The XC60 is related to the FL2, using a similar Ford-derived platform and Haldex drivetrain. It lacks LR's terrain response system, and is more estate-car-like than 4x4 but, as you say, if one doesn't need the FL2's off-road capability it's a good option.

Of the others you mention only the Outlander and the Touareg have good off-road capability. The Touareg is very capable, but costs the wrong side of £40K so isn't really a competitor for the FL2. The Outlander might be worth a look, although I don't know enough about it to know what it's actually like.

A bigger and beefier Tiguan is on the cards for 2015 I believe. Being retired and a "self funder" for my cars it may get some close scrutiny when the time comes. The DS is about £6 grand plus over my budget and that is just the basic spec.  MY 09 GS manual in Lago Grey, Wood Co arm rest and side bumper strips - now sold.

MY 15 SD4 SE Auto Orkney Grey with colour coded Bumper Door Mouldings

I wouldn't say the XC60 is an estate car with 4wd (like and A4 allroad), but it is more like a car to drive. My off road driving is normally limited to grassy fields with a caravan and the odd snowy lane, I probably used the terrain response dial a handfull of times once the novelty wore off, so I wouldn't say I really need a 4WD

The outlander got knocked off the list as my wife didn't like the interior, so I didn't even bother to test drive it.

I'd agree that the Touraeg is a bigger car, but at the time we were looking they were offering £5k off the list price and good finance packages as well. I could have had an R Design for similar money to a FL2 HSE on a PCP.

It will be interesting to see the Disco Sport, I'm not convinced by what I have seen and the price I saw for the entry level model is just too much in my opinion. I recall when I bought my FL2 in 2009, a manual GS was around £24k and that wasn't even the base model. I admit VAT has gone up from 15% to 20% since then, but even allowing for that it only comes up to £25k.

Yeti?
X-trail? * GONE. GS TD4 Manual MY2013. Orkney Grey with privacy, cold and clearview packs, armrests (a must!) and a spoiler.
* 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* GONE.2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Rocket ship. 33mpg.
* Range Rover Classic '93 200Tdi Factory fit
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

Oh gosh... I'd forgotten about that awful delay when pulling away problem. Lloyd had it too and he was a MY11 HSE.
I was keen to move away from FL2 as Lloyd was due to be replaced- warranty up and all that. I did then wonder what to buy. I was put off another FL2 because of the up and coming DS. I was concerned what would happen to the residual value of the FL2 come the day it needed to be replaced. Eva the Evoque duly arrived last October. Its an absolutely outstanding bit of kit. I am so pleased with her. I know many people do not like the styling and its each to their own... but to drive- no awful body roll, no hesitation, the torque I should have had from my FL2 TD4, a better gear box set up. Its everything I loved about my previous FL2s and more. HOWEVER, will the DS be the Ewok's replacement.... Honestly, probably not... I think I'll be off into a Macan... but we'll see....

Macan?! Don't forget the Dacia to rescue it when it gets stuck.

OOO a Dacia... In Swiss near our pad, the locals love them!!
TBH... in 2 years time when Eva has to go... who knows what LR will have out... You may see me in a DS... but it will be debadged and I'll put freelander 3 on the bonnet. HAHAHA

Nobody has suggested a Defender yet......

Can you imagine doing 30k miles a year on and off road in a Defender? Thirsty plus noisy.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261598862674

Job done  * GONE. GS TD4 Manual MY2013. Orkney Grey with privacy, cold and clearview packs, armrests (a must!) and a spoiler.
* 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* GONE.2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Rocket ship. 33mpg.
* Range Rover Classic '93 200Tdi Factory fit
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

I will need to change my second FL2 in Jan 2016 and am also concerned by the price and spec challenge of DS. All the options mentioned are interesting but I may be a bit old-fashioned... I have in inclination to try and buy British-built even if not British-owned (Like JLR). That reduces the options even further if you want/need 4WD. I live in Yorkshire and work all over the place including Coventry so 4x4 is comfort and confidence to get to work or get back home - a must on both counts. I've a year to sort this out. Gone... 2013 XS TD4 Manual Firenze Red
Gone... 2008 (09MY) XS Td4 Manual Stornaway Grey
Prior... 2003 G4 Discovery 2, 1998 Disco 1 and 1997 Disco 1 Company car before that
Also gone in Nov'13, after 7.5 yrs, to new owners with time for more TLC - 1980 Series III 88
Current 2015 Discovery Sport HSE 2.0

Chris, the only other 4x4 I think is built in the UK that hasn't been mentioned is a CRV.

tenet wrote:

A bigger and beefier Tiguan is on the cards for 2015 I believe. Being retired and a "self funder" for my cars it may get some close scrutiny when the time comes. The DS is about £6 grand plus over my budget and that is just the basic spec.

The problem is that they're not top-end models. The DS SE may be badged SE, but it's spec is equivalent to a GS Freelander - part-leather manual seats, no navigation, no auto-lights, no auto-wipers, no front parking sensors or reversing camera, it doesn't even have fog lights! Price up like-for-like specs and the DS comes in at 8-10K more than the equivalent Freelander, and that's just too much for what is really just a facelifted FL2 (same basic platform, same engine, same Haldex drivetrain, etc.) It might be different if, like the FFRR and RRS, it had an all-new aluminium platform, but it doesn't. It would also help if it had the Ingenium engine, but it doesn't - apparently Jaguar buyers are more important than us, so they get them all! Nope - for what it is the DS is over-priced. And it really doesn't help that LR try to fool us by putting an SE badge on a GS spec, and then fob us off with the old engine so Jaguar can have the new ones.

The DS will be a good car, as it's basically a Freelander, but the way LR have specced and priced it really puts me off the company so however good I can't see me buying one. And that, I think, is a pity because I love my Freelander. (Good thing there's plenty of life left in it yet!)

I said before, LR have priced themselves out of the lower end of the market.

18 months ago, you could have got a black and White FL for £22k, now the cheapest DS or Evoque is £33k, so everyone who was interested in a new car between £22k and £33k has been obliterated. That is a lot of potential customers who are now looking elsewhere. What a terrible corporate decision.

I have a FL as a second car. It's being replaced by a BMW on Monday and that purely down to the price, basically it's cheaper to buy, mpg - 66 combined, excise licence - nil year one, £30 subsequent years and servicing package. I mean £375 for 5 yearly services!

Even if I purchased an end of run FL, I'd have servicing costs of £300 per year, a more expensive excise licence and a mpg nearing 30. Second hand prices will inevitably fall, they have to when selling what remains of these now obsolete cars cheap. Why buy into that?

I know having a LR is more a life style choice than an economy measure, but for a second car, for me, it's a no brainer, I just wish I'd done it sooner.