In the US, we are waiting for our first Land Rover Freelanders to arrive. We’ve had demo cars, but the first ones available for purchase are on their way, and I have some questions and/or concerns.
First- we bought ours during the IPO this summer, I believe ours will be #30 here. We have NEVER bought a car without seeing it, let alone a first model year (in the US). But since they have been in production in Europe, Japan, Australia & NZ for several years, we thought it would be safe. Now the car has left the production facility in Solihull, England and is on it’s way to port to be shipped here.
But I have some questions.
Safety- it is a lot smaller than a Discovery. Has anyone found this to be a problem with stability, traction, etc? How many adults REALLY fit into yours? The main safety concern arises from the fact that our Discovery was just involved in a major accident, which we walked away from without a scratch and were very impressed.
Price- looking back, would you have chosen something else to get more bang for your buck? It seems we will be paying Land Rover prices for a lesser vehicle.
Luxury- granted, it’s not a luxury car, but Land Rover does have a certain reputation. It looks like they are going cheap on the US model- cloth where there could be leather, very simple interior, smaller engine. Is this a Ford influence?
Any input from Freelander drivers or owners would be a great help! We are expecting it for Christmas (if we decide to go for it).
I just wanted to say, as a fellow Land Rover owner, that takes a lot of moxie. I don’t think I sould buy a car that I couldn’t touch first. I wish you the very best, we British auto owners have to stick together.
August, proud owner of a '95 Disco with a blown front diff.(replacing it this weekend, wish me luck)
I have no idea what a Freelander is like to drive as the only thing I ever drove was a bumper car when I was eight…but my boyfriend who is Obsessed By Landrovers says they are not proper 4x4s whatever that means!
He calls them Freeloaders and he makes comedy spitting mimes whenever he sees one. Or is that BMWs? I can’t remember. It seems to be compulsory for drivers of LR products to hate BMW for some reason…
So I can’t help with the Freelander question myself, I think they can’t be as bad as all that…Oh they are selling model Freelanders in my local Post Office for some reason. Like you do.
(I love landrovers! I’m gonna get one when I finally learn to drive! yaay!)
I believe Land Rover has always had problems with reliablity. I read somewhere that they have the most average amount of defects per car of any company in the world. Most magazines rank them lowly, also. They do look neat, though.
Thanks for the input. We have been surfing some websites as well, but of course we can only get info on foreign Freelanders, and the US models have been pretty much redone. So we might have the same problems, or get totally new ones!
But anyway, the point is now moot. After our could-have-been-hideous car accident last week, we decided against the smaller, lighter Freelander and picked out another Discovery, a 2002 Series II, last night! Oh my God, what a beautiful car! And we have had no problems with our current Disco II, so we aren’t worried. Safety is our primary concern, and Land Rovers have it in spades.
We are picking up the new car after lunch today, and I just can’t wait! I really love these cars, and can’t imagine driving my kids around in anything else.
So much for having the 30th Freelander in the US! That’s ok, it was a fun thing to (almost) do!