SD4 and TD4 have the same Torque figures, its just a few more horses, but nice

Given there is only 12 months in age between them (and assuming similar milage etc) i would always go for the higher spec car, as someone else said it will make the car much nicer to own than 30bhp will. If you decide that you made the wrong choice and really needed the extra power then a remap would be much easier than retro-fitting all the missing toys!

Think about it this way - if you buy the GS and find yourself sitting at the lights when an HSE pulls up next to you, the HSE driver will look down at you a little bit even if you do have a slightly newer reg - do you want that? I thought not!

I bought an XS and still wish I had held out and got an HSE sometimes! Next time it will be!

yorkshiregrit wrote:

Think about it this way - if you buy the GS and find yourself sitting at the lights when an HSE pulls up next to you, the HSE driver will look down at you a little bit even if you do have a slightly newer reg - do you want that? I thought not!

In the nicest possible way ,personally I don't give a what the bloke next to me at the lights is sitting in, " better /newer/ more letters to the badge means not a jot, he might be leasing it , it might be funded by his employer on a deal you will never get, he might be hocked up to the knackers with HP, might be in a Ferrari and living in a dump ( every other car in Bradford nowadays), he might be a car sales man running the fleet demonstrator, you also might be looking down at a multi-millionaire in a 30 year old shed. at the end of the day it's just a pile of pressed steel with a diesel lump in it and despite what the brochure says it will not open doors for you into the upper echelon and a attract beautiful women.

There is no right or wrong in buying a car just buy whatever floats your personal boat after checking the lifetime running costs for the engine/transmission variants so there is no nasty surprise when the very reasonable annual bend-over session, (sorry i mean service) comes along 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

It doesn't attract beautiful women.......DOH!!!

Well said Martyn!
I could afford a newer than 07 car but I don't like shovelling money at newer cars all the time and I don't give a stuff what other motorists think....I prefer to shovel it at good wine and meals in good restaurants....oh and the house I am buying in France! John
07 HSE Narvick Black
Land Rover Series One
Triumph Rocket 111 (sadly gone!)

Get advice on all the extra features and see what you would like and what you can live without. When I change mine the choice will be down to which model has the extras I want most. For me this was the cold climate pack. Namely heated washer jets, wing mirrors, screen but not bothered about seats!

GS doesn't have this and neither does XS manufactured prior to 2009. Sat nav is useless, other than for laughs, so do not worry about that. I also wanted atleast half leather seats but its down to individual choice.

Well, I definitely want a heated leather interior as a minimum so unless I see another model with leather interior it will have to be an HSE. Did they do a facelift/refresh model between 2009/10 - I've seen some that look 'different' with rear spoiler fitted or is that just an optional extra?

On the other hand, one that attracts beautiful women with the promise of regular bend-over sessions seems tempting.

I like that martyn.... I agree I could HP my self to death but do you know what I don't care ( that's jot to say I don't like a good car at the end of the day.

What I would say is the slightly older hse and its toys makes for a better drive.... not because of some one looking at you but because they do what they say on the tin.

T Terran



'The' Car For The Modern Day UK Roads ( ie all the pot holes )

'A Freelander that leaks oil is just marking its territory' - Wise words

Now a member of the FL2 'Silly Bill' Club

Wow some comments snobbish or not,
I don't give a toss what others are driving as my choice at the time gave me what I wanted, I OWN a GS, no finance, no works car, no lease just cash and its mine

Just be happy with your decision and enjoy it.

Facelift was for MY11 and included amongst others, redesigned front grill and bumpre (square fog lights), additional chrome on rear tailgate and a choice of TD4 and SD4 engines (auto only for SD4).
What you may have seen is the Sport or HST versions which were around or simply the rear spoiler which is easily fitted as an optional extra.

If its more power that you want ive got most of the add on engine bits for the SD4 listed in the for sale section,
as far as I can tell the SD is the same Ford / Peugeot / Citroen base engine as the TD but has an extra tapping in the block for the water feed to the turbo bearings, the turbo is bigger and the injectors are different part number.

i'd go for the HSE anyday and only think about power upgrade mods if you think it necessary later whether hard components inc new turbo or just re-mapping.

If you check carefully and buy a 2010 model or earlier you can avoid the DPF (diesel particulate filter) and its associated problems for the 'town short trip' driver, however the 2011 LR cosmetics upgrade does look better. 2010GS Auto ex Celeb, Santorini Black, 2011 facelift , spoiler, spats, mudflaps, LED footwell lamps, Witter detach,
Other cars:-
1958 & 1959 Austin J40 Pedal Cars under restoration (I make many J40 parts)
If you have an Austin J40 or Pathfinder Pedal Car looking for a new home pls PM me.
2009 Meriva

I wouldn't worry about the DPF, mines done nearly 30k no DPF problems, there has only literally a handful of members on here that have had DPF problems from MY11 onwards and they have been when only a few days old and was sorted with software upgrades and a couple had sensors changed, there are more members on here that have had Diff Pinion Bearings done.

+1
No DPF problems in nigh on 30,000 miles, as 'ad' said it is usually a hardware problem or a software upgrade missing so don't be afraid of a DPF car unless you are purely a city driver, in which case buy a 'smart car' HSE of course.

Just wait til you get 60,70,80 k miles on it, new DPF time, £1500 bill!

Common problem with all DPF equipped engines  Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

TD4 = Turbo Diesel
SD4 = SuperTurbo Diesel?

I also suspect that:

SE = Sodding Expensive
HSE = Hugely Sodding Expensive

and wonder if 'S' alone means 'Special' in the modern non-complimentary sense.

On a more serious note, as someone else said, drive 'em both. There's no shortage of power in the TD4, but I'd have had to see the original cars and look at the spec list to see the exact difference.

Also, if you want to see the 'as built' spec for any car, get the VIN number and enter it into Topix and it will tell you the build spec. No subscription needed (sorry if this is obvious but it was a pleasant surprise when I tried it).