Anyone happy with a 2.5 V6 FL??

Hi,
Every single person I have spoken to has told me not to buy a FL! Just wondering, is there anyone out there who is actually happy with a 2.5 V6 version? I've found a nice 2004 Sports Premium....
Thanks

19mpg
2000mphg

simples

always a diesel.
the V6 is as prone (almost) as the 1.8, but costs twice as much to fix.

Are you a gambling man??

Chaser, not really a gambler! But on the other hand, limited budget for a 2nd "playtime" car means the the TD4s I'm looking at are 3-4 years older.....does that mean even more chance of LR stuff (not necessarily the engine) going wrong...?? Whichever option, it feels like a gamble to me!

I purchased my 2001 2.5 about a year ago!
It was cheap and not going to be used as an everyday car so I wasn't too bothered if it was unreliable as i have other vehicles to use! Having said this it hasn't missed a beat and if it died tomorrow I would have had my moneys worth!

I do check fluid levels on a regular basis as i am sure something will go wrong! but so far i can't complain! Its just a handy bit of kit for throwing dirty dogs and children in , the odd towing job and when i do a few country sports over the winter gets me down farm tracks and across fields where my other vehicles wouldn't cope!
It wasn't my first choice of vehicle , but the price was right and it ticked most of the boxes!

Fumes, excellent! How many miles have you done? I'm looking at either the cheap and cheerful option or a very nice Sport Premium.....

Ashleys64 said:

Fumes, excellent! How many miles have you done? I'm looking at either the cheap and cheerful option or a very nice Sport Premium.....

Click to expand...

Its my 3rd vehicle after my company car a classic lancia oh and my wifes car i drive sometimes, so its only used for specific jobs , towing , dump runs, moving kids, canoes, dirty dogs etc etc! so its only covered about 3k since its mot in June!
I could have spent a lot more to get a diesel, but i don't do enough miles so don't really feel the pain of fuel .. but may do the way things are going!! If and when this one dies i'd consider a TD , but will drive this one until its not econonmic to repair! Just checked the mot and it didn't even have an advisory last time! not bad for a sub grand motor!

Ashleys64 said:

Chaser, not really a gambler! But on the other hand, limited budget for a 2nd "playtime" car means the the TD4s I'm looking at are 3-4 years older.....does that mean even more chance of LR stuff (not necessarily the engine) going wrong...?? Whichever option, it feels like a gamble to me!

Click to expand...

All freelanders should stand up to the miles well with proper maintenance. Regardless of that fact the trouble with the V6 is the engine itself is not only high risk but uneconomical to repair, full stop, so you could end up seriously out of pocket and scrapping/breaking the car.
So I'd say it's better to buy an older diesel that is less likely to have a major failure that you can't afford to repair. A safer investment don't you think?

I own a V6 from 2002.

Just take care of it as you would any other old car, check oil and fluids from time to time. And check that the VCU isn't locked up every 5000km

Don't worry about it breaking apart, as you can easily recognize a starting headgasket failure. If your engine oil becomes grey or the coolant fluid becomes foggy... And in general if the engine starts sounding different. If caugt early it is an easy fix, as the noise/misfiring will be apparent before the head gets warm enough to warp.


And if you have no problem with th egas prices, I'd say go ahead, buy it.

Ashleys64 said:

Hi,
Every single person I have spoken to has told me not to buy a FL! Just wondering, is there anyone out there who is actually happy with a 2.5 V6 version? I've found a nice 2004 Sports Premium....
Thanks

Click to expand...

My son bought a V6 Premium 6 years ago. Not bothered about fuel consumption as working from home.
Circumstances changed, been doing 500 miles / week mostly on M25 for last 18 months!
Nice comfortable quiet car, only problem is mpg. I think with the tax on fuel he has nearly paid off the UK's fiscal deficit!
Have offered him as exchange my TD4 auto for economical reasons but he prefers the V6 premium bells and whistles. I admit it is a lovely car with real performance if you want it.
I think if you can get one at a price and watch the coolant level it's worth considering. I don't think we will spend money on a cambelt change, I have a theory they last longer than the recommended period - time will tell.

NielsBN said:

I own a V6 from 2002.


Don't worry about it breaking apart, as you can easily recognize a starting headgasket failure. If your engine oil becomes grey or the coolant fluid becomes foggy... And in general if the engine starts sounding different. If caugt early it is an easy fix, as the noise/misfiring will be apparent before the head gets warm enough to warp.


And if you have no problem with th egas prices, I'd say go ahead, buy it.

Click to expand...

Really, you'll need to tell the guys on here all the shortcuts you used when you repaired both your heads as most of the guys on here who have done it didn't find it such a breeze.

watching the coolant is an interesting bit of advice, do you think that will prevent HGF?

Well thanks guys, useful cross section of views! Luckily I have a sensible car (S Max diesel) and a classic (64 Oldsmobile Station Wagon 5.7L V8) so if I buy the FL the mileage will be low and the mpg will be the least of my worries! I rang the garage that sold the car in Feb 2009 and the guy remembered it and commented what a great car it was.
Tempted.............

Chaser said:

watching the coolant is an interesting bit of advice, do you think that will prevent HGF?

Click to expand...

If caught soon yes.

If the coolant fluid isn't 100% clear you have a cracked gasket somewhere, and that somewhere tends to be around the heads.

It always starts off as a very tiny crack at first, and it can grow bigger as the engine cycles between cold and hot.

When the crack is in its infant state oil, petrol and exhaust gas will leak into the coolant system and cause the fluid to become foggy. It is exactly at that point in time you can still manage to save your heads, because the warping hasn't begun yet.

NielsBN said:

If caught soon yes.

If the coolant fluid isn't 100% clear you have a cracked gasket somewhere, and that somewhere tends to be around the heads.

It always starts off as a very tiny crack at first, and it can grow bigger as the engine cycles between cold and hot.

When the crack is in its infant state oil, petrol and exhaust gas will leak into the coolant system and cause the fluid to become foggy. It is exactly at that point in time you can still manage to save your heads, because the warping hasn't begun yet.

Click to expand...

Wow I didn't know about petrol leaking into the coolant, and there was me thinking that the gaskets were already fooked and damage done once exhaust was detected in the coolant or coolant in the oil.
So is there a quick and easy way to whip the suckers out and fit new ones? Access looks a little awkward to me.

I've got a v6 too.

Happy with it? Yes.
Would I buy anohter? No. Would get the diesel.
Did I choose the v6? No. Inherited it.
Am I worried? Yes. From reading the web I know every trip will end with a breakdown.
Am I still worried? I do what I can in advance to keep him going.
Does it cost a lot to run? Repairs alone and servicing... you wouldn't beleave the money spent so far.
An I a mechanic? No. and far from it. But I try and read up a lot on the rave disk and web.
Daily running costs? Putting aside repairs, mpg is low but I only do 4k miles per year.
Will I keep him? Yes, as long as he works. If it's too difficult to repiar, then it's game over.
Have I warned him of the above? Yes. Everytime I turn the key.

NielsBN said:

If caught soon yes.

If the coolant fluid isn't 100% clear you have a cracked gasket somewhere, and that somewhere tends to be around the heads.

It always starts off as a very tiny crack at first, and it can grow bigger as the engine cycles between cold and hot.

When the crack is in its infant state oil, petrol and exhaust gas will leak into the coolant system and cause the fluid to become foggy. It is exactly at that point in time you can still manage to save your heads, because the warping hasn't begun yet.

Click to expand...

You really haven't had much experience with this have you?

Chaser said:

Wow I didn't know about petrol leaking into the coolant, and there was me thinking that the gaskets were already fooked and damage done once exhaust was detected in the coolant or coolant in the oil.
So is there a quick and easy way to whip the suckers out and fit new ones? Access looks a little awkward to me.

Click to expand...

Funny thing is Chaser, the guys on here that have actually done the job didn't find it that easy either. In fact I seem to remember a couple of them cursing about it - a lot.

Maybe old Neilsyboon could set up a repair business for the V6 engines if he finds it so easy. I reckon he could be a very busy bee if he could live up to his claims.