Help me decide on a new car please! Land Rover?

[Leonberger]

Has anyone got a freelander 2 who can tell me if they have any reliability issues with it? I’ve seen one for sale but I’m not sure whether to risk it as it’s quite high mileage (80k)

Is mileage a massive issue these days? I remember years ago it being an issue but with more modern types does it matter?

Alternatively if anyone can recommend something else that would be great:
Small budget of 6k
Prefer 4x4 as live rurally but not a must
Must have a really big boot as we have 3 dogs to shuttle and a pram to fit in. Currently have a tiguan which is too slightly too small but we can manage at a push with an SUV size.
Prefer not a people carrier style if possible!

I had one for a short while - it eats fuel, the mpg is ridiculously low. Didn't last long.

I've a discovery sport and live rurally. It apparently does 40mpg. It's similar to freelander in terms of space etc. The parts are expensive if going direct with landrover but I now get them all via europarts or similar and have them fitted at the allocated garage..... Has saved me £1000 this year alone for brakes, discs and tyres.

They are sturdy but the volvo 40 or 60s are like tanks supposedly.

Mileage, I'd be wary at 80k as the cam belt may need doing. Once you have that, the car is pretty much good for a good few years.

If fuel economy is a concern, and you don't need a 4x4, something like a Skoda Octavia estate might be better value to buy and run. Boot is massive, and great cars too.

Running a 4x4 is not generally the best choice if you don't want to spend £££s. More expensive to buy and use more fuel, tax also likely to be more expensive.

For £6k, no. Landrovers aren't cheap to maintain, and at that price bracket and age you're going to be a long way out of warranty and looking at large sums whenever anything goes wrong.
I love Landrovers and Range Rovers, but in that price bracket a Toyota is probably more economical maintenance wise if you can find one. Toyota parts seem to last forever.
Alternatively if it's a second car, 4wd is a must and you have a trustworthy local mechanic, a really ancient, pre diagnostics and pre complex electrics Landrover is an option.

There's something that can go wrong with a freelander and costs a lot to put right. My mate has part exchanged two over the years for the same reason.

Stheres was a good reason she used to buy them although she's got a discovery now.

It’ll be an unreliable heap of junk. You’ll become very good friends with your mechanic!

Honestly I’d not go near one that cheap. Major reliability issues especially with electrics. Parts are super expensive.
Milage isn’t as important as it was but realistically most things will be pretty dead after 150/160k and they do need good looking after to get to that stage.

Thanks all! I currently have a lovely tiguan but it’s a company car and going back so whatever we get will be a massive sad downgrade
I don’t want to buy an older model to the one I have either as the boot is a touch small.

The land rover I’ve seen is 2010 and has done 80k with a full service history but I haven’t viewed it yet. DH thinks it will eat fuel but I only travel a 30min journey twice per week there and back other than school runs. I would prefer not to buy a money pit though.

I’ve looked at the RAV4 but it’s too small boot wise I think.

I like the Honda CRV but even second hand they are expensive.

I’ll have a look at the octavia. We don’t desperately need a 4x4 but would prefer one as I do lots of dog showing and most of the parking is on boggy grass fields. Nothing worse than getting wedged in one! I also live rurally so winter would be challenging without but I could manage.

Jaguar Land Rover aren't known for their reliability. I've always stayed away. Cars are at an all time high at the minute with a plateau in December. I wouldn't buy one now unless you have to or need to ensure you make as much as possible on the car you're selling.

I have a Land Rover. A RR Sport rather than a Freelander but I will never buy any car made by LR. It breaks constantly and spends a ridiculous amount of time in the garage (20% of 2019). As a result, I have to pay for their expensive warranty which is £125 a month.

I can only speak for the 4 LR garages near me, but they are a nightmare answering the phone or returning messages, pretend the warranty doesn't cover the diagnostic fees for an agreed fault (can be over £500, even though the warranty people will correctly tell you it does cover it), takes forever if you want a courtesy car and comes up with a ludicrous list of "work needed" after a service. Oh and pranged my car on two occasions and tried to deny it (so now I have to take photos when I drop it off). My most recent list of urgent work totalled £1,500, a quick visit to my very honest independent garage advised me that none of it needed doing.

It's a shame as it's a lovely car to drive. The usual cabal of disgruntled owners sat in the service area of the dealers tend to cast pitying looks at the poor souls buying their shiny new Land Rovers.

My mum had a Honda CRV - 2007 plate. It was an awesome vehicle. Extremely reliable, massive boot space for our 3 dogs & mum's mobility aids. Would wholeheartedly recommend!!

Would never touch LR again. Unreliable, expensive to repair, poor customer service

The land rover I’ve seen is 2010 and has done 80k

There’s not much worse that you could buy for £6k. Sure, you might get lucky but it’s a massive gamble. I can’t see 11 years and 80k miles making it more reliable than when it was new and they were crap then!

I must have been lucky but I have a late Freelander 1 which I've had from new and is now 14 years old and 90k miles. The earlier ones weren't great apparently but this has been a dream. One repair under warranty and anything else has been small wear and tear with easily available parts. Not the most economical but I don't do many miles and it's a Godsend in winter where I live. If it feels like a gamble I have heard good things about RAV 4's as an alternative.

Think I’ll look at the Honda then

Mitsubishi Outlander is a possibility also but I know nothing about them!

It looks like all I can afford is something 2008-2010 which is a bit nerve wracking but I really don’t want to get into debt over a car

I have a Suzuki Grand Vitara - bulletproof 4wd highly recommend if you can find one in your budget

I have a late 2009 Mercedes ML. Now has just over 80k miles, we've had it for 4 years and has been very reliable (touch wood). It does have a very low mpg - about 24-25. But for the size and the comfort and what we paid it's a fantastic car. I use an independent Mercedes specialist for servicing and their prices have been very reasonable so far. Tax and insurance is high though!

Maybe also look at Skoda Kodiaqs, not sure what they go for 2nd hand but they're reliable cars and huge.

we got an Audi A6 quattro - large boot and 4wd, is ok on fuel. 2010 model, we paid £7.5k last year for it.

Also the A6 doesn't have a cam belt, so no need to worry about that

I love my Freelander 2

I’d definitely get the LR you’ve seen. I had an older one too and it was fantastic. Over 130k. For mine I’ve found a local garage who knows about them and are much cheaper than a dealership. They don’t eat fuel any more than any of these things.

My dad is a retired mechanic & owned car garages, he will only ever buy Hondas. He swears by them & has convinced other people to buy them who have also been converted. They are expensive but very very reliable.. they literally never break down. Both my parents had them all my life and I think he’s had one that had a couple of issues. They hold value well too. I’d deffo recommend having another look at a CRV! x

So far on the list to view are:

A 2011 Honda CR-V that’s done 90k. Pretty basic inside but would do the job- £5000

A 2011 land rover freelander 2 that’s done 80k. Full leather and service history. £6000

A 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander (top spec with reversing cameras etc) that’s done 90k £4500

I prefer the look of the freelander out of the 3 but I don’t fancy the repair costs if it decides to die on me

All of them seem such high mileage but anything less than 90k is just way out of budget!!

If you want a workhorse of a car that's 4x4 and has a massive boot - Mitsubishi Shogun.
Crap mpg but indestructible!