Faults:

This week the IRD failed at 60,000 kms. Landrover are arguing its out of warranty. Seems unreasonable. Transmission noise has been awful since day 1. Also when selecting reverse gear will jump out of reverse as you start to pull away.

Sun roof failed at 3.5 years.

General Comments:

I'd be grateful to know how long an IRD should last and what symptoms indicate it is failing.

Faults:

Very little has gone wrong.

There was an incident where the Fuel Cutoff switch would engage for no reason

Reverse gear is a pain to find.

CD player will turn the volume up for no reason.

General Comments:

The car is comfortable to drive.

Expensive to service and keep on the road (Insurance particularly).

Not a bad car, but I do not think I would buy another purely because of the ownership costs.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

A great 'soft-roader' - practical, well-designed and good-looking. I looked at the competition, but they all seemed bland and ugly. None of the Japanese small 4x4's have any kind of style or authenticity. They are just boring boxes.

The Freelander is anything but. It looks great and it is very good to drive. It handles well on road and drives very much like a regular car, so it is ideal for anyone who is not confident driving a lumbering full-size 4x4.

At the same time it is big enough for 5 adults to travel in and thanks to the high rear seats everyone gets a good view! It's also very economical, and is cheap to service with its 4 cylinder engine. It is no fire-breather in the performance stakes, but if you want a fast car, you shouldn't be buying a 4x4 in the first place.