Which Freelander

bsa77 said:

I recently bought a 2002 TD4 5 door and really like it, my boss has 3 defenders (90's) including the 2008 60th anniversary edition with a remapped transit engine, I also drive a defender Hi-cap for my other job (retained fire fighter), they are awful, awful road cars, possibly the worst road vehicle you could ever drive, the 60th anniversary one is a bit better but not much. However they are all fantastic off road.

The Freelander is great on road, not so great off road, mostly due to height and no low range but the hill descent thing does work quite well. I was lucky enough to take my Freelander on to one of the areas I often take the Hi-cap fire service defender and it was fine on 75% of the terrain, but didn't inspire confidence in the same way the defender does. I flatly refused to try one of the hills I traverse happily in the Hi-Cap.

For me it depends on use, I needed something to use for work, could tow and won't get stuck in a wet field but it needed to be a comfortable family vehicle with a degree of fuel economy and umph - I didn't want a jap wagon nor a discovery (too big) and I've clearly written off a Defender unless I need to go off road to put out a fire or live in a very rural area.

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Bollox, I use my 110 CSW every day and its just as good as my disco 300tdi was. I test drove an FL2 at a main stealer recently and was glad to get back in the disco at the time. Only thing the FL2 had was better mpg and more toys (to go wrong )

Think you have just gone to the top of the PUSSY list with that statement

You have very low expectations about what is a good road vehicle then. don't you.

Granted we carry a large tank of water and a pump but they wallow, don't track straight (i.e. follow the slightest camber), roll terribly, brakes are crap, luckily they are slow. Blue light training is more about getting to the job rather than making progress.

If complaining about how bad the on road manners are on a defender (especially well maintained fire service vehicles) compared to other vehicles puts me on your Pussy list then you can tell how worried I am!

bsa77 said:

You have very low expectations about what is a good road vehicle then. don't you.

Granted we carry a large tank of water and a pump but they wallow, don't track straight (i.e. follow the slightest camber), roll terribly, brakes are crap, luckily they are slow. Blue light training is more about getting to the job rather than making progress.

If complaining about how bad the on road manners are on a defender (especially well maintained fire service vehicles) compared to other vehicles puts me on your Pussy list then you can tell how worried I am!

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have driven/owned many cars and 4x4s from minis to porsches and lrs, slittys etc. Yes you need to drive a 4x4 differently to a car but to say they handle so badly....

A defender will roll no worse than a disco, pajero, vitara (drove all and owned some) and yes the brakes arent the best but as long as you drive properly you need not worry. Do you not think with a barrel of water in the gaylander it would affect the handling? my guess is a damn site more than it affects the HiCap (theres threads about folk transporting engines in their dependers without worry, never heard of a gaylander doing that)

Adding you to the Pussy list is obviously a concern or you wouldnt have replied would you??? :doh:

If it worries you that much get someone else to drive and maybe you could try something easier like http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/1258117-post42.html

Hi snowman,i get a bit peeeed off to when you post a problem question and all you get back is "its a freelander" or "should have got a disco/90".I love banter as much as the next bloke but cant help thinking sometimes ok ok same old thing,change the record!Ive owned a series 3,v8 disco and now a petrol freelander and i suppose not everyone realises that you buy a freelander because you actually want one!!

Ok rant over,I to do shooting and put my dogs in the back and no probs with the freelander,nice to drive and had some good off roading in it and even drove it in a shallow part of a river and up some mossy steps(sounds weird but i did!!)and im going to the plain soon with all this rain! Sadly i dont drive it as much cos i got a motorbike now for commuting so the wife has the landy.

I know theres horror stories about the petrol but TBH when i looked unless i wanted an older diesel with loads on the clock or a td4 with light years on the clock then a petrol only fitted my price bracket,i made sure i bought one with the head gasket already done and its great,i know of loads other petrols that are fine,i know they are known for hg but if you look the td4s arnt without probs so i think it depends on your price bracket you have in mind but dont give up on a petrol,if you are like me and want to do some off roading now and again,or going to the farm for some shooting on ready for snow then a freelander would be great! I got a 5 door but really wanted a 3 door,they both got there plus points but liked the idea of roof off as my series 3 was a soft top! hope this helps

bustermilo, yeah i am looking for a diesel, hopefully a 2 litre as well, i recently found out there is a 4x4 car auction about an hours drive away from me, its held every week and all the cars are advertised online prior to the auction, think i may have to take a visit 2 or 3 times just to see what kind of prices they are going for, may have to invest in a family member who works for a 4x4 dealership, see if he gets any decent Freelanders in at a good price, since all the part exchanges go to this auction


scrap the italic text, just found out they advertise all sale prices on their webpage

welcome to the forum the gun might come in handy on here ha ha /i to do shooting fishing and tow a caravan got a td4 lwb freelander no problems never got stuck mate so good luck with the search mate .:welcome2:

bsa77 I think you are underestimating how much effect that tank of water is having! I've driven a lot of Forces Defenders and have to say its usually only the older abused ones whose suspension is buggered that wallow and track off. My 110CSW V8 1985 was one such vehicle as is the local St John Ambulance Landrover (1996)

But as you say the Freelander is a damn good car for what you need it to do.... if you want to seriously offroad.... buy a John Deere

bsa77 said:

You have very low expectations about what is a good road vehicle then. don't you.

Granted we carry a large tank of water and a pump but they wallow, don't track straight (i.e. follow the slightest camber), roll terribly, brakes are crap, luckily they are slow. Blue light training is more about getting to the job rather than making progress.

If complaining about how bad the on road manners are on a defender (especially well maintained fire service vehicles) compared to other vehicles puts me on your Pussy list then you can tell how worried I am!

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do you drive them, and how often ?

your comment about EFAD training is contradictory

op2:op2:

lets hear the arguements about blue light training now the guys! maybe if we get bored we can have a fight about advanced drivin too, maybe even skid pan and pass plus too! yey!

:rolly:

bustermilo said:

Hi snowman,i get a bit peeeed off to when you post a problem question and all you get back is "its a freelander"

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Just to add to the sentiment above, I too recently bought a Freelander (05 TD4 5 door auto) and duly joined the forum.

I don't mind banter and p**s taking in the slightest, but why is it the majority of posters on the Freelander section seem to be Disco or Defender owners?

Did you all start with a Freelander, move on and wish to share your Freelander expertise? Do you all get too much mickey taking from the Range Rover owners on your own section?

As they say in Oz, if you want to go off road in the bush go in a Landy, if you want to get back go in a Landcruiser.

Please preface any responses of a degrogatory nature with "Dipstick speaking" so I can skip through them and get to the useful stuff. And don't talk over me with yer best forum mate - it only makes you look like you have few friends.

Now then, back to business, I need two tyres for my 215/65/16 rears for the winter, whats the recommended based on experience recommendation?

I would have thought that a man so experienced in the outback would know what tyres to have.

But maybe you're just a cnut.

Bonkers said:

Now then, back to business, I need two tyres for my 215/65/16 rears for the winter, whats the recommended based on experience recommendation?

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I've just got Grabber AT2s put on TD4 - 215/65/16.

They seem to have a good rep on here, so I went for those.

ditto - the post before the one above

You really need to use the quote button Sean...lol.

Psycho_uk said:

I've just got Grabber AT2s put on TD4 - 215/65/16.

They seem to have a good rep on here, so I went for those.

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Thanks. Any noisier than tolerable?

Bonkers said:

Thanks. Any noisier than tolerable?

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Yes, rather than brrrrr brrrr they are more rrrrr rrrrr


You tit.

storm99 said:

Yes, rather than brrrrr brrrr they are more rrrrr rrrrr


You tit.

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Sorry, did you mean me? How very articulate of you. Or were you referring to yer mate Sean, having a cosy little joke between yourselves?

I did say don't talk over me. It merely re-enforces the opinion the casual observer will form.

I apologise however for disturbing your on-line life in this way. You perhaps need to get out more, or perhaps you have extinguished your stock of tissues?

Nope, lots of tissues her, is tolerable a word? Like cock or self indulgent mysoginist?

Bonkers said:

Sorry, did you mean me? How very articulate of you. Or were you referring to yer mate Sean, having a cosy little joke between yourselves?

I did say don't talk over me. It merely re-enforces the opinion the casual observer will form.

I apologise however for disturbing your on-line life in this way. You perhaps need to get out more, or perhaps you have extinguished your stock of tissues?

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yep - an arse

next !