Advice regarding the Freelander please

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Landylass21

Active Member
Posts
114
Location
Southampton
I am currently a Discovery 300tdi owner and have been for almost 5yrs now, but she's dying a slow death at the moment. Therefore I need to replace her. Problem I'm faced with is not many half decent ones available at the moment within my budget and I need one like yesterday...so am considering possibly an 02 1 owner from new Freelander with full L/R service history 1.8 GS....the problem I have is I have no idea on these ones....I love my tdi to bits, she does everything I want n need (goes across muddy paddocks in the winter/snow etc) boot is large enough to have my labs cage plus haybag n feed in it etc, plus the kids in the rear seats comfortably and of course bags of shopping lol As the Freelander isn't very local to me, I don't want to waste time going to view it if it's not going to have the space I need..........so can someone advise me please
 
ahh so they are not rated very well then? I had been told by a couple of friends to stay away from the Freelander but thought they mite be just having me on lol
 
Not all petrol Freelanders are bad but if you have the budget for a diesel, go for that instead. The boot space in a Freelander isn't huge, assuming a large cage for a lab, you would need to put the back seats down, the angle of the back seat means at the top of the seat towards the rear door, there is not so much room.

Have a look at any Freelander locally first to get an idea of its size :) Interior room for kids etc is good though .
 
As you can see very few people on here will be recommending a petrol Freelander.

Except possibly someone who has one and is trying to convince themselves they did not make a mistake in buying it.

Allright, there must have been a few produced that have not given their owners big bills - yet.

Head gasket failure catastrophe after 70K usually.

Best go for a diesel one or a different mark - honestly.
 
Landylass21 said:
ahh so they are not rated very well then? I had been told by a couple of friends to stay away from the Freelander but thought they mite be just having me on lol
Click to expand...

Not unless you want to become an expert on head gasket failure :eek:

Probably cope with the muddy paddocks ok but you'll struggle for space
 
Don't be put off all Freelanders - the TD4 engine is super reliable.

Your particular problem will be the space - or lack of it.

I've carried a large German Shepherd Dog all over Europe in the back 'boot' area with no cage needed - he had plenty room to turn around, lie down, and sleep. A dog guard might be the answer for you - not a cage.

Kids, hay, and shopping????????

I agree with the earlier advice have a look at any Freelander and try to visualize all your 'stuff' and kids in it.

Maybe it's not for you. But the right model is a great machine - I love them.
 
Singvogel said:
Except possibly someone who has one and is trying to convince themselves they did not make a mistake in buying it.

Allright, there must have been a few produced that have not given their owners big bills - yet.

Head gasket failure catastrophe after 70K usually.

Best go for a diesel one or a different mark - honestly.
Click to expand...

:lol: I knew what I was doing buying a petrol model, it was so cheap not to buy it and I am not frightened of the K series, if it goes wrong I can fix it. But I also have the TD4 and it is definitely the better engine :)
 
Singvogel said:
Don't be put off all Freelanders - the TD4 engine is super reliable.

Your particular problem will be the space - or lack of it.

I've carried a large German Shepherd Dog all over Europe in the back 'boot' area with no cage needed - he had plenty room to turn around, lie down, and sleep. A dog guard might be the answer for you - not a cage.

Kids, hay, and shopping????????

I agree with the earlier advice have a look at any Freelander and try to visualize all your 'stuff' and kids in it.

Maybe it's not for you. But the right model is a great machine - I love them.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I have to have a cage for my lab because he will eat the rear of the car otherwise, he's a rescue with issues lol
 
Singvogel said:
Don't be put off all Freelanders - the TD4 engine is super reliable.

Your particular problem will be the space - or lack of it.

I've carried a large German Shepherd Dog all over Europe in the back 'boot' area with no cage needed - he had plenty room to turn around, lie down, and sleep. A dog guard might be the answer for you - not a cage.

Kids, hay, and shopping????????

I agree with the earlier advice have a look at any Freelander and try to visualize all your 'stuff' and kids in it.

Maybe it's not for you. But the right model is a great machine - I love them.
Click to expand...

Yes Kids, hay for the horse and then shopping on the way back home lol
 
We've had our 1.8 for nigh on 10 years now .
If anything it is so predictable in as much as it has suffered all the same common problems as all the others on here from HG to sunroof to windows to matrix to VCU to 3 amigos to C/locking to water in boot well to suspension bushes etc etc. Just look back over the threads and you'll see how they alll suffer the same problems eventually.
After such a time of ownership I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fond of the car but I'd never recommend anyone to buy a Freelander either Derv or petrol.
There are four vehicles in this household and it's the only one that I feel has an aura of fragility to it and am awaiting and listening for the next common problem or failure to occur.
It's my wifes car and she is very attached to it and wont change it ,which is fine for her to say but it's me that has to maintain and repair it and I see common faults on these cars that should never occur in this day and age .
Yeah I'll be sorry to see it go but some day it'll be replaced by an X trail .
One good thing though ,when you do suffer a problem you'll get an answer on here because everyone else has suffered it too.....
 
I have the Disco tdi 300 and the wife a TD4 - we need them where we live...

They are two different beasts , to be sure. If I was after a workhorse I would buy the Disco every time, if you need a 'runabout' to get you through the bad weather then get a TD4.

If you want something reliable? Get a Toyota... :)
 
The obvious answer is to go and have a look at a freelander, an X-Trail, Rav4, Discovery and see what you think of them. Can you fit a dog cage in the back. Do you like the looks of the car, the driving position etc. Then try and hire one for a w/e, drive it around and compare them.
Once you have decided on the best one for you, you will find the money. Better than accepting second best.
 
I'd echo what Steely Dan says. They can feel fragile on occasions - even the TD4. Ours always feels like the running gear is a little loose when you go over bumps, but that's what 120K miles will do to a flander.

Our Saab, on the other hand, has 110K on the clock and is solid as a rock.

If the flander is too small and the Disco too pricey, have you considered something like a Honda CR-V or Suzuki Grand Vitara?
 
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