Freelander Td4 Anygood?

[flyreels]

Hello
I am new to this forum and I would like some advice on a new freelander se Td4 auto.
I am looking into buying a new small all wheel drive for fishing and camping and have narrowed it down to a Nissan X-trail a forester and a freelander se Td4 auto.
What I would like to know if anyone has one and could tell me if they have had any problems or are there any common faults that will help me make up my mind?
I have read a lot of bad press on the early ones, but I like the new one I have driven, I currently have an NL pajero but it is way too heavy on petrol and want something more economical.
All comments would be very helpful.
Cheers peter

[Ace]

I dont own one, but have read alot on them. If its fuel economy you want the Freelander is the pick of the three you have listed. The TD4 has unbeatable economy. As for faults i am not aware of any common faults in them. The TD4 was designed be BMW so it should be pretty good. The mags reckon the Auto box is pretty good. Smooth shifts etc. I have a with an X-trail, he likes it, it will get up and go more readily being a petrol, but fuel economy will be worse. The Subaru's are good, but if you ever want to play off road they lack the ground clearance of the other two.

Of course i am going to recommend the Freelander, i am a land rover nut, but i feel the Freelander is a pretty good car and the only thing in the X-trails favour is the price, its cheaper than a freelander. Hope this helps. Oh did i tell you to go with the Freelander, just making sure. Matt

[Phoenix]

I've been looking into the same thing at great length recently. WE narrowed it down to the Freelander, Sante Fe and X-Trail.

The X-trail won, but partly because we couldn't find a decent 2nd hand Freelander with a TD4 (and the missus didn't want a diesel :roll: ). Forrester is quite a bit smaller than the other 2, if you intend on carrying 4 or 5 large people, cross it off. It's not a bad car, brilliant in fact, just a tad too small.

Freelander had early problems, the old diesels were slugish, the 1.8l petrol was a good engine, but was completely unreliable, some older freelanders have gone through 2 of them in the UK. Safer not to go there. There was a problem with the IRD unit, but that was fixed around '01.

If you are buying new or near new, the freelander is an awsome vehicle. I loved the interior, ride, everything, it just didn't work out for us. If you compare the features lists of both the X-trail and freelander, the X-trail falls a long way behind.

[noddy]

A good mate has just been looking in the same segment.

They went for the Forrester. Great build quality, great re-sale, better off road than people think (the manual has a low range box) which the others don't. They make a turbo 2.5 flat six in the XT which goes really hard!

I have only heard good things about the new Freelander TD4. Personally I reckon it would be touch and go between the Freelander and an Outback (distinct from the Forrester) as to which would further in the rough stuff. Outback has better clearance than the Forrester and again a low range box. I love diesels, so I would probably lean to the Freelander, but only a new one or very new second hand one (hard to find) with warranty.

Hope this is some help.

Regards

[noddy]

Hey Flywheel -- the current edition of 4x4 Australia has a review on all the softroaders. Worth the buy or flick thru at the newsagent.

In short these were their findings for the vehicles you are interested in:

Forrester -- 4.5 out of 5
Freelander -- 3.5 out of 5
X-trail -- 4 out of 5
Santa Fe -- 3 out of 5

I don't really understand their star rating system, because the sub-criteria (offroad, on-road etc) dont seem to add up to the final score :? The write-up on the Freelander is better than the score would suggest, however the Forrester seems to be the pic.

Hope this helps.

Regards

[Yabbie]

Change you mind buy a defender instead that way if you ever go of road you can tow home some of the members from here isnt that right Kimba?

[noddy]

Defenders are trying to lose that image of just being 'tow mules'. They are very street savy and urbane, you know 8)

I would go for Defender 90. A nice yella one, before you cannot get them anymore. You are guaranteed of a great re-sale value. Apart from that they are a great vehicle........and excellent as a 'tow-mule' :wink:

[disco95]

My missus is also considering the new freebie. The only issue is, how well does the diesel go? She'll be stepping out of a 2000 honda civic, and looking at the three door freebie. I know that if it doesn't go as well as the honda she won't like it, I'd hate for her to think bad things about any vehicle in the LR line up. She's pretty impressed with everything else she's seen or read on the freelander.

[noddy]

The 3-door Freelanders are bloody expensive, but they are very cool 8)

[disco95]

She's also considering a wrangler. She was looking at one on the net with wide alloy wheels, nice front bar and roll bar, and a winch. She said "That's what I want it to look like" I told her if she gets a winch it's coming straight off and going on the disco. She said "no way it looks cool" so I told her I'd have to slap her around a bit. 8)

[noddy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>She's also considering a wrangler[/b][/quote]

How is this for a deal.

Shhhhh.....sell Rosemary and the Civic and get a D90! I will bet my left one that she would fall immediatly in love with a little yella 90!

Ya just gotta do it.

[disco95]

Then we'd only have one vehicle, and I wouldn't get to drive my landy every day. :cry:

[noddy]

I noticed that selling Rosemary did not get batted back 8O

How about giving the Mrs Rosemary and you get the 90 style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[disco95]

I'd love a D90, though I think for space I'd prefer a 110 or even a 130 twincab. I think I'd only sell Rosemary to get a defender.
By the way the missus doesn't like to drive her, she reckons she's too big.

[noddy]

Hmmmmm..... :?

If she loves the Wrangler what does she think of the 90? Have you introduced her to a 90 yet?

[disco95]

I haven't seen any anywhere, no ads, none on the road, none in the dealers, none in magazines (which begs the question, why have overlander and 4wd monthly not featured them) I've seen a few pics in this forum is about all. She wants something topless and has never liked the look of the defenders, too square and old fashioned.
Besides I'd cry at night knowing the beast is never going to be used where it should.

[noddy]

There is an article in this month's edition of Overlander (long term test) and surprisely they give it a good rap!

Have a look at Reads90 -- he had a NAS 90 replica with a soft-top. You just need to convince him to sell his once he brought it half way around the world.....yeah unlikely :?

[disco95]

I've seen the pics of reads vehicle, and his wifes, but a D90 that will never go off road :?: I couldn't let SWMBO do that to it,. She'd never let me take it, she's seen what I do with Rosemary style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif
I'm going to have to get this months overlander.

[noddy]

The departure angle is heaps better than the Disco so you will not do that sort of damage????? Perhaps this is one argument you could use with getting her to let you borrow the car?

Over the break I saw a black 90 at the LR dealer on the Princess Highway. She needs to get up close and personal with one...guarantee she will fall in love. Apart from being 'tow-mules' Defenders are chick magnets :wink:

[disco95]

I love em myself. If I can find a soft top she may be interested.

[JamesH]

I have to say that a husband and wife team; him with a 110 Defender and her with a D90; Strewth, how good would that look in the driveway? How freakin cutting edge fashionable would it be? You'd look at the driveway, look at your wife and reckon that this is what it must be like in heaven. His and Hers Defenders - it must be done. It must.

To the guy up ahead who started this thread - I can't say about the TD4 though if I was in his position I'd be looking at it as i too love diesels. I went on a 4WD course with a mate in his Forrester. It peed all over the X-Trail on the course for off road ability. The Sooby is a damn fine soft roader in my humble - many others agree. I never sat in an X-Trail so I'll bow to the earlier posters superior knowledge about roominess in X-trail vs Forester.