Landrover Freelander 2 S 2.2 TD
Parkers summary:
Freelander is Land Rover's 'lifestyle' range in the RAV-4 and CR-V marketplace. It offers more than the competition, with a choice of three body styles, good off-road ability and lots of optional goodies. Early models suffered from variable build quality and patchy reliability. It's nice to drive for a 4x4 (especailly the latest Td4 and V6 models) and it’s a definite style statemnet thanks to the heritage of the long-running Land Rover marque.
Excellent balance of road manners and off-road ability; fashionable and sought after; five-door Station Wagon is the family choice; Softback is more macho.
Ford-owned and BMW-engineered, the revised Freelander has had an odd parentage. Current models feel better built and engineered than their predecessors; older Freelanders have a reputation for reliability problems.
Stable, well-controlled ride; Freelander is quite nimble and car-like to drive; both the V6 and Td4 are very smooth and refined.
Excellent balance of road manners and off-road ability; fashionable and sought after; five-door Station Wagon is the family choice; Softback is more macho.
Some of the switchgear is very poorly placed and of variable quality; the driving position feels compromised for taller drivers; the front seats feel short of both height and length; five-door estate models have the most rear legroom.
Driver's airbag standard on all models; passenger airbag on XS, GS and ES models; ABS was an expensive option on cheaper models at launch but is now standard across the range.
Alarm and immobiliser are standard; no reports yet regarding their effectiveness, but it may be worth increasing protection for town use.
