Land Rover Freenlander 2 - The New Compact Car

Its predecessor had issues, but don’t let that put you off buying a Freelander 2

When Land Rover introduced the Freelander 2 in 2006, it knew it had to address the quality problems that had plagued its predecessor. And address them it did. The Freelander 2 may not have moved on massively in the styling stakes, but a huge re-engineering transformed the car’s reliability. “They’re good as gold, without any of the serious problems of its predecessor,” says Matt Emeny of independent Land Rover specialist RCV.

Land Rover Freenlander 2 - The New Compact Car

Land Rover replaced the unreliable Rover engines with Ford power-plants. The Freelander 2 also uses a modified version of Ford’s EUCD platform, which goes some way to explaining the car’s fine dynamics. A 3.2-litre straight six replaced the previous V6 engine, although it’s rare in the UK. The majority of home sales were of the 158bhp, 2.2-litre turbo diesel TD4 developed by Ford and PSA. It was the sole diesel engine in the line-up until 2009, when Land Rover added stop-start to create the TD4_e. It dropped a tax band thanks to a 15g/km fall in CO2 emissions, and bumped the official combined economy from 37.7mpg to 42.2mpg. Land Rover also changed the engine mounts, recalibrated the ECU and added a heavy-duty battery.

The cabin is well equipped but looks dated

In 2011, Land Rover took the bold step of offering the Freelander 2 with front-wheel drive. The Freelander 2 eD4 dropped drive to the rear in a bid to improve economy even further, and delivered 158g/km of CO2 and 47.2mpg combined as a result. The eD4’s 2.2-litre turbo diesel produced only 150bhp, but Land Rover added a more powerful diesel to the range with the 187bhp SD4. All of the 2011 models received new headlights, revised tail-lights, a slightly larger grille and a Land Rover badge backed with silver rather than gold. Land Rover made some detail changes inside, too, although that didn’t include the removal of the LCD displays that litter and seriously date – the cabin.

The Freelander 2’s interior has always been a bit disappointing. While it looks good, Autocar’s original test complained that it lacked real quality and substance. That is something that has been improved through the model’s life cycle, but the Freelander 2’s cabin isn’t likely to wow you if you’re familiar with any of its German rivals. Despite this, Emeny says the interiors are robust, without any real issues. Overall reliability is good across the range.

The Freelander handles tidily away from the rough

The Freelander 2 isn’t quite as spacious as its rivals – the boot in particular is on the small side but it remains among the best compact SUVs to drive, both on road and off. Specification is respectable across the range, too. The Freelander is offered in base S trim, rising through GS and XS to the range-topping, fully loaded HSE and HSE Lux. GS and XS are the most popular. Both manual and automatics are offered, both with six speeds.

Emeny admits that while Discovery 3 and Defender owners are partial to getting their machines dirty, it’s rare to see a Freelander 2 that’s been properly off-roaded. The Freelander 2 may not have quite the ability of its bigger relatives (largely down to the lack of a low-ratio transfer box), but pitch it against its premium rivals in the mire and it’ll romp further, clamber more convincingly and wade deeper than most. Thank the standard fitment of Land Rover’s Terrain Response. Its simple rotary dial adjusts the 4x4 and stability and traction control systems for off-road conditions. So even if a Freelander looks like it’s never turned a wheel in the rough, take a good look underneath any prospective purchase for signs of damage.

The Freelander 2 may not have quite the ability of its bigger relatives (largely down to the lack of a low-ratio transfer box)

Servicing costs are perfectly manageable. Emeny says a 15,000-mile/one-year service costs $366, with year two costing $511 and year three $452. All services up to the 10-year/150,000-mile seeing-to cost under $600. The big service costs around $1500, because it includes cam belts and fresh gearbox and diff oils. Consumables are relatively inexpensive, with front brake pads costing $201 and rears $183. Add new discs to those front pads and its $426 fitted.