2009 Land Rover FreeLander 2 Review
January 9, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
After a few tense moments and some deep sand pockets, the FreeLander 2 was free and roaming the beach.
The Pajero in front of us, one of the many 4WDs that offered to help when (not if) I got stuck, was now trying his hardest to pull away just to save face, which wasn’t going to happen. Guess I wasn’t going to be sleeping on the beach.
An hour of driving around the softest sand only built more confidence. At one stage the FreeLander 2 was essentially swimming and the satellite navigation was starting to freak out.
I’ll admit, with the sand sinking, there were a few ‘moments’ were I was looking at my phone wondering if I had to make the ‘call’ but never fear the FreeLander 2 pulled through without any issues.
It’s hard not to like the FreeLander 2 as a great fun SUV. The chassis is very rigid and stiff. There is limited body roll thanks to its monocoque construction as well as the use of ultra-high-strength steel (used more extensively in the FreeLander 2 than in any previous Land Rover).
It’s brilliant around town and although it probably won’t cross the Simpson desert, oh wait, yes it will.
Tags: Land Rover Freelander 2
Should sort the sceptics out. Yes its not a full bore 4wd before making stupid comments, its a softy roady.
LOL “Borington Disease” I am going to steal this one and use it myself.
Great article, a beautiful small 4WD(it can be called that now) that is just ever so slightly out of my price range. Oh well if I am so inclined I’m sure there will be second hand ones nocking about in a few years time.
I totally agree that the Freelander 2 is a beautiful car to drive. The ergonomics of the driving position are equal to that of cars twice the price, and it feels a lot more solid than most of the Japanese “soft-roaders”, but I don’t think you can claim that it has overcome reliability issues. After extensive research when I was looking at buying one, I discovered that the first two people I spoke to about them had both had MAJOR issues from new, including auto-trannie issues, and an electrical fault in the wiring which lit up the warning system on the dash like a X-Mas tree. The other thing which seems to always be overlooked until you sign on the dotted line is that of servicing costs. A minor service where an apprentice drops the oil and tops up your wiper fluid is $400… That’s when I left the showroom and headed down to VW for a Tiguan.. (Which i am rapt with now that I have it.. after the waiting list fiasco. It’s not perfect but then again no car ever is!?!). The Freelander is a nice car, but still has a lot to prove before it should be given a clean bill of health.
I always laugh when people say that Land Rovers aren’t good, I f this was the case how come they are the most widely used defence vehilce (including UN).
Good article pleasent informative read.
Having owned a 1999 Freelander for over 3 years now I have had so many people ask me how much its cost me. Well it cost me regular services, an muffler and a heater switch. I go everywhere in it and its never let me down & its done over 200,000 k’s. I’d buy another one in a heartbeat.
As for as reliability goes, Land Rover has always being near the bottom of reliability survey. And people saying that it’s reliable enough for defence vehicle need to remember that they generally use Defender for that purpose, which is an old fashioned but rugged vehicle built to last. More modern Land Rover has more eletronics that can cause reliability problems.
As for the freelander 2, it is much improved in quality, but i think it’s rather expensive for a compact off roader, and people buying a car in this class and price will have cost high on their list of considerations.
Nice car, but I still don’t see the value at 60k. I would prefer a Grand Vitara or an X-trail for around half that money.
Frontman, an article on Caradvice on the 30th January 07 had results of a reliability survey conducted by a warranty company, whereby all issues relating to faults were collated, and Landrover came 2nd last.. 44.21% of Landrovers were captured as having faults requiring warranty claims… Now that doesn’t sound like a reliable brand to me.
I seem to recall that Mazda was the best and most reliable, which is no surprise given the level of detail and expertise that the mjaority of Japanese cars seem to enjoy these days..
don’t forget also that when the Australian army used to buy landrovers, before they put them into action they would completely re-wire them and put isuzu engines in them, hence the reliability!
Land Rovers are just not reliable cars, there was a time when they where, but basically from the moment they introduced the range rover, then the discovery, and then worse still the freelander, they have been nothing but trouble! Ofcourse there are example out there of people who haven’t had problems, but they are far outweighed by people who do
Alan/Sam. The Grand Vitara/X-Trail/RAV4/Forrester etc are not in the same class as the Freelander. Similar size yes, but not the same class. It is like saying the Calais V is in the same class as a BMW 550 as they are a similar size, or the Eclass Mercedes is in the same class as a Caprice. People in the market for a Freelander are looking to spend $60,000+, they don’t think “The X-trail is better I’ll buy that”. Like someone in the market for a $160,000 BMW doesn’t think “Calais V is a similar size, I’ll buy that instead”. If you are in the market for an X-Trail you are looking to spend $35,000 and wouldn’t even consider a Freelander as it is well outside budget.
MisterTwo is right, this car is not a Rav4/CRV competitor, it’s a Q5 and X3 competitor as it deserves to be. It’s also very good value when you do stack up the true competitors, the X3s starting price is thousands more than this car.
Richo, Land Rover have been quite reliable for the last few years at least. The Freelander is a very solid and reliable car and the Range Rover (2005 onwards) is also very reliable as is the Sport and the Discovery. They simply are reliable and it’s naive of you to think differently.
As for people spouting warranty claims, don’t forget that a warranty claim is often a broken button or something small. Just because somebody’s made a warranty claim it doesn’t mean their engines packed up.
My family has owned the best part of thirty Land Rovers over the years and no, they haven’t all been reliable but the majority have been. The five original Range Rovers we had worked perfectly for fifteen years and all the Defenders have been great. We had two second generation Range Rovers and they were wonderful, though we bought the underpowered diesel so they were a bit unimpressive. The Discovery was the worst, only one of six of those that we had never let us down (until the Discovery 3 which is excellent and yes, reliable). My mother had two original Freelanders and they were terrible but not even Land Rover tries to hide how unreliable and badly built that car was. Give them a break people, they are doing a good and convincing job of changing and it’s just idiots carrying around old stereotypes that’s stopping them.
I find this quite amusing, Alborz “I valued it at about $90,00, ”
You can’t seriously expect us to believe it would find happy buyers at $90,000 – that’s just plain ridiculous.
As for reliability, think historical Land Rover (meaning very poor), think Tata, and any other Indian car.
As for one person claiming to have a 1999 Freelander that has never had a problem, well, I suggest he contact Land Rover so they can start a Hall of Fame for their cars which have never broken down. They should pay top price for what may well be the only car in the exhibition.
I have to disagree with MisterTwo and Alex. In its native market it has a hard time keeping the Xtrail and dare I say it the Santa Fe at bay. These two vehicles have equivalent if not better build quality than the Freelander.
Having said that I was very interested in the Freelander 2 but hell why did the importers drop the manual diesel version? I drove the auto while very good did not satisfy (as no auto can) the ‘driver’ in me. I also prefer a manual offroad – trickier but less stress on the drivetrain particularly in hot, extended runs.
I also tested the Tiguan in manual diesel version but it was really no bigger than a slightly stretched Golf (I have a Bora V6 too).
I finally settled on the Xtrail Ti in manual diesel with its powerful Renault engine and a 6spd gearbox to boot. Ok NIssan didn’t offer an integrated satnav so I dropped one in. I have done 15000km in it and like this review a lot of beach and gravel work and the vehicle is sublime. It also has a full size spare – does the Freelander have one in either spec?
In this price range, build quality has imperceptible differences though I am more willing to err on the side of Nissan than Landrover for resale purposes.
In my off road travels I have never seen any X3/5’s, or for that matter even Discovery 3’s. Where are you guys!! Too afraid to scratch the paintwork I suspect.
Alex, you made some good points (until you called people with all of the facts on the car, and not just a biased view of owners “idiots”), but I believe that anything which means you cannot drive the car because it is getting fixed means that it is unreliable.. It does not confine itself to the engine blowing up, as that is extremely rare these days in any make of new car. If a switch breaks it means that it is not well made, and i am afraid that is what you have got there. Let’s not forget, the Freelander 2 is a lovely car and drives (in my opinion) better than almost all within the small 4WD category, but to think that it is free of niggles and unreliable build quality will leave it floundering behind many of the other cheaper cars. I also think it funny that Alborz could spout it worthy of a $90k car… If that’s so Alborz, do you want to buy my 2nd hand Passat for $75k.. it’s a nice car. :-)
I have had one for 12 months and 21000 km and take it off road when ever I can. Not just for the fun of it but more to get to a good camping spot or as you have done here along the beach. You do get a few looks from other 4WD owners and it probably makes you more careful as you don’t want to get stuck. One such comment over the holiday break was “So you got down here with that did you?”. Well I sure didn’t get it flown in now did I?
The car for me has proven reliable although has needed a new power steering pump. I’m not sure how this compares to other makes but I’m sure LR don’t make it themselves so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. To their credit they replaced the rack too as they were concerned the pump failure may cause foreign material from it to harm the rack later down the track.
Off road it is not as capable as a proper Land Rover as it does not have the ground clearance. An important thing to note is that the fuel tank is of particularly bad design. If you are pushing the ramp over angle it’ll be the first thing to catch. Due to the bracket holding the tank if you need to reverse out of mud it acts like a shovel forces dirt between it and the tank forcing the plastic tank up and the bracket down. However after market guards are available although at a high cost. Another poor choice in my view is the tyres, the stock Goodyear Wranglers have side walls made of paper. I have punctured one and the others have cuts that probably make them illegal, some more suitable ATs will go on shortly.
Overall though I love driving the car, for me it is a good compromise between city car and getting to that great camping spot on the weekend. I also tow a ton around on a semi regular basis and it does this with no complaints at all. You can’t complain with the fuel consumption either, I recently did 2300 km with the car fully loaded including the roof. It was mostly highway but had about 300 km of dirt and 50 km of more careful driving. It returned 8.2L/100 for the trip.
Like I said, I’m sure its a great car. I disagree with the idea that someone who buys a Grand Vitara or an X-trail wouldnt consider or couldnt afford a Land Rover. Its a matter of perceived value for money. I think this Land Rover is too expensive and a 30k Vitara is my case in point.
Just because 2 cars might technically be in a different ‘Class’ doens’t mean they cant be compared.
Sam, the Freelander is a WHOLE other car, the interior of the FreeLander 2 HSE (tested here) makes the car appear far more expensive than it is. It’s beautifully put together. I can’t comment on reliability issues, only that I asked owners and researched online and although there are some that have minor issues, there is none of that “it will be useless in 3 yrs”
it’s worth noting that all makes and models have some issues. The Japanese advantage is their electronics. It’s simply just brilliant and Europeans suffer in that category. But on the whole, Land Rover’s reliability is definitely on the way up.
Sam, the Xtrail and Vitara don’t compare. The Xtrail has lower ground clearance, towing ability and worse departure and approach angles. The 4WD system is also not by Haldex, there’s a reason Bugatti put it in their Veyron. The Haldex system in the FL2 will put power to the rear from standstill depending on the mode it’s in. The other systems wait for slip to occur. Gradient release control is another feature of the FL2, if stopped on a steep slope the system will gradually release brakes when you take your foot off them thus making a safer start to your decent.
The Suzuki is again a lesser car but you expect this for the price difference. It again has lower ground clearance, lower towing and worse approach and departure angles. Tow ball down weight is only 85kg which is quite low. The FL2 is 150kg.
This is all without going into drive trains. The Vitara has 300Nm, the Xtrail 360Nm, the FL2 400Nm. The FL2 also has terrain response none of which the others offer.
You think the FL2 is too expensive then that is fine and I’m not saying the Xtrail or Vitara are bad cars just that when you start laying the specs down on paper and you do get more for the increased asking price.
I understand all that, what I am saying is that, to me, it doesn’t represent value when its twice as expensive as a car which is 90% as good.
But Sam, the X Trail and Vitara aren’t ninety percent as good. Maybe fifty or sixty percent but not ninety. The Freelander does that wonderful thing that only a Land Rover seems to be able to do properly, create a car that is wonderful off road and wonderful on road and still manages to be classy and stylish. The X Trail (updated) is simply the ugliest compact SUV on the market, I’m not saying it’s not capable (but even so…) but it is very ugly and no better than the Land Rover off road and really falls behind on road. The Grand Vitara is rather dismal on road and harsh off road. Obviously your view can’t be changed but as I said in a previous comment, in Australia (pricing is much different in the UK) this car is a Q5 competitor, not a cheap Japanese family SUV competitor. It’s so much better than that.
To John Of Perth, the reason why you have never seen X5s or X3s is because they are not made or meant to go off road. They have AWD because of grip more than anything. And no, people will not want to scratch their paint but more than anything, they wouldn’t want to get stuck and in one of those, that is a real possibility.
As for Discovery 3s, well as mentioned quite a few times in this review, I think Australians are still too scared to buy a Land Rover and take it far from civilisation because they are paranoid that they will break down. The other thing is that people think that Discovery 3s and Range Rovers can’t go off road any more because they’re too pretty but in reality, they’re as good if not better than a Land Cruiser and certainly better than a Pajero.
Maybe I need to develop a taste for the finer things in life. Or maybe im just a tight arse who would prefer the 30k in the pocket and drive a ‘Harsh’ Suzi instead of a smooth LR.
Gee I am yet to read some informed comment :
Andrew – Haldex doesn’t make the Freelander better and the Xtrails/Suzes worse. Having driven a Haldex equipped vehicle for 7 years the set up is pretty much the same – fwd bias. Terrain response just varies the traction control algorithm – for most deep sand/mud work the 4WD lock mode/ESP Off of the Xtrail is fantastic. I am not sure if you can turn off the ESP on a Freelander.
Xtrails also have the gradient release and hill descent and towing capability in the manual is just fine.
Alex – if it is classed as an SUV surely it is capable of being taken off road. Otherwise they are simply for pose value. AWD in a Subaru doesn’t prevent them in an Outback or Forester being taken off road. I have friends with an X5 4.4 & Volvo XC90 and they have volunteered to try out the off road capability. Beauty also is in the eye of the beholder – put a nudge bar and some drivng lights on the Xtrail and it serves its purpose. By the way have you noticed how many are on the road!
The Freelander is good but not great.No one has answered my question as to whether it has a full size spare (I would hope it does).
Oh but John, the BMWs aren’t classed as SUV, they’re classified as “SAV” or Sports Activity Vehicle. That says it all and BMW have said before that they had to be very careful not to insinuate off road ability because there isn’t much. Have you seen the Top Gear episode where the X5 gets stuck after about a minute of off roading and has to be toed out by an old Defender?
Even so, just because a car is classified as SUV doesn’t mean it has to have off road capability, it’s more a body shape these days. A station wagon for those who don’t want to be seen driving a station wagon. An MPV for those who don’t want to look boring. Besides, the term sport utility vehicle doesn’t hint at off roading anyway. The BMWs are soft-roaders.
Finally, the Freelander is still much better than the X Trail and I have done a bit of research and I believe that it does come with a full size spare wheel, but I suppose only an owner could back that up.
Alex – have a look at the Aust Xtrail forum to see what us Xtrail owners get up to.
I am not questioning the Freelander’s ability – I just think it is expensive in HSE spec and would have seriously considered it in a manual version. Compared to the Xtrail in Tl format there are only a couple of items such as HID lights and folding mirrors that distinguishes the two – jump into an Xtrail Ti or Tl spec and take it for a drive. The trim around the rear cargo area of the Freelander is very ordinary.
With the benefit of 15000kms in the new Xtrail diesel I would be reticent to say the Freelander is a much better vehicle – sounds like your research is paper based!
John, I don’t need to see a forum to know because as you are not doubting the Freelanders ability, I am not doubting the X Trails ability. If it was simply a soft roader (yes I am bringing this up again) they would have made it look more fashionable and less like the previous X Trails fallen off a cliff.
I have also driven the Freelander and it’s so much more pleasant. It is a better vehicle, period.
You made a big deal about build quality in your first comment, fair enough if you’re taking it off road but you are wrong in saying the X Trail and the Santa Fe have better or even equivalent build quality. Land Rover is miles ahead in that respect, unlike those of the Nissan and Hyundai the interior actually feels luxurious.
However, I still don’t think they are comparable because people may buy them for the same purposes but the Land Rover is a class up from Nissan. Land Rover is a premium brand, that’s why people complain about a Land Cruiser costing $80,000 but don’t care that a Range Rover Vogue costs $150,000, because they are in different leagues.
I don’t think I can deny that your X Trail is better value for money but the Land Rover is a better car and no, my research is not paper based.
As for not being able to buy a manual diesel in the Freelander in Australia, It is a bit disappointing but a manual’s a bit unnecessary. Probably about 85% of sales would have been automatic. Most people won’t take this car off road and it’s not as if an automatic won’t work off road, as you’ve stated that’s just your personal preference for the driver in you.
Just so say, the sentence that says “I have also driven the Freelander and it’s so much more pleasant. It is a better vehicle, period.” had something that I accidentally backspaced before it saying of my experiences driving an X Trail (I rented one a few months ago) and it’s not even comparable to the Freelander on road. It doesn’t handle nearly as well and feels like a 4WD (not a compliment), not a car.
John, you are obviously happy with your Xtrail and me with my FL2. You can’t see the extra value in the FL2, I can. This is why I bought it, not to mention that I think the Xtrail took some mighty big falls from the ugly tree.
Alex – did you rent the T30 or T31 model and was the rental a Ti spec because you might be quite surprised at the difference between the two models particularly after the Renault’s Ghosn influence.
Andrew – as an owner can you clarify whether the Fl2 has a full size spare?
Not trying to convert your opinions – glad you like the FL2 – just think if they priced it fairly into Xtrail territory, it would be an even better proposition!
To John, I’m not sure what spec it was but it had leather and alloy wheels if that answers your question and it was definitley a diesel but it was automatic, not manual like yours. As for model, it was the new one because it was diesel and I rented it in Australia and I don’t believe diesel was offered here in the X Trail until the new model. Automatic gearboxes also work much better with the diesel Land Rover than the diesel Nissan.
As Andrew wrote, you’re obviously happy with your choice and as you said, even if you did decide the Freelander was better, you probably wouldn’t say so. But I don’t think you will because you’ve obviously made up your mind.
I still stand by my saying that the Freelander is better to drive and better looking, quality etc. and Andrew made the right choice.
Alex – you do have some pretty fixed ideas don’t you like “automatic gearboxes also work much better with the diesel LR than the diesel Nissan”. No empirical evidence and perhaps you should consider whether the Nissan(Renault) diesel and for that matter the LR FL2 diesel would work better in the manual version; but I won’t impose here!
I guess what I am saying is as a value proposition in the Aust market given the competition it is against, it doesn’t make good economic sense, but a vehicle purchase is never quite so cut and dry, is it.
And please do yourself a favour and jump in an Elite spec Santa Fe or even the equivalent Outlander – don’t stereotype these vehicles because of badge cred which to a certain extent you have done with the FL2.
Be interested in the rental company you used for the Nissan, as I will get one of these on my next excursion.
Cheers
John, yes the FL2 has a full sized alloy spare which is the same as the other wheels. I had the pleasure of using it the other day. There are lower spec models in the UK that get space savers but they are not sold on the Australian market.
I love my Frelander 2 SE TD4. I’ve done 40,000km in it since September 07.
I was stepping down from a big 4Wd that had proven impractical driving around the city but I still wanted decent off road capability, passenger room, luggage capacity and towing capability. In short a real “all rounder”. I looked at all of its competitor’s in all price ranges and kept coming back to the FL2.
The car has been on road, off road, in the city in the country – you name it. It’s not a hardcore 4WD but what it can do has surprised me. I can play with the “real” 4WD’s if I’m careful and always carry extraction gear if I’m planning going to a place that looks tricky.
As for reliability, I’ve had no problems with it (or with the 2002 Discovery that it replaced.
I love my Freelander 2 SE petrol too:
nothing has gone wrong with it
it drives like a dream, smooth, fast and very comfortable
its luxurious, looks hot & i sit up high in it.
its in a different class so why bother comparing it
i test drove the other suv’s but they didnt feel anything like the freelander.
i used to have an BMW X5 Sport, loved that too and it feels just as good
there are so many xtrails on the road they’re like lemmings, they are obviously good but really ugly, look at those rear lights, who did that to the car, it needs a exterior makeover badly.
if they priced the xtrail the same as the freelander, it would be interesting to see which car xtrail owners would have chosen.
proof is in the test drive
I have had my brand new 2009 Feelander 2 TD4 HSE with sunroof and premium pack for about 2 weeks now. I have to say this:
I was in two minds before buying the FR2 and tested out BMW X3 and the VW Tiguan. Both these vehicles were simply no match and do not compare well with the drive quality, interiors and the overall looks of the Freelander 2. Its one of the best smoothest vehicle I have ever driven. I am yet to take it off road but on road it is the best small to medium SUV.
At the landrover dealer I checked out the Discovery 3 as well, The rear seat space are about the same as Freelander 2; being 6 feet tall I sat in both these vehicles and found there was no difference in space for passengers. I somehow prefer a sporty looking vehicle and found the Discovery to be a little boxy in shape. Plus for the price I was getting much more than what Discovery was offering and having small family I opted for the 5 seater Freelander 2.
So far it is smooth as ever, drives well feels great. The only thing I miss is the map pockets/ storage space under front passenger electric seat. Even though it is mentioned in the LR FR2 hand book, I find in mine it is a wide gap and missing?
I find it excellent value for money, those comparing with other Japanese/Korean brands should drive one and see one for them selves what it feels. Its like comparing an Aston Martin with a Toyota Celica and then complaining about the price difference… Hmm!
I gotta say that I try to love my Freelander 2. Its a great car altogether, rides great and looks amazing. But it don’t love me. I can’t trust it and its surely trying to drive me mad. I’ve been back to dealer so many times that all the attendents know me by name. Electric, fuel pump, breaks, fuel meter, and window problems have pained me since the second week of purchase — and it has been a year and a half now. A car with all the pluses highlighted on the review and a such a low price tag was bound to have a catch. It just ain’t reliable.
I cannot believe that some people are trying to compare the Freelander 2 to Xtrail, Suzuki 4WD. This car is competiting in the market against vehicles such as Volvo, BMW, Audi. TO try to compared the features and interior to that of an Xtrail is monkey business. I would prefer a auto diesel any day of the week compared to a manual version. The Xtrail manual has faults with the clutch mechanism which cannot be taken off the road without a hefty expense bill that will not be covered by warranty. Even if you compare the costs of the Toyota Kluger AWD to that of a Freelander 2 at similar costs, i would take the Freelander 2 anyday
Shane, the Freelander 2 is still a softroader just like Xtrail. On the other hand, the Vitary can be classed as a Light duty 4wd. And the Jimny is the most off road capable out the lot!!
Car Advice Reader, you are joking? Are you actually saying that the Vitara has more off road capability than a Land Rover? Vitaras are pathetic! And the X Trail is also better. The Land Rover is not just another soft roader meant to be kept in the city, it has real capability, in fact I’m pretty sure CA ran a story about one crossing the Simpson Desert with ease! I’d like to see the Vitara do that and the Jimny wouldn’t have enough power to.
Alex, I’m not joking! Both the Vitary and the Jimny have low range gear, and therefore aren’t in the same class as the soft-roader. Although Vitary is a light duty 4wd (I’m not a big fan myself), the Jimny is a serious albeit small 4wd, that can hang out with the best of them. I have subscription with 4wd Action Australia, and Overlander Magazines, and know of many occasions where the Jimny and Vitaries have crossed the Simpson desert, and many other tracks!!
Why do you keep writing Vitary? It’s Vitara. And you are quite wrong. For a start, have you ever actually used a Land Rover Freelander to do any off roading, let alone driven one on the road? The Land Rover has the terrain response box which isn’t just a piece of electronic gimmickry, it works fantastically and provides a great off roading experience. I have the system in my Range Rover and I have taken that off road numerous times on different surfaces so I know it works. I don’t think the Vitara would have enough ground clearance to get really serious, it’s pretty low to the ground.
And just out of curiosity, what do your magazines say about Land Rovers?
I don’t know about the Vitara, but I’ve been 4wd’ing in a Suzuki Sierra (which became the Jimny) and with a lift kit, it out 4wd’d a land cruiser, even with its 1.3L engine. Super low-range gear box plus strong chassis plus small wheelbase = 4wding weapon.
I dunno, I had one of these as a loaner the other day…
I just didn’t like it. The leather felt like vinyl and it just didn’t feel very much like a quality vehicle as many of the buttons (like the radio selectors) just felt cheap although it appeared that other switches (windows) were from Volvo ?
The radio display was totally unreadable with polarised sunglasses and while we are on visibility, what is the deal with the speedo numbers following the circle of the gauge around ? – makes it hard to read the numbers… Big LCD below the dials is for the Terrain selector thing but one wouldn’t use that very often so why not use it for something else ?
I couldn’t see any cruise control indicators – are there any ?
Window switches on top of the doors – not great to locate…
If you don’t get Nav, you get a empty hole in the centre of the dash – urgh.
It drove OK but it wasn’t anything to remember. Not as good as a Tiguan IMHO…
Probably the best small off roader but only 1% of buyers will do that !
We’re looking to buy a SUV. Have test driven the FL2 HSE and love it. Our only concern is the question of reliability. So far reviews I have read from owners are generally positive, however there are still a few who are disappointed.
To the guys who own Land Rovers could you let us know where the best place is to have them serviced in and around Sydney?
Good service can go a long way to easing any feelings of regret if problems arise.
I just bought a new Freelander 2 TD4 HSE after test driving it. Also sampled the Audi Q5, impressive car but didn’t think it was worth $15k over the Freelander with same specs and same (city driving) driveability.
Hopefully won’t find have too much reliability issues, but that’s what warranties are for!
Like Larry I’ll be interested to know what’s the best place for servicing too.
I’m picking up my new car in a couple of days :)
I bought an HSE TD4 in Nov 08 and am absolutely rapped. It’s well built and very well finished, very solid, drives exceptionally well on all types of road, is extremely comfortable, has a brilliant sound system (the standard HSE system is all you need), cruises very quietly, has no signs of any reliability problems and I don’t expect any – it really is that good. I look forward to years of cruising around the country and finding those off the beaten track places with ease and comfort. The french diesel is hugely torquey (400 torques!) and feels much quicker than the acceleration figures suggest. Great glass roof too! Extremely impressive – and just that bit different and unique amongst a handful of boring and too numerous Japanese and German ‘car-like’ SUV’s which leave me cold. There are few others around with the style and substance of the Land Rover/Range Rover range. Try one and enjoy.
I’ve had mine for a month now. Couldn’t be happier – great looks, great to drive, plenty of room and power in diesel engine. Would recommend anyone considering it.
Lot’s of interesting comments on the FL2, some of them better informed than others. I used to own the original 1998 1.8 petrol model and regularly took it from Singapore into the Johor and Perak jungles in Malaysia and it never missed a beat. The hill descent control, later adopted by BMW and others, was a revelation.I tried the same trips in a Vitara without much enjoyment. Now in QLD, I have a new FL2 TD4 SE. The difference in size, quality, and performance, is so great I’m surprised LR gave it the same name. I can only suggest that those who think this thing is overpriced and no better than cheaper Jap 4×4s have never driven a Freelander. But, they should.
Dennis,
Do you have any “serious” towing experience with the FL2?
I’m interested to know how it might cope with a 1500kg caravan loaded up.
Quoted max braked towing capacity is 2000kg. Is it reasonable to expect it to get anywhere near this figure?
I bought a Freelander 2 TD4 in Dec 2007 and have done just over 80,000kms both on and offroad. Offroad has included beaches and bush around the Sunshine Coast (Qld). In that time haven’t had a single problem – absolutely love it! Great for a quick trip down to NSW on the highway, for getting around the farm near Kenilworth or a trip to Bribie or Fraser Island. Negatives were two product recalls in that time but didn’t have any problems with these issues prior to recall. One more year and I think it will be time for another one!!
I had one of the first Freelanders a 98 or 99. 2l Turbo Diesel. Was the best car I have ever owned. Yes it had some problems but they were minor and lets face it every car has issues. There has not been another car that has equalled that Freelander for comfort, drivability or fuel consumption. Best 21st gift I got myself. While it certainly couldnt compare on the beach to my Patrol it certainly could go far more places then anybody gave it credit for. More places then my sister in laws xtrail thats for sure! I am now looking to get out of my TI Patrol and am going back to the Freelander. They are a fantastic car!
Following Bret’s request for info on the pulling power of the FL2…can anyone update us on how the FL2 copes with pulling 1.5 tonne or more?