Considering my options..

I once again feel like I've got to 'that point' where Ive spent a small fortune on a motor but now considering if it's time to throw in the towel and start again with something else.
Had this hippo for a while now and thrown lots of money at her but I know there's still lots more that'll need doing in the not so distant future... I've got it down to 3 options...
Keep this hippo and continue to throw money at her (even though she's not really very practical for us as a family)... or... move this on and maybe consider another Disco... or... forget landys altogether and get a mondeo estate type. Argh... any thoughts?

At least with your hippo you know what jobs have been done, and that further work is unlikely to be as costly as something like a Disco 3. Say you put in a genuine fuel pump - that will likely be it for the rest of the car’s life.
Another car will mean starting again with all the jobs that should have been done on it.

guineafowl21 said:

At least with your hippo you know what jobs have been done, and that further work is unlikely to be as costly as something like a Disco 3. Say you put in a genuine fuel pump - that will likely be it for the rest of the car’s life.
Another car will mean starting again with all the jobs that should have been done on it.

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That is true. Though I don't think I'd buy another hippo either as they are just too small (interior space)

I suspect the chassis is cracked from the creaking noises. New clutch needed in the near future. Started black smoking today, probably new front struts needed. Possible injector issue (yet to be confirmed)... that's without all the usual up keep/ maintenance expenses.

Land_girl said:

I once again feel like I've got to 'that point' where Ive spent a small fortune on a motor but now considering if it's time to throw in the towel and start again with something else.
Had this hippo for a while now and thrown lots of money at her but I know there's still lots more that'll need doing in the not so distant future... I've got it down to 3 options...
Keep this hippo and continue to throw money at her (even though she's not really very practical for us as a family)... or... move this on and maybe consider another Disco... or... forget landys altogether and get a mondeo estate type. Argh... any thoughts?

Click to expand...

Id keep the landy ive nust had two grand head gasget and other repairs on a for hundred pound landy but im gunna be burried in mine!

Hoochman73 said:

Id keep the landy ive nust had two grand head gasget and other repairs on a for hundred pound landy but im gunna be burried in mine!

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I'd like to think I shall out live my landy but I do love her! Think it's decided I should keep her, at least for a little while longer!

Ha ha im not terminal or have a death wish ill just keep on top of repairs doing what I can myself and put money into mine so I can be buried in her .so glad ur keeping yours why are they called hippos? I think im too new and too under knolaged to work out why?
Kind blessings hoochman

Hoochman73 said:

why are they called hippos?

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Think it was from a photo taken very early in water and a reporter likened it to a hippo. And there you go stuck with it for life.
I don’t have the pic but @Hippo will have it ,or somebody else. It’s been posted many times

J

Land_girl said:

I'd like to think I shall out live my landy but I do love her! Think it's decided I should keep her, at least for a little while longer!

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I think that’s a good decision. Your Hippo will never be worth less than it is now, whereas anything newer will lose big time in depreciation. Your repair costs may be irksome, but rarely will it add up to more than dealership servicing on a newer car.

I like to think of this as “shedonomics” drive an old shed, but keep it well maintained and repair as needed, and the car will look after you

rob_bell said:

I like to think of this as “shedonomics” drive an old shed, but keep it well maintained and repair as needed, and the car will look after you

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Bang on. Buy a reasonable hippo for £2k, or buy a new Ford and have it lose £2k the minute you drive off the forecourt. No warranties so you’re free to choose your garage or even fit the parts you want. No rip-off dealer labour charges.

If you sit down and calculate the costs of owning a new car, you might view the costs of your FL differently. As for finance cars - never done it, never will. You don’t own the car, have to look after it like they tell you, worry about each little scratch and the trade-in value... A different world for different people.

Mondeo

rob_bell said:

I think that’s a good decision. Your Hippo will never be worth less than it is now, whereas anything newer will lose big time in depreciation. Your repair costs may be irksome, but rarely will it add up to more than dealership servicing on a newer car.

I like to think of this as “shedonomics” drive an old shed, but keep it well maintained and repair as needed, and the car will look after you

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I think your all right on this topic better the devil you know than the one you dont I do alot of work on my landy but damb its worth it!!

It's always a difficult decision, whether to move on to something different or spend money on what you have and the answer will be different for different people. It costs more in the long run to buy a brand new car cos the depreciation is a crippler. My philosophy is if I can keep it on the road for about £500 per year not counting consumables like oil and brake pads etc, then I'll keep it, when it starts costing more than that, time to consider a change. The beauty of freelanders is that they are cheap to buy second hand and for a landy they are reliable and the parts are reasonably cheap. I know what you mean about them not having enough interior space, especially as the kids get old and bigger and you need to cart a lot of stuff about. I'd like a disco or a rangie but the posts on hear put me off. I'll do simple stuff but I'm not going to be lying under one for hours to keep it going. You could get a series 3 lwb. Plenty of space, reliable and bags of character and if you get one the right age, tax and mot free. I've got one and I preference it to my hippo but I'm a bit of a masochist.

Col

@Colthebrummie The yearly budget seems like a good way to think of it. As you said there, the issue mainly lies with the size of it... I love the freelander but it's getting more and more difficult to fit everyone and everything in it. I just think as a family were going to outgrow it very soon unless I start buying roof boxes, bike racks and a trailer no doubt!
I like it as a car but it's becoming a problem space wise and add to that the bits and pieces that need doing... just weighing up the options really.
Get it sorted and then outgrow it... or get rid and buy another old landy which may end up needing more money spent on it... Argh!

Land_girl said:

@Colthebrummie The yearly budget seems like a good way to think of it. As you said there, the issue mainly lies with the size of it... I love the freelander but it's getting more and more difficult to fit everyone and everything in it. I just think as a family were going to outgrow it very soon unless I start buying roof boxes, bike racks and a trailer no doubt!
I like it as a car but it's becoming a problem space wise and add to that the bits and pieces that need doing... just weighing up the options really.
Get it sorted and then outgrow it... or get rid and buy another old landy which may end up needing more money spent on it... Argh!

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The trouble is, if you move on to something different, you're buying an unknown quantity, the replacement may be worse that what you've got but that's an issue we all face. It's amazing how fast kids go from squabbling on the back seat to not wanting to go out with their parents cos it's not cool. So, your space problem is only temporary. If space (and reliability) is an over-riding concern, you'd be better off with a Modeo or Passat estate, my preference would be a Passat. But whatever you buy, don't leave the zone.

Col

Colthebrummie said:

It's amazing how fast kids go from squabbling on the back seat to not wanting to go out with their parents cos it's not cool. So, your space problem is only temporary.

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That's so true. I now have more space in the Freelander, my eldest doesn't want to go bike riding or hiking with us parents any more.

Colthebrummie said:

If space (and reliability) is an over-riding concern, you'd be better off with a Modeo or Passat estate, my preference would be a Passat.

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We lucky that we have a new Mazda CX5 as our family car, this has much more room than the FL1, even though it's a similar length.

But if budget family transport is needed, then it's difficult to beat an estate car. I think the Rover 75 is and particularly good value, definitely cheaper to maintain than any German estate vehicle.

Nodge68 said:

That's so true. I now have more space in the Freelander, my eldest doesn't want to go bike riding or hiking with us parents any more.
We lucky that we have a new Mazda CX5 as our family car, this has much more room than the FL1, even though it's a similar length.

But if budget family transport is needed, then it's difficult to beat an estate car. I think the Rover 75 is and particularly good value, definitely cheaper to maintain than any German estate vehicle.

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Yes, the rover 75 would be a good choice, we have the saloon and it's a great car. I once had a Honda Accord estate, they have massive room and are very reliable but I found it boring to drive.

Col

Land_girl said:

I once again feel like I've got to 'that point' where Ive spent a small fortune on a motor but now considering if it's time to throw in the towel and start again with something else.
Had this hippo for a while now and thrown lots of money at her but I know there's still lots more that'll need doing in the not so distant future... I've got it down to 3 options...
Keep this hippo and continue to throw money at her (even though she's not really very practical for us as a family)... or... move this on and maybe consider another Disco... or... forget landys altogether and get a mondeo estate type. Argh... any thoughts?

Click to expand...

A difficult dilemma - I feel for you! I guess the first thing, is to decide how much you have to spend. The second thing is probably to have a good hard look at whether you need a 4x4 and if you do, whether you need the ground clearance of a typical 4x4. We do need the traction (rural, hilly area, Mrs. Avocet is a doctor and needs to be able to get to the hospital when it's icy or snowy) but we don't really need the ground clearance. We were therefore thinking about replacing her old X-Trail with one of those 4WD estate cars like the Skoda Octavia Scout. Quite a bit cheaper to run, better for the environment, and any pedestrian you might hit. However, your circumstances might be different.

If space is the only consideration, then yes, an estate car or MPV is hard to beat. We once moved a family of 5, luggage for a long weekend and TWO bikes in a Peugeot Partner (without any bike rack or roof box - although we did have to dismantle the bikes a fair bit). When it comes to moving a family and a lot of stuff, those boxy MPVs are hard to beat! Obviously, with no rear drivetrain, the load floor can be lower too. Four of us (and THREE bikes) went on holiday to Flanders for a week (again, without any bike or roof rack) in my company VW Sharan. (Although the SEAT Alhambra is the same car and usually for less money). Depending on the ages of your kids, a 7 seat MPV can actually be used as an estate car most of the time, whilst giving you the option of giving their mates lifts to places if you use the extra seats.

For serious load carrying capacity, you have a good choice of "small van-type" MPVs - Mercedes Vito/Viano, VW Transporter/Caravelle, Peugeot Traveller, Ford Custom Tourneo (and so on). Vauxhall Vivaro if you're feeling patriotic. If you don't mind things being a bit spartan, go for the Vito "Traveliner", or the Transporter "Kombi" versions. If you want a bit more luxury, go for the Viano / Caravelle versions of the same vehicle. These will do about the same mileage to the gallon as a Hippo,but will carry LOADS more stuff and being basically vans with seats and windows, are pretty rugged mechanically.