Thoughts on Land Rover- Freelander...

[hemufx]

Hi guys,

What are your thoughts about Freelander...Cost, Maintenance & repairs and overall reliability?

If someone here owns a Freelander, it will be a great feedback. Autodealer is a great website keep posting.

Thank you all...


hemufx.

[root]

Hmmm...the way I see it, Freelander is a Land Rover for those who cant really afford the real one. The vehicle to me seems a bit underpowered. I tried the 2.5 liter 6 cyl one...I dont know if there is a larger model or not. Body wise its a bit smaller than you would expect.

Well, from what I hear the car is not without problems. The major complaints I've heard are around electrical issues and they can be hard to diagnose and fix, even by the agency. Also, problems with the radio are common. In general workmanship and quality issues are a problem. If you buy a new one you can ofcourse get all this fixed under warranty, but i would be wary about once your warranty expires. Also, unless you get a car in exchange, a warranty still costs you when you need to rent a car.

Maintenance cost...high, as you will almost always need to take it to the agency if you want it done right. The electrics are not easy for the guys outside to fix.

I dont own one (or would want to own one) and have a general bias against Land Rovers, so dont take all my words at face value.

If you are buying a new one, I would suggest that you take one for a serious test run. On the way back go by their repair garage and have a casual chat with a few of the mechanics.

If you are buying a used one, I would definitely recommend taking it to the agency repair mechanics and get them to look at it. Ask them about common problems. 15 minutes with the mechanics here can save you from 5 hours in the dust in mid-july waiting for a recovery vehicle.

Resale value...well, I suggest you do your research on autodealer.ae and see what second hand ones cost.

Again...I am biased here, so please prove me wrong. I would love to hear from an owner as well, who can tell that I am talking total BS.

[hemufx]

Thank you root for sharing your opinion about Freelander...

Yes I did some more research and found out that Freelander does have high maintenance cost and moreover it's hard to re-sell. I was searching on Google and came across this website: www.freelanderheadgasket.co.uk/ , I don't know if the same problem is with the Freelander being sold in gulf countries.

However, i have changed my mind and now I’m looking for pajero iO 5 door, 2001-2002 model, what do you think of it?

Cheers!

Hemu.

[root]

Pajero IO does not have great resale value.
Whats your budget, and are you looking for brand new or second hand?
Then I can suggest what I would do.

[hemufx]

Hi root,

I'm looking for a 4x4 for AED 40K. Second hand.

Well i went to this reputed pre-owned car dealer and they have this Pajero iO 2002, 2.0, Full options, 64,000 KMS with One year Warranty or 25,000 KMS whichever comes first. The price is AED38,000.

What do you think of this offer, secondly if i decide to buy this what do you think i should check? I am going for a test drive on Sunday 7th May.

Thank you, Hemu.[/img]

[root]

For 38k I guess theres not much more you will get these days.

My suggestion is that you take it to a mechanic for Mitsubishi just to get it checked that its not accidented, engine is fine. Go to some garage and pre-arrange a check-up...it will cost you like 50-100 dirhams but is worth it.

You might be able to find a Toyota RAV4 or Nissan X-Trail for a similar price. I would suggest checking them out as well.

[Craig]

Hey guys,

Sorry this reply is very late, but have just joined the site...

I have just sold my Freelander, 2001 model which I bought new. I have to say it was a great car. Not the sporty convertibles that I used to drive in the UK, admittedly, but practical and cheap to run (not what everyone wants!!). I never had a thing go wrong with it, the only downside would be that servicing is a bit more expensive than other brands and their service standards at the dealer left something to be desired. Oh and there's no individual a/c control in the rear.

Great value for money though... I've now got a Ford Expedition as the family is expanding, but would recommend the Freelander amongst that range of cars.