Newbie after some advice

Hi all as the title says im a newbie to the forum and after a bit of advice. My wife and i are looking into getting a freelander probably the earlier model not the freelander 2. There are a couple of reasons behind this the first being that i would like her to be in something a bit more solid than the ford ka she currently has, the 2nd reason is that my parents are moving to scotland (quiet a remote part which see's quite a bit of snow) and the 3rd reason is an extension of the 2nd really given the bad weather we expierienced recently we both had to miss work for a few days as we couldnt get there.So we are looking to get a vehicle that can deal with snow, can the freelander cope with snow? and the odd bit of green laning,as i am new to the world of 4x4's i thought i would join the forum and get some advice. On the technical side of things do freelanders have a lockable centre diff/rear diff?? someone told me i would need them.Thanks for reading and for any advice you maybe able to offer
Si

No a freelander is a soft roader If you must buy one buy a L series Diesel or td4, but a discovery would be better

disco disco disco disco

we looked at a discovery but it might prove awkward to park where my wife works as its an underground carpark which is very tight on space

Disco or defender

roof chop?

foo-fighter said:

we looked at a discovery but it might prove awkward to park where my wife works as its an underground carpark which is very tight on space

Click to expand...

Never understood this misconception. a disco is smaller than most family saloons or estate cars. My Mondeo estate was longer than my disco.

foo-fighter said:

we looked at a discovery but it might prove awkward to park where my wife works as its an underground carpark which is very tight on space

Click to expand...

most standard disco's with no body/suspention lifts should fit in most multi-story car parks unless you have spot lights or cb ariels on it

If you look for IRD (independent rear dif) and VCU (viscous coupling)
with search they are common problems.
Plus DO NOT BUY A PETROL as the 1800 and v6 both are hugely unreliable

standard disco 2 height is 1970mm i think..

foss said:

standard disco 2 height is 1970mm i think..

Click to expand...

most multi's are 2mtrs or 2.1mtrs i think

freelanders cope very well in the snow, they don't loose traction or momentum because they change from 2wd to 4wd on the move automatically when needed. They do have poor ground clearance for off-roading though. If you want a freelander then do your homework on them, buy a diesel and get one with a warranty. They are good vehicles if used as they were designed to be used (not thrashed off-road or waded). They are solid and don't suffer from corrosion unlike the disco which will rust away before your eyes.

think we will have another look at the discovery i dont think its the length of the discovery that puts my wife off i think its a visibility thing

foo-fighter said:

think we will have another look at the discovery i dont think its the length of the discovery that puts my wife off i think its a visibility thing

Click to expand...

well dont make her drive it then.. you drive she keeps her eyes shut :doh:

*minty* said:

well dont make her drive it then.. you drive she keeps her eyes shut :doh:

Click to expand...

and her mouth open

fanatic said:

If you look for IRD (independent rear dif) and VCU (viscous coupling)
with search they are common problems.
Plus DO NOT BUY A PETROL as the 1800 and v6 both are hugely unreliable

Click to expand...

i am quite sure thats intermediate reduction drive,not saying its not wot you said

The FD (Final Drive) is the rear diff.

WHEN she gets used to a disco you will never get the chance to drive it COS SHE WONT LET YER!!!! its mine you get yer own is the usual cry ,the lads on here will tell you .i used to have a sii,big tyres ,winch,spots ariels for cb ect ,only time i was allowed to drive it was towing the caravan,i even got me M G B back,so its your choice mate...dave

OldIrishWulf said:

i am quite sure thats intermediate reduction drive,not saying its not wot you said

Click to expand...

You're right there, IRD is the intermediate reduction drive, and is actually at the front of the freeby.

The diesels can have the same amount of problems as the petrols, and sometimes be even more expensive to fix when a turbo packs in or some other expensive part.

A freelander would be great for your wife as they're very easy to drive and the feeling of driving a freeby vs a disco is quite different. Having the freeby as my first car and learning in a vw polo, i found it really easy to drive, easier to manouver (especially on my tight driveway) and visibility is great.

They're great in the snow too. The freeby doesn't have diff locks, it has a VCU so there's always a little bit of power going to the rear wheels (no matter how small) so it all helps with traction, and when the front wheels start slipping, you'll get the rears driving without having to do a thing (Diff locks, low range etc might confuse your wife if she's never used them before).

Petrols are cheap enough as no one wants them, so you could pick one up quite cheap but make sure it's had a modified gasket fitted with steel dowels and at a stretch, the modified oil rail too. If you find one cheap enough that has not had the work done, you may find it worth while to get the work done after buying it.

Freelander - needs deep pockets.