Bill, first I'm not a Freelander2 owner......................................... my cars are both Land Rovers though!
I owned a Freelander1 but held back until Land Rover launched the automatic TD. If your budget allows I would recommend the auto everytime especially if you intend to softroad it. Clutches on manual Freelanders can be a bit fragile offroad and the auto will work a treat in sticky/slippery conditions down a greenlane. Don't worry about poor fuel economy, there is a small penalty and of course the auto puts the car into a higher taxband but the comfort and convenience outweighs the extra cost - it also works a treat with the cruise control on and off road.

Not to put you off Freelander2, but I would also recommend a drive in a Puma engined 2007 Defender the new model ....................... then you really could go places none of your bird watching friends can go and have a car that you needn't be too worried about getting the odd bramble/gorse scratch or ding on, And you can get one for a similar price to a Freelander 2, it's not as civilised as F2 but they are a huge amount more comfortable than the old ones. How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

Last edited by Tim in Scotland on 14th Oct 2008 9:34 am. Edited 1 time in total

James,

If Bill buys an XS from you, does that mean that you can wire up my Sat Nav for less than the £76 it cost me, LR Basingstoke cannot do this

You know it makes sense

Pod, have you thought about asking one of the dealership sparkies to wire it in as a homer?  How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

Podcast wrote:

James,

If Bill buys an XS from you, does that mean that you can wire up my Sat Nav for less than the £76 it cost me, LR Basingstoke cannot do this

You know it makes sense

Some dealers will charge to hard-wire satnav or speed camera systems, but to be honest, it is easier all round if it is included within the deal.

James

PS. I'd reccomend that Bill goes for an SE Auto as we have them at £18900 and obviously they already have factory satnav.

Tim in Scotland wrote:

Pod, have you thought about asking one of the dealership sparkies to wire it in as a homer?

Is that why our technicians are all using Scotish £10 notes to buy their lunch?

On a serious note, if you do that and the car catches fire then there is no recourse, therfore for the small amount I'd suggest getting it done by a specialist company or your dealer.

'Small Amount'.....at least you dealers are all consistant! I'll have a word with Phil Popham next time I see him & let him know the 'dealer brainwash'...sorry training is working well

Sony NV83 Sat Nav (including GB + France Maps) £76
Dealer cost of soldering 2 wires £76 + VAT...

No thanks.

Bill, If you wish to use use your motor as a hide may I suggest a glance at one of the other loves of my life and where I shall be travelling again. The 3dr F/L1 with the top removed, tailgate glass dropped, roof panels removed rr seats folded and a camo net drapped over the roof rack makes a cracking hide. The original Freeda spent a fair amount of time so decked out though the pursuit was a tad more aggressive than bird watching! still pining for my 3dr, no removeable hardtop, no drop glass tailgate, no roof rack, no pockets everywhere to stow all that man kit

Charles Hurst Park Royal wrote:

Bill,

If your search locally doesn't allow you to uncover the right vehicle then we are happy to help, and are not too far away (takes me 45mins to Mortimer).

If you would like to have a try a Freelander 2 off road before making your decision then drop me a line at jamestayler@charleshurstgroup.co.uk with your contact details.

James

Well after all your encouragement we went to the local dealer (Lancaster - that's the dealer's name - in Reading. I'll put a report in the Dealership Feedback forum) for a test drive.

We opted for manual and I think my wife was even more impressed than me. Though I rather enjoyed their forecourt off-road test. Having then borrowed a car for a day we were smitten.

Today collected a new XS in Baltic Blue having been offered a broker-beating price and a fair trade-in for our Vectra estate. I'll put up a couple of pictures when I get time.

Thanks, I think, for leading me astray!

Bill

good to hear to permagrin inducing car has been delivered

Hope you get to use it instead of the wife going on shopping spree's  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Well done Bill and as Npinks said welcome to our little family!!! Sorry I have taken a while to say hello. My first car went back on a buy back system due to loads of issues...............but thats what the warranty and buy back system are for. The replacement car has been a dream since. Great on road, fanatastic offroad, comfy, spacious, and as Avtur said still after nearly two years of driving FL2's I just love um...even the first car I still adored it despite the problems which were exagerated by an un simpathetic dealer...who ended up paying for it!!!

I am positive you will have many years happy motoring on and offroad. It may be worth considering 'smoking' your windows with film to aid your disguise from the birds, if your car does not have factory smoked windows. Both npinks and I have blacked out windows....mine was factory tinted his was retro applied film and both of us have difficulty seeing in but they are fine to look out from....just a thought??? Obviously to comply with the law your windscreen and front side windows cannot be darker than I think 25%. So don't think you need gold teeth, 25" chrome free spinning hubs and a girl rubbing herself on your leg dressed in a bikini just to have darkened windows oh the thoughts...............