Freelander vs. ??

[expectthebest]

Not knowing much about Freelanders, I was wondering how they stack up in general. While reading these posts it looks like many of you use your Freelander off road. Are they basically just Land Rovers answer to an outback wagon or are they far more capable? Are they comparible off road to something like a Jeep Liberty? It doesn't seem like they would be anything close to keeping up with a Disco or Range Rover. But, I have been wrong before.......

 

[syoung]

You're gonna get a "pro-Disco, anti anything else" opinion from this board, typically.
The Liberty cannot go where the Freelander goes, no question. In some conditions, I've taken a Freelander where heavily modded Discos had lots of trouble.

 

[RAV]

I wouldn't drive a Freelander if it was "free". Sorry. Jeep? Come oooon!

 

[garrett]

You're gonna get a "pro-Disco, anti anything else" opinion from this board, typically.
The Liberty cannot go where the Freelander goes, no question. In some conditions, I've taken a Freelander where heavily modded Discos had lots of trouble.

now steve. now you are just sounding silly. downright giggly even.

what makes a stock Freelander more capable than a Liberty, let alone a CRV or similar vehicle?

the Liberty has low range putting the Freelander in the back seat right off the bat. without low range you are limited to what you can do out of the box.

i am sure in the right hands a Freelander can take you further than you'd imagine, but then again so will a CRV, Outback or Escape.

ps: and no they cannot come close to keeping up with Discos, RRCs or D90s.

 

[lagged]

ETC, HDC, VCU, better suspension, better underside, all put it ahead of everything in its class. The Liberty is the closest and is way ahead of the CRV, outback, or Escape, but it is still behind the Freelander.

Everytime I've been wheeling with Discos in mud they need new airfilters because they suck so much up. Not so with the Freelander. Its also lighter and just does better in fresh mud. In rutted mud a stock freelander is iffy, but lifted it has more clearance than a disco due to the independent suspension, all the while kicking ass on the road.

I'm not going to say that a Freelander is a hardcore offroader that will kick anything's ass, but I will say it is the best compromise of on road and offroad performance.

 

[syoung]

My lifted Freelander has MANY times gone through places where Discos were taking turns winching out. I've outclimbed Defenders on steep short climbs where my traction control made the difference. The low range issue doesn't really come into play since the truck is light and the first gear is geared VERY low already. My Disco is lifted and still has less clearance...
I think what it comes down to is I've done it and you haven't. I've extensively wheeled both, you haven't.

 

[garrett]

ETC, HDC, VCU, better suspension, better underside, all put it ahead of everything in its class. The Liberty is the closest and is way ahead of the CRV, outback, or Escape, but it is still behind the Freelander.

Everytime I've been wheeling with Discos in mud they need new airfilters because they suck so much up. Not so with the Freelander. Its also lighter and just does better in fresh mud. In rutted mud a stock freelander is iffy, but lifted it has more clearance than a disco due to the independent suspension, all the while kicking ass on the road.

I'm not going to say that a Freelander is a hardcore offroader that will kick anything's ass, but I will say it is the best compromise of on road and offroad performance.

i am not sure what is funnier.........this post or the gay rights poster ("go gay"). LOL.

HDC, ETC make it "better"? how so? please enlighten me.

once again better suspension? how is the weak independent suspension "better"? good lord.

and the best part is the "better underside" comment. not sure what that one means.

wheeling with Discos and they need new air filters? huh? maybe D2s with their intake in the fender well, but not with a D1. and who cares about some dirty filter.

and a lifted Darby has more than a Disco? stock maybe........maybe. but dude.......the Darbys have NO, i mean NO flex. my mothers E320 has more. and i am not kidding.

independent suspension does not lend itself to being lifted what so ever, so i am not sure where you are going with this.

as you can tell i just can't stand these things. they are the red headed step child of the Rover community and will continue to be. but i am sure that being the best selling SUV in the UK will set us all straight.

your old Darby Steve (CVCs) is a decent little ride. but as you and CVC know it is no substitute for a true wheeling vehicle like a D1 or D90.

 

[garrett]

My lifted Freelander has MANY times gone through places where Discos were taking turns winching out. I've outclimbed Defenders on steep short climbs where my traction control made the difference. The low range issue doesn't really come into play since the truck is light and the first gear is geared VERY low already. My Disco is lifted and still has less clearance...
I think what it comes down to is I've done it and you haven't. I've extensively wheeled both, you haven't.

your right and i guess in my stubborn ways i have no wish to. sorry, but the low first gear just ain't gonna cut it. there is no substitute for low range. just as there is no substitute for not having a locking t-case.
low range might not be an issue because these cars will not take you to places where it is needed.

i better go and watch the Camel Trophy vids with the Freelanders driving through mud puddles and gravel roads to set myself straight.

 

[syoung]

Well, the fact remains that you're wrong.

My Freelander was/is a better off-road rig than my lifted DI and I always chose the Freelander over the Disco except for grocery store runs. The only reason I even went to a Disco as a daily driver and wheelin truck was because of the size. We tend to pack a lot of stuff when we go camping.
I never did any rock crawling- it's not my cup-o-tea, but the Disco would be the vehicle of choice for that... but the Freelander more than earned it's Land Rover name plate.

 

[garrett]

Well, the fact remains that you're wrong.

My Freelander was/is a better off-road rig than my lifted DI and I always chose the Freelander over the Disco except for grocery store runs. The only reason I even went to a Disco as a daily driver and wheelin truck was because of the size. We tend to pack a lot of stuff when we go camping.
I never did any rock crawling- it's not my cup-o-tea, but the Disco would be the vehicle of choice for that... but the Freelander more than earned it's Land Rover name plate.

damn. i better sell off all my D1s and get me a fleet of bad ass Freelanders for my biz!

well time will tell right. i mean if the Freelander is really the choice vehicle for wheeling then they will be getting snapped up by true off road gurus and wheeled all over the world.

guess we'll be seeing them all over Moab, the Rubicon, Paragon, Rausch, etc.

i mean solid axles and low range are wayyy over rated anyhow.

i can see it now.........world expeditions being led by Freelanders. LOL. what's next? seeing Mayor Marion Barry go a month without doing a line of coke?

 

[expectthebest]

Didn't mean to start an argument! I've learned a lot about Range Rovers and Disco's and just wanted to get some facts on the Freelander. In the end it looks like each does exactly what it was meant for. It just depends on what your needs are including factors like gas mileage, space, off road (including what kins of off road where one might excell over the other), on road and so on.

As long as a Land Rover product continues to perform better in the sticks than other vehicles in that segment and have full time 4x4, I'll consider it a ligit Land Rover. If Freelander does what I am hearing and comes out with a front wheel drive model, all bets are off! SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!!

 

[lagged]

i am not sure what is funnier.........this post or the gay rights poster ("go gay"). LOL.

HDC, ETC make it "better"? how so? please enlighten me.

once again better suspension? how is the weak independent suspension "better"? good lord.

and the best part is the "better underside" comment. not sure what that one means.

wheeling with Discos and they need new air filters? huh? maybe D2s with their intake in the fender well, but not with a D1. and who cares about some dirty filter.

and a lifted Darby has more than a Disco? stock maybe........maybe. but dude.......the Darbys have NO, i mean NO flex. my mothers E320 has more. and i am not kidding.

independent suspension does not lend itself to being lifted what so ever, so i am not sure where you are going with this.

as you can tell i just can't stand these things. they are the red headed step child of the Rover community and will continue to be. but i am sure that being the best selling SUV in the UK will set us all straight.

your old Darby Steve (CVCs) is a decent little ride. but as you and CVC know it is no substitute for a true wheeling vehicle like a D1 or D90.

I was comparing the Freelander to everything else in its class. CRV, Escape, Liberty, the other shit cars in the class. Freelander stomps all over them.

No, it doesn't have a low range. First gear is the same gearing as a D2 in low second, but its not the same, i know. I wish they had a low range.

I don't like independant suspension, but the Freelander's isn't bad. They are a bitch to lift and have too many parts that break for my tastes, but its not terrible for the average person. It handles so much better on the road than a Disco or any other Land Rover, except maybe RR sport, I havn't driven one of those. All I know is I can put the hippo in a 4 wheel drift and not come out of the turn on my roof.

I'm not saying Freelander is the most hardcore offroader by far, its just a great compromise between on and off road. It even handles black trails at Paragon with spotting.

 

[garrett]

Didn't mean to start an argument! I've learned a lot about Range Rovers and Disco's and just wanted to get some facts on the Freelander. In the end it looks like each does exactly what it was meant for. It just depends on what your needs are including factors like gas mileage, space, off road (including what kins of off road where one might excell over the other), on road and so on.

As long as a Land Rover product continues to perform better in the sticks than other vehicles in that segment and have full time 4x4, I'll consider it a ligit Land Rover. If Freelander does what I am hearing and comes out with a front wheel drive model, all bets are off! SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!!

not argument here. just friendly jabbing at dear Steve.

LR (Ford) is like any other car maker. they build what the market demands and there has been a trend to 'soften' up the product line. so they have. they need to pay the bills and that won't happen with a solid axle truck. they need to compete with Mercedes, Lexus, BMW, etc.
a FWD Freelander? i thought it already was? hehe
Land Rover started to die in 1999. hopefully someone in a big office can turn a small part of this around and create a nitch market for some fun stuff.

 

[syoung]

Well, you gotta remember Garrett takes two and two, adds 'em up and gets a purple sweater.
Nobody ever mentioned anything about world expeditions (nobody does that with Discos either, without support vehicles). Nobody said it was the best 'wheelin' truck ever made- YOU keep mentioning that- and if you think your fleet of D1's are the ultimate wheelin truck you're an unbelievable idiot. They aren't even close.

 

[garrett]

Well, you gotta remember Garrett takes two and two, adds 'em up and gets a purple sweater.
Nobody ever mentioned anything about world expeditions (nobody does that with Discos either, without support vehicles). Nobody said it was the best 'wheelin' truck ever made- YOU keep mentioning that- and if you think your fleet of D1's are the ultimate wheelin truck you're an unbelievable idiot. They aren't even close.

they are far from ultimate, but they will do what i need them to do better than the Freeloader........and then some. not to mention they give people the image that i want them to have. a Freelander doesn't have the right image either. Gay Pride parades maybe, but not an off road team-building program.
easy to fix and work on, stronger, more capable and FAR better looking. but somebody has to love the ugly chicks in life, so goes the same with Darby

i just don't think they are helping project the right image for LR. now that it seems to be getting worse i guess it really does not matter now.

to each is own Steve. i'm not trying to convince you otherwise and i know you are not either. good to hear your thoughts.

ps: actually the sweater i am wearing today is blue. and i can't add.

 

[syoung]

Ah well, I'm colourblind...

 

[expectthebest]

What's all the comment about the Freelander and gays? Have the Homo's taken the Freelander as their vehicle of choice or something?

 

[lagged]

Garett just has a complex

 

[SCSL]

I think all of you are just "going gay" ,,, LMAO ,,,

 

[rovercanus]

What's all the comment about the Freelander and gays? Have the Homo's taken the Freelander as their vehicle of choice or something?

Yes.