Automotive forums tend to give emphasis to what is wrong or can go wrong, so I thought I'd take a moment to express some positive thoughts on the Freelander 2/LR2.

When my daughter asked me to help her find and acquire her LR2, I had some reservations.The 1st generation Freelander has a terrible reputation in the US, which is why it wasn't called the Freelander 2 here. This is in large part because of the V6 engine used only in the US market was infamous for it's epoxied cylinder sleeves (apparently the rest of world got nice torquey turbo diesels that weren't so troublesome -- I wish we could get diesel Land Rovers here but that's another subject). That said, a "bad reputation" doesn't scare me as much as it might some. Sometimes a bad reputation is as much "conventional wisdom" as fact. A little knowledge, and forums like this, help to demystify and discover trouble points to avoid, etc.

With a couple of weekends to go through the LR2, correct some things, and see how it's put together, I'm really impressed. It's very well engineered and built. It's clearly much tougher and robust than some would expect, and I'm glad to see so many forum members using theirs in the mud and off road. It's got a lot technology and innovation that may have some early adoption hick-ups, but it is overall extraordinary.

The more time I spend with it, the more I like it! 2008 3.2L I6 Auto

 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

Macallan - What engine does the LR2 have in the USA ? Jules

Going off his signature and the story, 3.2 V6 petrol

Not 3,2 V6, it's a straight 6 cylinder engine, supplied by Volvo

I know
Just seeing if anyone read the posts ... You passed

Even at this hour on a Saturday

taztastic wrote:

I know
Just seeing if anyone read the posts ... You passed

haha

Yes, it's a 3.2 liter inline 6 that is also used in several Volvos. The original Freelander had the Chinese sourced V6 in the US. 2008 3.2L I6 Auto

Nothing Chinese about the original V6 back then, it was all British. The Chinese bought the IP rights to the V6 for next to nothing (in a clever bit of negotiation with an incompetent team from MG Rover and then shipped out the production tooling to China soon afterwards) just as the Freelander 1 was going out of production. All Freelander 1 V6's were built in Longbridge in Birmingham.

Thank you for the clarification Tigger.

I feel better because I had discussed this with a former Land Rover dealer service guy who now works at a local garage about this. I said that it was the Rover developed V6 that replaced the Honda motor used in the Rover/Sterling cars. He insisted it was a Chinese sourced motor that was exclusive to the North American market. I guess without firsthand knowledge, I took his word for it. 2008 3.2L I6 Auto

First mistake - believing someone from the dealer knows what they are doing/talking about.
Secondly, I had a V6 Freelander and I'm in Australia. The V6 was a popular model and in my case trouble free and an extremely nice motor if alittle low on torque! MY15
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Surround Camera System
InControl Apps soon to be replaced with CarPlay (WIP)
Meridian Premium Surround Sound
Digital Audio Broadcast
Timed Climate
Cruise ECO Data
Follow Me Home Reverse
Extra Features Menu
Picture In Motion
4x4i screen (WIP)
Digital Broadcast TV
Meridian Rear Media with WIFI
Factory Powered Tailgate
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Reverse Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Electrochromatic Wing Mirrors (WIP)

Last edited by Stuartc on 28th Aug 2016 6:57 am. Edited 1 time in total

You're welcome At least it's possible to see where the me mechanic's misunderstanding came from.