Freelander 2 buying advice

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The one I am looking at is an HSE so should come with all of that which is good. I enjoyed the ride height too which I was worried about coming from a d2 and I thought it would be more car like but it didn’t feel low at all.
Land Rovers never feel low when compared with other SUV type vehicles. The driver in a FL2 sits higher than the similarly sized Ford Kuga or Mazda CX5 for instance, both of which we've had on lease before the girls went to uni.
I think the FL2 is a good compromise between space inside, and external dimensions. It's only slightly smaller than our D3, but it feels much smaller, which on Cornish B roads is a bonus.

I do actually like the look of the new Defender, but it's simply too large, too thirsty, and far too appealing to cooks to be considered a safe buy.
 
Even the F1 isn't a 'low' vehicle.

When I get in a 'car', its like I'm sitting in a go cart from that perspective.

The driving position is great. Good visibility and comfortable.
Agreed. One of the main reasons I love LRs.
Like the FL1, a 5 hour drive in the FL2 is painless, especially on main roads. The seats are comfortable, and the driving position is good. The only thing I don't like is the door mirrors. The glass is convex, so it's difficult to place it exactly when parking in tight spaces.
 
The one I am looking at is an HSE so should come with all of that which is good.
The HSE gets most options as standard, except xenon or bi-xenon (year depending) headlamps, but otherwise it's a decent spec. The HSE gets 3 main options over the SE, memory leather seats being the most obvious difference, it also gets the 14 speaker Logic 7 audio system and 18" wheels.
I went for the SE because it was much cheaper than the HSE, and had everything I wanted, except the Logic 7 audio, which is pretty easy to upgrade too. I'm not a fan of leather seats anyway, although memories would have been handy, and I prefer 17" rims as tyres are both cheaper, and have more options available, hence the SE choice.
I'd personally not go for a lower spec than an XS, as too many useful options are missing for my liking, which would spoil then enjoyment for me.
 
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Agreed. One of the main reasons I love LRs.
Like the FL1, a 5 hour drive in the FL2 is painless, especially on main roads. The seats are comfortable, and the driving position is good. The only thing I don't like is the door mirrors. The glass is convex, so it's difficult to place it exactly when parking in tight spaces.
Went for a 2nd test drive this evening.

Yeh, 1 thing I noticed about the F2 is the wing mirrors don't 'work' as well as the F1. They don't appear to be as wide, more square than 'landscape' view and will take some time to get used to. Nice they fold in though, although, FFS, more to go wrong for little benefit (in NZ).

I also feel the all round vision out of the car isn't as good as the F1. The pillars are much thicker in width, and depth (yeh, I know, its a safer vehicle), but once again, a case of getting used to it.

One thing I noticed about the F2 though, was that I pulled out of a junction and went to gently accelerate, and almost shat myself as it took off down the road! Its a bit 'nippier' than the L Series :oops:

As I say, its a basic basic spec, but with gorgeous leather seats. I was quite confounded in its basicness in that it didn't have something that I took for granted that it would have, but I forget what it is, so can't be that important. Although lack of a USB socket is a pain.

Anyway, we've shook hands on a price and we'll transfer the cash tomorrow morning.
 
Went for a 2nd test drive this evening.

Yeh, 1 thing I noticed about the F2 is the wing mirrors don't 'work' as well as the F1. They don't appear to be as wide, more square than 'landscape' view and will take some time to get used to. Nice they fold in though, although, FFS, more to go wrong for little benefit (in NZ).

I also feel the all round vision out of the car isn't as good as the F1. The pillars are much thicker in width, and depth (yeh, I know, its a safer vehicle), but once again, a case of getting used to it.

One thing I noticed about the F2 though, was that I pulled out of a junction and went to gently accelerate, and almost shat myself as it took off down the road! Its a bit 'nippier' than the L Series :oops:

As I say, its a basic basic spec, but with gorgeous leather seats. I was quite confounded in its basicness in that it didn't have something that I took for granted that it would have, but I forget what it is, so can't be that important. Although lack of a USB socket is a pain.

Anyway, we've shook hands on a price and we'll transfer the cash tomorrow morning.
All the mirrors, including the central rear view aren't flat standard glass, and so have a magnification and widening effect. The glass shape took a long time to get used to, but thankfully parking sensors make parking easy.

Power fold mirrors are lovely, especially when the fold / unfold when locking or unlocking has been activated. They're actually pretty reliable too, especially when they are tied into the locking. An annual squirt of dry lubricant into the mechanism keeps them working smoothly.

The pillars are thicker, but that's normal for a modern car, it's all to do with keeping the driver's safety cell rigid in a crash. The FL2 has a high scoring 5☆ Euro Ncap rating, which is very comforting with all the morons on the roads these days.

It's interesting it has power fold mirrors, but is a basic spec. Normally power folds are only optional on GS spec and standard above that.

It's possible that it's a market dependent option I suppose, but it does seem an odd option to request on an otherwise basic spec.

Congratulations on the new vehicle. Of course we'll need to see lots of pictures of it once you've got it home. ;)
 
Went for a 2nd test drive this evening.

Yeh, 1 thing I noticed about the F2 is the wing mirrors don't 'work' as well as the F1. They don't appear to be as wide, more square than 'landscape' view and will take some time to get used to. Nice they fold in though, although, FFS, more to go wrong for little benefit (in NZ).

I also feel the all round vision out of the car isn't as good as the F1. The pillars are much thicker in width, and depth (yeh, I know, its a safer vehicle), but once again, a case of getting used to it.

One thing I noticed about the F2 though, was that I pulled out of a junction and went to gently accelerate, and almost shat myself as it took off down the road! Its a bit 'nippier' than the L Series :oops:

As I say, its a basic basic spec, but with gorgeous leather seats. I was quite confounded in its basicness in that it didn't have something that I took for granted that it would have, but I forget what it is, so can't be that important. Although lack of a USB socket is a pain.

Anyway, we've shook hands on a price and we'll transfer the cash tomorrow morning.
Well done on the purchase. I am going to have another look at the end of the week and possibly will be joining you. This thread has really helped give a measured and insightful view on the pros and cons so thank you.
 
Well done on the purchase. I am going to have another look at the end of the week and possibly will be joining you. This thread has really helped give a measured and insightful view on the pros and cons so thank you.
For Freelander 2 used in the UK over the winter, you need to carefully check for corrosion. The rear subframe and it's mounting points are particularly susceptible to salt laden mud rotting them. The front subframe can also suffer too, and oddly the rear arch inside the door area. The other thing to check is the power steering pipes where they enter the rack. For some reason LR cheaped out on the arch liner, meaning it doesn't cover the lower part of the engine and steering rack. A good mod would be to extend the liner to cover the lower half of the engine, probably to below the subframe, much like it was on the FL1.
 
For Freelander 2 used in the UK over the winter, you need to carefully check for corrosion. The rear subframe and it's mounting points are particularly susceptible to salt laden mud rotting them. The front subframe can also suffer too, and oddly the rear arch inside the door area. The other thing to check is the power steering pipes where they enter the rack. For some reason LR cheaped out on the arch liner, meaning it doesn't cover the lower part of the engine and steering rack. A good mod would be to extend the liner to cover the lower half of the engine, probably to below the subframe, much like it was on the FL1.
Thanks. I will have a look. Are they as exposed as on d2 which run along the chassis across front. Having just changed these I would like to avoid a similar situation as they were a real pain to change requiring the entire cooling front part of engine out.
 
All the mirrors, including the central rear view aren't flat standard glass, and so have a magnification and widening effect. The glass shape took a long time to get used to, but thankfully parking sensors make parking easy.

Power fold mirrors are lovely, especially when the fold / unfold when locking or unlocking has been activated. They're actually pretty reliable too, especially when they are tied into the locking. An annual squirt of dry lubricant into the mechanism keeps them working smoothly.

The pillars are thicker, but that's normal for a modern car, it's all to do with keeping the driver's safety cell rigid in a crash. The FL2 has a high scoring 5☆ Euro Ncap rating, which is very comforting with all the morons on the roads these days.

It's interesting it has power fold mirrors, but is a basic spec. Normally power folds are only optional on GS spec and standard above that.

It's possible that it's a market dependent option I suppose, but it does seem an odd option to request on an otherwise basic spec.

Congratulations on the new vehicle. Of course we'll need to see lots of pictures of it once you've got it home. ;)
Think it was girly parking that I was surprised was not on the vehicle. Seams to be on all cars now, but maybe not, even on a 'prestige' vehicle in 2010. Bit like the USB.

I don't mind not having parking sensors, but I would like a reversing camera - which will be difficult to install. I don't want to be lifting carpet or removing panels/headliner to route cables, and the obvious issue of not having a display to view it on. There is a cubby hole above the radio where a panel would go on a higher spec model probably.

Its quite interesting because I don't think the dash has any more functionality than our '99 F1 - radio with LCD panel and CD rather than tape, heater (same temp, speed, direction & AC functions), lock/unlock, hazards and not much/nothing else. The HDC is complimented by the other 'terrain response' buttons - but then the VCU probably served most of that functionality without the need for a human to press the wrong button!
 
Think it was girly parking that I was surprised was not on the vehicle. Seams to be on all cars now, but maybe not, even on a 'prestige' vehicle in 2010. Bit like the USB.

I don't mind not having parking sensors, but I would like a reversing camera - which will be difficult to install. I don't want to be lifting carpet or removing panels/headliner to route cables, and the obvious issue of not having a display to view it on. There is a cubby hole above the radio where a panel would go on a higher spec model probably.

Its quite interesting because I don't think the dash has any more functionality than our '99 F1 - radio with LCD panel and CD rather than tape, heater (same temp, speed, direction & AC functions), lock/unlock, hazards and not much/nothing else. The HDC is complimented by the other 'terrain response' buttons - but then the VCU probably served most of that functionality without the need for a human to press the wrong button!
Parking sensors are pretty much a must have item, as the rear window is so high, the bonnet of the vehicle behind just disappears. PDC could be retrofitted if needed. ;)
The Freelander 2 was considered a prestige vehicle, however how prestige it is depends on the model designation, which is directly related to the costs of it. A basic model was just under £25k, a top model was almost £40k. There's a huge amount of toys between the lowest and highest spec, hence the large price difference.
Rear camera is pretty easy to install, once the cable has been run, which on modern cars isn't a difficult task. The camera screen could go in that cubby, where mine has the nav screen.

The audio system is probably the lowline system, but a quick check in the boot for a subwoofer would prove that. No sub is lowline, sub in the boot is midline. The CD player will play MP3 encoded CDs, so there's less need for USB audio. I've added a BT receiver so the girls can listen to music from their phones through the car audio system.

There are several specs of HVAC systems, starting with single zone manual control, right through to duel zone climate control with air quality monitoring.

There 3 grades of dashboard, and several different types of steering wheels, depending on what options are fitted.

It has TR which is definitely worth having, as it not only changes how the AWD works, but also alters the engine response and traction control, depending on the mode its in. Sand mode is great fun on sand, as it gives maximum throttle response, and maximum traction, but obviously it's only supposed to be used on sand.
When the special modes aren't needed, TR is simply left in the off setting.
 
Parking sensors are pretty much a must have item, as the rear window is so high, the bonnet of the vehicle behind just disappears. PDC could be retrofitted if needed. ;)
The Freelander 2 was considered a prestige vehicle, however how prestige it is depends on the model designation, which is directly related to the costs of it. A basic model was just under £25k, a top model was almost £40k. There's a huge amount of toys between the lowest and highest spec, hence the large price difference.
Rear camera is pretty easy to install, once the cable has been run, which on modern cars isn't a difficult task. The camera screen could go in that cubby, where mine has the nav screen.

The audio system is probably the lowline system, but a quick check in the boot for a subwoofer would prove that. No sub is lowline, sub in the boot is midline. The CD player will play MP3 encoded CDs, so there's less need for USB audio. I've added a BT receiver so the girls can listen to music from their phones through the car audio system.

There are several specs of HVAC systems, starting with single zone manual control, right through to duel zone climate control with air quality monitoring.

There 3 grades of dashboard, and several different types of steering wheels, depending on what options are fitted.

It has TR which is definitely worth having, as it not only changes how the AWD works, but also alters the engine response and traction control, depending on the mode its in. Sand mode is great fun on sand, as it gives maximum throttle response, and maximum traction, but obviously it's only supposed to be used on sand.
When the special modes aren't needed, TR is simply left in the off setting.
Picked it up and drove it home tonight.

Got a "Bonnet Open" message on the dash. He had lifted the bonnet to show me summat and presumably hadn't shut it firmly. I stopped, opened in and shut it and the message went away.

I get what you say about the steering wheel, it is a bit skinny and shiny/smooth.

Getting used to the mirrors. I think some of it is that it has a darker tint to the windows than our F1.

Drove well though and comfortable. Looking forward to becoming "at one" with it like I am with our F1, where you just get in and drive without thinking, just enjoying the drive. I hope I get that same feeling, I'm sure I will.

Our trailer is currently loaded with garden stuff and sitting on the drive so space is limited (what with daughter's car there to). I reverse up (about 50m) so I can just drive straight off if other cars are there. In the F1, its all just natural, done it 100's of times, and I stop when the spare's about to hit the fence. Tonight though I had to think with the 'strange' car, no spare for target practice and a tow bar sticking out the back. So I reversed up gingerly and as I got close it started beeping at me! So it does have girly parking! Came in handy tonight :D

The F1 was relegated to the road tonight with the trailer blocking access to the garden, but I'll do a dump run tomoz or Saturday and we'll have them both up on the drive.

No pics, it was dark by the time I'd had a glass of wine with the seller and a chin wag.

Reading the manual, it has "automatic" dual zone climate control, but no heated seat buttons in the middle of the knobs.

Dunno what sound system it has yet - it makes noise - at least I presume it does, haven't turned it on yet.

Insurance is about £30/month which is about £7 more than the F1, but may change the F1 to 3rd party, which will mean we are paying about £17 a month more than we were for the 2 cars. This one will only need WOFs (MOTs) once a year as opposed to twice with the pre 2000 F1.
 
It sounds like it's probably a GS, or the local equivalent of a GS. A UK GS doesn't have leather seats, but they were a cost option. The HFS and seat heaters were part of the winter pack on the GS, but I'm suspecting that the seats themselves will have the heater pads already installed. If so then it's technically possible to retrofit seat heating.
 
So, been driving it for a couple of days now. Not far, little more than just to work and back. Will go for a longer drive this afternoon.

It is a lovely car to drive. Very different to the F1 in nature, much more refined and powerful. Its an auto compared to my F1's manual so there will be different aspects just from that, but its more of a sit back and relax type car. It feels very comfortable, solid and capable.

Mrs Grumpy took it out for the first time today down the shops, so I hooked the trailer up to the F1 to dump a load of garden stuff. After a couple of days out of it, It was great to jump back in it and go for a drive. Completely different feeling to driving the F2. Feel much more 'connected' to the F1, its like driving a sports car (Midgets and Spitfires are not high powered vehicles) compared to the F2's Rolls Royce.

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Both cars are nice looking motors in my book. There's little styling for styling's sake that ages quickly - apart from maybe the very front of them. Maybe I'm boring or to conservative, but I like 'em :cool:

Just hope the F2 turns out to be as reliable and dependable as the F1 has been.
 
So, been driving it for a couple of days now. Not far, little more than just to work and back. Will go for a longer drive this afternoon.

It is a lovely car to drive. Very different to the F1 in nature, much more refined and powerful. Its an auto compared to my F1's manual so there will be different aspects just from that, but its more of a sit back and relax type car. It feels very comfortable, solid and capable.

Mrs Grumpy took it out for the first time today down the shops, so I hooked the trailer up to the F1 to dump a load of garden stuff. After a couple of days out of it, It was great to jump back in it and go for a drive. Completely different feeling to driving the F2. Feel much more 'connected' to the F1, its like driving a sports car (Midgets and Spitfires are not high powered vehicles) compared to the F2's Rolls Royce.

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Both cars are nice looking motors in my book. There's little styling for styling's sake that ages quickly - apart from maybe the very front of them. Maybe I'm boring or to conservative, but I like 'em :cool:

Just hope the F2 turns out to be as reliable and dependable as the F1 has been.
That's a good analogy GG. Both cars are very different, but they both have that LR presence about them. The FL2 is definitely a much more refined and relaxing vehicle to drive, especially on long trips.

Yours looks good, and isn't a basic model, as it has rear PDC and headlamp washers. So I'm thinking it's a GS, so it should also have cruise control and steering wheel audio controls. If it has phone answer and reject buttons on the wheel, then it's very likely got the midline audio system. It looks from the pictures that it might have the sensors for automatic headlamps and wipers, both are very handy.


Reliability, now there's a question. The FL2 was LRs most reliable vehicle, but as it's about a thousand times more complicated than the FL1 L series, it has more potential to go wrong.
Generally though, they're pretty good where reliability is concerned.

I see it has 4 identically tyres on it, so that's a good start to reducing issues with the AWD.
It's best to rotate the tyres every oil change, to help keep the system happy.
 
Yeh, I like the colour. The windows are maybe a little to tinted.

The paint isn't exactly in top condition. There are lots of marks on it from its life driving gravel roads. Bottoms of the doors mainly.
The door bottoms are plastic clip on trims. They're normally the raw black plastic, but could be ordered in body colour, which is just painted on.
You could simply get some standard black ones and swap them over. Mine are black, which I do prefer.
Screenshot_20240310-105443_Gallery.jpg
 
That's a good analogy GG. Both cars are very different, but they both have that LR presence about them. The FL2 is definitely a much more refined and relaxing vehicle to drive, especially on long trips.

Yours looks good, and isn't a basic model, as it has rear PDC and headlamp washers. So I'm thinking it's a GS, so it should also have cruise control and steering wheel audio controls. If it has phone answer and reject buttons on the wheel, then it's very likely got the midline audio system. It looks from the pictures that it might have the sensors for automatic headlamps and wipers, both are very handy.


Reliability, now there's a question. The FL2 was LRs most reliable vehicle, but as it's about a thousand times more complicated than the FL1 L series, it has more potential to go wrong.
Generally though, they're pretty good where reliability is concerned.

I see it has 4 identically tyres on it, so that's a good start to reducing issues with the AWD.
It's best to rotate the tyres every oil change, to help keep the system happy.
Yeh, it has cruise control and audio on the steering wheel, but doesn't have any phone functionality.

The sound quality up front is good, but my daughter was in the back today and said it was terrible, I think the word she used was crackly.

Don't know if it has auto lights or wipers.

Yeh, tyres are matching and good tread. The servicable stuff is all good. The tyres are good, the brakes have just been replaced (inc rotors) but are a bit squeaky, just had a service of engine and gearbox, just had new belts. Receipts for all the work to from reputable garages - where he takes his doted on Porsche. I need to get the Haldex serviced. Its on 79k miles.
The door bottoms are plastic clip on trims. They're normally the raw black plastic, but could be ordered in body colour, which is just painted on.
You could simply get some standard black ones and swap them over. Mine are black, which I do prefer.
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The marks on the doors are not on those plastic moldings, its above them on the panel, between them and the crease along the door.

If it had had mud flaps, I don't suppose it would have occurred.
 
Yeh, it has cruise control and audio on the steering wheel, but doesn't have any phone functionality.

The sound quality up front is good, but my daughter was in the back today and said it was terrible, I think the word she used was crackly.

Don't know if it has auto lights or wipers.

Yeh, tyres are matching and good tread. The servicable stuff is all good. The tyres are good, the brakes have just been replaced (inc rotors) but are a bit squeaky, just had a service of engine and gearbox, just had new belts. Receipts for all the work to from reputable garages - where he takes his doted on Porsche. I need to get the Haldex serviced. Its on 79k miles.

The marks on the doors are not on those plastic moldings, its above them on the panel, between them and the crease along the door.

If it had had mud flaps, I don't suppose it would have occurred.
Auto lights have an auto setting on the light control switch. As do auto wipers. It's not the end of the world if those aren't fitted, but it's nice if they are.

It sounds like it's been well looked after, at least recently. The Haldex service is a must. But only use genuine Borg Warner fluid and filters and ideally do it every 30k miles. Change the diff and PTU fluid too, but you'll need a cheap electric pump to do those. You'll like removing the sump guard for oil changes, as it's just 6 easy to remove bolts, you don't even need to jack the vehicle up, as it's higher than the FL1. The oil filter location is just dumb, but it's not an LR engine, so I guess they had no choice on where it was located.

Cruise control is a really useful option. I use mine all the time. It's brilliant for motorway cruising to get maximum MPG, but also useful for keeping to low speed limits without constantly looking at the speedo. I use mine pretty much every time I drive the car. CC also works with HDC, so you can actually adjust the speed at which the HDC system keeps the vehicle. HDC is very handy on slippery down hill stretches off or on road in winter, especially considering the extra weight of the FL2 compared to the FL1.
The FL2 is perfect for fishing trips in the middle of nowhere.

If you have the lowline stereo (if you post a picture, I can tell what you have), then the front speakers are 2 way units, there will be a 20 Watt full range driver in the door, and a tweeter in the mirror mount cover trim.
The rear just gets the 20 Watt full range drivers and no tweeters.
The audio system can be improved, I've just improved my midline speakers.

Ah I see. If it's any consolation, I've got little door dinks on all my doors, where other drivers don't seem to care how they open their doors these days. I did mean to fit the optional door protectors, but at £100 it seemed expensive. Of course it would have been cheaper than fixing the damage to the doors. We live and learn.
 
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