After nearly four years with a 2010 Black Special Edition the time has come to look at a replacement, one with a few more creature comforts. I stopped by the dealer in Cupar about 10 days ago for a brief tyre kicking session and noticed that they had a lot of 13 and 63 plate SD4 Dynamics - they've got 18 used FL2s on their website and 5 of them are Dynamics which sounds an unusually high proportion.

So, two questions before I go back for a more serious look around.

What is a Dynamic like to drive compared to, say, an EX or HSE? I won't be doing "proper" offloading but I will want the ability to drive through forest rally stages, sometimes after an event when the surface is pretty rutted. I appreciate the Dynamic's bodykit will impact (sorry!) on approach angles but does it restrict general ground clearance much too?

And can anyone shed any light on why the dealer has so many of these around when other dealers don't seem to? A batch of LR management cars maybe?

Thanks.

GM

Dynamic will as you suspect impact on approach and departure angles but should not impact on the overall ground clearance. Dynamic drives just like any other Freelander with the same engine and gearbox combination.

As to why the Dealer has so many Dynamics, could be any one of a number of reasons, ex LR management vehicles, ex-Enterprise hire cars etc. What you can be pretty sure of is that they won't be ex LR Experience vehicles as LRE do not run Dynamic Freelander's due to the approach/departure angle issue.

My only worry was the 19" wheels, and loss of performance in snow. Haven't had chance to prove this one way or the other yet, but in every other respect my dynamic is superb and gets admiring looks from my friends and colleagues. Fuji White MY13 SD4 Dynamic
gone: Rimini Red MY10 td4_e XS

Ex LR cars will tend to have Oxford registration plates on, for some reason. If you have a row of registrations beginning with an "O", it'll be dead give away.

Much prefer the XS's and HSE's myself.

John.

As stated the Dynamic will drive exactly the same as any other SD4 FL2. The only difference will be the approach angle.. I have 19" wheels on the HSE and they dont seem any different to the 18" i had on my previous FL2.

Worth pointing out that the SD4 is based on the XS and so loses some of the HSE's toys. There was a 'UK Plus' pack offered to bring the Dynamic upto HSE spec but to this day i have yet to see one! (I think it was a £2500 option!) Now - 2017 BMW X3 M Sport Carbon Black
Gone - 2014 BMW X3 M Sport Space Grey, faultless!
Gone - 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Bali Blue with xenons
Gone - 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Rimini Red with bodykit

You won't see any loss in traction in on the 19" tyres as they have the same 235 cross section as the 17's and 18's.

I never noticed any difference in 18, 19 or 20" wheels. Freelander 2 HSE Lux 2013MY - Barolo Black with Ivory Leather. Alpine DVD - Privacy -Evoque 20" Dynamic Wheels and more to come.........

Hiya, as heata05 says you do get lots of good comments on the Dynamic looks, even had a bloke come up to me in a pub car park asking if mine was a baby RR last week? You do lose a few goodies compared to a HSE but you get decent kit anyway.
Shilen, if you come by my way you will see a the pack, i had it fitted to my car to make it up to a HSE spec.

Since i have had the car i haven't regretted it, looks miles better than the standard LR and my colleague who got his HSE a month before mine regret's choosing his, he was going to have a Dynamic but changed his mind!

GM. go on you know you want one.

Gazza

Thanks for taking the trouble to pass on your thoughts. I'll let you know what I decide.

GM

GM - you should perhaps note that some of the comments above regarding wheel size come from owners whose use is purely on tarmac. For driving rutted forest stages and the like I personally would want to stick with smaller wheels and taller sidewalls (which is precisely why I have 17" wheels fitted with 65-profile Grabber ATs). Low profile tyres really aren't what you want for off-road use.

@ Gazzerman - my first FL2 was a HSE with bodykit, this was before there was such a thing as a Sport LE or Dynamic so there were very few around - I got loads of comments about it, even one of my work colleagues who had a RRS preferred it to their car! Unfortunately when i was placing my order for a replacement in 2011 there wasnt the option to have the bodykit fitted as LR had just done the facelift and the existing bodykit wouldnt fit.

If I wasnt having a BMW I would have 100% gone for a Dynamic with the plus pack but the cost of this was a hell of a lot more than the X3 I have ordered fully specced up Now - 2017 BMW X3 M Sport Carbon Black
Gone - 2014 BMW X3 M Sport Space Grey, faultless!
Gone - 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Bali Blue with xenons
Gone - 2008 Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Rimini Red with bodykit

Thanks again for the comments. I drove a Dynamic yesterday and I have to say that I found the ride quite different, both to my own car (2010 Black Special) and to a 2013 XS. It certainly felt much more planted on a good quality A road but also much firmer and I couldn't live with the ride on the mix of potholes and speed bumps that Edinburgh dally roads.

The XS drove well and I was impressed by the equipment (my current car has a similar level of equipment to an upmarket wheelbarrow though…).

So, obvious decision then…

Well no, not really. Deposit paid on a new GS in Firenze Red with auto headlights, cold climate pack and a proper spare wheel. OK, not got as many toys - but all of the ones that matter to me are there and there's money left in the piggy bank too.

GM