Freelander TD4 - as good as the L-series pre-facelift?

This car belongs to ‪@Mr_Boaty‬ and he's been singing its praises lots, and that's great, but is it really better than the earlier model?
#testdrive #review #landrover #freelander2 #freelander #td4 #projectnigel #daft #silly
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[@donnysweekendvanlifetravel7854]

Having had a td4 freelander a few years ago I now have a 3 door 1.8 k series model and find it much nicer to drive than the BMW engine it's quieter too got it as its ulez compliant

[@markbullock1931]

I would rather Land Rover continue at the time with the K and L series units. I refer to my td4 as an m series more out of embarrassment really. They sold out to the crouts didn't they

[@louisburland5346]

Gl with overheating

[@neilwalsh4058]

Boatys face when you described it as 'classless' was an absolute picture, he was gutted. That's not the image a ten bob millionaire wants to give off 🤣🤣

[@Mr_Boaty]

I enjoyed that very much! Nice work Captain…😊

[@equaliser2265]

I have 199000 on my TD4 auto, 2006 facelift, on and off road its brilliant, been all over europe and the balkans, getting 400 miles to a tank.

[@Dick-Dastardly]

Chops, Classic Wheels Mike, Boaty and now Mustard! What a tour this Freelander is having! 😁 Compared to the earlier model, I do prefer the looks of this Freeloader-with-a-slightly-different-face. Contrasted with modern 'SUV' category carbuncle designs, its an absolute work of art! 😀 It is of course a Rover of sorts, albeit a combined Rover-Ford-BMW. There was a time when you knew BMW was well engineered and some would view the engine as a plus point. Its a pity that these days the notion of BMW parts leads to a cringe! Hopefully this one was designed long enough ago to be reasonably good! The back door business does seem novel and would prove useful in some circumstances but I think you have pointed out the issue. At least it can't come crashing down on yer bonce!🤕 You seem to find it not too bad on the road, which is a plus, as I don't suppose many of these models ever go off it really! Seems to be a positive review with a general Mustard thumbs-up feel. I do think this Freelander-Face looks a sound vehicle. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good acquisition for Mr. Boaty.

[@windymiller5058]

Your comment provoked a thought Dick. Congratulations. I shall share that thought, it relates to the back door. Imagine a person of slight stature trying to either open or close it when the Freecandy is parked on a slope. Not a great experience I would imagine. And I now know why you always see these parked nose in at the supermarket.

[@Dick-Dastardly]

A most interesting thought Windy and a very good point. Having the spare wheel on the door must only make it heavier and therefore even more difficult if on a slope. I suppose that, with a tall vehicle, a person of short stature might also have difficulty reaching up to close a lifting tailgate - perhaps the reason there are an increasing number of push-button closing types. You are right about supermarkets - that being a popular destination for this and most if not all this style of van. I imagine opening the door would have a fair chance of blocking the adjacent thoroughfare.

[@johnchincotta1qwdb15]

Good video Paul,quality build on these vehicles not very good sagging roof lining is also an issue.On the 1.8L petrol cylinder head gasket problems too.

[@AliMackMechanical]

Nice review av had one or two Freelanders going right back to the mk1 from the late 90s I have also had the same model as this one I reckon your right about the L series being the better engine choice I had a lot of problems with all mine needing Clutchs and master Cylinders never had a problem with any of the Dual mass flywheel just the clutch slave of course the master. I wouldn't mind a v6 auto one myself just to say av had one.👍

[@jimmyquinn9639]

Excellent video mustard 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@windymiller5058]

I’ve noticed something very interesting about your car reviews. The first half, where you look around the machine, is a bit silly, surreal and irreverent but when you get to the driving bit, it becomes a bit more serious and a bit more like a proper car review. The sort of thing you’d see on Men and Motors but still a little bit silly, surreal and irreverent. I wonder if it’s because driving is a serious, proper business and walking around a car and looking at it doesn’t need to be so serious? I like all of your car review video, but I do like the silly bit the best. I’ve never been in a Freelander like this. I gave been in a Freelander 2 which i had entirely forgotten about until I sat here thinking really hard about if I’d ever been in a Freelander. I think I’d prefer a Discovery. Another interesting thing I noticed, yesterday was quite a changeable weather day as you might recall. There was a point where it was really super duper rainy and this coincided with it being super duper windy too. My sort of weather apparently, but I don’t know why. Anyway, there’s a tree outside my door and the rain to the left of the tree was blown to the left, and to the right it was blown to the right. Never seen that before. Interesting isn’t it?

[@andyb3666]

Your comments are brilliant 😂

[@johnhutcheson2047]

Nice review. They look like R8 door handles, it certainly uses an interesting mixture of parts from elsewhere but that's part of its character and charm which the Freelander 2 seems to lack.

[@keplermission4947]

Well you know, the older British Aerospace Freelander 1 was higher quality than the BMW facelift and the old 1.8 engine was very efficient but had terrible gears, really hard to learn and the clutch grab was awful so that we had to let every gear change in very slowly. Apparently the Defender also has a clutch that grabs the drive - prepare for that. Heater knobs in the BMW just pull off whereas the original has some other mechanism - be aware of that. The BMW has a plastic insert in the cylinder head and you know, the original had expensive but very problematic metal castings that saw a large number rejected. But the plastic starts to degrade and gets brittle. These are great cars but very pricey to get back into as new condition, if you put the money in, you know, a few £1000, they're going to reward you but they have expensive problems. Finally the old BAe dashboard was based on the 1979 Audi 100 and really nice whereas the Camel Trophy styled later dashboard is not quite as modest and the BMW, certainly a nice looking car with its various engines, but all of the engines have a risk developing serious issues. I would recommend them but only to people with money to spend. They're very nice working as new.

[@philip_christian]

It's difficult to find a pre facelift without rotten sils. The seats on the face lift ones are also better, pre facelift ones are fragile. The face lift door cards can fall to bits though. Very early Freelanders have a simple immobiliser built into the body controller and programming in fobs and keys is easier, whereas in 1999 they went to BMW immobilizers with a chip in the key, and then after that a Sawdoc system. Very early Freelanders have a different front and back diff ratio so it's important that the viscous coupling isn't too viscous, otherwise they get transmission windup and it destroys the rear diff and IRD. The later ones have the same ratio front and back so it's less of a problem. We had a solid flywheel in our TD4 for many years and it didn't cause any problems.

[@philip_christian]

Also..... The TD4 has a slave cylinder that can only be accessed by removing the gearbox (and IRD, and front subframe), and it's made of plastic :-( There is a company in Poland called Tazu that makes a metal slave cylinder for the Freelander and Rover 75 TD4, we have one and I 100% recommended it. Only fit genuine master cylinders because the AP ones are no good and don't have enough capacity to actually release the clutch. Another advantage of the facelift ones is that you can fit a double DIN touchscreen radio.

[@Mr_Boaty]

I programmed a new key and fob for it the other day. Piece of cake, took 30 seconds!

[@philip_christian]

@@Mr_Boaty did you buy the key from a Landrover dealer?

[@Mr_Boaty]

@@philip_christian it was an existing key that had been disabled, and a friend gave me a fob from his old Freelander.

[@philip_christian]

@@Mr_Boaty exactly, with the EWS3D and Sawdoc systems you can enable and disable key chips using pscan, but you can't add a new one. If you want a new key then you have to buy one from LR which is supplied by them preprogrammed to the vehicle. The older Freelanders (97-99) don't have this restriction because there is no chip in the key.

[@equaliser2265]

I now have 200300 miles on her, use 10w40 oil now. Serviced every time. Off road great, on road superb.

[@alextoft9199]

I know it has it faults but there are just certain shapes in the interior and sounds that are 'Roverness' as soon as I see that in any car objectivity goes out the window. (which probably has a broken regulator!) 😅 Also, I was driving my Mum's 2006 C220 Diesel. I thought 'I really like the sound of this, and the way it drives. Makes me smile. I'll do a video like all the others! It's not hard!' 😅 I got my phone out to record the muted but subtle growl and the revy nature of it! In my head there was going to be a debate about 'can diesels sound good!' Watched the video. Was just me heavy breathing and it sounded like a 20 year old taxi! The phone didn't capture it at all! Credit to you. It's harder than it looks! 😂 Our 2006 C Class is special to me. I think it's because it's flawed and not machinically perfect. Got a heft to driving it. Nice long bonnet in front of you and the 3 pointed star. Great autobox too. 😊

[@Mr_Boaty]

Well, yes!

[@ProjectNigel]

Why don't you just say 1st? 😅

[@Mr_Boaty]

@@ProjectNigel I was just answering the question! I’ll actually watch the video now while I make supper. Chinese curry since you didn’t ask! What did you have?

[@ProjectNigel]

Another 9 eggs

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Great review Paul. Lovely example of a terrible car. I went through 2, money box with a hole in the middle.

[@emmajacobs5575]

If someone parks up close behind your Freelander 1, and you can’t open the stupid tailgate, you can open the sensible tailgate window and drop your shopping in through there

[@owensteele1645]

Taking it out for a walk on its seventeen inch quims is the most hilarious thing I heard someone say this fortnight.

[@frothe42]

For it to be a true Land Rover, it needs a brush guard and rear lamp guards. Otherwise it's just a Pretender Freelander.

[@gordonbartlettgb]

I hope you were using Boaty's phone when you were searching for 17" quims

[@SvennsCarchannel]

I think they used the same Getrag gear box in those as used in the 75 with a different gear ratio!

[@emmajacobs5575]

I thought they used the PG1

[@SvennsCarchannel]

@@emmajacobs5575 they have the same Getrag 283 as in Rover 75 and MG ZT.

[@emmajacobs5575]

@@SvennsCarchannel ah, I was thinking of the 1.8 petrol and early L series diesels

[@SvennsCarchannel]

@@emmajacobs5575 as far as i have noticed all of them have the same one☺️

[@stephenbates8370]

+1 for the l series as you know I'm smitten 😂

[@mattquantrill101]

The gearbox comment 😂😂😂

[@longman.420]

👍

[@johnny2scoobs197]

Sorry - not a fan. Give me a Subaru Forester. Scratch that - I’ve already got one 😬

[@StevensPaul]

So it's an English Car built by Krauts FOR English People?! 👀🤪 And Yes, Boaty LIKES a big back Tailgate 🚛🚚 (!!👀!!). It's a Car for old people 😜! Dear God.....

[@lewis72]

Freelander was built in Halewood, Liverpool, I think.

[@Mr330d]

@@lewis72 only the freelander 2

[@lewis72]

@@Mr330d Oh yes, Freelander 1 built at Solihull, so neither were "built by Krauts".

[@niceviewoverthere4463]

Smooth? Sounded horribly diesely to me.

[@mikeymike3240]

Typical Rover, bleeding headlining sagging as usual, DOH 🙄, niiiiiiiiiiice video guys. Ps……Statler and Waldorf spring to mind.😮

[@stepheng8779]

Crap car, worst heap of junk it's been my misfortune to own. You're right about the back door though we had to park as close to walls as possible cos the rear window used to come down on its own 🤦 Then all the windows started doing it so it was never left alone. Useless thing spent more time at the garage than in mine, even broke down on way to trade it in 💩

[@jameshogg601]

Terrible on fuel, stupid back door. Numb to drive and a very encroaching wheel arches in the loading space. Gutless and no low range so crap off road too.

[@Mr330d]

A Remap will gain it +44LB-FT torque but then might shred the clutch 🤣

[@interceptor-ss8kb]

Never liked the freelander, it always shouted out I couldn't afford a real 4x4.

[@MacklandsMotors]

It is a REAL 4x4, anything a Disco can do, it just can about do too

[@interceptor-ss8kb]

@@MacklandsMotorsI Wouldn't go that far

[@jameshogg601]

@MacklandsMotors absolute nonsense. We have a freelander commercial, and a disco 1 and there is no comparison

[@andyb3666]

Don't think this is true, it wasn't exactly cheap, not everyone wanted a Discovery size 4x4

[@interceptor-ss8kb]

@Andy B they were unreliable badly made Junk

[@user-ms7us7zv4l]

Body excelent , electrical good, engine l series crap

[@doodemog]

Freelander 1, no thanks unreliable heap I will stick to FL2

[@janegerrard1073]

I still have a snapped crankshaft in the shed from one of those BMW engines. L series was a few HP less but a much stronger engine.