Problems or not

Hi everyone. My wife is looking at getting a new freelander ! So the question is to get a 06 or a 07 one. Now the difference in the freelander 2 is a few grand to be honest. So does the 06 freelander 1 still have all the problems that earlier ones had ??? Ie. the VCU IRD stuff like that ? She is thinking of going for the freelander 1 06 year. Because of money or should we hold out and get a freelander 2 ! Any help would be great on this. And before someone says yes we are staying with freelander.

The Freelander 2 replaces the VCU with an electronically controlled Haldex clutch unit.

As far as I know these thing come with issues of there own.

Even though the front to rear drive train ratio was changed on the later Freelanders most advice seems to be that VCU's should still be changed at around 70,000 miles. Not much else changed except bodywork on the facelift version so you can expect many if not all the same defects. The only unplanned maintenance on my October 55 reg TD4 was the sticking rear brakes when releasing the handbrake and the inter cooler hoses splitting.

Why not get a test drive in an FL2, on the pretence of buying, think it might sway your decision towards it.

The Freelander 1 will be cheaper to maintain over time I would imagine, when Haldex units go, so does all your money. But the FL2 is a better car by most accounts.

The freelander 2 even with 100k + still fetches enough money, I think I would prefer to go for the last of the mk1 rather than the first of the mk2's. I'm watching a few different cars on autotrader and the only ones selling are mk1 Freelanders.

Guys thanks for all the advice. Anyone else feel free to through your bit in too !!

i have a freelander 1 2006 auto hse , it is a fantastic car ,the only one thing is it does not go as fast as my old one a 2001 td4 auto GS. but hopefully when i have given the intakes system a good clean out things might improve. that was great until it started to have the problems, and i always wanted one of the last with a wheel on the back ,you could go and buy a new car and still get problems you spend your money and takes your chance on anything,