Freelander 1 Bye Bye Freelander, hello Rangie

So after nearly 3 years of reliable service I bade farewell to our 2003 1.8 petrol Freelander. Somewhat sad as it was a good old bus but we needed something a bit bigger and more comfortable for long journeys.

Replacement is a 2005 L322 Range Rover.

I do hope it's not out of the frying pan, into the fire...

Sorry to hear of yer loss.

Good luck - hope you don't need it, but if you do.... it will cost $$$$

he won't be using the word reliable again...

Time will tell if I made a wise move I guess.

At least I have a years warranty on the new car which gives me a little peace of mind for now.

I moved from a V6 Freelander to a 2005 Discovery 3 18 months ago. I have to confess that while it's a truly awesome vehicle. Compared to V6 Freelander, it's an absolute money pit. It's far to fragile for my liking and I'm now seriously thinking of letting it go and returning to a Freelander. It's costs are kept high by what appears to be a deliberate tactic of LR to hike parts prices 3 fold in the last few years on there later vehicles.
As the L322 is similar in design to the D3, it suffers from the same fragility in key areas. These are suspension bushes, compressor, hight sensors and valve blocks. The electronic handbrake (EPB) is a constant head ache, requiring constant maintenance to avoid it jamming on. The drive train is less durable than the Freelander's with an appetite for differentials and gearboxes are common.
Electrical systems are iffy with constant bongs from the on board computer, showing this fault or that.
Don't get me wrong, I love these very advanced LR models. What I don't like is the almost constant need for something to be fixed. I'm in the situation where I can do everything myself, saving on labour costs. If I was paying labour on everything I've done in the last 18 months, the bill would exceed £3K and I've still got a few jobs outstanding.
Just be cautious when moving to these much more expensive LRs as the older they get, more expensive they become. Far more so than the humble Freelander 1.

Luckily mine is a 2005 so just pre dates the EPB.

At the end of the day I understand your point but the Range Rover is a far more complex vehicle than the Freelander so I would expect it to have the potential to need a little more TLC to keep it in tip top shape..

buy yer own diagnostic device like a hawkeye or whatever the rr peeps prefer to help diagnose problems....












every weekend

Thanks Hippo. I have bought the iiD Tool which is the recommended one for the L322.

I did think about paying to have the L322 added to my Lynx Diagnostic tool which I used on the Freelander but it turns out it's a bit limited in functionality on the Range Rover compared to the iiD Tool so I will probably sell it to recoup some of the cost of the new tool.

IID is the tool of choice. It'll do all you need and Pat at Gap is only an email away.
I'm discovering that it's not the complexity of my D3 that is the problem, it's the fragility of some key components. I'm talking about things like wishbone bushes and anti roll bar bushes. I'm finding they have a life as short as 15K miles. This I feel is completely unacceptable for what is supposed to be a serious off road vehicle.
Good luck with the L322 and let us know how you get on with it.

D3 must be a wee bit softer than L322. Had a 56TDV8 for 4 years now and other than normal service items it has had an alternator, a couple of intercooler to manifold pipes and a couple of front lower arm bushes, about £500 in total. IID tool is the best, even better if you have the bluetooth version. If you replace parts on L322 go for OEM or genuine anything else will not last as it is a heavy lump and will destroy cheap parts quickly. If you have a TD6 the gearbox is mince

Yes I'm aware that the auto box on the diesel is not up to the job. Planning to do an oil and filter change on it soon so that I can get a handle on internal wear. I'm pretty sure the box has been replaced recently as it looks very clean and I can't believe that the car will have got to the mileage it has without at least one replacement!

What miles is it on?

178K. But looks and drives really well and better than a lot I tested at less than half the mileage. Looks to have been well looked after but time will tell...