I was looking to replace my clio in Summer 2007 and was looking around for a stronger beefier car. I originally looked at the Freelander in late 2005 but was not for me at the time. Thankfully I am quite glad about that as they bought the new Freelander, called Freelander 2, out in 2006.My must-have requirements (in no order of preference as I MUST HAVE them):

- automatic gearbox
- sunroof - opening/closing
- comfortable
- fast, but at least faster than my clio
- Remote Central Locking (standard on the FL2)

I considered the Freelander 2 against the Honda CR-V (new model) and Volkswagen EOS. Before I decided a SUV was for me, I wanted to make sure I could not be swayed against something sportier. However the EOS, although it seems a great car would give me even less space than the Clio I had and was not so comfortable and too noisy. One of my factors was comfort and it was too sporty a drive for that. Once the EOS was out of the picture it was just the CR-V and I did like that, but the wait was quite long and it did not come with a sunroof. Instead it has a panoramic roof which did not go down too well me. So, the Freelander was my decision.

Once I had done that I had to decide on which model to go for. There are S, GS, XS, SE, HSE. There are 2 engines, the 2.2 TD4 (diesel) and the 3.2 I6 (petrol). The most common is the TD4 so for my driving requirements and better fuel economy I went with that.

So I poured over the brochures and specs for each based on my must-have requirements. Without delving into too much on this as I want to get to "Driving the Freelander2", the S and GS were too basic for my liking (manual air-con) and the SE and HSE came with too many things that I did not want (like heated seats, full leather, Integrated SAT NAV and a souped up stereo system). My opinion is that these options were quite expensive on these models and not worth it. So, after a bit of deliberation, I decided to opt for the mid-range model, the XS.

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The Freelander 2
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I had to wait about 3 months for my vehicle as it was factory order (due to the sunroof) and I was so excited to pick it up at the beginning of September 2007. I got to the dealer said a quick goodbye to the Clio and was shown round my new car. Everything from the adjustment of the seats to the bluetooth was covered in my handover and I couldn't wait to drive away my new car.

Getting into the Freelander is quite a shock from the Clio. Firstly you have so much more space and obviously you are a lot higher up.

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Starting/Stopping the Engine
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The FL2 comes with a push button start. This means you don't get a key as normal, but you have a little cassette that you insert into the car. To start the engine you have to put your foot on the brake and press a stop/start button. You turn the engine off by just pressing the start/stop button.

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Owning and Driving the FL2
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As my car was new I drove it away gingerly as I wasn't used to such a big car and hadn't got used to driving it. So let's get down to using the FL2. I use it for motorway commuting and this car is lovely to drive. On the roads it is very comfortable and glides over uneven roads. It does not drive like a clunky big car and it very manouverable round corners and you don't get the feeling the car will turn over. It is very steady and you feel safe and secure.

The prominent driving position (which is one of the things that contributed to my decision) is superb. You are obviously higher than most vehicles and as high as the compact vans. This allows you to see further down the road and gives you the opportunity to accomodate this in your driving.

Even though this is an auto, the 0-60 is 10.5 seconds, which is 0.4 quicker than the manual. Though I think you would have to go foot down to achieve this and it would play havoc with your fuel economy.

Official fuel economy for the TD4 Auto is:
- Urban - 25.2 mpg
- Extra Urban - 37.7 mpg
- Combined - 33.2 mpg

And it is very close. On the motorway I manage to get 36-38 mpg driving steadily and at no more than 70 mph. On non-motorway, I average about 33 mpg if I can do at least 40 mph. If I am doing 10-30 mph then that is where this lets you down and I get about 28-31 mpg. This is not bad, but you do have to bear in mind this is a car for longer distances.

Given that I have the automatic the CO2 is higher at 224g/km. It just misses the top Car tax band, but who knows for the future.
One thing I have noticed about the FL2 is you need to allow a lot of braking space. Especially if you are going high-speeds. I'm not a physicist but this car is just under 2 tonnes without any loading, so I imagine, the higher the speed the greater the braking distance you require. I have a couple of close calls and had to invoke the emergency brakes, and thankfully they are excellent and responsive.

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Space
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In terms of space, there is enough space and legroom for 5 adults in total or 2 adults, 2 big child seats and 1 adult in the back.

The dimensions of the exterior of the car:
Width - 2180mm
Length - 4500mm
Height - 1765-1820mm

The bootspace is quite large (as you'd expect) 755 litres with the seats up. You can get the full dimensions at http://www.landrover.co.uk/gb/en/Vehicles/Freeland er2/Specifications/Freela nder_dimensions.htm

More specifically the tailgate is not a swinging door but an up and over. Not sure how many people it matters to but this is different to the previous model.

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Maintenance
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The FL2 has a service interval of 15000 miles or 12 months. I have not yet had a service (not due till Sep) but I believe it will be in the region of £200-300.

Tax is £210 for 12 months, £115.50 for 6 months.

I have not had to top up any oil or screen washes. I did check the tyre pressure the other day to ensure I was optimised for fuel economy and found that there was no need for any top up of air as all tyres were on the nose for the recommended tyre pressure.

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Things that would be nice
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There are not many things I dislike about the freelander 2 but there are some things that would be nice to have.

- Having the sunroof close when you lock the car. It would be nice to know the sunroof closes even when you turn the engine off. I had to power the engine back on (foot on brake etc) and re-engage the closing of the sunroof

- Not having to turn the engine on to use the cigarette lighter. I use a tyre inflator powered by the car battery, but you have to engage the engine in order to use the car electrics. That includes operation of windows and sunroof.

- Automatic opening and closing of the boot (The Audi Q7 has that and it is great)

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Comparing the Freelander 2 and Freelander
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Overall the Freelander 2 is bigger than the previous model and I have seen them next to each other. The Freelander 2 is a couple of inches taller and certainly more domineering than its predecessor.

It takes a lot of the design features from the Range and Discovery, like the front grill, the front design and the side grills.
From all the reviews (which I took note of), the FL2 is more reliable and has won various awards, especially What Car of the Year in that category. It has regularly outdone the Tiguan, CR-V, RAV4 and the Kuga, so I'm quite happy with my purchase and hope to keep the vehicle for at least 5 years.

Finally if you have got to this point - thanks for reading my review. I have tried to include pertinent things in the review rather than just stating the standards specs. Neither have I included any information on the dealership as not everyone would use the same place, but I am happy to give feedback - just post a comment in the review or my guestbook. I look forward to your feedback :o)

Also posted on ciao

© jupiter28 2008