Cheap ish car needed.... 2003 / 04 freelander td4 ? Thoughts
Discussion
Firstly sorry about this post but wondered on others experience on these.
The car spotted is a 1 owner 53plate freelander td4 HSE, done 75,000. it's up for £5k which is the budget really.
So opinions and personal experience with these cars appreciated. I know the patrols are worth avoiding bit I thought ( maybe wrongly ) that the engine is a bmw diesel so should be alright ?
The car is for my old man who wants a second car to chuck stuff in as they have bought a new house and are building bits etc and just run around in. They have other cars for going fast and being impractical
I there were any other better suggestionsis his criteria is.....
Cheap, doesn't want to spend more than £5k as the new house will always cost more than expected
Big enough to chuck any building materials in / tools / equipment (Freelander size nothing bigger than a disco)
Something that still looks half reasonable if he wants to go somewhere in it with my mum. A defender for example would be pushing it.
It won't be doing huge mileage so economy doesn't really matter but I think he liked the idea of the Td4 as compared to there other cars as it would be good on fuel.
Also he wanted 4x4 for the winter as the new house is down a small lane and the set back down a drive. So wants this to use and keep his and my mums cars tucked away.
Finally preferably auto so my mum can use it too if she ever needed too.
Sorry for the huge post but I know I'd be slated if I didn't put any info in. Thanks in advance everyone.
The car spotted is a 1 owner 53plate freelander td4 HSE, done 75,000. it's up for £5k which is the budget really.
So opinions and personal experience with these cars appreciated. I know the patrols are worth avoiding bit I thought ( maybe wrongly ) that the engine is a bmw diesel so should be alright ?
The car is for my old man who wants a second car to chuck stuff in as they have bought a new house and are building bits etc and just run around in. They have other cars for going fast and being impractical
I there were any other better suggestionsis his criteria is.....
Cheap, doesn't want to spend more than £5k as the new house will always cost more than expected
Big enough to chuck any building materials in / tools / equipment (Freelander size nothing bigger than a disco)
Something that still looks half reasonable if he wants to go somewhere in it with my mum. A defender for example would be pushing it.
It won't be doing huge mileage so economy doesn't really matter but I think he liked the idea of the Td4 as compared to there other cars as it would be good on fuel.
Also he wanted 4x4 for the winter as the new house is down a small lane and the set back down a drive. So wants this to use and keep his and my mums cars tucked away.
Finally preferably auto so my mum can use it too if she ever needed too.
Sorry for the huge post but I know I'd be slated if I didn't put any info in. Thanks in advance everyone.
I know you don't want anything bigger than a Disco, but the freelander really isn't that big for carrying stuff about in. In terms of load space, a bit less useful than an e46 touring, but considerably less handy than a pug 406 estate (they happen to be two cars I know, not suggesting them!). My experience is with a 3 door commercial though, the bulkhead did reduce the carrying space slightly over a regular 3 /5 door. The high load bed can be a bonus for loading stuff in / out though.
It was OK on the road, drove like a slightly s
t car as opposed to a 4x4. A non commercial one, without a roof rack and chunky tyres may be more refined. Got 30-35 MPG not driving gently. Felt really good in the snow with AT tyres on, being a viscous coupling 4x4 you just drive it, no buttons or lever to think about. TBH on the road, in winter I'd rather have a Freelander with decent tyres than a proper 4x4.
Not sure I'd want an auto as while it wasn't horribly slow with the 5 speed you had a to work the engine hard sometimes. But YMMV, doubt your parents will be battering down B roads or doing regular A road overtakes at speed so it may be fine.
We got rid of ours at just under 150k, due to a misfire and knackered IRD / Viscus coupling. Needs 4x matched tyres otherwise it'll kill the viscous coupling. Other than that it was reliable despite being used hard, being a vodafone fleet vehicle before we got our grubby hands on it.
It was OK on the road, drove like a slightly s
t car as opposed to a 4x4. A non commercial one, without a roof rack and chunky tyres may be more refined. Got 30-35 MPG not driving gently. Felt really good in the snow with AT tyres on, being a viscous coupling 4x4 you just drive it, no buttons or lever to think about. TBH on the road, in winter I'd rather have a Freelander with decent tyres than a proper 4x4. Not sure I'd want an auto as while it wasn't horribly slow with the 5 speed you had a to work the engine hard sometimes. But YMMV, doubt your parents will be battering down B roads or doing regular A road overtakes at speed so it may be fine.
We got rid of ours at just under 150k, due to a misfire and knackered IRD / Viscus coupling. Needs 4x matched tyres otherwise it'll kill the viscous coupling. Other than that it was reliable despite being used hard, being a vodafone fleet vehicle before we got our grubby hands on it.
Cool thanks for the Info it's appreciated. I know a freelander isn't all that big for chucking stuff In as you say it's just more practical than there other cars. My mum has an abarth 500 for example. So size wise it should be fine but thank you for the heads up.
Performance isn't an issue it won't be used for blasts down the back roads As I say they have other cars for hooning about in.
I think he might go and check the freelander out tomorrow I just wanted to see if anyone knew of a really serious reason to avoid one I guess. I will make him check the tyre situ as you say. Thanks again
Performance isn't an issue it won't be used for blasts down the back roads
As I say they have other cars for hooning about in. I think he might go and check the freelander out tomorrow I just wanted to see if anyone knew of a really serious reason to avoid one I guess. I will make him check the tyre situ as you say. Thanks again
In terms of reliability, my mother has a 53 plate td4 which she purchased in 2004. It has been incredibly reliable. In 100k all its wanted for has been a few bushes, tyres and brake pads. To be fair to her she looks after it very well and it's always serviced on time, but never the less it's been a great car.
Oh brilliant that's good to know. We are a family of car nuts so whatever he buys it will be well looked after too. Sounds like it might suit what he wants and I think he'd be pretty chuffed if he got something that only needed small serviceable parts like that replacing. Cheers for the response
I've had 2, both 04 TD4 SE manual 3 doors.
One was a great car, drove superbly and was clearly a well looked after car. 7 weeks into ownership a lorry rear ended it and wrote it off.
Replacement was a total dog of a car, all the usual freeby failings went, some repeatedly.
I look after my cars and ploughed plenty in it, got shot in the end. It had been badly abused by the first owner and run on petrol which slowly killed the fuel system.
I really liked it though, drove really well on road tyres and returned 37-44mpg.
Make sure the best tyres go on the back, the crankcase filter has been replaced for the BMW filter and the EGR is blanked off, also replace the hoses with silicone ones as the originals split with age.
Get an auto, it's much better. Otherwise usual checks for cars apply, mechanical and electrical and bodywork.
They shouldn't be any rust on it, if there is. Walk as it's from damage.
One was a great car, drove superbly and was clearly a well looked after car. 7 weeks into ownership a lorry rear ended it and wrote it off.
Replacement was a total dog of a car, all the usual freeby failings went, some repeatedly.
I look after my cars and ploughed plenty in it, got shot in the end. It had been badly abused by the first owner and run on petrol which slowly killed the fuel system.
I really liked it though, drove really well on road tyres and returned 37-44mpg.
Make sure the best tyres go on the back, the crankcase filter has been replaced for the BMW filter and the EGR is blanked off, also replace the hoses with silicone ones as the originals split with age.
Get an auto, it's much better. Otherwise usual checks for cars apply, mechanical and electrical and bodywork.
They shouldn't be any rust on it, if there is. Walk as it's from damage.
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