WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE

Hi all, Now this might Put the Cat amongst the Pigeons.
In the next few weeks I have to decide whether to keep my 2003 Serengeti TD4 Auto which is running like a sewing machine but louder or upgrade it to either another Diesel Auto Freelander or a Disco Diesel Auto.
If I change I will need to move my TD4 which I"m hoping could be worth £1.500 to £1,750 with full MOT, so with cash I would be looking to buy something around the £4 to £5 K. Is the Freelander2 any good, is the Diesel engine as good as the older BMW and what about the Disco, which would be the best model to buy Must be Diesel Auto?

Discovery

mudinuri said:

Is the Freelander2 any good, is the Diesel engine as good as the older BMW and what about the Disco, which would be the best model to buy Must be Diesel Auto?

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I've bought an FL2, so they must be OK. However I got mine cheap, but was technically "broken" by the pillock who last worked on it.

The FL2 DW12 engine is a Ford/PSA partnership unit, built in France in PSA's enormous factory there. Its much more powerful and more economical than that BMW boat anchor in the FL1.

The design seems sound to me, and I've seen more if it than most owners will see.

I went for an SE manual, simply because that's what came up at a decent price, vs its condition.

I'd avoid base models, as those aren't so easy to sell on later, and being that everything is electronic in them, retrofitting missing gadgets is a pain or impossible.

Rust wise, my FL2 is comparable to my FL1, being slightly less rusty underneath, but it's almost 4 years newer.

The FL2 is very electronics heavy as I said, so most of the problems seem to be electronics related. This makes a really good code reader/programmer essential, or be prepared for lots of garage diagnostic sessions. I've just bought a second hand Gap Diagnostics IID BT, which does everything I'd need, but was a hefty £350, new they're over £500!!

Otherwise it's just like a more modern and larger FL1, except replacement parts are a bit bigger and a bit more expensive.
Driving wise, it's miles apart from the FL1, it's more powerful, handles with better poise, has better brakes and is much quieter on the road.

I like them myself, and can't wait to mine finished and on the road properly.

See, I like discoveries, had 4, still got one, regret selling its stablemate. Although I have to admit the autobox on them will feel rather agricultural compared to the jatco box in your freelander 1. If you could go a manual, there is very little to match a disco, as an HGV driving license holder, I feel a discovery has the best bits of a car and a truck, sure the FL2 might be a better road car, but proper road cars are better in that front. So we've got an FL1, a D1, a Citroen C5, and a BMW 635d. If you want the feeling of a land rover, get the discovery, if you want the better road car, get the FL1, or get a proper road car.

Thanks for that. Probably stay with a Freelander but which F1 or F2?
Whilst I"m on my F1 has just failed the MOT "Fuel System Component Leaking Offside Rear" 6.1.3(b) They told me it as somewhere under the rear wheel arch covering. Any ideas?

If your FL1 is running like a sewing machine, I'd stick with it, better the devil you know and all that. Having said that, I do prefer the look of the FL 2 but more electronics to go wrong.

Col

mudinuri said:

They told me it as somewhere under the rear wheel arch covering. Any ideas?

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The low pressure fuel pump is under there.

mudinuri said:

Probably stay with a Freelander but which F1 or F2?

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The FL2 is better vehicle all round, and more reliable too. Its actually most reliable vehicle LR made, mainly because it's not an LR at all, but a combination of Ford and Volvo components, bolted to into a really sturdy LR body.

Thanks for that Nodge 68. Where could I buy one and would it be easy to fit

If you remove the rear wheel and wheel arch plastic liner you should be able to get at it to check what the problem is. In theory you can get to it from beneath but I found it much more difficult to work at from there.
Best to work out what the issue is before ordering parts.

Thanks all