Land Rover Freelander Review

Land Rover Freelander

The diesel 2.2-litre TD4 turbodiesel offers a lot of low down torque which is great both in town and importantly off road, especially when you are trying to cross rutted tracks or climbing muddy inclines where you need immediate power. We wouldn’t call it particularly quick but it manages perfectly well both around town and out in the country.

Fuel consumption rarely got above the 30 mpg mark, which isn’t great for a compact diesel 4x4 but bearing in mind the weight of the Freelander 2 it was to be expected.

Handling is now more “car like” with little body roll, even through the most demanding of bends, the Freelander 2 remains quite composed and predictable. Of course it isn’t going to keep up with the myriad of hot hatchbacks but it is near to the best in class - we prefer the BMW X3.  

The ride can be a little fidgety and boarders on the firm side but really we do not have any criticism and found the Freelander quite compliant even on the worst Devon roads.

The driving position is very good, with improved all round vision offering a commanding view of the road ahead. From the XS specification up, there are front and rear parking sensors. Rear vision is helped by the spare wheel being removed from the tailgate and being placed under the boot floor.

The Freelander 2 is 50 mm longer than its predecessor which has lead to an improvement in head, shoulder and legroom. Rear seat passengers sit slightly higher than those in the front so that they  get a good view of the road ahead, but rear legroom is not as generous as some of its competitors.

The HSE’s driver’s seat is electrically adjustable with three memory stores (memorises seat and external mirror positions) and the front passenger seat is also electronically adjustable. It very easy to obtain a comfortable driving position, thoughtfully the steering column can be adjusted for reach and rake. Some might consider the steering a little on the light side but we found it well weighted and with 2.6 turns lock-to-lock it did not detract from our enjoyment.  The two stage heated leather front seats were a welcome addition on the cold winter days we tested the Freelander.

There are Isofix child seat mountings on the outside two rear seats, with top tether points. Our Bebe Confort Isofix child seat fitted in very well and felt very secure.  The HSE Freelander feels light and airy with its twin sunroofs and easy to use dual climate control air conditioning. Adding to the luxuries are all round one touch up and down electric windows, power fold in mirrors, auto on headlights and rain sensitive windscreen wipers. We liked the one touch indicators that give three flashes, which are helpful  on motorway journeys.

According to Land Rover there has been a 38 per cent increase in boot space over the outgoing model, with the rear seats up - 755 litres vs. 546 litres, although the level to window height is quite shallow and the boot lip is high. The rear split tailgate has now been replaced by a hatchback and the spare wheel moved to under the boot floor.  The electric rear boot door window is no longer, so your dog may need to be consulted before purchasing.

All Freelander's feature keyless start and stop via a button mounted on the dashboard, which strikes me as a bit of gimmick as you still have to put the key into the dashboard - it would be nice to dispense with the key all together as some manufacturers have done.

Land Rover Freelander