Fun in the snow?

So who had fun in the snow in their FreeLander? We certainly did...

I have to say that my TD4 Auto has been remarkable on the snow and ice.

Totally surefooted, the transmission setup and all the electric goodies worked miracles up and down hills where others feared to tread.

Only downside was when I got to work I forgot to NOT use the electric window to reach the Barrier Keypad.
Damn window was frozen shut - crack went the mechanism - fortunately window has stayed up but lotsa whirring now in door . Ho hum.


Last night took the other half's Ford Puma down to the village to get a Chinese meal - thought I'd give it a warm up and a run as it had sat buried in snow, and, I wanted to compare the traction control and ABS etc.

2nd BIG MISTAKE of the day - didn't realise just how slippery it really was - or how good the Freelander had coped with the same roads

I have to say, ours (TD4 Auto Sport Premium) has been good too - although it has the ability to put the tail end out if your on the power a little too early coming out of a corner. I can imagine the additional power from the remap is helping that. Nothing uncontrollable though - and it climed some pretty steep sheet ice banks without issue.

Mines been spot on too - TC light didn't even come on when others were stuck with spinning wheels.

They really are quiet remarkable vehicles in tough conditions - never had an issues come flood or mud.

Watch them windows though - prone to fail. Always gulp when mine are frozen up and I try to use them.

Had no idea about the windows... tried them a few times frozen and thought nothing of it - seems they've survived fine.

I'll not use them in future without hitting them with some de-icer!

Not had a problem with leccy windows but the windscreen wipers met their match earlier - had to jump out n sweep the snow off the screen n then push them. Seem ok now tho.

RobBentley said:

I have to say, ours (TD4 Auto Sport Premium) has been good too - although it has the ability to put the tail end out if your on the power a little too early coming out of a corner. I can imagine the additional power from the remap is helping that. Nothing uncontrollable though - and it climed some pretty steep sheet ice banks without issue.

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Yep, got the tail out on mine too but nice & controllable as you say.

ps Rob, excellent photo.



To all the tosspots who previously whined away about why folk like us wanted a 4x4 but not a Defender or the like, I think your question has now been answered so **** off & bother someone else.

chromiumuk said:

Yep, got the tail out .

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Should we expect anything else ???:doh::doh:

Mark2 said:

Last night took the other half's Ford Puma down to the village to get a Chinese meal - thought I'd give it a warm up and a run as it had sat buried in snow, and, I wanted to compare the traction control and ABS etc.

2nd BIG MISTAKE of the day - didn't realise just how slippery it really was - or how good the Freelander had coped with the same roads

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OUCH!! How bad?

i need no traction control or abs to get about in the snow and ice, i passed a couple of modern 4x4s with such stupidness they were sitting still spinning there wheels i was in a pug partner van(this had nothing not even PAS) and had no troubles, i have never had any problems in my series 3 either, ABS and traction control are not a substitute for driving ability and anyone who can drive will be hindered by them

My Xedi performed faultlessly in the snow. Can't praise it enough. Our estate was a sheet of ice today and the Hippo played with it. The ABS/TC sortted every problem. The handling is so secure as to be dangerous in that you could become too relaxed.

Yesterday I suggested we leave the Picasso at home and use the Hippo to take daugther to school. Best choice for sure. At one point I was approaching a roundabout and observed this van approaching from the opposite direction. Then this chump van driver decided to turn right, hence crossing in front of me, without indicating. I went on the brake and quickly discovered I was on ice. I thought there was going to be a right mess but the ABS kicked in and did its stuff. I stopped half a car lenght over the line but well clear of trouble.

Its at times like these that we can see that these 'gas guzzling chelsey tractors' that the media love to hate, are infact not so gas guzzling and are probably the safest vehicals on the road, especially at times like these.

G-man said:

ABS and traction control are not a substitute for driving ability and anyone who can drive will be hindered by them

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Not sure about them be a hinderance but I agree that they are no subsitute to safe driving techniques.

G-man said:

i need no traction control or abs to get about in the snow and ice, i passed a couple of modern 4x4s with such stupidness they were sitting still spinning there wheels i was in a pug partner van(this had nothing not even PAS) and had no troubles, i have never had any problems in my series 3 either, ABS and traction control are not a substitute for driving ability and anyone who can drive will be hindered by them

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Agreed don't need ABS either when you can cadence brake with you own right foot. No electrics to go wrong there either.

i aint sure that, when driving on ice, you aught to be braking anywhere near an ABS limit.

so you entered a roundabout across a give way line when the person already on the roundabout was turning right, you should always assume a car is going to go all the way round or going to cross your path, you should have been slowed ready for this, what if the guys indicator had just failed???


btw at a give way line you should be slowed and ready to stop anyway 184-190: Roundabouts : Directgov - Travel and transport

if you had hit him it would have been your fault as you were the one entering the roundabout without giving way

Thank you for point these things out. I am well aware of the laws of the road, I obey them and I am a sensible and experienced driver. In this case the t#at in the van decided he wasn't going to indicate and was going to drive in a way not suitable for the conditions. He decided that he wasn't going to be held up by anyone, regardless of wheather the conditions allowed others to stop for him. I had not crossed the line, nor was I anywhere near it at the time I had to brake. The problem I had was that when I took steps to reduce my, already slow speed, it was immediately apparent that I was on sheet ice and the braking effect wasn't happening. The Freelanders ABS sorted the problem to perfection given that I was still on sheet ice when I stopped.

I took the perhaps errored assumption that the thread was about the Freelanders handling and not about criticising individual driving. If I had realised this I would have included a more precise description of events.

Darmain said:

OUCH!! How bad?

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Fortunately, no accidents
but the damn thing was scrabbling for grip all over the place to the pont of being scary - unlike the TD4 which just "drove" over the same roads earlier almost as if it was dry tarmac.


I largely agree with the comments about driving style etc and must state that I have been driving for 33 years and have owned 3 Rangies and 2 Discos in that time.

For a living I deliver and install urgent equipment for the NHS in the community. This meant I was out in the worst weather Monday and Tuesday in rural villages.
I was 15 minutes early for work on both days, did 8 hours driving whilst at work, and went home at my normal time.

What do I drive for work? -

- a Citroen Relay semi hi-top van with a Turbo diesel front wheel drive - that means Big White Van Man.

It's all about moderating your driving style, anticipation and forward planning - plus, I let 10lbs air out of my front tyres on the van.

I carried a tow rope, snow shovel, warm and waterproof clothing, food, thermos and choklit plus mattress covers to put under the wheels and filled 2 bin bags with salt from the bin at work to carry around, not forgetting a fully charged mobile and an ear to traffic reports).

The result was I reached every single one of my 20 patients, with no real dramas (for me) and even diverted to pick up one of our other drivers who had got his van stuck on Ice and had to abandon it (no preperation and no warm clothes - he had even laughed at my preperaton in the morning, tosser!)

il stick with a old series 3 lwb, u lot goin on about ya traction control makes me laugh. why not get a real landrover without all ya on board stupid computer and feel what your driving on just bye sitting in the cab.

109party said:

il stick with a old series 3 lwb,

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kin great in the snow can do donuts an av loadsa fun scarin the boy racers

109party said:

il stick with a old series 3 lwb, u lot goin on about ya traction control makes me laugh. why not get a real landrover without all ya on board stupid computer and feel what your driving on just bye sitting in the cab.

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maybe, but you had to wait 30 years for metallic paint