Hi

I have just bought a Freelander 2, after years of having a Mercedes A class - clearly it is a very different car to drive. I feel a bit like a learner driver when it comes to parking

This probably sounds rather girlie but can someone advise best driving practice with it?

It says in the hand book that the optimum revs are 2,000 - 3,000. When I am driving around town at 30mph I only reach 2,000 revs in third gear whereas normally I would be in fifth at this point. Should I be changing up anyway even though revs in fourth are only 1,500ish ? Again same on motorway at 68/70mph I am only just touching 2,000 revs and if I can change up to 6th then I am back down to 1,500. I don't want to stall the car or drive it at the wrong gear but I am just not sure if I should be keeping to the revs or going with driving instinct.

Any pointers would be great

Ella

The car (should) happily go into 4th at just below 38, 5th at 40-45, and 6th at 48-49 onwards. Mine does (SD4), and in 6th the RPM at 50 will be just over 1500.

HTH Foraging near Gaydon....
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MY13 HSE Lux SD4, Baltic Blue - current, 30,000> miles without fault
MY12 HSE 2.2 SD4, Sumatra Black - gone after 10 months/43,000 fault-free miles

Easy just swap it for a auto

You will find that it really drinks the fuel if you keep it over 2k for any length of time.

It depends t some extent on your driving style, but around town I'd normally be changing up by 2,000 - often before. At a steady 30 I usually use 4th, and 5th at a steady 40. I find 6th works best over 60-ish (vibration on acceleration below that) so where I live 6th doesn't see much use!

Basically experiment a bit and see what feels right. The car will let you know if you're in too high a gear (with the afore-mentioned vibration on acceleration), but the enqine is torquey and not that easy to stall so I wouldn't worry about that - you'd have to get it very wrong to stall it.

Brilliant - thanks everyone I was just concerned I would stall the engine if I wasn't keeping it at the specified hand book revs.

Seems like everyone changes up when I would expect too I certainly don't want to be burning petrol and to think I used to think my Merc was thirsty - I've not got more than 31 mpg yet with a mix of motorway and town driving!!

Archie 98 - don't say that I've only just bought it! I've driven a manual for years, not sure I fancy an automatic.

Ella

It's a turbo diesel engine and, indeed, should be kept at over 2000 rpm if you want instant reaction/power.
For cruising the rpm can be lowered towards 1600.
Never kick down it below 2000. Change down in order to be over 2000 rpm and then kick down it. Your turbo will thank you in the long run.
Also drive it on boost, energic, up until you reach your desired cruising speed. Once there, light foot, just to keep that speed. Again, because it's a turbo engine, with lower compression ratio, the greater the intake pressure, the more efficient is the engine. Therefore, the previous drive on boost recommendation.

ThursdayNext wrote:

I certainly don't want to be burning petrol

ThursdayNext wrote:

Brilliant - thanks everyone I was just concerned I would stall the engine if I wasn't keeping it at the specified hand book revs.

Seems like everyone changes up when I would expect too I certainly don't want to be burning petrol and to think I used to think my Merc was thirsty - I've not got more than 31 mpg yet with a mix of motorway and town driving!!

Archie 98 - don't say that I've only just bought it! I've driven a manual for years, not sure I fancy an automatic.

Ella

Thanks for the advice Alex - I'm totally new to driving a turbo. I've been quite amazed at the kickback when overtaking on the motorway - very nice

I was joking too about the auto Archie I've actually driven a few hire auto cars and they are actually really nice to drive. There just were none around in my price range when I was looking. A manual can be quite a pain when on the school run.

I never use mine but the gear shift indicator is handy for some  MY14 Kahn Converted Dynamic - Fuji White Ebony/Pimento Interior
MY15 Xenon Headlight Conversion

MY17 RRS SVR - Estoril Blue Cirrus/Ebony 🪣💺’s

No indicator sadly on 57 plate

Mind if I join in here. Similar situation after not long having my license. Only driver small engine non turbo petrols so the TD4 is a new experience.

I tend to shift down at the wrong points when slowing and often judder a bit. My clutch does seem to have a very low biting point which doesn't help (very soon after beginning to lift clutch).

When one of the replies said never kick down below 2000 what do you mean? Not heard the term kick down before.

Thanks

kick down = full throttle = pressing the gas pedal to the floor

Thanks - not what I thought