Freelander info

[M J B]

Hello,
I have been interested in landys for years and decided its time i got one. I was going to get a defender but i dont think its going to be practical so to cut a story short im after some info on freelanders. Are there any good websites etc i should have a look at?

Im thinking i need to get a diesel, but whats the difference between the engines? Auto trader seems to only have 2.0TD for under 10k

Anyway i could go on for ages.

Mark

[garryforrestuk]

http://www.freelanderowners.com
http://www.myfreelander.co.uk
http://www.freelanderliving.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freelanderclub/join

[s.stirley]

www.freelanderclub.com also :)

I chose the freelander as I wanted a nice combination between off-road ability and on-road ability (mostly for towing). It is actually a brilliant car, in both environments ! what it suffers off-road is the lack of ground clearance, but I actually find that more of a challenge - and I've been through some pretty rough stuff ! you just have to know its limits (as with any vehicle) and I'm not ready to go past those yet anyway, when I do I'll get a S3 as a 'sump guard' I think :)

As for engines, the diesel is definately the 'safer' option .. by that I mean you will reliably get 30-40mpg depending on your driving and the condition of the motor, and you won't be fitting head gaskets every other weekend ! the 1.8 petrol is not that bad, but lots do throw their head gasket at low-ish mileages. They are cheaper though, I paid I think over a grand more for the same car as I wanted a diesel - you can fix the head gasket a couple of times for a grand !

At the end of the day though it's what suits you .. have a look around, test-drive a few and see how you feel. We're here if you have any questions ...

Si. (98 XEDi, scratched, dirty and broken !)

[stevec]

All good sites. Look around here. too!

The Freelander was my choice because more than 90% of my use is on-road - I need the ability to get into forests and fields, and to manage snow and flooded roads better than a standard car. So far, mine has gone everywhere I've pointed it.

I'd echo the advice to look seriously at the TD4 - I'd go further and consider the auto, too. One limitation with the FL, other than restricted ground clearance, is a lack of a low range box; the torque converter on the auto compensates a lot. It's also a very nice box and matches the TD4 very nicely.

[Tim in Scotland]

I'll second that Steve - up to 1st June the TD4 Auto GS that I ran was the best car I have ever run - makes the TD5 Auto feel like a tractor. Now I have moved on to an even better LR auto Diesel!

[russ]

mmm tasty motor :D

note to self - must rob bank to buy RR