LIKE A lot of other things, Land Rover sales came to an abrupt halt last year. Having been the vehicle of choice for many affluent and often ostentatious customers, the brand suddenly lost its fan base thanks to the fact that many Land Rovers are expensive four wheel drive vehicles for people who don’t actually need four wheel drive.
The Freelander 2 was a typical example. Although a superior car for reasonably challenging conditions, it is nevertheless a car. In its earlier incarnation from about 1997 its name was a byword for terrible reliability and the original K4 engine broke many a heart and wallet. Then along came Ford and along came the Freelander 2 in 2006. It was a big improvement, but was it enough to restore faith in the brand?
The decision was made to move the Freelander closer to the newer and bigger Discovery. Better engines, insulation, seating, styling and interior design were all introduced and the car itself became comfortably bigger. All in all it became a much smarter car. Driving standards also improved. The car felt much more solid and reliable and despite light steering it drove well in mixed conditions. There are only two engine choices and one – the 3.2 petrol – can simply be ignored. The 2.2 diesel is really the only option.
Impressive though the Ford revolution at Land Rover was, there are some worrying things about the Freelander 2 as a second-hand investment. There were three major recalls in 2008 for cars with detaching sunroofs and problems with heater systems that presented real fire hazards and several thousand cars were affected.
On a more positive note, the Freelander scored a maximum five-star crash rating in the EuroNCAP programme, although the score for pedestrian safety was zero.
An issue with the second-hand Freelander is how it is being valued. A 2007 version with the diesel engine, 41,000km on the clock and a full service history is on offer at one garage for €34,750 while a 2008 version with the same engine and less than 10,000km has a price at another dealership of €27,000.
STAR RATING:5/10