Freelander 2 or X3
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From: Malta
Freelander 2 or X3
Looking to buy a freelander 2 or similarly specced X3 diesel.
Looking to buy used, roughyl around 3 years old.
Anyone with the usual help?
Anything i should be careful of?
This will be used to pile on the mileage.
Any adverse issues with these cars?
Your opinions most welcome.
Looking to buy used, roughyl around 3 years old.
Anyone with the usual help?
Anything i should be careful of?
This will be used to pile on the mileage.
Any adverse issues with these cars?
Your opinions most welcome.
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,032
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From: At Home
I looked at a Freelander 2 .... but did not consider it alongside an 'old' X3. I think the Freelander 2 looks great for a 4x4 - and it can actually manage off road too - not that I was going to use it for that 
The Freelander is excellent ... I know 2 people who have them - one a 57 plate, the other an 08 ... they are both diesels and they love them. Both have had then since new.
Not quick in diesel guise but capable and builds speed enough for what it is. Neither has had any issues. One has an XS and the other an HSE. Both regard them as very refined.
The older X3 though sold in large numbers seems to have a reputation for having rather rock solid suspension.
Why didn't I get a Freelander - quite simply as 2 dealers couldn't be bothered to arrange test drives or put in any effort. On that basis I bought a BMW !
The Freelander is excellent ... I know 2 people who have them - one a 57 plate, the other an 08 ... they are both diesels and they love them. Both have had then since new.
Not quick in diesel guise but capable and builds speed enough for what it is. Neither has had any issues. One has an XS and the other an HSE. Both regard them as very refined.
The older X3 though sold in large numbers seems to have a reputation for having rather rock solid suspension.
Why didn't I get a Freelander - quite simply as 2 dealers couldn't be bothered to arrange test drives or put in any effort. On that basis I bought a BMW !
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Joined: Nov 2007
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From: Malta
So far i have driven a Freelander 2.
Quite a lot of torque, and though laggy builds up speed very fast.
Very solid.
Well impressed.
What about the X3?
Not driven one yet though i heard the early ones gave driveshaft problems?
Newer engines are less polluting and more efficient (177BHP).
Quite a lot of torque, and though laggy builds up speed very fast.
Very solid.
Well impressed.
What about the X3?
Not driven one yet though i heard the early ones gave driveshaft problems?
Newer engines are less polluting and more efficient (177BHP).
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: location, location
Well my car school fella bought a Freelander 2, it was just over 2 year old. After 5 months or so the diff went and it was expensive. I think they are common to fail at around 3 years.
I recall something about they will replace it when in warranty, but his wasn't so it cost several thousand for fitting and parts IIRC. He had some other issues too and he did say he would never buy another land rover. Now he has a Navara as a runabout which replaced his old freelander 1 and he rates the Navara. He wife uses the freelander 2.
One thing i will say is the freelander 1 was an absolute star in bad weather, snow and ice it would literally go where no other cars would go - that included some high tech 4x4's.
I recall something about they will replace it when in warranty, but his wasn't so it cost several thousand for fitting and parts IIRC. He had some other issues too and he did say he would never buy another land rover. Now he has a Navara as a runabout which replaced his old freelander 1 and he rates the Navara. He wife uses the freelander 2.
One thing i will say is the freelander 1 was an absolute star in bad weather, snow and ice it would literally go where no other cars would go - that included some high tech 4x4's.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2007
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From: Malta
Well my car school fella bought a Freelander 2, it was just over 2 year old. After 5 months or so the diff went and it was expensive. I think they are common to fail at around 3 years.
I recall something about they will replace it when in warranty, but his wasn't so it cost several thousand for fitting and parts IIRC. He had some other issues too and he did say he would never buy another land rover. Now he has a Navara as a runabout which replaced his old freelander 1 and he rates the Navara. He wife uses the freelander 2.
One thing i will say is the freelander 1 was an absolute star in bad weather, snow and ice it would literally go where no other cars would go - that included some high tech 4x4's.
I recall something about they will replace it when in warranty, but his wasn't so it cost several thousand for fitting and parts IIRC. He had some other issues too and he did say he would never buy another land rover. Now he has a Navara as a runabout which replaced his old freelander 1 and he rates the Navara. He wife uses the freelander 2.
One thing i will say is the freelander 1 was an absolute star in bad weather, snow and ice it would literally go where no other cars would go - that included some high tech 4x4's.
Never heard of them failing but they are highly mechanical parts so bound to fail at some point.
I had a Freelander 1 and must say it was an excellent car.
The freelander 2 set a much higher benchmark.
I will investigate this thing about the diff.
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,524
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From: Soham Cambridgeshire
Isnt the reelander 2 a Volvo under the skin, as Ford said at the time Landrover couldn't build a soap box that would last more than 5 mins, as with the latest incarnation of the Discovery, they were threatened with the Ford Explorer Chassis if they could sort out one for the Disco in 6 months, hence it has a gear box from outside and a Darla drive train.
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Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Place of Otters
A mate is into landrovers, and says the freelander2 is better than the 1 and more mechanically reliable.
Have no opinion of the x3 but wasnt it slated for off road performance?
Do you need offroad capability?
Have no opinion of the x3 but wasnt it slated for off road performance?
Do you need offroad capability?
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From: North Yorks
We needed something to tow the race car and take the family out in - we were looking at replacing the Legacy and Defender into one car so we looked at the Freelander as the logical next step.
We ended up with an X-Trail.
We wanted to like the Freelander, it certainly looks good from the outside, but we were disappointed. We were expecting a mini Range Rover inside, which it wasn't, even in the HSE spec. Too many buttons on the dash for pointless electronics (which WILL go wrong), plastic everywhere and uncomfortable seats - we go down to Wiltshire from Yorkshire regularly and will be spending a lot of time in the car so comfort is important. For the money Land Rover want for a Freelander, there are better alternatives (including a used Discovery ironically, but that was too big and thirsty for what we needed), it's fair to say we were disappointed by the test drive, we were expecting more.
The X-Trail suited us better, it's plug-ugly, but it rides better, is more comfortable, has a decent spec and was a few thousand cheaper (we bought nearly-new) than the equivalent Freelander, it too has pointless electronics (what car doesn't these days, they're like the car Homer Simpson designed - I want this, and this, and this....), but everything is done though a central screen so at least the cabin doesn't look so cluttered, it's a well thought out car, returns close to 40mpg, pulls the race car with no drama and swallows all the tools etc easily, yet it's also a decent family car. It makes the Freelander look awfully overpriced.
We ended up with an X-Trail.
We wanted to like the Freelander, it certainly looks good from the outside, but we were disappointed. We were expecting a mini Range Rover inside, which it wasn't, even in the HSE spec. Too many buttons on the dash for pointless electronics (which WILL go wrong), plastic everywhere and uncomfortable seats - we go down to Wiltshire from Yorkshire regularly and will be spending a lot of time in the car so comfort is important. For the money Land Rover want for a Freelander, there are better alternatives (including a used Discovery ironically, but that was too big and thirsty for what we needed), it's fair to say we were disappointed by the test drive, we were expecting more.
The X-Trail suited us better, it's plug-ugly, but it rides better, is more comfortable, has a decent spec and was a few thousand cheaper (we bought nearly-new) than the equivalent Freelander, it too has pointless electronics (what car doesn't these days, they're like the car Homer Simpson designed - I want this, and this, and this....), but everything is done though a central screen so at least the cabin doesn't look so cluttered, it's a well thought out car, returns close to 40mpg, pulls the race car with no drama and swallows all the tools etc easily, yet it's also a decent family car. It makes the Freelander look awfully overpriced.
