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Comments
. Tight
. Feeling of quality
. Functional
. Looks good both inside and out (rugged look).
. Seat comfort is good, but not great.
. Leg room in the back seat isn't bad.
. Enough headroom, even for a tall guy.
. The sunroof doesn't intrude into the cabin.
. I wish the top of the windscreen was higher.
. Handling is nice and tight.
. Acceleration isn't great but sufficient I guess.
It's good. Try it, you'll like it.
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
The vehicle handled pretty good and the pick-up was ok.When you hit the gas ,the response is a few seconds in coming,but when it did kick in...it felt and sounded good.
The vehicle itself had 4400 + miles on it and I wasn't allowed to take it on the test course
so I'll have to wait until Dec.
Now for my personal cons: I'm 5'7" and when getting into the vehicle I bumped my head on the upper door jam! (granted,it could just be me) Also,when looking under the hood,there is NO access to the spark plugs! I like to change the oil and plugs myself!
Hope everyone gets a chance to drive a Freelander and I look forward to reading about your impressions!
Is Land Rover prepared to SELL this car, or are they expecting besotted customers to stampede the retailers? Cuz I'm interested, but I'm going to need a little more support and knowledge from anyone I give 25K to.
FYI, my husband went in got the exact same vibe. Spoke also with a friend who says all LR dealers are rather smug and condescending. The cars have always sold themselves.
Has anyone else had this experience, and if not, can anyone recommend a dealer in the Los Angeles area?
60% Male, Median Age 35, 50% Married, 33% Young Children, 55% College Grads, Median Income 70K
It also goes on to say (this is where LR retailers have to pay attention):
"Many Freelander shoppers may never have considered visiting a LR Retailer before. Lower price will attract less affluent customers than the traditional buyer, but they will be more demanding and knowledgable. May be more likely to cross-shop than previous customers..."
While I love the idea of goodies, I don't really need a photo calender or any other kind of validation if I'm paying for it. I just want a solid, reliable vehicle for a good price, I want to be treated well and not condescended to, and it's a great bonus to be able to get a Land Rover with all that.
J.D. Powers and Strategic Vision both rate Land Rover highly in the total ownership experience, and you might want to check some of the posts in the Discovery forums here on Edmunds to find out how they feel they have been treated for service, etc.
to all: Can I please hear from anyone who's gone throught the internet buying process? Did you get a better price than MSRP? When will you receive your car?
BUT, all of these things do not make it a bad vehicle, it really is up to the individual. Remember 02's motto, "when all else fails, crawl underneath both vehicles and see who's got what quality where" Heck, I crawled under the Liberty and it got your basic "Close, but no cigar!"
Regards To All,
02
I can see if I were taller that the door height would be a problem. You have to be careful not to hit your head. It stands about my height at the front door. It's low inside, and the windshield roofline seems low. However, when you start driving, you forget, because the little thing is sooooo much fun. Could have better pick-up, but corners incredibly well, and the braking is terrific. Flew over a couple of big speed bumps like they were pillows. Verrrry comfortable seats, front and back. Surprisingly good rear visibility, considering the height of the backseats and the spare tire. S cloth trim is very nice, with leather panels on the seats. The HK upgraded stereo on the HSE didn't sound particularly great.
Worried about cargo space, still. A bit less than the Liberty - without the height. Seats tumble forward with ease, but it's still pretty small. Wonder if we could fit skiis in the back. Back window malfunctioned. LR demonstrator and dealer still don't know what the 75% new encompasses. No wankers tonight, but not much more knowledge than previous visits. Got free stuff tho'....
I'm 6'2" and had no problems getting into or out of the vehicle. The driving position was very comfortable. I even hoped into the back seat and found plenty of leg (and head) room. The only concern I have would be the lack of storage space with the rear seats up. Unfortunately, I did not get an opportunity to check out the cargo area with the rear seats down.
I do have a question (maybe for you Tincup, by the way, your "inside" info has been a great asset to this topic discussion), is there any information on whether using the transmission in the "manual" Steptronic mode will cause more wear and tear on the tranny than using the normal "automatic" shift mode?
Just curious what additional fee's LR traditionally charges.
Thanks!
Jackie
I'm just curious.
Anyway, I could not be happier with my purchase. It is a solid, squeak-free ride with a luxurious interior (at least the limited is) Check out the Liberty boards, here and on JU and I guarantee you, the problems are minimal and rare. The Liberty will prove itself to the naysayers someday
btw, I'm here on the Freelander board because I had heard good things about it and wanted to check it out. I go to a lot of the SUV boards...mostly lurk but I just had to speak up about the Lib. I could have afforded most of the Land Rovers but I chose the Liberty for many reasons...personal preference being the main one.
I did say that it is not a bad vehicle and I wish you all the best with yours. Congratulations!
As a matter of fact, *if* land rover "don't hurry up and deliver" an 02 Discovery, for 02 Discovery, I just might be buying a Liberty myself!
NOT!
Regards To All,
02.
So enjoy whatever you buy....but don't write off the Lib so fast...I really think the one you test drove was a fluke or like I said, the stealer was inept. So no offense meant...peace
Are there things we should do or not do when "breaking in" a new engine?
Help, please....
My mistake Discovery?
Regards To You, Lyngo!
Regards To All,
02.
Thanks.
Two dealers in the LA area say they will honor the x-plan. Thousand Oaks and Hornburg. However, no talk of price has begun.....
Any firming of the MPG?
q
Thanks.
They have a sample for a Discovery that has MSRP at $39,795 and X-plan at 36,908 + any incentives. Difference is $2,887.00.
Hope this helps!
Jackie
http://members.aol.com/Spfnever/free1.jpg
http://members.aol.com/Spfnever/free2.jpg
While at my local Land Rover dealer to order a 2002 Land Rover Discovery, I took these pictures of the new Land Rover Freelander just for you Freelander folks! I hope that if there is someone out there that has yet to see this car in person, these pictures might prove helpful.
Regards To All,
02.
Overall, I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed with my initial introduction to the Freelander and my reasons are as follows.
1) The doors. Very thin construction and they do not close with anything resembling an authoritative "clunk." They sound rather tinny to me. Also, what is with the cloth inserts in the doors? If you are paying for leather, you deserve leather door inserts, not the cheap cloth.
2) Driving position. I did not test dr8ive the vehicle, but in closing the front door I realized that there wasn't a place to put your arm on the door, nor is there a center armrest. Basically you must drive with the hands at 10 and 2.
3) Cargo space is shockingly limited. I'd guess you couldn't fit more than a few small duffel bags back there. Forget trying pack a lot of gear.
4) Roof rack. It doesn't extend the length of the roof, and thus adding a Yakima or Thule rack system will be difficult if not nearly impossible. In addition, the antenna is angled such that any aftermarket rack will require you to reangle the antenna. I work with Yakima and Thule racks a lot and I can tell you that given the height of the roof rails on the Freelander, there isn't much you can do if you want to carry a bike, a boat, or even extra gear.
5) The Engine. No, I did not test-drive the vehicle, but engine is an older engine and its gas mileage is abominable. Why Ford did not step in and place the 200 HP Duratec is beyond me.
6) The Snout. The front end of the Freelander doesn’t so much come to an end as it simply tapers to a snout. Given the photos I have seen, I assumed it was more of a "block" front ala the Explorer.
If you were to get a Freelander I would definitely go with the HSE. With that you get nicer seats and more features. If you are serious about carrying cargo, gear, or a bike on the vehicle, well, then you need to look at another vehicle.
Now, before anyone goes hammering me, let me say that I have been awaiting the Freelander for the past two years. Yes, BMW was going to bring it to North America way back when they owned the company. I hope this helps some people, but of course it is bound to tick off some people.
Bob