Land Rover Freelander (06 on) - Review

Land Rover has taken all its off-road knowledge and put it into an upmarket package to create the excellent Freelander 2. Refinement is a key strength and the Land Rover is as happy plugging through deep mud as it is cruising on the motorway or taking on the school run. Compared to the previous Freelander, quality and reliability have taken a huge leap forward too and this model feels as robust and well built as a Land Rover should. Thanks to a spacious interior it's a great family car and ideal for towing caravans or trailers. It's available with a strong 2.2-litre diesel engine which offers reasonable economy and new from mid-2009 is a fuel-saving stop and start system, which shuts down the engine when the car is stopped in traffic. The only downside is that it looks expensive compared to other similarly capable 4x4s. The Land Rover Freelander 2.2 TD4S is extremely capable both on and off-road. It’s robust well-built and reliable and manages the neat trick of being relatively car-like to drive. It has an upmarket feel, it comes with a prestigious badge sensible purchase price and, for a 4x4, suprisingly good fuel economy. In 2010, For the first time in its history Land Rover has broken with tradition and developed a two-wheel-drive model in the form of the refreshed Freelander. To some traditionalists this may seem that Land Rover is going against its heritage with the introduction of two-wheel drive cars, but the marque has to move with the times. Reducing emissions and running costs are vital in this age of austerity and Land Rover may have found the answer by appealing to more customers with the introduction of two-wheel drive. Taking all these factors into account this is why the the 2.2 TD4S won the 2011 Parkers 4x4 cost of motoring award.