High Mileage

Hi Guys,

I am looking at buying my first Freelander TD4 Sport. However it has quite high mileage, 150K. Its a 2004 plate. What are peoples opinions on this, is this too high and to be avoided, or will the engine etc be fine. It has a full service history at LR too.

Thanks for any advice

Matt

It would depend on the price as to if this is a good deal? If he's offering it for a couple of grand might be worth a punt, if it's excessive then it wouldn't!

Also, there are plenty of pages on this forum for common problems, have a scout through, make a list of things to check & check them. Also take it for a good test drive and see how it runs. Mileage is too subjective. We've had cars go to 260k miles, and others such as a recent Vauxhall Astra which needed a new engine & autobox after 15k miles from new, then needed another new one 10k later.

Its up for £4000, but i think i will get it for £3500. Does this sound expensive. I have been reading through on things to look for. I believe its had the 120K expensive service already but i will check the paperwork.

Also is there much difference between the sports package and the Kalahari/SE/Serengetti

The Kalahari/Serengeti models are older, pre facelift. The Sport was a higher end model, only the HSE sits above it in the range.

Isn't the sport just a stiffened up Freelander? I never saw the appeal of sports 4x4, same with the RR Sport. Here is a review of the FL Sport from Auto Express back in the day

But in this case, the nameplate is on the side of a diesel Land Rover. Disappointed? The firm thinks it's just what many people have been looking for. The reasoning is that a lot of prospective Freelander buyers like the idea of owning a 4x4, but are put off by the wallowy driving dynamics.

This new Sport model is an attempt to tighten it all up. The suspension has been stiffened and dropped in height by 30mm to give a lower centre of gravity. The result is noticeable, with far less float through corners. The steering is better too, with a positive feel which might even be too heavy for some.

There are trade-offs for this handling improvement, though. Firstly the ride is firmer and tyre noise greater, to the point where both can become irritating. The second is less ground clearance off-road. Our purpose-built test course proved the Sport is still competent, but ruts and rocks could be a problem in the real world. To give the Sport name credibility, the model is only available with the two most powerful engines in the line-up; the Td4 diesel and the 2.5-litre petrol V6.

We tried both, and much prefer the oil-burner. The V6 is mated to an auto box which saps most of the 175bhp away, and fuel economy of 22.7mpg is hard to accept. The diesel makes more sense. It might be an older version of the BMW 3-Series' 2.0-litre common-rail engine, and produces only 110bhp, but it performs well enough and returns 37.2mpg. The only real gripe is a sticky gearbox and heavy clutch, both of which should loosen up with time.

The interior is a bigger problem. While the five-door cars have received a substantial makeover, the three-door only gets a few dashboard upgrades. The bare painted metal on the insides of the doors, lack of climate control and shiny plastic trim are a joke on a car costing around ΂£21,500. But as long as you steer clear of the three-door body, V6 engine and any big rocks in your path, the Freelander Sport is a fine alternative to a more mainstream car.

For me I don't see the point of the Sport mainly because they never did anything to the engine. Tweaked suspension is all very good but unless it's been recently replaced it might be all a bit tired at this mileage & a good standard model shouldn't be wallowy at all, mine certainly isn't. It wouldn't be so bad if they were only a few hundred quid more but they seem to go for quite a premium & you have decide whether it's worth paying that premium.

A remap or Roverron module will sort that out. Mine is quite nippy.

However I am thinking of changing the VCU as its starting to feel tight turning in the bends. Mileage 108K

The ground clearance for standard freelanders is a big enough hindrance as it is. (I should know, as I've spent a large portion of my life stuck in a ditch and yes, it was in a gaylander...) If you ever plan on taking it off road, the last thing you will wanna do is drive one with even less ground clearance unless of course, you enjoy smoking some of Amsterdam's finest.

I'd say the Freelander sport was largely designed for stupid people. Those with more common sense will be thinking more along these lines:

Want performance with a little comfort? Buy a BMW 325 or 330
Want a rally car? Buy a Subaru Impreza
Want boot space and something to haul your caravan? Buy a Volvo V70
Want something to haul your horsebox? Buy a Disco or if you want to have some fun and games with Vosa, buy a gaylander sport!
Want a 4x4? At least get a normal Freelander. But even then, don't expect to win any 4x4 competitions
Want to look like a complete dick who has more money than sense? Buy a Freelander sport


So in essence, buying a Freelander sport is kinda like buying a Massey Ferguson MF 8600 Sport edition. (If such a thing existed!) Regardless, the concept would be exactly the same and it kinda goes to show how stupid it actually is!

So to conclude:

The Freelander Sport = A stupid car for stupid people

Skynet said:

A remap or Roverron module will sort that out. Mine is quite nippy.

However I am thinking of changing the VCU as its starting to feel tight turning in the bends. Mileage 108K

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Fitted the synergy to my Freelander & it definitely helps but I still think that with the Sport it should come with the extra oomph as standard. Calling it a Sport & giving it the same crap performance as the standard car but charging a large premium on top is really pretty poor.