Freelander 2 Buy
Land Rover Freelander 2 for those loving the rugged looks of the Discovery and Range Rover Sport will find lots to like in the Freelander. It’s immediately identifiable as the baby Land Rover, but styling cues like its twin-unit headlights, bulbous snout and huge vents on the wings move things along nicely.
The Freelander scored a full five stars for adult occupant protection in the EuroNCAP crash tests, and four stars for child protection. All models feature seven airbags as standard – driver, passenger, front side, side curtain and driver’s knee. It also has an intelligent four wheel drive system which pumps 10 per cent of the power to the rear wheels in normal driving conditions, but can transfer almost all power to the rear if the going gets tough. All models bar the entry level Freelander have Land Rover’s Terrain Response system which optimises traction depending on the road conditions.
The door handles of the Land Rover Freelander 2 are pleasantly bulky and feel robust.
Like the exterior, the cabin owes plenty to the Land Rover Freelander’s bigger brothers. The interior feels very high quality and chunky – particularly the door pillars and steering wheel. The centre console is festooned with buttons to control the audio, telephone, sat-nav and heating systems. But despite looking chaotic, all the controls were surprisingly easy to locate. Aft of these controls is a dial to select the Terrain Response system modes, which adjusts how the power is transferred to the wheels depending on the road surface.
Does the Land Rover Freelander 2 have electrically-operated seats were supremely comfortable, and there was more than enough leg, shoulder and head room for front occupants. However, rear space was slightly disappointing for such a big vehicle. Boot space is plentiful, but at 755 litres, less than some of its rivals. This has much to do with the raised boot floor which covers the spare wheel underneath – without it, space could be increased by another 200-odd litres. And unlike some soft-roaders, the Freelander is carpeted throughout – pleasant for a run to the shops, but a nightmare for muddy boots.
On the road the Freelander feels as composed as some saloon cars. It soaks up lumps and bumps with ease and bodyroll – often the Achilles heel of SUVs – is minimal. The steering is precise for an off-roader, but has a tendency to become slightly vague at speed. This became particularly disconcerting on fast motorway bends, where the front of the car felt as though it was beginning to push wide into understeer.
The 2.2-litre turbo diesel fitted in our test car has a remarkable turn of speed, particularly through the gears. It can reach 62mph from rest in 10.2 seconds, before hitting 112mph. That’s thanks to a hefty 295lb/ft of pulling muscle rather than its 158bhp. The engine feels refined, even at higher speeds, and there’s just enough power available at low engine speeds to make the Freelander a nippy machine around town.
At more than £30,000, our Freelander didn’t come cheap. The range starts at just over £20k, which is on par with a well specced Nissan X-Trail; indeed a middle-of-the-range Freelander is around the same price as an entry-level Discovery. But few other rivals can compete with the Land Rover’s image.