FREELANDER: Equally bad to other 4x4'S.

The MK1 Freelander (that's now transformed as the MK2) was the best selling small SUV/4x4 in Europe until 2002 - even if it does break down, especially in 1.8L petrol form thanks to the head gasket and other well discussed issues.

However............

Looking at ratings from from WHATCAR? magazine, the much dissed hippo holds it's own against other Landrovers. Yes you read that correctly.

All 2 star ratings:



Freelander 03-07
''It's easily the most able all-rounder in the class''.


Disco 98-04:
''


NEW Defender:
''Off-road, very little can touch it. On-road, there's very little to recommend it.''

*Range Rover 94-02:

So there must be something good about Freelanders if people buy them and they're of similar 'quality' to the vehicles listed above. Probably first thing is the fact most people can park it in a City (unlike the superior off-road Discovery), that's simply too large to do this.

Series/Defender is nice and short, but too uncomfortable if used 90% on-road and has no creature comforts in the same price bracket.

So the hippo has it's faults, and is beaten soundly off-road compared to Disco/Defender/Series, but hippo beats other vehicles in other categories also made my Land Rover.

So although the **** taking is funny, and often quite honest it's not always coming from owners from other Land Rover vehicles that have untarnised 'reputations' when it comes to their vehicles!

"best selling" and "best quality" isnt the same thing. I still maintain the Freelander1 was badly designed, badly built and badly implemented.

I haven't had my Freelander long but it's the worst i have had with regards to maintenance and repairs. Within the space of nearly six months it's had numerous problems including HGF, rotary coupler failing and the "three amigos" on a regular basis.

It is a nice drive though compared to what i have had in the past but had i done done more homework on the vehicle i probably would have got a disco or series instead.

The way i see it with the early versions in particular is it was built cheaply, with cheapest engine available slapped on it then sold for a huge amount of money at the time for what it was.

but it was also a fashion accessory for townies, and the school runs, where perhaps there was one in an area, keeping up with the jones soon meant there were four or five or more, and when fords owned lr half the essex workforce had one as their second car.

The early 2.0di is better than the td4 for reliability.
We all hate the K-series for hgf but what about the td5 having cracked heads, noone hates them its just bad luck.
The freelander 1 is an awesome vehicle, the main problem is that anyone buying one now is buying second-hand and 9 times out of 10 they are buying a dog.
My 10 year old freelander is now looking its age but its done 136000 miles and is still going strong, and its not rusty either.

I had one of the very first (diesel) ones from new and it was one of the best cars I've had - never a fault over 3 years. Have just replaced my disco with a 3 year old Freelander 2 - at the moment I like it a lot, but we'll see...

I've said it before and I'll say it again.... Our TD4 is the most reliable car we have ever had.

And the Freelander is suprisingly capable off road.

...But I don't know about the easier to park than a Discovery as they are pretty much the same size.

Cheers

Blippie