Do I buy a freelander2

Hi all,

I'm new to this Land Rover thing, but I have friends that have had land rovers for years.

I'm looking at buying a freelander2 2010 reg.

Just wondering if anyone has any advice? But / don't buy. What to watch out for etc.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

I used to own a 2004 Freelander 1 face lift before I bought my Defender. My opinion is BUY, not sure what to look out for on the Freelander 2 though, so get plenty of advice and look around before getting first one you see.

Just bought a 2010 FL2 td4 auto, first impressions are its a joy to drive great visibility enough power to make driving easy, early days yet but I like it. Don't have enough experience to tell you what to look for but obvious things like service records and lower milage are worth considering I saw loads of them with very high miles which put me off a bit.
By the way my other landy is a 2001 TD5 90, quite a different experience.

raywin said:

Just bought a 2010 FL2 td4 auto, first impressions are its a joy to drive great visibility enough power to make driving easy, early days yet but I like it. Don't have enough experience to tell you what to look for but obvious things like service records and lower milage are worth considering I saw loads of them with very high miles which put me off a bit.
By the way my other landy is a 2001 TD5 90, quite a different experience.

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raywin, what sort of mpg are you getting? I need to use as my vehicle to commute with - which is a 100mile round trip each day.

Well so far it is around 34 - 35 mpg but that is only over about 250 mls of mixed motoring you can see a difference as it heats up, I have a feeling that 100 mls a day would give better numbers but depends on the route, if you were on motorway or dual carriageway then would be good maybe not so great in town.

You might be better off visiting the Freelander forum on here

Keep below 70 and you can expect 38-39 mpg, over 75 and you can say goodbye to 5-6 mpg

I've owned 3 Freelander 2's over a period of 4 years and clocked up around 130-140,000 miles between them. I still work with the chap that bought my original from me; I did the first 90,000 miles and he's now taken it to 133,000 miles and fully intends to take it to 200,000 and beyond.

I drove each of them gently but, in general use, the manuals returned around 34-35mpg, the auto between 29 and 32mpg. For the best possible mpg, try and avoid living somewhere with hills in it...

My second TD4 manual had an irregular "cough" under acceleration (not a real problem, but LR admitted that they can't cure it) and the rear diffs last for around 100,000 and then die to the tune of £700 + labour. The clutch in the original manual is still there, at 133,000 miles, but it has always been weak if worked hard and will burn easily. Stick to an auto if you intend to tow.

The SD4 auto is usefully more powerful than the TD4, but the TD4 is certainly quick enough.

17" wheels suit the car best if you're planning on off roading although, if you're not used to a Land Rover, you might find the steering a little vague with them on the motorway, while 18's are a good compromise for road use. 19's look great, but are a bit silly, while some fit 22's(!!!). Not me and don't bother.

Off road capability is surprisingly good, but the lack of low range is a pain in the bottom, especially without the benefit of an auto. It needs a sump and fuel tank bash plate for any moderately serious work - see Mantec for those.

Apart from those issues, they are great and I loved every one of them Find a well cared got one with a good history and I can thoroughly recommend it!

PS: I only sold the last one to buy a D4 - the car I lusted after for years It made no financial sense at all!

PS: Check everything electrical works. Check what warning lights should come on with the ignition and make sure they do. Then make sure that they all go out again!
Look out for any faults showing on the dot mattricies and investigate anything that shows. The electrics are complex, but nothing to worry about if it's been looked after properly and everything's in order.
Check the wheel arch trim is still properly in place and that rust hasn't started underneath.
Minor detail: points are gained for finding a proper spare wheel under the boot carpet, whereas points will be lost for spacesavers or, worst of all, finding the stupid goo!