Road Tests
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Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4 HSE Road Tested
I will be perfectly frank. I don’t wear hairshirts and never will, even if Armani designed one as I am sure they are rough and scratchy and leave chapped skin in the most vunerable of places! Nor would I eat humble pie, even if rent-a-mouth chef, Gordon Ramsey, were to cook one up for me.
I am unrepentant, as should the vast majority of folk in our county who drive 4x4 vehicles and who are forced to feel guilty because it is wrongly claimed they are a major cause of global warming.
Let’s face it, every service bus pumps out more nasty emissions than the total 4x4 fleet. What is more, most 4x4 are now far more economical and have more of a green conscience than some two-wheel cars.
Yet the greens hammer such owners on facts which are decades old, quoting emissions for very old 4x4s which, I admit, were a tad noxious.
It’s like the daft clamour about the dangers of nuclear power, quoting Chernobil which was vastly old technology in bankrupt state.
The world has moved on and wrongs have been righted and it is my understanding that the county’s cows produce a great deal more damaging emissions and 4x4s!
So, I had no conscience at all in taking a 4x4 to test from my classic rally buddy, Gerry Braithwaite, who still pedals his immaculate Mini Cooper with verve and success on events and runs Braithwaite’s Garage, Stainton.
Gerald’s garage specialises in cars under 3 years old, and could have tested a Lamborghini, Porsche, BMW, MINI or any other make but it was the new-shape Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4 HSE which caught my eye.
Have only 20,000 miles on the clock and with extra bling, such as full and not half leather, towing package and awesome audio system, this once-owned vehicle as hardly run in as the previous owner had swallowed the VAT and depreciation to make it very cost-effective.
I didn’t like the original Freelander as it looked too much like a badly designed Tonka toy with its spidery underpinnings on show which did not look up to the job of off-roading, though it proved popular and Land Rover have vastly improved it since to make it look class and purposeful.
The Freelander 2 can be powered by petrol or diesel, and to satisfy the moronic Alliance Against Urban 4x4s(AAU4x4) who stupidly rail against such owners, this latest Freelander TD4-e has earth-hugging qualities such as Stop/Start and a regenerative braking system which harvests kinetic energy to boost power and reduce emissions.
The result is a superb and lively 2.2 diesel and as the Freelander was in fetching silver and sitting on monster alloys, it oozed street cred and presence.
Not dissimilar to a Discovery or even a Range Rover, all three share a similar house design with only size being the real difference, in many ways the Freelander is more attractive because it is less boxy with its forward-sloping C pillar and more rounded rear-quarter windows breaking the squareness.
The interior boasts colour-codeding, twin sun roof and full leather which make it as sumptuous as the Range Rover, so I felt positively regal to be encased in soft leather and enjoying a high driving position.
The front seat seats are heated with a wide range of positions to suit any height and weight of driver, and the back allows great leg room for three in comfort but two in chauffeur driven luxury with the arm rest down, while the boot will accommodate a decent shop or a small bale of hay if you are a horsey type.
In terms of driving, the first thing to notice is the extreme quietness of the lively and very free-revving 160bhp, four cylinder diesel packs a gnat’s whisker off 300Nm of torque.
What is more, the slick 6-speed gearbox was a joy to use in eeking out max power from each gear and which peaked at 4000 rpm.
And that AAU4x4 lot should check out 4x4s before jumping to wild and erroneous ecological conclusions as the Freelander has relatively low emissions of 179g/km and will give around 37mpg, both figures better than many a modern two-wheel saloon.
With plenty of feel and that lively engine, the Freelander swept through our Eden roads easily, and on the motorway it was so quiet in the cruise the only noise you are likely to get is the snoring from passengers.
I had no chance to test take it over really rugged terrain, but on the fell near me, it ploughed through deep sand, climbed steep, grassy slopes and traversed a ridge at a ludicrous angle, helped by the computer system which can be manually adjusted to cope with most conditions.
With a 2 tonne towing capacity hitching a horse box would be no problem, and like many 4x4s, when the tailgate is open it provides perfect grandstand seat for the Point-to-Point or races at Carlisle Racecourse.
I like the Freelander as it is the perfect mix of luxury transport and good off-road capabilities. It proved a real pleasure to chuck about the lanes, yet with Jekyll and Hyde properties it is possible to also pretend you are a chauffeur taking a grand client to lunch.
Were you to buy a new one, the price would upwards of £32,000, but this Braithwaite Freelander at £19,750, which with the considerable extras fitted, is a bargain well worth looking at.
We country bumpkins need to tow and go off-road, and this is a cost-effective Freelander 2 TD4 HSE will enjoy a reasonable residual values.
Story By Tony Brunskill
Vehicle courtesy of Braithwaites Garage Penrith 017684 83254 |
