Is this Site Dead? Lets Get Some Life Back

[garrycol]

Well not much been happenin here for a while.

Well to be a little more proactive - some thoughts on my Freelander - a L series XEDI.

I am in Australia and as such 'bush Bashing' Country is never far away - not this wimpy Green Laning Stuff you have in the Mother Country. About 20km from my house we have a 5000ft mountain that is relatively easy in a 4wd but marginal in a softroader. I have been up there before in both my ex disco and my current Freelander and the Freelander has made it. There is a narrow track that winds its way up but never really tests the car until the top where the problems of a softroader start to kick in. Near the top the track becomes very rocky with large gibbers about six-10" across with sharp points - they bang and crash under the car because of the low ground clearance and the lack of low range starts to take effect near the top of the mountain - however with a bit of clutch slipping and heaps of revs the car scambles to the top for a magnificant view over our capital city - Canberra (no Sydney is not the Capital of Australia).

Anything steeper and the car would not do the trip - it really needs higher ground clearance and low range is a definite. Now after the critique you might think - well why am I driving a Freelander - well I bought it for its designed purpose - that is a nice run around car that is also a nice "all road" vehicle. I recognise its strengths and weaknesses for use in a true offroad environment and I find it is able to take me through most of the nearby National Parks as long as I am sensible about where I go.

However once up the top I spotted a car that made me realise the Freelanders capabilites were not as good as I thought - after struggling to the top of the mountain there was a 1970s Peugot 504 - 2wd saloon parked there. Would have been different if it had been wet but it does put things into perspective.

I appreciate that the Freelander is the ideal off-road vehicle for many of you but here in Australia it really does struggle - if the new Freelander is to be success in this country it will need to have better ground clearance and low range.

So lets get this site going again - give us your thoughts - if you don't agree lets hear it but be constructive.

Cheers

Garry

[SCSL]

Originally Posted by garrycol

I appreciate that the Freelander is the ideal off-road vehicle for many of you but here in Australia it really does struggle - if the new Freelander is to be success in this country it will need to have better ground clearance and low range.

I don't think the Freelander is the ideal off-road vehicle for anybody.
It was really designed as such. No low range,,,what is that?

In the US, everyone loves their SUVs. Few ever see a dirt road, let alone an off-road trail. The Freelander was designed for that market (one which also exists in Europe, though not to the same extent).

I think we all have to face that fact that Land Rover is out of the off-road vehicle business for the foreseeable future,,possibly forever. The current line-up does not include a vehicle likely to be seen on the trail any time in the near future.

[Rovin4life]

Originally Posted by SCSL

I don't think the Freelander is the ideal off-road vehicle for anybody.
It was really designed as such. No low range,,,what is that?

In the US, everyone loves their SUVs. Few ever see a dirt road, let alone an off-road trail. The Freelander was designed for that market (one which also exists in Europe, though not to the same extent).

I think we all have to face that fact that Land Rover is out of the off-road vehicle business for the foreseeable future,,possibly forever. The current line-up does not include a vehicle likely to be seen on the trail any time in the near future.

You should either learn your product line better and where it is going and what it is doing instead of bemoaning the fact that you cant buy a jeap.

You know of offroading, not LR. theres a big difference. You should learn all aspects of LR, not just coil spring and solid axle construction. You might actually be enlightened and educated.

[TerryS]

My wife and I spend a great deal of time on Tortola, in the BVI (British Virgin Islands). Anyone who has ever visited Tortola knows that most every road that gets you from one side to the other(all the beaches are on the N side of the island), is loaded with extreme angles and switchbacks. While most manual box cars cope adequately, only the autobox vehicles with larger engines manage the grades without bogging down.
We have rented a 1.8 auto Freelander many trips, and occassionally a manual. Either has handled the grades without protest.
Where the Freelander does shine is on any of the 'trails' into the more remote beaches. These are far from 'greenlanes' and have more extreme slopes, and are very rocky, and I don't mean small rocks, or gravel. These trails have been carved out by excavators and that's the end of it. most trails are not wide enough to pass, and the rocks are very sharp, so control is critical, considering a slip and over the edge you go. The guy we rent from has often offered me his Defender, but it's way to big to get into our driveway, or any of the favorite beach access trails. We have never grounded the Freelander, but frequently did so with the Mitsy and Suzuki

[garrycol]

Well that has got some responses going. Clearly different countries have different conditions to offer the off-roader. I certainly don't agree with SCSL about the Landrover line up. Here you will see top level Range Rovers climbing mountain trails, with radiator blinds on going through 4' of water near the tip of Cape York, 500 miles from the nearest major town or driving at 70 mph along miles of beach on Fraser Island. Discovery 3s will be there too along with the Defenders. However we do lament the small fuel tanks - I am afraid that 800km out of a tank is not far enough and often additional fuel has to be carried in the back.

I agree that most 4wd vehicles do not get used off road much and indeed one of our best selling All wheel Drive vehicles - the Ford Territory sells as many cars in its 2wd version - a sad indication of where we are heading. As far as Freelander size vehicles are concerned there is only one sold that has full 4wd capability and that is the Suzuki range. I love my Freelander - it is easy to drive, I have found it very reliable,it is cheap to maintain and run, has been good on tyres and brakes unlike the experiences of others.

If I had designed the car I would have put in a 2 speed box between the gearbox and IRD and would have fitted a Discovery center diff (and diff lock) out of the transfer case into the Freelander to replace the viscous coupling. Not much money but a better car. As I said I hope Landrover will do this for the next model.

[Rovin4life]

First off Fraser Island is cool. I have seen pictures of it and one of the wrecks on the shore from a bloke on RR.net Awesome place. Anyway 800 km sounds great. five hundred miles on a gas engine is hard enough. But on the LR3 we may be able to remove the spare tire and install a tank there. But Gerry cans are always a necessity in OZ. Some day I will visit Cape York. but for now I will plan on visiting the Eyre peninsula and the Flinders range. But I will shout you drink should we ever meet. How about that mate.

And if customer testimonial of the Freelander werent enough it has been used in G4 competitions and Camel Tropy events since it first rolled off the assembly line.

Its a great vehicle. And so is the entire lineup. LR makes all of its vehicles offroad worthy. Trust me. Every dealership that has a track is required to test all of its product line on the track. Our track has the highest incline in States. Its steep trust me. And its all rock.

The idea behind LR3 and all of its other products is the continuation of the fundmentals of offroading and treading lightly. If you want to spin your head off and wheels because you dont have ABS and traction control and HDC then buy a jeep. LRr products arent just the same old bland product. Its always new and changing to make the product better for its customer base.
Even the Defender has changed. It meets its clients needs by giving them a range of products including larger wheel bases and simplicity to meet the needs of its customers in foreign lands where a dealer or tech isnt readily available.

[HMBFreelander]

I happen to think the Freelander is an excellent SUV for most on- and off-road challenges. Sure, the Freelander has a lot of places it won't go, but neither will a stock Disco or Range Rover. And if you recognize and accept its limitations then you can be happy with its performance. Driven well, it will do amazing things.

Land Rover's strategy of introducing an entry level SUV with good off-road capabilities and appealing to a wide market in the US was a stroke of genius. Several of my friends have traded their Freelanders on up-market Land Rovers. These are guys whose first Land Rover was a Freelander and now they are hooked and will likely be Land Rover customers for the rest of their lives (me included).

I've made several modifications to my Freelander that have made it both better and worse off-road. These include:
-- Ironman springs (thanks Australia) - 1.5 inch lift but stiffer so easier to lift a wheel.
-- 16 inch wheels and larger (29.4 inch) tires - 1.25 inch lift but 8% less torque to the ground. Next time a little smaller tires to get back some of the torque.
-- Underbody protection - Essential in the rocky terrain of the Sierra Mountains in California and deserts of Nevada where I spend most of my off-road time.
With that I hang with the Discos most of the time with some consideration for steep grades and an occasional tug up a hill. I also do as well or better in snow and mud, situations where a lighter vehicle has an advantage. On my own, I choose trails based on the Freelander's capabiity and still have a blast.

In addition I get a very comfortable ride on the highway - most of my off-road treks are 100 - 200 miles from home so this is important - and my fuel costs are about 2/3 that of a Disco.

So, am I shopping for my next Land Rover? You bet. I continually trade the pros and cons of various models/years I see advertised and have yet to find anything that fits my needs better than my Freelander.