Hi all,

just registered having been over on disco3/4 for that last 6 years.

Im think of buying a Freelander and could with some advise please.

Until recently we have had a 2006 D3, 2010 D4 and a toyota Aygo for the shopping trips !!

Im selling the D3 and D4 for a new D4 , but thought about trading the Aygo in for a Freelander.

It doesnt need to be too highly spec'd as its the second car. However, it will need to step in to the D3 shoes now and again for getting around in the bad snow, occasional towing of a twin axle caravan (1900Kgs). I dont envisage any offroading as thats what the D4s for, but time will tell

definatly 4WD so i think that rules out the eD4. But, not sure about manual or auto, or the S or GS.

Part of me says just get a manual S base model, but then are there any issues with the manual and would it cope with the twin axle caravan - then again, would the Freelander itself cope with the twin axle given its almost on the towing limit.

Has anyone bough a base S manual and regreted it ??

Thanks in advance

GS auto, vanning will destroy a clutch (as well as the bank holiday traffic flow ) At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Thanks.

is the "S" not worth the money then. Exactly how basic is it ?

not totally basic but you will want the extras like parking beeps etc that the gs gives , and possibly bluetooth.

I'm not up on specs but gs is better value all told. XS is too pricey as it enforces you to have the expensive and frankly not great satnav


you could always get an S and add some nice extras extras . , park, heated screen etc, but when you sell it will still be an S .

not sure if S has auto wipers lights etc, do you need such toys? At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

its to replace the Aygo.................. which has electric windows and a steering wheel

it will only do about 3K miles a year so the nice to haves , Parkiing sensore, heated screen etc arent necessary. Just wondering if folk who have bought the S maybe thought it was over priced.

the essentials would be bluetooth for telephone and 4WD - thats it really

ive looked at 12 month old FL2s of higher spec's but the prices are only a few £K off the price of a new one. take into account the dealer and NFU discount and the difference is only £100's !!

Clutches are like starting handles. I used to have one, know how to use it but can't for the life of me see the point these days Get an auto!!! Ours - 2008 Stornoway Grey HSE Auto
Tricia's - 2006 Royal Blue Beetle Cabriolet Auto
Mine - 2014 Vespa GTS 300 Super Sport Matt Black
Ours - 2007 White Bailey Pageant Champagne

Particularly with towing the auto makes a significant difference, especially in your case as you are at the top end of its rating. The car itself will have few problems with 1900 Kg a clutch might.

Another thread has commented that the extra features of the GS are worth it over the S which is distinctly basic, might affect the resale market if only the S.

If however you intend to keep it a long time and later do a little of the mucky stuff (with the D4 to pull it out of the mire) then the S is probably all you need. Prog rock is cool!
2012 XS SD4 Indus Silver

If you are looking to buy new, the only significant disadvantages with the S are the lack of Bluetooth, the slightly iffy radio and the issue that it's probably slightly undertyred; I don't believe in large rims but, purely for practical reasons, it seems to be better matched to 17" rims with 235/65 R17, rather than the 215/75 R16's on the S.

If you go used, the older S's lack Terrain Response.

I like the manual Freelander, but the clutch does struggle and can cook a bit, even without a caravan!

Last edited by Tigger on 15th Apr 2012 7:11 am. Edited 1 time in total

i tow with a manual clutch 20k plus all ok at the mo with clutch personal choice when it comes to auto/manual i looked at auto dearer road tax,moor fuel consumption,and 3k plus if the auto box fails and a few have on here at least if the clutch was to go approx £800 to replace you will still have 2.2k in you pocket with the cost of repair,any how autos are for people with gammy left legs and think they live in america  rainy-city
xs

thanks everyone

interested to hear that the manual may struggle even without towing. the more i think about it the less likely i think it will be that we tow the caravan with the FL2. has anyone hooked up a Sankey trailer with NATO hitch ?

discodunc wrote:

interested to hear that the manual may struggle even without towing.

Just to clarify, in the 30,000 miles I've done in mine during the last 9 1/2 months (!) it's never failed me, it's just that I can often smell burning clutch, even when there's only marginal provocation. Before anyone thinks it must be me, I usually do around 35,000 miles a year, running cars to around 100,000 miles plus and I've only had to replace one clutch in the last 30 years and that was in a 4 year old Montego ( ) around 1990.

The clutch works as well as ever, but it's just not confidence inspiring. The rest of the car is as tough as old boots and I'd happily have another (unless, somehow, I could justify / afford a D4 - but that's just dreaming! )

You got a Montego to 4 years old - well done.

Just keep the aygo save some money and buy something cool like a hot tub or a harley

Not bad, eh?!

My first one stayed in the family until it was 6 years old, by which time it would have required 4 new doors, both sills and both rear wheel arches to be replaced to have any hope of passing an MOT! The engine bay never had an opportunity to rust; it was bathed in used engine oil virtually daily!

Other than those minor details and the wheel bearings and the exhaust and the shock absorbers and the fuel pump, it was a great car

One of the advantages of the basic radio is that it is far easier to upgrade, no MOST fibreoptics and the speakers are wired to the head unit, not to a rear mounted amp. Prog rock is cool!
2012 XS SD4 Indus Silver