We have had two FL1's from new, a 1.8 petrol and our current TD4. Both have been marvellous, particularly the TD4 though which we have driven 133,000km in just over 5 years and is still going strong and not showing her age. After months of research into a replacement - waiting for FL2, waiting for the new facelifted Cayenne V6, looking at all SUVs both more and less luxurious than our current one we finally came to a decision last week and shook hands on a deal for a 2004 Cayenne Turbo which we pick up this coming Thursday. Unfortunately the new FL2 just doesn't do it for us even though we have actively tried to look at it from every angle really enthusiastically and WANTING to like it, but it simply doesn't hit the spot like the FL1 does/ did..
But as much as we love Freelander ownership, to say we are besmitten by the urge to have a Cayenne is an understatement, we are positively under it's spell and having driven a couple of Turbos we were unable to hold back any more, some of the decision points were:
- offroad ability may be better on the FL2 but we live in Switzerland where anything offroad is illegal
- most of our use is on Swiss autobahns anyway (not offroad), and on snow in the Alps in winter
- Insurance difference in Switzerland (2001 FL1 TD4 vs 2004 Cayenne Turbo) is very reasonable at just GBP250 extra a year!
- Top of the range new FL2 TD4 Automatic in Switzerland costs just GBP 8'000 less than our 2.5 year old top condition Cayenne Turbo which some other poor soul has just lost a whopping 50% of the new price in depreciation
So I just wanted to drop by and thank both this forum and Freelanderowners.com (sorry to see it closed down) for all the helpful tips and advice over the years. We feel really sad to sell 'Sally' as she has been extremely reliable and never failed us. So to all you lucky Freelander owners out there - so long, keep the faith and who knows we may be back as LR owners if the Stuttgart monster with it's super thirst dries up our wallets
Picking up Thursday - party on

Have fun, not my think but we are all different D4 HSE Lux for me
FL2 HSE Zermatt & Alpacca for the wife now gone
Skoda Yeti L&K for the wife.

pelyma wrote:

Have fun, not my think but we are all different

If you think so paul

Not my think either but hey... each to their own and as long as your smiling your happy

...or up to something you shouldn't be

I think I meant thing

I just don't get the high powered 4x4. If you want a sports car then buy one, if you want a fast car with room buy a RS avant if you want a 4x4 buy a LR  D4 HSE Lux for me
FL2 HSE Zermatt & Alpacca for the wife now gone
Skoda Yeti L&K for the wife.

pelyma wrote:

I think I meant thing

I just don't get the high powered 4x4. If you want a sports car then buy one, if you want a fast car with room buy a RS avant if you want a 4x4 buy a LR

I agree except I would say if you want a luxury 4 by 4 buy a L/R
David  David

pelyma wrote:

I think I meant thing

I just don't get the high powered 4x4. If you want a sports car then buy one, if you want a fast car with room buy a RS avant if you want a 4x4 buy a LR

me neither mate. and yep... agree 100%

and I think I was taking the mick

Really  D4 HSE Lux for me
FL2 HSE Zermatt & Alpacca for the wife now gone
Skoda Yeti L&K for the wife.

pelyma wrote:

Really

think so

 D4 HSE Lux for me
FL2 HSE Zermatt & Alpacca for the wife now gone
Skoda Yeti L&K for the wife.

no I bow to you

SUV stands for Sport Utility Vehicle - so if you want good sporting with some off-roading why not choose Mercedes ML 63 AMG it's better performer than the Porsche (performance and handling).

Also I think that the Porsche Cayenne is way too ugly...

Still not great off road and why have sports car performance in a high centre of gravityheavy car - it is pointless D4 HSE Lux for me
FL2 HSE Zermatt & Alpacca for the wife now gone
Skoda Yeti L&K for the wife.

hehe, each to their own like you said.. Picked up the Cayenne Turbo today, as beautiful as she is it was really sad to trade in the Hippo.
We'd looked extensively at the RR and RRS - really wanting to like them and stay loyal to the LR badging - but they just didn't hit the spot either (plus they are both too tall to even drive under our garage door ) We've wanted a Cayenne since they first came on the market, now we can afford a second hand turbo which is our absolute dream version, so here we are... contented but broke
Maybe we'll be smitten by a future FL3