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Comments
Ever look at 4x4 magazines? They must all put it there for SOME reason, right?
(ease of access, out of the way, more cargo room)
Plus, it is one more thing between you and the driver behind you...
Also, I think it'll be the only one here that manages both axles.
Questions is, is that enough? Probably, given the low volumes and the cachet of the name.
I like the Defenders with the spare on the roof. Now that looks cool.
-juice
-juice
Bob
I'm sorry if this upsets you Tincup.
Odie
-Frank P.
The Freelander looks about as unique as you get in this segment, without getting too frisky like the Santa Fe.
Also, it does not share a platform or engine with the Escape. That's not necessarily a good thing, since it won't match the 200hp in the Escape, but they surely do not share parts like the Aztec and Rendezvous do (GM minivan platform, engine the same).
Heck, even the Pontiac Montana has more in common with the Buick Rendezvous.
About all the Escape and Freelander have in common is their basic two-box shape, but you could say that about all SUVs.
Also, the Cavalier and Saturn do not share a platform or any engines. The Sunfire is the Cavalier's twin. I've rented a Cavalier, and it feels substantially different than a Saturn.
Again, they share a basic sedan shape, that's all.
-juice
here's a pic of my Escape taken at the same angle as the 1st pic of the Freelander. Just for you to compare.
Odie
P.S. - IMO it still looks like an Escape to me.
Tincup's right, in that they share no parts—and he's in a position to know, since he works for Land Rover.
Bob
Check out the windows towards the rear. They sweep up like the Discovery, giving it a taller stance. The front hood is also very unique looking. The Escape is far more plain looking (still handsome, mind you).
A key difference is it has permanent AWD with a viscous coupling, like that in the Santa Fe, RAV4, and Subarus with manual trannies. Ford uses a completely different system that doesn't even have a center diffy.
Also, the Ford has a hatch that lifts up, while the Freelander will get a swing open door. That makes more of a difference than it seems, because the structure has to be beefed up in the areas where the hinges lie.
So, different chassis, engine, drivetrain, tranny, and (to my eyes) styling.
-juice
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/driving/articles/46997/article.html
Now THAT is off-roading! Woo-hoo!
Also, someone asked about Forester vs. Impreza production. Originally, they were to build 10,000 WRXs, but that changed almost immediately to 12,000 due to pre-orders, and now it's up to 15,000. So those 5,000 come at the expense of Forester production, since they're made side-by-side in Gunma, Japan.
So expect about 10% less supply of Foresters this year. Demand is still good - no rebates.
-juice
Why even consider a spare mounted in the "cargo" compartment?
As far as gate-mounted spares go, it's about time American car makers realize that we park with the passenger side adjacent to the curb. Why did it take so long to have the gate swing toward the driver's side?
American owners of Freelander, don't you find this a big inconvenience to have the gate swing the "wrong way"? What was Land Rover thinking when designing a car sold in America?
Land Rover Discovery owners have been dealing with the same issue since 94, and there are very few complaints lodged with LRNA (oops)I mean AMJLRNA about this.
"...after owning this vehicle for 11 days, my husband was hit on the passenger side by a large van traveling approximately 45mph. The car sustained the impact, rolled and remained upside down. My husband walked away with only scratches and a stiff neck. I am very pleased with the safety performance of this vehicle. We are ordering a new 2002!!..."
The spare inside and under cover is the best for both safety and convenience. They don't have to occupy cargo space as they did on the Cherokee - just look at a Forester. They even make use of the wheel cavity to offer a water-proof cooler that'll hold a 12 pack! :-)
Outside mounted spares can wreach havoc even in very low speed collisions, block your view, require several steps to open, and/or make the hatch heavy. If you driving in mud and get a flat, the spare may get filthy.
Just got back from the Outer Banks and had a nice time driving my Forester on the beach just south of Salvo. No problems going right up the 4x4 ramp and driving around, even in soft sand. Oh, and I got 26.5mpg driving down, including the day on the beach, and 28.4mpg coming back. That despite having a cargo carrier on my roof the whole time!
-juice
My preference for the spare tire, is for a roof-mounted unit, with some sort of an "easy-swing-down-access" feature. It could even be enclosed in an aerodynamic casing.
Bob
Bob: your idea has a problem too - it raises the center of gravity of an already tall vehicle, with ill effects on handling.
My wife got an offer for a $50 certificate if she drove a Buick, so we went a test drove a Rendezvous.
It's a vast improvement over the Aztec, for several reasons, but I still didn't like it much. The front seat wasn't comfortable for me, and that engine is coarse and unrefined, not to mention slow. They should use the 3.8l. Passenger room was good but cargo room non-existent with the 3rd seat in place. The faux carbon fiber trim looked cheap and fake.
In summary, not much of a threat to any existing SUVs, except perhaps GM's own Aztec.
-juice
The SUV won't suffer much in terms of aerodynamics (since when do SUVs have aerodynamics, anyway? Since when does one care about an SUV's aerodynamics?), and you can have a liftgate and a full sized spare that doesn't block the rear.
The other problem with a roof-mounted spare might be parking garages with low ceilings.
Or...
Another possible solution: What if the spare was mounted vertically in front of the radiator, under the hood? Obviously the front of the vehicle, including engine compartment would have to be designed for that from the get-go. It might also aid in crashes.
There's no law that says a spare has to be at the back of the vehicle. It could even be mounted in a tub under either the front or rear seats too. Honda's Odyssey has a donut spare located under the middle seat, under the floor. Years ago, Subaru used to mount the spare under the hood, over the engine. This worked fine because the low-mounted boxer engine allowed room for that kind of arrangement. Also, Land Rovers used to mount the spare on top of the hood.
Bob
Or is it even possible to store the spare under the rear bench? I mean there's gotta be space under the rear seat bench to give it height, and I'm skeptical that automakers would allow passengers to ride directly on top of mechanical components. The only problem I see to this is that you won't be able to flip the seats forward for additional cargo space.
I imagine there are air flow concerns for cooling if it's out front, plus that could make front-rear balance even worse than the usual 60/40.
In many vehicles, the gas tank lies under the rear seat.
-juice
All I'm suggesting is that the spare doesn't have to go in the rear. I think there are other locations that could work, and I'm talking about a full-size spare, not just a donut.
Bob
I had a few people insisting on looking in the cargo area, searching for the engine... "it has to be rear-mounted, right?", hee hee hee.
-Frank P.
-juice
-juice
-mad
Pretty fun stuff. We even had an Impreza RS in our group. Cars with less clearance could take easier bypass routes around the tough stuff. We had tow straps and large SUVs to help us out if needed, but the RS never got stuck. Neither did any of the Foresters, or the Outback Sport.
The Monty got stuck, but he was a wild man. He took the water crossing several times, once in reverse!
An XT6 got stuck in the water, flooding the engine and interior, literally. My Forester crossed that water twice, though slowly the first time.
The BRAT got stuck in the mud pit a few times, but he was persistent and eventually he conquered even the toughest mud pit.
While the smaller, lower cars some times skipped the tough sections, they also ran at a faster pace, rally style. I'm glad noone wrapped themselves around a tree, given how narrow the trails were.
A Forester hit 50mph at one point. It was nuts! I kept speeds more reasonable. It was loads of fun.
-juice
Pretty country, in its own way.
ejp
I saw the lake when I drove to use the rest room. There wasn't one near the ranger's station (across the street). It's really nice out there. For families, there are two very nice playgrounds near the parking lot.
The trails start next to the ranger station, and aren't hard to find. They sell trail maps there, too.
-juice
Frank P.
It's a big spread in power. 130hp is low for the class, and 200hp is near best-in-class. To me the choice is obvious.
-juice