2000 Land Rover Freelander XEI review from UK and Ireland

Only thing that has gone wrong was a leak above the tailgate - fixed by me with a bit of mastic!

I chose to ignore all advice to the contrary and bought my Freelander a year ago. I have to say that so far (touch wood) it has been an excellent vehicle to own.

I have had one problem, being a leak from above the tailgate. There is a piece of plastic above the tailgate which is held on by a plate behind it. The plate is held on by five bolts, one or some of which were letting in water. A bit of mastic around the bolts and washers solved the problem.

Apart from that I love this car. As it does not have the huge centre console of the Discovery and Defender there is a good amount of space; rather than the cramped right arm that the drivers of these vehicles suffer with. This is also true for passengers, being a rugby player I’ve got some rather large friends and I can easily fit four of them in with me.

There’s loads of room in the boot for my dog (a German Shepherd, Rotwieler cross) or an even larger load with the seats forward.

With the petrol engine it’s a bit of a drinker (25mpg) but its also fairly quick, all things considered. It handles well without a great amount of body roll and despite what some say, will cope with off road use (as long as its not the Rockies).

I love this car and will buy another Land Rover (hopefully a Range Rover) when it’s time to say goodbye.