Looks, Offroad capability for size/class. Towing for size of car. Great interior. Heated windshield. Everything is excellent. My favorite of the other SUVS I've driven

Nothing really. Sluggish getting up in speed, takes second or 2 for it to really start accelerating. Hood release inconveniently located on U.S. model (passenger side). Boring dash. Repairs are expensive.

AMAZING. I visited this site in June '07 and was nearly scared off from buying this car. Thank goodness I ignored all of those, and bought the car anyway, in Febuary 2008. The best car I've had. Great looking. Best used SUV you can buy. Smaller than a traditional Land Rover but stylish and has enough interior space so it isnt cramped. Smooth ride. Better then its primary competitor the Liberty in all phases... except the Liberty is faster it reverse. (Freelander tops out at 30mph in reverse)A+ get a Freelander!

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Jeep Liberty, Volkswagen Touareg, Subaru Tribeca, BMW X5.

Water crossing 18-24 inches greate, Quite
fair mpg for size and weight

Known Engine issues "slipping sleves" causing engine to be replaced, coolent leaks, Heater core failures, Moon Roof tracks cheap plastic needing replacements, moon roof moters failing. Brakes need replacement ever 4-6 k

Initial the vehicle was a great drive and I loved it. Quite ride, very stable, great wet weather driving. Very Fun

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Jeep liberity, ford escape

god looking!

bad engine

i bought my freelander 4 months ago thinkin it was going to be a great deal! i was told i could get it fix for 1500 bucks. the front head gasket was blown. mecanics told me it was easy to fix. but that was not the only problem it had. now my mecanic gave up and i took it to another guy. he told me i need a new engine and that it will all cost me 6k. i really do not know a lot about mecanic but the only thing i have to say is NEVER~ EVER buy a freelander. they might be nice, look elegant but they are crappy!
takes a lot of money to fix. right now im borrowin this huge intrepid but the tranny will be out in a little while! i have the worst luck ever. i really do not know if i should fix it and spend all that money or just sell it as is. but really no one is going to buy it like that! it runs no more than 10 mph! if someone is interested i just want my 5k i have in it.
ps. remember dont buy a freelander.

the engine does ride with a lot of efftor up hills. the engine has no power. the freelander use much gas to be the smallest smal suv

THe car was new to me but when I bought it was a used car. was advised because it was a Landrover the qualty is better per gas and mil is much better. the car dosen't save on gas and the engine dosen't live up to the hype of the name.

Nice looking vehicle
VERY Sturdy
AWD, great in snow
Heated seats
Roomy front seats
Although it ws heavy it picked up nicely.
Front a rear window defrost
car door dings are not noticable ( I had a really bad one, the other cars paint rubbed off on my car and I was livid because I thought it wss my paint that had come off, when I ruubed it I noticed nothing not even a ding was on mine. Anpother time I was in the truck while my husband was in the store, a car parked next to us and opened his door and it my car so hard it shook a little. I got off and look, nothig!

Heating system, my feet were always cold
very small trunk space.

I wish there were more positive reviews on these SUV's. This was my first SUV, bought it used in 12/05 and it was a dream car. Great deal only 34K miles when I bought it. Feels a little heavy but is great for the winter. Gas!, MPG is average I guess for an SUV. Parts are expensive, it is true, no one will work on the Land Rover unless it is the dealer. My husband would change the oil so that was a major ++, we saved $$$hundred$$ that way. If you can do it your self, it only costs about $50.00. Buy Synthetic oil and Carquest carries the filters. Same goes for breaks, my husband changed those and it cost $175.00 Carquest carries those, and they have a life time warranty, so you only pay for them once. All other minor things lights, light accessories that I scrapped off the car and a new key (because I lost mine) I had to go to the dealer for and yes that is expensive.
The window fell of the rack on the rear driver side, that was expensive to mount, $185.00. And most recently the sunroof broke (the motor worked but the window would not go down or move) we never got that fixed nor a quote. Also one of the speaker wires became loose because it would often turn off and on.
Overall I am a satisfied Land Rover Free Lander previous owner. Less than a month ago an idiot ran a stop and hit us my husband was driving, both kids 2 year old and 10 month old and sister-in-law, were in the back, I was front passenger, no one was hurt. My husband was the only one with minor pain the next day. Vehicle was totaled; mainly because repair was SO expensive over $9,000 and insurance would not pay more than 70% of value. We ended up with $13,025.00 only lost $475.00 value, ended with 55,051 miles on it.
I loved my land Rover and would by another, but my husband wants a Mercedes, Although reviews arn't looking too good for those either. Maybe only people with bad experience write bad reviews. I highly recommend doing a carfax check before purchasing any car. I think that is was saved use from buying a lemon. Other 02 free landers had issues, but this one came back clean, and what a car we got! So I think your luck is also based on the research and how prepared you get.

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First Suv

Great looks, great sound system, full spare, great in snow and rain, solid and quiet ride, 24 MPG. Many many more.

Light on the HP. Quirky things (like the service engine light comes on intermitently)

I owned the Freelander for 2 1/2 years and it was a great vehicle. I only paid less than $17K for it and it still had 1 1/2 years left on the warranty. I just traded it in today for a Honda Ridgeline. The main reason I got rid of it was all of the negative reviews on various web sites. The vehicle never broke down in the time we had it. Only a few problems were ever encountered with it such as the rear passenger window stopped working. But all the problems I've read about plus the fact the vehicle was out of warranty forced my hand. I feel bad for getting rid of it.

- Driving position.
- Rear seat position.
- Rear window can be lowered.
- Handling and braking.
- Smaller size.
- Decent fuel economy (I average about 21 MPG).
- Engine takes regular fuel.

- Small trunk.
- Small glove box.
- Reliability.
- Passing acceleration.
- No power seats.
- No automatic headlights.
- No side or curtain air bags.
- Expensive maintenance at Land Rover dealers.

OVERVIEW
The Freelander was Land Rover's entry-level product from 2001-2006. It was notable for being one of the few "cute SUVs" for having features like traction control and Hill Decent Control.

My 2004 Freelander had about 42,000 miles and now has about 54,000, with my 12,000 put on since September. It has all of the features except for the Park Aid system.

INTERIOR
My Freelander is fully loaded, except for the Park Aid feature.

One of the best features of the Freelander is the driving position. Although the car isn't much higher than other SUVs in its class, the driving position feels very high. This is coupled with great visibility. Even passengers seated in the back have a great view out of the windshield.

The Freelander, with five seat belts, can fit four adults comfortably, although taller people might find the back seat a bit cramped. Curiously, the car doesn't have power seats, but the manual controls and tilt wheel should help you find a satisfactory driving position. Note that the driver's seat cannot be adjusted vertically. At about 5'10", I have no problems getting comfortable. Note that there is no arm rest for the driver's right arm.

The dashboard is well arranged. The digital clock is on top of the dashboard and is blocked when you use the cup holders in front of it.

The CD player is easy to use. Controls are also on the steering wheel. The six CD changer is easy to load and shifts between CDs fairly quickly. The stereo has a good sound.

The climate control system is also easy to use. Both the driver and passenger have heated seats. The seats, however, have only one setting. The air conditioning is good, but on a hot day with the sunroof open you may have to turn it to "4", the highest setting. This is a fairly noisy setting. The heat warms up quickly enough and works well.

Unlike most cars, the front windshield also has a built-in defroster, like the back window on most cars. With this feature, you can turn on the defrost system and not turn on the heat, or direct the heat towards the floor. Both the front and rear defrosters work well.

The cruise control switch is positioned away from everything else, near the driver's left knee. This is the "arm" switch. You must turn on this switch and then use the set control on the steering wheel. Once you turn on the arm switch, it will remember this setting, so it will still be on when you turn the car on next time you drive.

There are four cup holders in the front. Two are on top of the dash and block out the digital clock. Two are on the driver's and passenger's door, and because of their positioning, are only used for water bottles.

The backseat has two cup holders and storage pouches both on the ceiling (mainly for tissues and other small items) and on the back of the two front seats.

Other storage places include the glove box and the center console. Both are very small. I have trouble fitting just my owner's manual and registration information in the glove box. The center console can hold my sunglasses, digital camera case and a few other small items. There are also map bins on each front door.

The sunroof can also be tiled and fully opened with a control near the console. The rear window also drops down, a useful feature on a sunny day.

DRIVE
The car drives very well. Although the engine is a bit slow, I never have problems accelerating from traffic lights or merging. Passing power (ie, 55-70) is slightly lacking. The 5-speed transmission shifts fairly smoothly.

The CommandShift mode allows you to shift manually. It's somewhat slow. It will "take over" if you forget to shift.

Handling is just right. Not too touchy, not too insensitive. The brakes have a similar quality.

The ABS and traction control system work seamlessly. I have never (to my knowledge) hydroplaned in the car, thanks to its heavy weight and good tires.

RELIABILITY
Land Rovers are famous for being unreliable, and the Freelander is no exception.

Right after I got it, the all interior lights and the door ajar light would go on after I hit a big bump, and go off under similar circumstances. This mysteriously fixed itself.

After the car was driven for the first time in severe winter weather, the traction control and ABS no longer worked. The car had to be pushed from the bottom of my street to my home. Apparently, this was caused by a recent recall involving a brake sensor. It was fixed free of charge at the Land Rover dealership.

My sunroof also makes alarming noises when opened and closed. This is a recent problem.

Keep in mind Land Rover service is expensive. The repairs for the 48,000 mile check were $700.00 for a few minor things (spark plugs, lights, etc).

In summary, this car is great for single people, couples and maybe small families needing a car for everyday use, who may encounter some severe weather. Due to its small size, I don't recommend it as a primary family car to those with more than one child.

Looks

Everything besides looks

Don't ever ever ever get a land rover, Since I got this car I've been at the dealer all the time, at least once every three months, and some of this visits for the same problem.... my dashboard looks like a Christmas tree so many different lights with so many different colors. I took the car 5 times already for the traction control and descending light ON as well of the oil leaking problem. After the 50,000 miles, the tailgate window broked, it costs $600 to fix it. My rear window broke also. I can spend hours telling you all the bad things that freelander has.......DONT GET A LAND ROVER FREELANDER

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Grand Vitara, Ford Explorer

You are stronger if you do not own one.

brakes,engine,electrical,resale value.

Never buy a Freelander!Front brakes and rotors needed at 16700 miles and then 24500 miles.Land Rover says"It is a heavy vehicle sir and the brakes wear quickly.$500 please."This is a design flaw and one of many on this vehicle.Two window regulators needed but luckily under warranty.Radio goes out every once in a while and they cannot tell me what the cause is.New motor needed two months before warranty expired.It melted!It took Land Rover two claim forms and ten weeks to reimburse me for the rental car.Now that is customer service!Now after my latest oil change dealer informs me that coolant is mixing with oil in the engine."Must be the head gasket sir."I notified dealer that engine was replaced not even one year ago and should be covered.I called Land Rover corporate and asked for assistance. After the vehicle was diagnosed corporate called me in the AM and informed me the repair would be covered.Corporate called back in the PM and stated"Upon further review the oil cooler has exploded inside and is not covered.$650 please." I have recently attempted to trade the vehicle but was offered half of the value listed in the auto guides because no one wants it.This car has been nothing but trouble and I recommend staying as far away as you can from a Freelander!BMW has gained another customer.

Looks good parked at the dealer...that's where it usually is.

Everything

This is the worst car that I have ever owned. One word of advice...NEVER BUY A LAND ROVER. My 2002 Freelander has been nothing but problems. Not once did I take it to the dealer for an oil change that it cost less than $700. You have to have the maintenance done at a dealer...no other mechanics will touch the thing...believe me I tried. Especially at $105/hour for the dealer's maintenance crew. (Where did they get their law degrees at that price?) My most recent problem...of many...involves the coolant. A coolant leak caused the engine to overheat...towed it to Landrover...they diagnosed it as a thermostat problem. Price to replace thermostat $1900. Now five weeks later the engine has overheated again. Tow to dealership. Call from mechanic today...price tag $7000...problem...new engine needed. Coolant has leaked into engine. According to the mechanic this is a totally unrelated problem and it just happened in the five weeks between the last servicing and this problem. There's no way they would have missed this if there was an issue five weeks ago...yeah right. Anybody know anything about this...could it really be two separate issues? In the end...my word of advise...unless you have $15K to spend a year on maintenance...don't buy a landrover. And you won't be able to trade it...no one wants it. A couple of months ago...before the engine problem...a toyota dealer offered me $6K for the car...I owed $12K so I didn't take it...boy do I wish I did. Now the thing isn't worth more than whatever I could sell the tires and windshield wipers. Maybe I can get $10 on ebay?