2002 Land Rover Freelander from UK and Ireland - Comments

Rattling noises.

Arrogant Dealer.

Short seat base.

I didn't buy a Landrover Freelander, I just made a test-drive in it with a sales person from the Landrover dealership in Inverness next to me (they probably didn't trust me).

As I heard a lot of rattling noises coming from the cheap plastic 1980's dashboard, I asked the sales person what that was and he looked at me and asked "what rattling noise".

As the noise was so loud I assumed he had a hearing problem.

I told him, if I would buy the car, I would return to the dealership if it will develop such a rattling noise, so they can fix it.

His reply was that this was not possible (???).

Then I waited for a quote for my old car for 4 weeks and after I called them I was told that they weren't interested in my car so they just didn't call back.

I bought a Jeep Cherokee (Liberty) instead, the Jeep dealer was very friendly, gave me a very good price for my car and the Cherokee is better built, better looking and bigger than the Freelander and most important: no rattling noises.

Let's be fair & honest about it, the reason why you bought a Jeep Liberty instead of Land Rover was because Jeep offered you a bigger discount. Also, they told you something you like to hear, for example they gave you more money on your trade-in at your expenses of not giving you a decent discount on the new car. Remember, 1 + 1 always equals 2.

Personally I would rather deal with a Sales person who told me everything up-front & realistic (though I may not like to hear), rather than sweet talking me and only tell customers what they'd like to hear.

There is no comparison between the two trucks. It's just like you want to buy Hugo Boss suit for the price of a suit at J.C. Penny, which isn't going to happen.

Remember, you could only "buy wrong" but the dealer never "sell wrong".

Good luck in your Jeep Liberty. By the way I used to own a Jeep Grand Cherokee, I only had it for 34 month, I hated it and I got rid of it. Quality was bad, a lot of rattling noises, a lot of cheap plastics, more than the Land Rover. I swore that was my first Jeep and also my last Jeep.

Regards,

Edmund

I bought a Brand new Freelander XEDI 3Door.

Best car I ever owned < apart from my TD5 Dicovery I own now>

I have sat in Jeeps <Cheaps> the new ones and the interia is certainly NO better than the Freelander.

The rattle was probably the diesel engine!

Jeep have even more waves of that plastic stuff than a Freelander. Espacially the new interia'a I feel that you have got a bee in your bonnet for some reason and are hiding one or two facts.

Land Rovers have far more prestegie on the road than Jeep.

If I were you i'd ask the dealer how much you will get for it now. I bet you find it's lost more cash than a Landy.

Trade it in and get a proper 4x4 from another LR dealer there is more than one.

Oh well enjoy...

I disagree with both of you, you have not read the reviews about the Freelander on this web-site, did you?

The best about the Freelander is the engine, and that comes from BMW, sorry, but the badge you all are so keen on is quite fake.

You Landrover people always get so hostile when somebody is critical.

Maybe it is because you know they are right, maybe you just don't want to hear it.

Fact is that there are a lot of very good alternatives some better priced, some more expensive.

Another fact is that the Landrover badge you all are so proud of does not carry much further than the UK borders, on the Continent en in the States Landrover is nothing special, just another 4X4 only with a poor reliability record.

Ever wondered why the Australians all drive Japanese 4X4's in the Outback?

Ever wondered why you will never see a Freelander on the Rubicon Trail?

Freelander, the best Four X Four X Fake.

Nice car, but to be honest it feels better at home in suburbia with a hairdresser at the wheel.

Reading the comments above I must say that not only Landrover dealers are arrogant, the owners are even worse.

They didn't even took the time to read the story before they started shouting and patronising.

As I am in the market for a new 4x4 I will not buy a Landrover because I do not want to be associated with these kind of people.

The Landrover Freelander came out worst in the reliability survey done by Auto Express.

From 100 cars it came at the bottom of the list together with the old Mini.

So where is your badge now? You will probably buy a Dell Boy Special if it had a Landrover Badge on it.

Picked up my new Freelander 4PM Monday 7/22/02. 10AM Tuesday 7/23/02 the battery was dead. Was replaced by the dealer with the excuse that it had been "on the boat" too long (I am in the US).

The next morning, after putting my car into reverse, in order to back out of my garage, the car lunged backward, approximately 7-10 feet, without my foot on the gas. I foolishly let it go. The next day, it did the same thing, only jerking so much that the seat belts locked. It also down-shifted so roughly while going down a hill that you could get whiplash. I brought it back to the dealer, who looked at me as if I were crazy. The next day, they said that their computer said nothing was wrong. I made them keep the car since they promised a specialist from the UK would be here soon. Guess what? My loaner today jerked out of the garage the same way.

Anyone else out there with Freelander transmission problems?

When your Freelander lunged back in reverse, what RPM was the engine running at? My Freelander lunges back when put in reverse only right after the engine is cold started, running at about 1500 RPM.

I've had my Freelander for four months now with no problems. I almost bought a Jeep Liberty, but chose the Freelander because of the better ride on highways. Both are great SUVs. I think the Liberty is more capable off-road with more clearance and larger depart and approach angles, but since my Freelander will be on the highway 90% of the time, I don't really care. The only 4x4 use will be when going up Tahoe on fresh snow in the winter, and occasional off-road outings.

I will be taking my Freelander off road for the first time at Hollister Hills in a few weeks for a Land Rover sponsored event. Probably won't do anything extreme, but we'll see how well it does.

Now go to the Vauxhall Frontera comments on this website for lots of satisfied customers. A far more purposeful (and cheaper to buy) 4x4. The 5 door Suzuki Vitara and Gran Vitara is also a quite superbly reliable vehicle and a 'real' 4x4. The GV 2000 will tow a caravan with ease and like the Frontera has a proper high/low ratio box.

Now 14000 miles later. still no problems with my Jeep and still no rattles even if I do some off-roading now and then.

The only problem I encounter is that the Jeep dealer and Jeep UK don't seem to know what the definition of the words customer and service is.

I'm lucky so far that my Cherokee is great because I would be in a lot of trouble if things go wrong.

Some people waste their time trashing other vehicles just because they want to feel better about the one they already have. Well, they are all good with what they each offer. I own a 2002 Freelander HSE and a 1998 Cherokee, Before the Freelander I used to Own a Mercedes C240. I bought the Freelander because it is like having two cars at once. It drives, feels and has luxuries similar to the Mercedes and it goes almost as deep in the rough as the Cherokee. So if you ask me, the Freelander is the best small SUV out there. Now if you want to go really rough and do not mind the shaking on or off road the Cherokee is also a good vehicle for the price. There is no luxury, there only function, the seats are OK and the handling; also for towing is good. Still I would try the Freelander any day against any other off-road out there even the H2. why? Because I'm happy with it and I like it. It's the best looking SUV out there and it has lots of really cool accessories that you can put on. So if you are happy with yours (whatever brand you have) that's great too lets go off-roading maybe I'll tow you out from somewhere or vice versa. Its all good.

RE;comments about landies (afte a 14 year gap)

With regards to people not hearing bad about Land Rover's.

I drive a 1981 left hand drive diesel lightweight. It's slow, noisy, wet, cold, heavy on the steering, poor fuel consumption and all the other things people complain about!. It's TRUE so there you go. But I love it!! and I think that's why we drive them apart from the fact that they appear all over the world and I read the other day that 70% of all Land Rover's built are still in use one way or the other (may it was on the TV I forget now. That's a claim I don't think any other manufacturer could claim. Any way I like Jeep's, but couldn't afford one hehehe, but for me "The Old Girl" rocks and me think so to

good luck

Paul.

After test driving 5 Liberty and 5 Freelanders I am still undecided...

I need a mostly highway and suburban car that will handle New York City and vicinity during slush, snow, rain, traffic and crazy drivers.

The Freelander the trans seemed like heaven, BMW seems to make it right. I will not comment on horsepower because I was happy with the way the Freelander behaved going on the highway. After reading some of the comments here, specially about it lunging in reverse off the driveway, I am scared. I have children and backing up has to be safe. Another aspect that has me reluctant is the safety standards for frontal and side crash results. The Euroncap (www.euroncap.com/results.htm) data showed serious chest injury and probably loss of both feet in a frontal impact and serious injury at the femur and chest in side impact. In both cases, the bar at the door kinked, the structure became unstable and the column moved into the vehicle significantly. When I pushed lightly my hand against the door of the Freelander, the steel readily popped in and back out. (The door, mind you, not the bumper or the tire guard).

However, the Liberty doesn't do much better. Although the steel shell of the Liberty is much higher grade and the crash results for front and side impacts did not invade foot well and occupant space, somehow repeatedly the head of the driver would fly out the side window of the car in the front crash! (see NHTSA results, please). If I get this car, I will order side curtain airbags.

For comfort nothing beats the Freelander in comparison to the Liberty. Liberty seats are short at the bottom. I am 5 foot 2 inches, one meter and 60 something centimeters, and the seat ended at the middle of my thigh, leaving my legs hanging -- in long trips this would be torture. Making it worse (as if it were impossible) the driver's seat on the Liberty is way too high for the short statured driver the car demands. The seat only moves forward and backward, and to have a truly adjustable seat you have to get the luxury model. Trans on the Liberty is not bad, but it isn't great, slip transfer is only front to back, even with "select track option." When in 4x4 and with the wheel turned to the max in any direction, you can feel the gears slip and the car jerks throughout the U turn as if it were in a seizure. The reverse of the same maneuver produces same results with added sound effects.

So, please help me out here...

I like the comfort of the Freelander's seats, I also like the BMW transmission (don't know why the lunging happened), do not like the unsafe aspects about the car, do not like the retro interior because I can't see it -- dash instruments are hard to read, even if there were nothing in front of them.

I like the design of the Liberty's interior, but it would be nice to have somewhere to sit comfortably.

So, I want to click that "build your own" and check: bmw transmission, Freelander seats, Liberty dash design and motor (a little horsepower for the gas thirst?)... and please, a little more customer support from both companies. All I got was a lot of promises, car loaners, shuttling, etc... but nothing about replacing a vehicle that turns out with a serious powertrain problem.

Thank you and please advise!!!

Dear Undecided...

I had a terrible experience with my 99 Freelander 2.0 Diesel. I got it brand new, I was so excited, I mean... the car is a beauty. But mechanical problems started adding up at three months of ownership (in total US$4,800 in repairs in 4 years, including a new cylinder head). Also resale value was not what I expected at all. It cost me 26.4K and sold it 4 years later for only 10.5K.

The car has killer looks and the interiors are pretty fun and all, but seriously... I would advice you to stay away from a Freelander.

I don't know much about the Jeep Liberty, but let me tell you, warranty is something I have learned to look at when buying a car (especially after my LAND ROVER Experience) and I would advise you to compare the warranties of any car you are considering. In the case of Freelander 2 years were not enough... at least for me.

Hope this helps,

Best regards!

PB.