time on the radio it then put the time onto the dash.... something simple I know but why is there nothing in the book about how to get it working or why was it not in the PDI?

The second thing is that although it's a base model it didn't come with a rear parcel shelf, come on Land Rover really did you need to make it that basic? calling the dealer it was going to be £120 but £30 off ebay sorted that.

The second week I got it saw the snow we got about a foot here and I was sceptical I have always seen Freelanders as a bit of a toy, however dialling in the deep snow really made a difference and I was shocked, made it up a 1in3 hill when other 4x4's didn't and the hill decent got me down the other side without issues, I guess some of the skill is knowing how the controls work and how to drive according to the conditions.

According to the trip computer it is returning about 34.5 MPG which is good although the Eco drive takes a bit of getting used to especially when it stops at the traffic lights in London or when you are stopped in the traffic and you think that you have stalled it.

After 8000 miles nothing has fallen off, or shows signs of falling off in fact I got it cleaned the other day and was surprised how it was holding up, I will need a new windscreen when I get time to have it changed but this is more an indication of the state of the roads than the Freelander. I also noticed that the high level break light has water in it, so will get them to take a look at that when it goes in for a service.

I Have been surprised how quickly it heats up, heaters that is not over heating and the acceleration ride and handling has been very impressive and most of the people that have been in it also agree and wish they had taken it from the car list!!

Anyway I will update this as things happen.

Jason.

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Glad you are happy with it, as i have just ordered a GS model. can't believe some of the spec, at least I do get a rear parcel shelf.

WHAT I STILL CANT BELIEVE IS LAND ROVER MAKING A 2WD VERSION AND ALL 2WD VERSIONS BEING ONLY A MERE £720.00 CHEAPER THAN THERE 4WD COUNTER PART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im sorry to say but the hippies that buy the 2WD one will look like idots come winter time! No offense to anyone who has bought one!

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"Im sorry to say but the hippies that buy the 2WD one will look like idots come winter time! No offense to anyone who has bought one! "

Sorry, but I don't necessariliy agree with that rather sweeping statement !! I bought a 2001 TD4 FL1 in July last year, and because of doubts about the condition of the VCU (later confirmed as on its last legs), the VCU and props were removed - I finally got round to re-fitting props and a re-con VCU on 14th. February this year - so that means that I ran the car through this last winter in 2-wheel drive. I live up in the Staffordshire Moorlands - we had a fair old amount of snow up here, but I never had any trouble at all getting out and about in the FL.

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"Im sorry to say but the hippies that buy the 2WD one will look like idots come winter time! No offense to anyone who has bought one! "

Sorry, but I don't necessariliy agree with that rather sweeping statement !! I bought a 2001 TD4 FL1 in July last year, and because of doubts about the condition of the VCU (later confirmed as on its last legs), the VCU and props were removed - I finally got round to re-fitting props and a re-con VCU on 14th. February this year - so that means that I ran the car through this last winter in 2-wheel drive. I live up in the Staffordshire Moorlands - we had a fair old amount of snow up here, but I never had any trouble at all getting out and about in the FL.

I realise that, a few years ago I had a drive in a 300tdi disco which was also FWD, the point I was making was that for the sake of £720.00 I would rather opt for the four wheel drive version even though it consumes a little more fuel.

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was talking to the slaes man abou the new 2 wheel drive range rover, its bases on the freelander 2 same engine same size just less pratical as the rear wndow slops so much it makes the boot useless, his words not mind and the price is starting from £35,000 ish. Even the sales man said it was a joke.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for the review Jason. My wife has ordered a F2 - which means I have to find her a decent one second-hand! I had a drive of a mate's brand new F2 GS SD4 off-road the other weekend and thought it seemed a very nice car, and based on that drive and your comments, it looks like I will be happy to live with her choice - she hardly ever drives so I will get lots of opportunity. :)

although it's a base model it didn't come with a rear parcel shelf, come on Land Rover really did you need to make it that basic? calling the dealer it was going to be £120 but £30 off ebay sorted that.

I gather that spare wheels are an optional extra too?

Chris

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I gather that spare wheels are an optional extra too?

Chris

Hi Chris,

I believe that the spare is an option I did look on ebay and it looks like you can pick one up fairly cheap however as it's a company car and I don't pay for tyres or recovery I figured the run flat kit would have to do......

Jason.

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  • 1 month later...

So, I bought a Freelander2. With a little help from TJ101 I sourced one through the trade and had to go to Yorkshire to collect it. I got a 59 reg Td4e S with drug dealer glass, bling (HSE?) alloys and no spare wheel. What a nice car to drive, as good as our C-class Mercedes was IMHO.

post-209-0-02541100-1307090662_thumb.jpg

So what did I do next? I took it for a 10 day green lane trip in the Pyrenees of course. Here are a few thoughts on the FL2 as an off-road car...

The long trip down the west coast of France from St Malo to St Jean-Pied-de-Port was great. Smooth roads and following a couple of Defenders I got a whisker over 45mpg which I was pleased with. Mark90 (my travelling companion) and I were very comfortable and the AC was great. Very happy. :)

Once off sealed roads it was good being able to keep the windows up and AC on to reduce dust in the vehicle. In fact the whole vehicle was pretty much dust proof. TJ101 in his 11 reg 110XS was getting loads of dust past his door seals, the back door especially, but the Freelander did not appear to pass any which was encouraging. In that part of the world most of the unsealed roads are just graded mud/gravel tracks and are reasonably smooth. In a few places there were occasional muddy puddles and short sections of softer mud as well as longer sections of dried ruts. The FL made light work of these as long as we kept out of the ruts. Once in the ruts there were scraping sounds from under the car; ground clearance is not a strong point!

There were a couple of tighter lanes later in the week, more like a UK green lane in style we felt, with some rocky sections and gorse/other bushes encroaching onto the track. These bushes made the most horrific screeching sounds as they dragged past the, hitherto, shiny paintwork. I had the option of carrying on or reversing out; I carried on. The rougher sections were a bit more of a problem. I was able to drive around one rocky step which would have needed considerable marshaling, guidance and building up of stone ramps in order to avoid underside contact. The other side of the same valley there were lots of washouts and ruts in the track and I was impressed by the FL2s ability to cross and/or straddle washouts and ruts. I made it to the top without having to have two goes at anything and without any underside contact which was a relief. Of course, the two Defenders behaved as if the uneven surface were not there but I felt the shopping car did well.

A couple of days later I was starting to wish I had not taken the bloody thing as we found a lane with a number of rock sections. It took some very careful driving to avoid having the underside clonking away in the rocks and some very good guidance from Mark90 on one particularly uneven section. On a couple of uphill rock sections I found that first gear was to tall to be able to drive the car at a controlled speed while maintaining sufficient revs to keep the engine running happily, This resulted in a lot of stalling and an unpleasant burning smell from the clutch. :(

My overall conclusion is that the FL2 is a great little off-roader but it has it's limitations - like anything else. The trick is to accept that it is rather more limited than it first appears due, IMHO, to having independent suspension. The fuel tank hangs down rather low just ahead of the rear axle line and the exhaust seems to cop it quite a lot. If the FL had raise-able air suspension a-la Disco/RRS etc. things may have been easier.

I managed to damage one alloy on a rock and the car now has some 'go-faster' striped scratched into the laquer. A good polish would seem to be in order.

Highlight of the trip I would say would have to be entering and then leaving Andorra off-road on uncontrolled cross border roads - the main roads, especially into Spain are well controlled. Of course, I did not take full advantage of Gordon's gin at £7/litre! :)

Cheers

Chris

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  • 1 month later...

So as per the original post, I thought I would post a quick update, I have not taken mine anywhere as exciting as Chris just up and down the motorway system of the UK, the mileage is now 14,750 and I have just booked it in for its first service the service bit comes on on start up to count down to service however it would be really easy to miss it as I for one am not looking at the dash when starting the car.

As it's a company car it's going to the main dealer because that's the policy!! so it can't go to the guy that does the defender who I trust!!

I still haven't got windscreen changed but have picked up a couple more chips!! After 15k I only have two issues with it the first was there from the start being that the rear high level brake light has got water in it the second being the hand brake I have noticed that it is really not as efficient as it should be don't know if this is just a adjustment/brake change or something more fundamental guess we will find out on Monday.

Another observation is that it's big/wide, it does not feel big when driving it but you do notice it when parking especially in multi story car parks this was proved the other week when the Defender battery went flat I had to jump it from the Freelander but where as I can drive the defender through the gates into the back yard without the need to fold in the mirrors not so on the Freelander and actually with them folded in it was a scrape!! so wider than a Defender who would have thought it!!

Apart from that what do I think!! I think it's a great car it transports the family and all our luggage very well, not having the spare is actually a bonus as it creates loads of space we went away for a weeks walking holiday and got a family of 4's gear into the boot with the luggage cover over. It is fairly quick and will sit on the motorway with comfort the A/C works well as do the heaters, I would have liked a washer bottle indicator as it seems to drink washer fluid and then just stops no indication that it's going to run out.

I guess the acid test would be would I spend my own money on one, the answer is simple YES without a doubt there are lots of things on forums about the build quality of Freelander's etc but I have to say the FL2 is far better than the FL1 it just feels like a better quality vehicle so after saying I would never buy another Freelander again my mind has been changed, or at least for now lets see what the next 15k I am no longer having to go to the US for work so give current mileage I should be there in late January 2012.

Jason.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Had mine about a month now and the only issue I had was with towing the wives horse box. We was well under the weight limit.

The car pulled the trailer along the M18 with no issue the problems only arrived when we got to where we were going. The field was on a bit of a slop and the freelander didn't like reversing the trailer up the hill or pulling it up either. Got lots of nice cluth smoke for my effort. Did look at the hill after and decided that we should have not atempted it and should have left the trailer at the bottom and walked the horse up the hill.

My wife now thinks its rubbish at towing and is convinced thay my disco would have made it no problem :P The issue is that the disco would have but with low range enabeled.

So the freelander 2 is a fine towing vehicle as long as you can give any hill a run up starting of from a stand still will only kill the clutch.

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I would have to agree. The first time I pulled my new caravan up my drive (which is quite steep) I had a good run at it but then bottled out half-way up, lost momentum, and then had to slip the clutch like mad to get to the top.

If only the Freelander had a low range gearbox like other Landies it would be perfect.

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