I've had my 2008 TD4 Freelander 2 (115k miles) a year now and can't imagine driving anything else, although always nervous on the long trips to Spain and Portugal that something will flash up on the dash. Last time it did and the car limped 500km before I was able to change the solenoid and MAF to correct it. It's coming up to it's big 10 year service, a £1k+ investment and the thing I'm wondering is how long will the LR2 last me?

I'm thinking of matriculating it to keep in the Med area all year round. Cars like this cost x2 or x3 in Iberia so its well worth the transfer fees, especially on a 10 year + vehicle. The RHD doesn't bother me, but once it is on Spanish/Portuguese plates there is no going back and I will have to keep the car until it dies.

If I keep it serviced properly and add 15k miles to the speedo a year. What's the feeling on its additional lifespan?

If similar cars cost 2 or 3 times more over there wouldn't it make sense to sell it there and buy a younger model?
You would also save the £1k from the service

Second hand LHD Freelanders on Spanish plates cost 2-3 times more than similar RHD UK plated cars in the UK. You can't make money on selling UK registered cars here - quite the contrary. The local nationals can drive them but not own them.

So in UK its going to cost somewhere between 5 and 6 K to buy a car like yours and most wont have had the 10 year service.

Save a grand, sell / trade yours and do a deal on a later car possibly. Then do parts of the 10 year service over the next few years FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

I bought the LR2 for £4k a year ago with all the service stamps from a 'performance' 2nd hand car dealer. Bit of a risk, needed new tyres, battery, last service and now the 100k service. A year on and Im happy. The same in Spain costs 10-11,000 euros now. None will have been serviced properly over a 10 year period - its hen's teeth in Spain for that - so are a no-no.

So, fellow Freelander 2 owners, what are your views on how much longer is this car likely to last me if I get it properly serviced every year?

Over 1,100,000 kilometres, almost 1.2 million!

I had a very long conversation in outback South Australia a few months ago, the owner had replaced the transmission of his D3 at 600,000 & said he will probably have to do the same soon a second time at 1.2million km. The Freelander is considered more reliable than a D3. Not to forget the usual long term maintenance.

My previous cars each lasted 25 (18 mine) & 18 years & 250,000 km each. Only got rid of them because there was a bit of extra work the following year for registration. My last car, my mechanic wanted it!

Budget for & do the long term servicing & the cars will keep going, & don't use the budget fuel. In Australia standard fuel is crap.

Listen to the car & fix it, & it will keep going! I plan to keep my car until I need to get a wheel chair!


In a previous job (1990s) a customer about twice a year bought bits of aluminium to repair his 1920s Rolls Royce. He always complained about maintenance, but the car in the scheme of things one could say, was reliable! His biggest complaint was actually tightening every bolt holding the car together every few months! It was a seriously nice car & he used it every few days. I think his biggest problem was parking at it must have been about 6.0 metres long!

It will cost you less maintaining an old car than the depreciation on a new car. 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

Certainly true that keeping an older car is relatively cheap. My wife's 56 reg Peugeot has just done 50k miles and after looking at replacements - some of which had higher miles she decided not to bother and bought it's first new battery for £48. Over the last few years the annual road tax at £190 has been more expensive than getting it through it's MOT.

My piano tuner came yesterday in a W reg (2000) VW Polo which he uses as a runabout and had done over 160k miles with just a track rod end done at it's last MOT. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Possibly the same engine as my Seat (all VW under the bonnet, could not buy a Polo in Australia at that time) Ibiza 1.4 litre, tough as nails. No smoke out of the exhaust at 250k km. I have seen the car a few times in our area, it still has the same number plate, probably now up around 300k km!

We took the car on some pretty rough outback roads, but took it slowly & carefully, quite a few places shopping centre/school run 4WDs would never dare to venture & have a coronary over the state of the fire trails etc!


Budget for maintenance, it is not difficult stuff! 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