Thanks for all your advice so far fella's. I think the FL2 will be more suited to my needs - I don't really need all the gizmo's or space of the D3 and despite being a mechanic by trade I could do without the aggro and expense of running one. The car will mainly be used on the road with my wife being the main user and will only be carrying a medium sized cocker spaniel about - I'm assuming the boot will be big enough - we have a Golf at the moment and despite reading that the boot on the FL being a tad on the sall side, it's got to be bigger than a Golf! I'd quite like to try a bit of green laning in the future - nothing too wild so the FL should suit our needs. I think I'll spend some time looking for the right one. I'll start looking for an HSE auto. I'll no doubt be back to ask more questions. I'll let you know how I get on.

Hi Steve

Hope you've got sorted out. We have both, a D3 for me and a F2 for SWMBO.

The D3 is an amazing vehicle and if you go overland trips and off roading, and go on holiday with 2 kids, 4 bikes, a canoe and a caravan nothing will touch it (I don't have a caravan but I know people who have lowered themselves ). Period. I'm into offroad and overland and have graduated from 90's through RRC's, D1, D2, and now the D3. The RRC was quick and cheap, but I needed an off road vehicle that had modern safety features, and 1 test drive in a D3 had me sold.

If it is just SWMBO and the dog, a D3 is completely over the top. They are expensive to run, very expensive if they wrong, but as you will see at disco3.co.uk their foibles are well known now and there are plenty of people with the gizmos to deal with the electronics.

We're on our 2nd F2 and they've been faultless so far its the dealers not the cars who cause problems in our experience Shame Land Rover won't get to grips with them.

If I need to pop out I'll take the F2. It's is quick and sure footed, and is solid enough to be safe. You can make good progress on windy A roads in an F2 that in a D3 would be . Boot ain't massive but we can get enough for 4 in it and you still have the roof.

If you really want or need a D3 get one. You will love it, and in true Land Rover style simultaneously hate it. It will be one of the best cars you have ever owned. I remember driving up a very long steep wet greasy track in the high Pyrenees thinking I'd have struggled to get a 90 or RRC up it whilst the D3 walked it. If however you don't need that capability (and F2's are very good off road if you know how to drive them) or the bulk of the D3 get an F2

Tony

Think you'll find Steve D went for a Freelander 2 in the end.

Yep, already got one. Bought a FL2 TD4 HSE Auto on Saturday. Love it. Much more practical for our purposes than the D3 but thanks for taking the time to give an honest opinion.  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Great news

Just seen this thread and it's confirmed my decision to go with FL2 instead of D3/4.

Andy

We have both vehicles, SWMBO has 2006 D3 SE and I've just got a 07 FL2 SE ('cos my P reg D1 sorta went pop). Very difficult to compare as they are very different creatures. We've had the D3 for about 2 years and had some of the usual issues, brake calipers, Body Control Module, suspension compressor EPB etc but we went into the purchase with our eyes open and took aout a 3rd party warrantee, initially with warrantee direct (um, no) then in the second year with LR (yes) but that's a different conversation but (for us) well worth the outlay. Do have to say though, the vehicle is amazing, massive load carrying capacity, totally undaunted by snow, awesome drive and ride height and not bad fuel consumption (ave 31.5 lifetime on the manual), we both love driving the car.
The FL2 is also a fantastic drive and confidence on the road I really like, it is actually more refined and in many ways more comfortable than the D3 (it's more car like but without the 'arse on the ground' feeling you get when you get back into a 'normal' vehicle. The Fl2 is my daily drive and I genuinely look forward to getting in and driving. I haven't had it that long so can't say about extreme weather capability but sure it will more than equit itself when the white stuff falls.
Ultimately it's down to your individual requirements in a vehicle and both are great, you have to go into whatever purchase with your eyes open and do as much research on the vehicles to allow you assess a potential purchase.