Buying my first Landrover

Hi all,

This is my first post here, I've been looking all over the internet about information on buying landrovers and came across this forum.I've had a look around and read a lot of the threads which have been helpful.

What I'm looking for advice on is what to look for when buying a LandRover. I really want the FreeLander and have seen quite a few that I'm interested in - between 2002-2005 some are 1.8 petrol some are 2.0 TDI which is the biggest engine size I will go for because of insurance. The price for them all has been between £1000 - £2000 which is what I'm looking to spend between.

Anyway I was hoping to get some advice on what to look out for, what the main faults are and if the head gasket issues for the 1.8 petrols have been fixed on the 1.8 petrol model after 2002.

Hope I've posted in the right section and can get some help!

Evening, Jordan.
It's protocol to first introduce yourself in the 'Introduce Yourself' forum. Third one down in the list of forums. Then post your question in the Land Rover Freelander forum, where those that love Hippos are sure to help.

Al2O3 said:

Evening, Jordan.
It's protocol to first introduce yourself in the 'Introduce Yourself' forum. Third one down in the list of forums. Then post your question in the Land Rover Freelander forum, where those that love Hippos are sure to help.

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Thanks, have done that now and will post in the right section

Best thing to look out for in any Land Rover badged vehicle is if it comes with a 3 tier tool chest of tools, mig welder and a trolley full of spares!!!

After having two Rovers with the K series engine and HGF on both despite known history and careful treatment and servicing I wouldn't touch another with a barge pole. Even known the supposedly sorted later ones letting go as well. If you do go for one as it is a nice engine otherwise, I'd budget for some remedial work in the near future.
Good luck with the searching!

Had two Freelanders, now have three Discoveries...

If you can bear it... Buy something Japanese and keep the weekends for Golf, Fishing or any other sctivity that doesn't involved getting covered in ****e, grease and rust-dust

A Freelander isn't a land Rover. It's a handbag.

Ha, ha, ha.... They may well be "handbags", but where I live they are considerably more efficient driving in the snow than a Discovery. Shame that everything else about them is shyte.

Harold 4x4 said:

Ha, ha, ha.... They may well be "handbags", but where I live they are considerably more efficient driving in the snow than a Discovery. Shame that everything else about them is shyte.

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I thought a Disco might have been better? I begrudgingly know that Freelanders are very good offroad.

No - Freelander is comprehensively better than all my Discoveries in the snow : lighter, better traction, better handling, better braking... All my opinion of course. Hate the damn things but they win hands down

K series Freelander is a nice car and loads cheaper than a TD4 but you need to allow for head gasket failing every 50 to 70k regardless of the year.

Harold 4x4 said:

Ha, ha, ha.... They may well be "handbags", but where I live they are considerably more efficient driving in the snow than a Discovery. Shame that everything else about them is shyte.

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Not all of the Freelander is bad. In the snow it has better traction than the Discovery.

Alibro said:

K series Freelander is a nice car and loads cheaper than a TD4 but you need to allow for head gasket failing every 50 to 70k regardless of the year.

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This ^^^^

Nodge68 said:

Not all of the Freelander is bad. In the snow it has better traction than the Discovery.


This ^^^^

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I wonder what tyres were on each. Winter tyres on the Freelander would make all the difference.

Alibro said:

I wonder what tyres were on each. Winter tyres on the Freelander would make all the difference.

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True but a Freelander has much more traction because of the way the Freelander's 4X4 system works.

Managed to drift into a ditch with my Disco a couple of years ago and had to get the wife to tow me out with her Freelander - the shame of it

Hi Jordan and welcome to the forum. My advice to you is don't do it. You will be constantly spending more and more of your hard earned cash on one problem after another. Unless you are experienced with car mechanics and have the time to work on it yourself go and buy something more reliable.

Needalandy said:

Hi Jordan and welcome to the forum. My advice to you is don't do it. You will be constantly spending more and more of your hard earned cash on one problem after another. Unless you are experienced with car mechanics and have the time to work on it yourself go and buy something more reliable.

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Everybody on here would say the same if deciding with the head. We're all too stupid to do the sensible thing.