Freelander td4...should I?
Discussion
We've been contemplating our next family car for a while now. We're expecting a baby in a few months. My wife wants a bigger car but doesn't get on with my Subaru. If it was up to me, I would go for an Alfa Romeo/BMW/Volvo diesel estate but my wife likes the idea of a 4x4 (high driving position, feeling of safety etc). I refuse to get a full-size 4x4 as there is only going to be 2 of us and a baby but am open to the idea as I like the idea of maintaining the 4WD like on the Subaru (Audi or Subaru 4x4 diesel estates too expensive). The only small 4x4s that I can think of that would be in budget would be the old-shape Freelander or something Japanese. X-trail and CR-V too ugly, Vitara and RAV4 too girly so the only small 4x4 that I can think of that I would consider would be the Freelander. I know to avoid the K-series engines but surely the td4 must be alright (BMW diesel engine)? I have actually driven both a manual and an automatic td4 and they are reasonably pleasant to drive. They don't handle like a Subaru but then I'm not going to be driving hard with a baby on board am I! I like the look of them and appreciate that they're not going to be as economical as a normal diesel estate but should be better on fuel than an Impreza!
My only reservation is that Freelanders don't have a great reputation for reliability and I've heard the NCAP crash rating isn't that great either. So have I overlooked anything, should I look out for a tidy Freelander (are they really that bad?) or would we be better off with a normal estate car?
My only reservation is that Freelanders don't have a great reputation for reliability and I've heard the NCAP crash rating isn't that great either. So have I overlooked anything, should I look out for a tidy Freelander (are they really that bad?) or would we be better off with a normal estate car?
We had one for a few years, TD4 SE.... Great little run about, 40mpg on a run.
The slave cyl and master cylinder on the clutch went out at approx 80k and we had an injector go out approx 85k, but in the grad scheme of reliability I thought it was pretty good!
Sure there will be a few people come along and knock them, but they are what they are....and pretty competent off road (and I had a 110 v8 too)
Better than an X-trail.....my folks have got one and I prefer the freelander handsdown.....
The slave cyl and master cylinder on the clutch went out at approx 80k and we had an injector go out approx 85k, but in the grad scheme of reliability I thought it was pretty good!
Sure there will be a few people come along and knock them, but they are what they are....and pretty competent off road (and I had a 110 v8 too)
Better than an X-trail.....my folks have got one and I prefer the freelander handsdown.....
wehave been considering a Freelander Td4 for some time , so I went and spoke to a local specialist near us (RCV ) I asked him why he had no Freelanders , he told me they were so unreliable they could not offer the warrenty on them without it costing a fortune. They had at the workshop calculated that it was cheaper to run a Rangie than a freelander. However he did suggest that the Freelander 2 model is much much more reliable and they will stock next year once the price comes down a bit more.
so we are waiting and saving
so we are waiting and saving
Stu R said:
Freelander 2 TD4 is a great vehicle. Prefer the current Xtrail in just about every respect, but both are great.
I should have given more details in my OP. Our budget is up to £7k, so would have to be a Freelander "1"? Mixed responses as I thought. Is the manual or auto best? What would be the best spec to go for?I've had a few, boost pipes are a regular thing but easy to fix. One had a dicky fuel pump that would work if you bashed it. Centre viscous coupling will seize up over time meaning it gets difficult to manoeuvre.
Relatively expensive to insure, my V8 Disco is cheaper.
On the plus side there are plenty about and the price difference between 1.8 and TD4 isn't as great as it used to be.
Relatively expensive to insure, my V8 Disco is cheaper.
On the plus side there are plenty about and the price difference between 1.8 and TD4 isn't as great as it used to be.
If you like your Impreza estate but want a bit more room get a Forester. Same car, different body. I love mine. It's not the quick one but it handles well, has reasonsable cargo space and is comfy and well equipped. The turbo ones are rather brisk I'm lead to understand.
What doesn't your wife like about the Impreza estate? I borrowed one for a while and found it quite a useful bit of kit.
What doesn't your wife like about the Impreza estate? I borrowed one for a while and found it quite a useful bit of kit.
I ran one for just over a year. It was a Sport TD4 & I really liked it. It had about 90k on it when I bought it & I sold it with 104k. It cost me a fuel pump & a couple of rear tyres. It drove well enough & in some respects I quite miss it as I wasn't too precious about it & that was quite refreshing for me....
It always scrubbed up well & although it was leggy it felt tight enough wore the miles well. I'd even go as far as to say I'd have another...
It always scrubbed up well & although it was leggy it felt tight enough wore the miles well. I'd even go as far as to say I'd have another...
davidf4 said:
If you like your Impreza estate but want a bit more room get a Forester. Same car, different body. I love mine. It's not the quick one but it handles well, has reasonsable cargo space and is comfy and well equipped. The turbo ones are rather brisk I'm lead to understand.
What doesn't your wife like about the Impreza estate? I borrowed one for a while and found it quite a useful bit of kit.
We had a Forester as a loan car and both quite liked it but no diesel option, so too thirsty. My wife finds my Impreza WRX Estate too heavy to drive (clutch, steering and gears), she finds it too fast (I didn't think that was possible) and feels too small in it (she's only 5ft 2). The Forester does have a slightly more elevated driving position which does make a huge difference but petrol Subarus are really expensive to run. I would consider a newer diesel Forester or Legacy estate but unfortunately we don't have that kind of money to spend, which is why we were thinking of something like a Freelander (I know it won't handle anything like as well as a Subaru though)!What doesn't your wife like about the Impreza estate? I borrowed one for a while and found it quite a useful bit of kit.
I had one (03) for 4 years and it was faultless for the first 3.5 years. I then had window motors fail , wiring loom problems resulting in it running on 3 cylinders , clutch problems and when I serviced it at. 70k miles I was told to get rid ASAP.
It was sent to auction by the dealer and has been sorned from 2008 ( 6 months after I sold it)
I would avoid - I have never lost as much money or had as many breakdowns in any car before or after
It was sent to auction by the dealer and has been sorned from 2008 ( 6 months after I sold it)
I would avoid - I have never lost as much money or had as many breakdowns in any car before or after
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