Evening all,

I hope your all well?

I'm came across the forum while googling for help with buying a freelander 2, just want to say this looks like a great forum, full of great advice and some knowledgeable people.

Anyway, I'm currently on the hunt for a freelander, I've always been heavily into VAG's but have grown tired of their high price tags and frankly crap build quality.
We currently have a Audi A4 2005 and a seat Leon 2007, the a4 is the main family car we use for holidays but it just isn't big enough and we are looking at having our second child so want something bigger, hence the change.

So my budget is a maximum of £8000 and im thinking that the HSE is the one I want to go for but I'm totally new to land rovers so not got a clue what to look for, what spec to look for, common faults etc.

Within my budget I see there's 2 engine options, the 147 or 157bhp! What's the difference between these? Simple software change on LR's part or more involved like larger turbo, injectors etc? Looking at tuning figures it seems the 147 can be remapped to a higher figure than the 157? I know there's the SD4 engine which I'd love to go for but it just isn't within my budget unfortunately.

Does the HSE come with rain sensitive auto wipers and power fold mirrors?

I see you can get xenon headlights, do these come with a auto function? Do they have DRL lights fitted to them? Are they bi-xenon or are they xenon for the low beam and halogen for the Main beam? I see that if you have the xenons as an option they
Seem to come with drivers memory seat function! This correct?

Are the parking sensors audio or visual display based?

Any common faults or recalls to look out for?

What's the boot like for loading up, would they happily take a pram and a weeks worth of holiday luggage?

And lastly the AWD I see is run via 3rd gen haldex system, this does worry me ask used to have a Audi s3 mk1 which ran the 1st gen haldex unit and these were quite trouble some, blown clutch packs, pressure plays not clamping properly, rears binding due to stuck clutchs etc, what's the 3rd gen?

Sorry for all the questions guys and I appreciate anyone who's taken the time to read all this 😂

Welcome.

HSE for 8K in good working order may be a big ask and bigger bills. Older cars need a larger service according to LR at 10 years and if you can't do any of it yourself it will cost. I always suggest in older FL2 cars go for less gimmicks and lower miles with a GOOD Warranty. Someone else will fill you in on the gimmicks no doubt but a MY13 on GS is a far better car than what came before, does all you need and has full leather.

Not the biggest boot around, my old shape Berlingo was better for larger loads, go look at a good low miles Berlingo, only family car that Clarkson ever raved about. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

If you are used to VW and Audi then the quality of a Ford built car ( because that's what a Freelander 2 is ) may come as a shock . The 157 engine is is pre -DPF. The Auto box is pretty reliable and really suits the car , manual cars have been known to have issues with the dual mass flywheel . The rear diff bearing is the weak point and can go at any mileage. Engine is the Ford PSA diesel , a million Transits can't be wrong , it's a good'un . Have a serious look at the boot size of the FL2 it is not that large , although the fact you can load it up to the roof can compensate ( dog guard fitted is a good idea if you need to do this ) Our 9 year old basic cloth seater still drives very nicely and is pretty comfortable on the plus side. On the minus side they are not cheap motors to own and service . As with any older car you will unfortunately pay your money and take your chance.

My last company car before I retired was an A4 Avant . The FL2 is comparable in terms of room for driver and front seat , FL2 gbetter in the back by a fair few inches. Worse for general load space . Older Fl2 in the £8000 price range is going to be quite a thirsty beast compared to your VAG cars if you achieve low thirties in day to day running you would be very lucky, short commutes in the high 20s.

Just go into it with your eyes open , as Bob says low mileage with a warranty is the route to go , 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Last edited by MartynB on 27th Sep 2017 6:52 am. Edited 2 times in total

Replaced our Seat Ibiza 1995 with the Freelander. The Freelander does have more space, but not as much as you would hope for, I am still amazed how good the old Seat was. & it was reliable, 250,000 km! Someone else locally has it now!

We bought the Freelander mainly to get off the beaten track & more importantly to compete with all the other 4WDs in Sydney. We were sick & tired of not being able to see around all the other tall cars!

Reading your post it appears the actually real priority at the end of the day is space for 2 kids & their stuff. Buy a station wagon! Otherwise look at a Disco if you actually need 4WD! The Freelander is too small

Have a look under the boot floor of a Freelander & see just how large the spare wheel is. The space required by the car's wheels on all 4 corners & the spare is a fair indication of why there is a lot less space inside a 4WD compared to a station wagon. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Bob's suggestion of the Citroen Berlingo is a good one, you should take a look, may not be the prettiest car on the road but it does have a huge amount of storage space and stowage bins. We used to use a Renault Scenic for holidays and the boot in that was huge compared to the Freelander, I could easily get all the luggage and odds and end in the boot and still keep the parcel shelf in place, it had a clever trick of having independent rear seats which you could slide forwards to gain more space. Check out the Freelander for room and if it suits your needs then as mentioned, go for as new as you can find for your budget, the GS is a very popular choice, may have a few less toys than the HSE models but do you really need all the extras?

It'll be a culture shock going into a LR dealership where they presume you have endless pockets.
I've had 25 years of VAG and Skoda was the best of all but they now produce cars I don't actually want. Cost too much, cloned looks.
After owning one FL2 2012 XS sold it then two years later bought another. There is something quality about them as long as they have been maintained to the letter.
I went for newer stop/start engine 2011 with winter pack. Great car that to me, doesn't need all the gizmos of the higher spec.HSE etc. It also has less to go wrong as the FoMoCo electrical parts are not VW/Audi standard.

We try.

My son 6 years ago announced a child on the way and his then fiat panda was not going to do as a family run around. After a quick look around I found brand new pre reg Octavia's (old model being off loaded) going really cheap, even told him I may make a contribution. So off he goes and buys a pre reg BMW 3 series for several thousand more and 2 weeks later in snow had to be towed off a flat car park. Contribution offer was withdrawn.

I view my FL2 as an investment going only one way and currently I can take the hit for a new diff etc, these cars as they get older are not for anyone who would find it hard to find say 2K to urgently get back on the road (possibly 25% of what it cost to buy just weeks earlier). So advice has to be based on what you have mentioned and would be my choice for a young family is something like this with a strong warranty.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/adv...amp;page=1 FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Our neighbours (from the UK) have a Landcruiser & fill it to the gunnels with all the camping stuff, mostly for their 1 years old child, for a weekend away! Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Just another thought. The 157 engine will probably be the one you end up with on your budget . In real world driving its fine. The 147 is just fine as it is , no need to " tune" . The best performance gains on these cars are correct servicing and money spent on quality tyres and brake parts. With the AutoBox the 157 engine is capable of pushing you along at speeds that will defeat the chassis and brakes on twisty roads

Also when you look at any FL2 don't forget to check that the Terrain Response System works and The Hill Descent Control works ( speeds up and down on the cruise control) . Get the seller to demonstrate these systems and make sure you have researched them so you are not bullshitted. 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Hi All,

Thank you for your replys.

I should have mentioned im quite handy with the spanners so the servicing will be taken care by myself, cambelts etc will go to my friend but egenarl mainatenace will be me.

So the 157bhp is pre DPF, so the 147bhp has a DPF then? What are these like for clogging up?

Hopefully ill be going to look at one this weekend to figure out the boot space and make sure it is pratical.

Thanks fro the berlingo suggestion Yorky Bob but that isnt an option for me, id rather stick with VAG and buy say a C6 A6 Estate is the freelander will be too small.

So is the build quality that poor then?

So is the build quality that poor then?

Best Land Rover (Ford) ever built but when they go wrong they cost. I am over servicing mine but still got a big bill for a EGR valve this spring so I can't sell the idea that they are rock solid.

Later cars do extremely well on fuel as a compensation down side is MY13 on you can't even re-set the service interval if doing oil and filter changes at home. Fuel filter is a bit of a pig to change as is oil filter, pads fine. If kept out of LR garages a service can be done reasonably cheap. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

the thing is how many FL2 have been sold and how many have rear diff, or Haldex problems or whatever. I bet its only a tiny percentage really.

Most cars these days, even the small city cars, can cost a fortune to fix if things go wrong.

Apply the same principles to buying a FL2 as you would to buying any other car..... age, condition, history, mileage, price.

Go for the newest, lowest mileage one you can get for your budget that has a documented history. Warranty is preferable.

As is (IMO) an auto. The DMF tend to be very unpredictable as in when or even if they go on you. Definitely avoid a manual with a tow bar unless you know exactly what its been towing (I would draw the line at a tow bar bike rack!)
Auto will tow anything up to maximum with ease.

I would also be wary of one with budget tyres all round, if they have scrimped on the tyres then what else ? (unless the dealer has fitted them for sale purposes)

good luck with your hunt, there are plenty out there and many falling in under the 8k. I would say that SE, XS or GS spec in that order would suit you just fine.

this site is full of contradictions!! ie the Freelander 2 is a great car, or its dogged with quirky problems or its expensive to fix, . . . . .NO cars are cheap if they go wrong, some people on here with loads of money love the car so much. . . . they get a newer one (instead of keeping the one they fell in love with)

Speaking from my OWN experience with little money. . . .

I really fancied one and got one in December, it was in my price range, an HSE 2007 reg for sale at £5950 private, with 156,000 miles on the clock, a very petite lady had it as a company car and drove from Ripon to Southampton nearly everyday in it (sounds mad to me), I say she was petite because to me it was the ONLY one I saw where the leather seat was NOT split on the side where the buttons are for electric movement, had she been a 25 stone navvy I feel sure the seat and much more would be split. Although it had a full dealer history the 10 year service had not been done, so I got the car knocked down to £5200. Its lovely, HSE model with HST bodykit, EVERYTHING except parking sensors works, that doesn't bother me as I can park a car.

All I have spent is for the 10 year service £750 ish and I had the alloys refurbed for £200.

SO, in my experience, have a good look around, you should get an HSE for £8000 with everything working, and do not be put off by high miles. Although enjoyable , the only thing that worries me, is reading other peoples problems on here, the things that can go wrong are scary, I am hoping for another 5 years from mine at least. . .

Just to chip in, on the dreaded 10yr service.
I'm on the lookout for a FL2, I currently drive a Fiat Bravo, when time came to replace the Timing Belt it cost me £500, and not Dealer prices.
Don't think anythings that cheap to run anymore.

some people on here with loads of money love the car so much. . . . they get a newer one (instead of keeping the one they fell in love with)

Ever heard of asset rich and cash poor ? Then one sunny day the local Authority and Government come along and take it all away in charges for care and death duties to keep those that think others have loads of money. Not many would want my state pension I can assure you. The relevant sentence is that some jobs come with a car allowance where the expectation is you actually use it to purchase a car (not fags and booze) that you keep fully serviced and safe as you use it for company business. Guess what that car allowance still fails to cover all the running costs once taxed as a benefit.

When you change from a earlier GS to a MY13 GS you are not swapping into the same vehicle as a MY13 was matched to the then new Ewok production run with many differing features.

Now back to counting my money, that wont take long.

Edit:
As predicted that did not take long, remind me sometime to tell you the story of wife number one asset stripping the Saudi money and dumping the child of the family with dad. Story includes running around in a knacked Lada for years while sorting out that pile of crap and earning less (to be able to give child care) than you get off the DSS. No point getting one of those B&W freelanders as life funnily enough is not like that ! FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current