I bought my FL2 in Leeds in 2017 with 67K on the clock. It was 6 years old at the time. The body work was mint so forked out the £11k the dealer was asking. Moved to Spain that same year and the FL2 now has 151k miles on the clock. The bodywork is still immaculate when washed and polished. As a former company car owner you tend not to worry about services and maintenance. However this car has had my utmost respect with lots of proactive oil changes brake changes cam belt change and all associated stuff. It starts first time every time. Battery changed every 3 years. I’m hoping to keep her going for at least another 7 years when she will be 20 years old.🤞🤞
Excellent way of looking after a car. I've had Jags, Range Rovers and now a Land Cruiser simply because I needed a 7 seater. I've always changed oil at 3,500 miles. Belts at 70,000. Batteries at 3 years and kept my eye on tyres, brakes, water and other fluids. The Jag I did 100,000 miles in 3 years and what a car! Fantastic, LR3 and Range Rover Sport, bullet proof and the same with the Land Cruiser. I lived in Taiwan so all cars including European cars had oil changes at 3,500 miles at the dealerships. I do that still in the UK. Even the chief mechanic of Nissan GT-R division said that all cars should change their oil at 3,500 miles. Oil is cheap, engines are not.
I sold my 2010 FL2 to a mate 4 years ago when I bought a 2014 one as I had done 120,000 miles in it. He complained to me recently because a rear wheel bearing had to be replaced but it was the first thing that has gone wrong with it now at 280,000 miles. It’s still in immaculate condition. Best Land Rover I have had, and I’ve had every model since 1978 until 2014
Absolutely love my freelander 2, had it 4 years now and it's brilliant. As for things breaking, that happens to every car and like every car, it should be serviced properly. Oil & filter every 6 months, fuel filter every 2 years, haldex every 3 years, timing belt at 8or9 and don't forget the big 10 year service. All fluids front to back Including auto box fluid. Find a good independent LR garage and you'll be fine. Mine has cost around £4 k to repair and service over 4 years and its worth every penny. Its alot of car for the money and I'll keep it as long as I possibly can. Great video, nice to hear other sensible owners agreeing how good they are. 👏👍
I've got a 2010 HSE in Bali blue with the beige interior and I've had it from new. In the 14 years I've had my Freelander 2 it has never let me down, it's definitely the best and most reliable vehicle I've ever owned.
I had one for 10 years and it was great. Towed a horse box with 1 horse fine. Have since upgraded to a 2.2 Discovery Sport and it is a big step up in refinement, technology, smooth driving, etc.
Owned one (Freelander 2 4TD HSE green with two tone interior) for 17 years. Never had any issue with it and loved the car. I had to sell it unfortunately due to changed emission regulations in the major cities in Belgium where I live (Brussels, Antwerp ..) which resulted in several fines at first and a tough decision to say my goodbyes. If not, I would still be driving it for many years to come.
I bought a 62 plate HSE recently. It’s in lovely condition and has had a shed load of money spent on it. It’s my first Landrover and it looks amazing. It’s luxurious inside and very comfortable. I bought it to use a radio car on stage rallies and it is the ideal vehicle for that role. Actually it’s a bit too nice to be driving down a muddy rally stage but it’s more than capable. Every time I look at it , it makes me smile. Not many cars I’ve owned did that like this does
@@BleeCarswell it’s more a case of observing what’s going on in a rally stage and recording every car that passes my location on a check sheet. That’s used to cross reference if a car goes missing before the end of a stage then it helps trace where it was last seen. It might have broken down or had an accident. If it’s within sight of me when it’s happened then I call it in to rally control and wait for instructions what to do, or if I see a car has a problem like a misfire or driving slowly then I report it for other radio marshals to keep an eye on it’s progress until it hopefully reaches the end of the stage.
I bought one few weeks ago. Very pleased with the vehicle even though the engine sounds a bit agricultural when you start it on cold. Its returning 36mpg which isn't bad for a car which is about as aerodynamic as a brick going sidewards. Pleasant to drive with all the luxuries.
I tipped passed the quarter million mile mark in mine a little while ago. There’s been a bit of work along the way, as you might expect. Its done all the usual tip runs, holidays crammed to the roof and a few field trips. Brilliant car.
My 2013 he’s lux has been great 127000 miles apart from door locks and a turbo hose , easy diy jobs , it’s just needed regular servicing , no intention of parting with it.
Got one.. Live in Spain. 2009 bodywork like new superb car.. Just about to replace rear door locks but no big deal. Change oil and filter often and don't forget haldex and it will go forever
Door locks, Intercooler hose, throttle body, 2 sets of tyres, Love it...have owned for 10 years, 113k miles, like any Land Rover it comes with a free bag of spanner's. Just done all the fluids, transfer box's, gearbox, serviced the haldex unit changed the engine top and bottom tie bars and all hoses now silicon. The car has never let me down, I've put 60k on her but with the age and mileage maintenance is king. She drives great, smooth gear change, responsive steering, yes the engine growls a bit, but it is a Peugeot don't forget and most components are Volvo or Ford which helps. The most versatile 4 x 4 by far. Owes me nothing. And scrubs up really well.....😊
I had a Freelander 1 with the BMW engine...had it for about 4 years did a good 65 to 70 k in it used to tow a horse trailer at least once a fortnight to Scotland and back..had to have a new clutch every year and clutch and flywheel every second year due to towing 2 tons 500 miles most weeks but other than that it was great..sold it and bought a pick up. Which I love but still wish I had my landy. Especially when it snows
I’ve just picked up a 17 year old freelander 2 setd4 with only 59000 miles and full service history & love it 👍 so far no issues…. thank you for the vid… nicely done 🤛
On second Freelander. First is still around an 07 plate and now has 300k on it. Have a facelift model now and all good with 90 k and 11 yrs old. Very reliable car. Only things are the rear tailgate lock that fails and door handle locks as mentioned . The passenger door lock failed this weekend!
Ex FL2 owner here. 2013 SD4 HSE. It’s a brilliant all round vehicle. Competent at so many things. Easy to drive, plenty fast enough, decently spacious and exceedingly comfortable ride. They’re a little old by now but if you can find one in good condition I highly recommend it.
The statement that the Freelander 2 is not a 'proper' 4x4 is complete rubbish! It's a very competent off-road vehicle, with good ground clearance, and protection underneath. I've driven mine in all manner of terrains, from the sand and stone beaches, green lanes, mud-laden forestry tracks, snow, and ice, and even got myself out of a deep muddy ditch with no problem. To describe the Freelander 2 as not a 'proper' 4x4 verges on the imbecilic.
My 2011 HSE SD4 has just ticked over to 215 000km. Bought it in 2019 with 156 000km on and havent had any major issues. Fitted 265/65/17 tyres, roof rack with a side awning and spotlights on the rack. Only major issues right now, haldex is leaking oil. And I might have to do rear wheel bearings. Love this car!
I own a 2011 LR 2 HSE LUX in the US. Have owned it for 10 years. It has the Volvo sourced V6 and is a bulletproof power plant. It’s been a great vehicle that I just can’t part with!
@@BleeCarswell the V6 is a thirsty but very reliable engine….was the only engine offered in the US from 2008-2012…Then we got the Evoque gas turbo engine until the end in 2015. I work for a JLR dealer in the US and process warranty claims. LR2 always had very few claims….
I've had mine for 13 years and I've had most of the common reliability issues. However, it has never left stranded, unlike my BMW (Failed starter motor after 5 years / 29,000 miles) or my VW (Total battery failure after a stop/start in traffic on a single carriageway A Road....). The FL2 is a very versatile car but I am now eyeing up a Disco Sport as my 2010 FL2 is looking dated now.
We have three of them. The 2013 SD4 XS is the best to drive, and it has 193k on the clock. They all drive differently, and have cost a lot in new transmissions. That's because people do not use quality tyres with equal tread. Two we have had five years, latest this year at auction, sight unseen.
I've owned my 3.2 i6 HSE for 8 years now. The only negatives are running costs and high tax bracket -oh and my insurance has just shot up this year over 50%. As a "dyed in the wool" Land Rover owner, I've had this the longest out of the 30 + I've owned over the years. It's heavily modified and has only let me down once - and that was my fault due to me misdiagnosing a noise which actually turned out to be the aux belt tensioner on it's way out , which eventually seized and destroyed the itself, the belt and left me stranded at the side of the road on holiday ! It's lovely to drive. You don't feel tired after a 200 mile journey. It's more comfortable than my other Land Rovers including the Discos and Range Rovers I've had. It's great off road - not a proper 4x4 !!??? I've got in and out of places that would make my Defender blush ! It goes over wet fields that cause most vehicles - including other Land Rovers - to spin their wheels. It's easy to work on and at 140K I do all my servicing myself. It's passed every MOT since I've had it , with no advisories - because I look after it - even now with high miles. And if you look after the Freelander 2, it will look after you. There are plenty of lemons out there , but that's usually down to owners who've skimped on services or just turn up the volume to drown out any noises, instead of getting it fixed and pass it on to the next owner who does the same until it really does become uneconomical to fix. So, full service history or at least a good history and a check of the MOT on line is a minimum requirement before even contemplating buying one. My only worry is what I will replace mine with when the time comes.
Thanks for the insightful comment, great to read that you’ve enjoyed yours. Getting behind the wheel of this one made me realise they are under appreciated!
JLR made a big mistake by dropping the Freelander as the entry model. The disco sport is not as good to be in as a Freelander, lower seating, less glass and bulky styling. I like the old Skool looks of the Freelander and the seating is more Van like which I find on long trips to be very comfortable, the seat height gives you a good view ahead. I am on my 2nd Freelander 2, TD4 XS, I would have preferred an SD4, but my wife is constantly reminding me that I am not, "A Boy Racer", any more. Only 1 major cost issue has been the Haldex, that Bell Engineering sorted otherwise good as gold.
Mine is 10 years old now and I think JLR hit the sweet spot with the FL2. There are some lemons out there but most will have been ‘retired’ or fixed by now. It looks like a real 4x4 and has the underpinnings to back it up. Reliable Ford diesels and other FoMoCo ancillaries, 4 wheel drive system from Volvo, not burdened with useless ‘driver aids’ like modern cars, just all the kit to get you safely where you need to be in any weather. Don’t skimp on the maintenance (seek out an independent specialist) and you will have a great ownership experience.
Glad to hear you're enjoying yours! The owner of the one in this video did also mentioned that he thinks it came before JLR moved towards more "fashion" orientated vehicles.
Having a short time ago moved to a very rural area on the moors and needing to buy something more suitable than my much loved, totally dependable, luxury trimmed Jaguar, I was interested to hear these comments having only a few weeks ago purchased a 2014 FL2 with just short of 100k on the clock. Immediately took it in for a major service, Haldex stripped cleaned out etc, everything that could be serviced was. One issue currently being investigated.. low-frequency vibration noise when underload at 1800rpm, being investigated.. blown one turbo hose, currently in for repair. Other than that, I'm hoping that it lives up to its reputation for reliability.. I can forgive anything in either cars or people other than unreliability. I do wonder though at comments praising its comfort, one even quoting it as having 'mini' Range Rover luxury' .. I can only imagine that their other vehicle is a Fordson tractor.. Only the HSE model has anything approaching luxury.. Most FL2s don't even have an arm-rest ! That's considered by LR to be a luxury optional extra, it can't even be retro-fitted...even thiose that are fitted are skinney things offering very little support. Left arm has to just dangle there. :
This was fun little video, from slightly different angle than most UA-cam car videos. Thanks for making this! I've wanted to own a FL2 for a long time now, but sadly the boot space is a bit too snug for the current needs of my family... =( Disco 3/4s are a bit too pricey for me to run. I just traded my trusty old Nissan T31 X-Trail into KIA Sorento XM, and I'm beginning to hate the Sorento... While the T31 was so keen to go places I would have not dared to drive, this Sorento seems to break every time I drive to a decent condition gravel. If only the FL2 was about 15cm longer and by that had more boot space... ;-)
Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Would the addition of a roof box make the Freelander practical enough? I suppose that would be a bit of a faff to load/unload.
@@BleeCarswell Well, on the other hand, I suppose you could say needing to haul that much junk all the time is a bit of faff in the first place, LOL! Yes, I was also thinking about roof box, or roof tray and then a tow bar mounted bike rack. BTW, I just browsed the used car online classifieds in my country, and it was difficult to find a FL2 less than 250.000km on the clock... So I suppose the owners here like those cars too!
To be fair, much more reliable than the Ingenium-engined Discovery Sport that followed it! (But it’s still a Land Rover so compared to a Toyota Landcruiser it’s still a huge liability! 😂)
Have a 57 FL2 HSE for 15 years and never missed a beat; one of the most reliable vehicles I've ever had nearly as good as my MX5 and BMW 5 series - pity the Discover and RR are not as reliable!!! The only and major problem is the key with a sealed battery which does not last - Land Rover want over £200 pounds for a replacement WHY HAVE LR NOT PRODUCED A KEY FOB WITH A REPLACEABLE BATTERY? It is good off road as long as the going is not too tough (not as good as the Discovery 2 I had before but no rust). Throughly recommend the FL2.
we had a 1 & 2 the 1 was not a good car but the 2 seemed better screwed together and a better engine the diesel 1 was underpowered and went through clutches quickly, we replaced it with a Rav4 2.2 Dcat and although good it was useless in snow and ice, only issue I had with the 2 was the inner wheel arch liners liked to peel away from the bodywork allowing dirt and grit to get into the wings and arches which caused slow death rust, engine was reliable but servicing a bit pricey. I would have one again if I could find a low miler with a perfect service record. driving a2010 Landcruiser at the moment but age is starting to catch up with it and its getting a bit arthritic in the mornings.
"... owner reports that this car has cost him a few quid to keep on the road....". The cloven hoof of every Land Rover and Range Rover. My view is that if your paying **itloads of money for any vehicle, the least you have a right to expect is decent build quality, and reliability.
Hi Blee 👋 Our channel is pretty much dedicated to the Freelander 2 and Freelander2_litelander aka Michael is a good friend of ours and you will see in a good few videos of ours that his car features on various trips that we have been on. Our most popular short on our channel is of him tackling the Mud Run at Billing when he only had front wheel drive at the time. 😁 Really great video that you've put together. It's nice to see a video from someone that's actually done their own research and not just copied and pasted a lot of the "press jargon" that is quite often wrong or misleading. 😀 The only correction I could make to your video was when you mentioned about TD4 and eD4 and this is about to get a little Freelander 2 geekery 😅. The difference between TD4 and SD4 is, like you said, power. But that's only when it comes to what's written on paper. The SD4 got more power but also got more emission reducing features such as a DPF which kinda nulled the performance difference to the most part. The eD4 is actually a Freelander 2 with a TD4 engine in, but is front wheel drive only and was also Land Rovers very first dip into the waters of front wheel drive. We have plenty of other random facts in our videos called "5 Things You May Not Know About The Freelander 2" which you might find of interest. 😀 Lastly, there is the TD4e which is what Alana and I have. Most people get it confused with the eD4. The TD4e just has stop/start and other pollution lowering features in Land Rovers first ever bid to make urban driving a bit cleaner back in the days. 😅 Anyway, I'll stop boring you with useless facts now and let you continue with your day 😁. In case you do anything else to do with Freelander 2's then feel free to drop us a message. Freelander2_litelander is an absolute font of knowledge. The Muddy Freelander group is ace as you know. The Freelander 2 Off Road Group (FL2ORG) is also full of information too. 😀 - Scott
Hi Scott! Thank you for the comment, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Nothing wrong with a bit of geekery, I enjoy learning new things about anything with four wheels! Impressive to see Michael get through that obstacle with only front wheel drive :D
AGREED - The FL2 is the perfect alrounder - Because it's comfortable, affordable, extremely capable off-road and most important RELIABLE - Why can't Land Rover make all their cars as good as this one was?
@BleeCarswell I bought a CRV as a replacement, absolutely far superior, which I begrudgingly accepted as fact because I’m a huge fan of LR vehicles. I still can’t bring myself to get rid of the freelander tho. 😜👍🏻
I own a Free 2 2013 LS for 5 years 69'000 miles serviced every 8'000 miles. 1) Great Engine 2) Comfortable 3) Still looks good 4) Fuel Economy good, towing torque good, great music system. 5) Great Offroad or in Snow, Things I hate about the Freelamder 2 1) Steering far too light still cant get used to it terrible handling especially towing caravan. 3) Inter cooler pipe's made of Chocolate 3) Great on Motorway terrible on small twisty country roads goes round corners like a bouncy castle 4) Terrible sub-frames for rust get them treated or your freelander will be scrap early especially if you live in the Highlands or near the coast. 5) Suspension especially the rear is not the best. Toyota RAV 4 2.2 diesel same year or earlier models is the better car I own both.
These aren't popular in Australia because most people buy Toyota's and in Australia we say you can take a Land Rover into the outback but if you want to come back you take a Land Cruiser and in the outback the Toyota Hilux 4X4 and Toyata Land Cruiser rule and in a Toyota 150000 miles is nothing to brag about infact my 1997 Toyota Hilux has done 438000 kilometres and it's a rear wheel drive one but l have seen a 1997 Toyota Hilux with 980000 kilometres on it sell it was a registered and running and no problem selling it and no wonder these 1990s Toyota Hiluxes are described as the best vehicle ever in the world and l very happy to own one
@@BleeCarswell My Hilux will easily double that because l have seen a 1997 Toyota Hilux sell for aud $500 that had done 980000 kilometres and it was running and registered and no problem selling it
I looked at one three years ago and thought...Landrover....er, No! So I bought a Grand Scenic 3! It's a nice vehicle, but throws up electronic faults every 4 to 6 months...alll easly enough and cheap enough to fix, but bloody annoying, never the less! Do I regret not buying the LR..No! Do I regret buying the Renault! YES!
I bought my FL2 in Leeds in 2017 with 67K on the clock. It was 6 years old at the time. The body work was mint so forked out the £11k the dealer was asking. Moved to Spain that same year and the FL2 now has 151k miles on the clock. The bodywork is still immaculate when washed and polished. As a former company car owner you tend not to worry about services and maintenance. However this car has had my utmost respect with lots of proactive oil changes brake changes cam belt change and all associated stuff. It starts first time every time. Battery changed every 3 years. I’m hoping to keep her going for at least another 7 years when she will be 20 years old.🤞🤞
Thanks for sharing. Hopefully she has plenty of life in her yet!
Excellent way of looking after a car.
I've had Jags, Range Rovers and now a Land Cruiser simply because I needed a 7 seater.
I've always changed oil at 3,500 miles. Belts at 70,000. Batteries at 3 years and kept my eye on tyres, brakes, water and other fluids.
The Jag I did 100,000 miles in 3 years and what a car! Fantastic, LR3 and Range Rover Sport, bullet proof and the same with the Land Cruiser.
I lived in Taiwan so all cars including European cars had oil changes at 3,500 miles at the dealerships. I do that still in the UK.
Even the chief mechanic of Nissan GT-R division said that all cars should change their oil at 3,500 miles.
Oil is cheap, engines are not.
I sold my 2010 FL2 to a mate 4 years ago when I bought a 2014 one as I had done 120,000 miles in it. He complained to me recently because a rear wheel bearing had to be replaced but it was the first thing that has gone wrong with it now at 280,000 miles. It’s still in immaculate condition. Best Land Rover I have had, and I’ve had every model since 1978 until 2014
280,000 is really good going!
Your mate complained about a wheel bearing after owning the car for 4 years ?
Absolutely love my freelander 2, had it 4 years now and it's brilliant. As for things breaking, that happens to every car and like every car, it should be serviced properly. Oil & filter every 6 months, fuel filter every 2 years, haldex every 3 years, timing belt at 8or9 and don't forget the big 10 year service. All fluids front to back Including auto box fluid. Find a good independent LR garage and you'll be fine. Mine has cost around £4 k to repair and service over 4 years and its worth every penny. Its alot of car for the money and I'll keep it as long as I possibly can. Great video, nice to hear other sensible owners agreeing how good they are. 👏👍
I've got a 2010 HSE in Bali blue with the beige interior and I've had it from new. In the 14 years I've had my Freelander 2 it has never let me down, it's definitely the best and most reliable vehicle I've ever owned.
Glad to hear it. Thanks for watching 👌
I had one for 10 years and it was great. Towed a horse box with 1 horse fine. Have since upgraded to a 2.2 Discovery Sport and it is a big step up in refinement, technology, smooth driving, etc.
@@skylark-sd9ic thanks for sharing and I hope the Discovery Sport serves you just as well!
Owned one (Freelander 2 4TD HSE green with two tone interior) for 17 years. Never had any issue with it and loved the car. I had to sell it unfortunately due to changed emission regulations in the major cities in Belgium where I live (Brussels, Antwerp ..) which resulted in several fines at first and a tough decision to say my goodbyes. If not, I would still be driving it for many years to come.
That’s a shame 🫤
I bought a 62 plate HSE recently. It’s in lovely condition and has had a shed load of money spent on it. It’s my first Landrover and it looks amazing. It’s luxurious inside and very comfortable. I bought it to use a radio car on stage rallies and it is the ideal vehicle for that role. Actually it’s a bit too nice to be driving down a muddy rally stage but it’s more than capable. Every time I look at it , it makes me smile. Not many cars I’ve owned did that like this does
Glad you’re enjoying it. Being a radio car sounds like a cool life 👌
@@BleeCarswell it’s more a case of observing what’s going on in a rally stage and recording every car that passes my location on a check sheet. That’s used to cross reference if a car goes missing before the end of a stage then it helps trace where it was last seen. It might have broken down or had an accident. If it’s within sight of me when it’s happened then I call it in to rally control and wait for instructions what to do, or if I see a car has a problem like a misfire or driving slowly then I report it for other radio marshals to keep an eye on it’s progress until it hopefully reaches the end of the stage.
@@marksmith762 Oh interesting! Good job the Freelander has some comfy seats then
@@BleeCarswell true
I bought one few weeks ago. Very pleased with the vehicle even though the engine sounds a bit agricultural when you start it on cold. Its returning 36mpg which isn't bad for a car which is about as aerodynamic as a brick going sidewards. Pleasant to drive with all the luxuries.
My 2010 is 14 years old and still mint, no creaks, everything works...unbelieveable car.
I tipped passed the quarter million mile mark in mine a little while ago. There’s been a bit of work along the way, as you might expect. Its done all the usual tip runs, holidays crammed to the roof and a few field trips. Brilliant car.
My 2013 he’s lux has been great 127000 miles apart from door locks and a turbo hose , easy diy jobs , it’s just needed regular servicing , no intention of parting with it.
Got one.. Live in Spain. 2009 bodywork like new superb car.. Just about to replace rear door locks but no big deal. Change oil and filter often and don't forget haldex and it will go forever
Door locks, Intercooler hose, throttle body, 2 sets of tyres, Love it...have owned for 10 years, 113k miles, like any Land Rover it comes with a free bag of spanner's. Just done all the fluids, transfer box's, gearbox, serviced the haldex unit changed the engine top and bottom tie bars and all hoses now silicon. The car has never let me down, I've put 60k on her but with the age and mileage maintenance is king. She drives great, smooth gear change, responsive steering, yes the engine growls a bit, but it is a Peugeot don't forget and most components are Volvo or Ford which helps. The most versatile 4 x 4 by far. Owes me nothing. And scrubs up really well.....😊
I had a Freelander 1 with the BMW engine...had it for about 4 years did a good 65 to 70 k in it used to tow a horse trailer at least once a fortnight to Scotland and back..had to have a new clutch every year and clutch and flywheel every second year due to towing 2 tons 500 miles most weeks but other than that it was great..sold it and bought a pick up. Which I love but still wish I had my landy. Especially when it snows
It's a classic case of a company getting it right then dropping it in search of the luxury pound.
I’ve just picked up a 17 year old freelander 2 setd4 with only 59000 miles and full service history & love it 👍 so far no issues…. thank you for the vid… nicely done 🤛
Sounds great, I hope it serves you well. Thank you!
We love them in the Highlands...mine 140,000 HSE 2011. Great care for the area. Pretty robust and hanging on to it until it dies.
On second Freelander. First is still around an 07 plate and now has 300k on it. Have a facelift model now and all good with 90 k and 11 yrs old. Very reliable car. Only things are the rear tailgate lock that fails and door handle locks as mentioned . The passenger door lock failed this weekend!
300k is some going 😳 is that the 2.2 diesel?
Ex FL2 owner here. 2013 SD4 HSE.
It’s a brilliant all round vehicle. Competent at so many things. Easy to drive, plenty fast enough, decently spacious and exceedingly comfortable ride.
They’re a little old by now but if you can find one in good condition I highly recommend it.
Thanks for the comment! What did you replace the FL2 with?
@@BleeCarswell I ultimately settled for a Prius for the daily run and a Jeep Wrangler for the fun stuff 😉
Brilliant car. Never let me down.
The statement that the Freelander 2 is not a 'proper' 4x4 is complete rubbish! It's a very competent off-road vehicle, with good ground clearance, and protection underneath. I've driven mine in all manner of terrains, from the sand and stone beaches, green lanes, mud-laden forestry tracks, snow, and ice, and even got myself out of a deep muddy ditch with no problem. To describe the Freelander 2 as not a 'proper' 4x4 verges on the imbecilic.
My 2011 HSE SD4 has just ticked over to 215 000km. Bought it in 2019 with 156 000km on and havent had any major issues. Fitted 265/65/17 tyres, roof rack with a side awning and spotlights on the rack. Only major issues right now, haldex is leaking oil. And I might have to do rear wheel bearings. Love this car!
Glad to hear it!
I own a 2011 LR 2 HSE LUX in the US. Have owned it for 10 years. It has the Volvo sourced V6 and is a bulletproof power plant. It’s been a great vehicle that I just can’t part with!
I've never experienced the 6-cylinder version, but glad to hear you're loving it!
@@BleeCarswell the V6 is a thirsty but very reliable engine….was the only engine offered in the US from 2008-2012…Then we got the Evoque gas turbo engine until the end in 2015. I work for a JLR dealer in the US and process warranty claims. LR2 always had very few claims….
I've had mine for 13 years and I've had most of the common reliability issues. However, it has never left stranded, unlike my BMW (Failed starter motor after 5 years / 29,000 miles) or my VW (Total battery failure after a stop/start in traffic on a single carriageway A Road....). The FL2 is a very versatile car but I am now eyeing up a Disco Sport as my 2010 FL2 is looking dated now.
Thanks for the comment! I hope you find the good Disco Sport 🤞
@@BleeCarswellDon’t bother changing the Disco sport is nowhere near as reliable.
We have three of them. The 2013 SD4 XS is the best to drive, and it has 193k on the clock. They all drive differently, and have cost a lot in new transmissions. That's because people do not use quality tyres with equal tread. Two we have had five years, latest this year at auction, sight unseen.
I have Freelander i6 straight 6 petrol it’s now sixteen years old and never missed a beat, the best vehicle Land Rover has made.
Glad to hear it!
I've owned my 3.2 i6 HSE for 8 years now. The only negatives are running costs and high tax bracket -oh and my insurance has just shot up this year over 50%.
As a "dyed in the wool" Land Rover owner, I've had this the longest out of the 30 + I've owned over the years. It's heavily modified and has only let me down once - and that was my fault due to me misdiagnosing a noise which actually turned out to be the aux belt tensioner on it's way out , which eventually seized and destroyed the itself, the belt and left me stranded at the side of the road on holiday !
It's lovely to drive. You don't feel tired after a 200 mile journey. It's more comfortable than my other Land Rovers including the Discos and Range Rovers I've had.
It's great off road - not a proper 4x4 !!??? I've got in and out of places that would make my Defender blush ! It goes over wet fields that cause most vehicles - including other Land Rovers - to spin their wheels.
It's easy to work on and at 140K I do all my servicing myself. It's passed every MOT since I've had it , with no advisories - because I look after it - even now with high miles. And if you look after the Freelander 2, it will look after you. There are plenty of lemons out there , but that's usually down to owners who've skimped on services or just turn up the volume to drown out any noises, instead of getting it fixed and pass it on to the next owner who does the same until it really does become uneconomical to fix. So, full service history or at least a good history and a check of the MOT on line is a minimum requirement before even contemplating buying one.
My only worry is what I will replace mine with when the time comes.
Thanks for the insightful comment, great to read that you’ve enjoyed yours. Getting behind the wheel of this one made me realise they are under appreciated!
JLR made a big mistake by dropping the Freelander as the entry model. The disco sport is not as good to be in as a Freelander, lower seating, less glass and bulky styling. I like the old Skool looks of the Freelander and the seating is more Van like which I find on long trips to be very comfortable, the seat height gives you a good view ahead. I am on my 2nd Freelander 2, TD4 XS, I would have preferred an SD4, but my wife is constantly reminding me that I am not, "A Boy Racer", any more. Only 1 major cost issue has been the Haldex, that Bell Engineering sorted otherwise good as gold.
Mine is 10 years old now and I think JLR hit the sweet spot with the FL2. There are some lemons out there but most will have been ‘retired’ or fixed by now. It looks like a real 4x4 and has the underpinnings to back it up. Reliable Ford diesels and other FoMoCo ancillaries, 4 wheel drive system from Volvo, not burdened with useless ‘driver aids’ like modern cars, just all the kit to get you safely where you need to be in any weather. Don’t skimp on the maintenance (seek out an independent specialist) and you will have a great ownership experience.
Glad to hear you're enjoying yours! The owner of the one in this video did also mentioned that he thinks it came before JLR moved towards more "fashion" orientated vehicles.
Having a short time ago moved to a very rural area on the moors and needing to buy something more suitable than my much loved, totally dependable, luxury trimmed Jaguar, I was interested to hear these comments having only a few weeks ago purchased a 2014 FL2 with just short of 100k on the clock. Immediately took it in for a major service, Haldex stripped cleaned out etc, everything that could be serviced was. One issue currently being investigated.. low-frequency vibration noise when underload at 1800rpm, being investigated.. blown one turbo hose, currently in for repair. Other than that, I'm hoping that it lives up to its reputation for reliability.. I can forgive anything in either cars or people other than unreliability. I do wonder though at comments praising its comfort, one even quoting it as having 'mini' Range Rover luxury' .. I can only imagine that their other vehicle is a Fordson tractor.. Only the HSE model has anything approaching luxury.. Most FL2s don't even have an arm-rest ! That's considered by LR to be a luxury optional extra, it can't even be retro-fitted...even thiose that are fitted are skinney things offering very little support. Left arm has to just dangle there. :
This was fun little video, from slightly different angle than most UA-cam car videos. Thanks for making this!
I've wanted to own a FL2 for a long time now, but sadly the boot space is a bit too snug for the current needs of my family... =( Disco 3/4s are a bit too pricey for me to run. I just traded my trusty old Nissan T31 X-Trail into KIA Sorento XM, and I'm beginning to hate the Sorento... While the T31 was so keen to go places I would have not dared to drive, this Sorento seems to break every time I drive to a decent condition gravel. If only the FL2 was about 15cm longer and by that had more boot space... ;-)
Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Would the addition of a roof box make the Freelander practical enough? I suppose that would be a bit of a faff to load/unload.
@@BleeCarswell Well, on the other hand, I suppose you could say needing to haul that much junk all the time is a bit of faff in the first place, LOL! Yes, I was also thinking about roof box, or roof tray and then a tow bar mounted bike rack. BTW, I just browsed the used car online classifieds in my country, and it was difficult to find a FL2 less than 250.000km on the clock... So I suppose the owners here like those cars too!
To be fair, much more reliable than the Ingenium-engined Discovery Sport that followed it! (But it’s still a Land Rover so compared to a Toyota Landcruiser it’s still a huge liability! 😂)
Have a 57 FL2 HSE for 15 years and never missed a beat; one of the most reliable vehicles I've ever had nearly as good as my MX5 and BMW 5 series - pity the Discover and RR are not as reliable!!! The only and major problem is the key with a sealed battery which does not last - Land Rover want over £200 pounds for a replacement WHY HAVE LR NOT PRODUCED A KEY FOB WITH A REPLACEABLE BATTERY? It is good off road as long as the going is not too tough (not as good as the Discovery 2 I had before but no rust). Throughly recommend the FL2.
we had a 1 & 2 the 1 was not a good car but the 2 seemed better screwed together and a better engine the diesel 1 was underpowered and went through clutches quickly, we replaced it with a Rav4 2.2 Dcat and although good it was useless in snow and ice, only issue I had with the 2 was the inner wheel arch liners liked to peel away from the bodywork allowing dirt and grit to get into the wings and arches which caused slow death rust, engine was reliable but servicing a bit pricey. I would have one again if I could find a low miler with a perfect service record. driving a2010 Landcruiser at the moment but age is starting to catch up with it and its getting a bit arthritic in the mornings.
"... owner reports that this car has cost him a few quid to keep on the road....". The cloven hoof of every Land Rover and Range Rover. My view is that if your paying **itloads of money for any vehicle, the least you have a right to expect is decent build quality, and reliability.
Hi Blee 👋
Our channel is pretty much dedicated to the Freelander 2 and Freelander2_litelander aka Michael is a good friend of ours and you will see in a good few videos of ours that his car features on various trips that we have been on. Our most popular short on our channel is of him tackling the Mud Run at Billing when he only had front wheel drive at the time. 😁
Really great video that you've put together. It's nice to see a video from someone that's actually done their own research and not just copied and pasted a lot of the "press jargon" that is quite often wrong or misleading. 😀 The only correction I could make to your video was when you mentioned about TD4 and eD4 and this is about to get a little Freelander 2 geekery 😅. The difference between TD4 and SD4 is, like you said, power. But that's only when it comes to what's written on paper. The SD4 got more power but also got more emission reducing features such as a DPF which kinda nulled the performance difference to the most part.
The eD4 is actually a Freelander 2 with a TD4 engine in, but is front wheel drive only and was also Land Rovers very first dip into the waters of front wheel drive. We have plenty of other random facts in our videos called "5 Things You May Not Know About The Freelander 2" which you might find of interest. 😀 Lastly, there is the TD4e which is what Alana and I have. Most people get it confused with the eD4. The TD4e just has stop/start and other pollution lowering features in Land Rovers first ever bid to make urban driving a bit cleaner back in the days. 😅
Anyway, I'll stop boring you with useless facts now and let you continue with your day 😁. In case you do anything else to do with Freelander 2's then feel free to drop us a message. Freelander2_litelander is an absolute font of knowledge. The Muddy Freelander group is ace as you know. The Freelander 2 Off Road Group (FL2ORG) is also full of information too. 😀
- Scott
Hi Scott! Thank you for the comment, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Nothing wrong with a bit of geekery, I enjoy learning new things about anything with four wheels! Impressive to see Michael get through that obstacle with only front wheel drive :D
AGREED - The FL2 is the perfect alrounder - Because it's comfortable, affordable, extremely capable off-road and most important RELIABLE - Why can't Land Rover make all their cars as good as this one was?
They didn’t have much luck with some of their engines!
I’ve got a 59 plate that has a perfect body interior and engine, the subframe however, is goosed!
Uh oh 😬😬
@BleeCarswell
I bought a CRV as a replacement, absolutely far superior, which I begrudgingly accepted as fact because I’m a huge fan of LR vehicles. I still can’t bring myself to get rid of the freelander tho. 😜👍🏻
I own a Free 2 2013 LS for 5 years 69'000 miles serviced every 8'000 miles.
1) Great Engine
2) Comfortable
3) Still looks good
4) Fuel Economy good, towing torque good, great music system.
5) Great Offroad or in Snow,
Things I hate about the Freelamder 2
1) Steering far too light still cant get used to it terrible handling especially towing caravan.
3) Inter cooler pipe's made of Chocolate
3) Great on Motorway terrible on small twisty country roads goes round corners like a bouncy castle
4) Terrible sub-frames for rust get them treated or your freelander will be scrap early especially if you live in the Highlands or near the coast.
5) Suspension especially the rear is not the best.
Toyota RAV 4 2.2 diesel same year or earlier models is the better car I own both.
Very informative comment, thank you 🙏
great video mate. FL2 has the Alpha Factor and I love it despite its failings; I've had better cars that drive worse!
Cheers Ad!
Had one for a year in 2013. That was long enough to know never again.
Not good. What went wrong with it?
These aren't popular in Australia because most people buy Toyota's and in Australia we say you can take a Land Rover into the outback but if you want to come back you take a Land Cruiser and in the outback the Toyota Hilux 4X4 and Toyata Land Cruiser rule and in a Toyota 150000 miles is nothing to brag about infact my 1997 Toyota Hilux has done 438000 kilometres and it's a rear wheel drive one but l have seen a 1997 Toyota Hilux with 980000 kilometres on it sell it was a registered and running and no problem selling it and no wonder these 1990s Toyota Hiluxes are described as the best vehicle ever in the world and l very happy to own one
That’s a lot of kilometres! 😳
@@BleeCarswell My Hilux will easily double that because l have seen a 1997 Toyota Hilux sell for aud $500 that had done 980000 kilometres and it was running and registered and no problem selling it
Stopped watching at ''most reliable''
I had one for 12 months and it spent 3 of those at the mechanic. worst pos car I've ever had lol
Oh dear 😅 What was wrong with it?
@@BleeCarswell probably a split hose 😂😂😂😂
Ps only peeps of retirement age will know ! Save yourself many many bad days, avoid at all costs 😂
I looked at one three years ago and thought...Landrover....er, No! So I bought a Grand Scenic 3! It's a nice vehicle, but throws up electronic faults every 4 to 6 months...alll easly enough and cheap enough to fix, but bloody annoying, never the less! Do I regret not buying the LR..No! Do I regret buying the Renault! YES!
That does sound annoying! Grand Scenic is quite a different car to the Freelander, I assume you needed the space?
Maybe the owners have a poor home life and enjoy being stuck away from home….
Breakdowns maybe more fun than home life
I’m in Harrogate if ur interested
Thank you! That is quite the drive for me, but I’ll let you know if I’m ever heading up that way
@@BleeCarswell where are you?
@@keithvers569 I'm Birmingham Area
@@BleeCarswell ah ok
They’re shite! I should know I made my living fixing the maestro on big wheels too 😂
These are crap, never trust folks that tell you otherwise.
Hahaha shit boxes 😂