Spiderman(didn't know he was called dave)
I have owned two Freelanders - A '98 1.8xei petrol and a 2001 ES V6.
The Former suffered from a bit of the firts car off the line syndrome. lots of little (and not so little) issues, none of which actually put me off the road ever but were a little worrying at the time.
I had the following problems - all of which were dealt with promptly and graciously by Land Rover Australia.
Rear window motor
Rear door handle
Head Gasket changed
Tyres scrubbed unevenly
Heater fan replaced
Air con overhauled.
Now having had all these issues, why do you think I would consider buying another? Because the car is just so nice to drive, it is solid and safe, It looks great and it is NOT a Jap tin can(ubiquitous in Australia).
The V6 is a pearl of an engine in comparision to the 1.8 and although it's a lot thirstier, the extra power is needed. The Diesels you are looking at will resolve the economy issue for you. We didn't pick the diesel for 2 reasons.
a) The wife hates diesel fuel smell b)diesel fuel quality in Australia is awful and a number of manufacturers have halved their warranties for diesels here.
We did drive it though and found it responsive up to a point (about 4000 revs) when it ran out of steam.
I suggest you try and get a long test drive in the TD4 before you buy. If you are serious enough the dealer should be happy to lend you one so long as you give assurances re off road use etc.
hope this helps
Sydney Viking
