Terry Everall Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 Margaret loses her company car on Friday and needs new car ( to save her driving my Boxster!) need a 4x4 with reasonable economy, diesel and budget of about £6k Mk1 Freelander seems ok? Also where is best place to look other than ebay and pistonheads? Quote
blankczechbook Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 only a newer mk1.. and that seems like quite a bit of money for a mk1... 3drs are cheaper by a chunk if you don't need the back doors. check the viscous and all electric windows.. and handbrake cables.. and abs on a loose surface.. brakes can suffer knock back and caliper sliders sieze. the faults are all easy to look for so a cheaper mk1 is a good buy. Quote
peterg Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 Toyota Rav4, Honda CRV, Nissan X-Trail etc Wasn't the mk1 LR Freelander voted the most unreliable car in the UK a year or two after it came out Quote
cabbron Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 dont get an x trail or freelander,crv possibly but part time viscous 4x4 never seems like the other two wheels kick in soon enough.i have had most 4x4's over the years.a bit of an unsung heroe is a hyundai terracan,had one for 3 years and its cost zilch in repairs,regularly tows 2.5 tonnes(limit 2.8),does 34mpg on average,loads of room and a top spec diesel with all the toys and sensible miles is in your budget. Quote
sparky21 Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 Toyota Rav4, Honda CRV, Nissan X-Trail etc Wasn't the mk1 LR Freelander voted the most unreliable car in the UK a year or two after it came out And one of the worst performers in ncap crash ratings, used to work at coachworks years ago and remember every freelander we had come in with a front end shunt the pedals were always right up with you knees... IMHO I would never have one.... Quote
Dibby Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 Saw that on a Top or 5th Gear, it folded in the middle in a crash test ... but then I do love driving a car made from a bathtub with all the crash protection of a crisp bag Quote
Jenko Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 I bought a CRV last Dec...part of it was because our little lad often needs to go to hospital, the other part was I fancied something a bit different. Have to say, I'm most impressed...Possibly a little out of your budget, but I went for the later model that drives more like a car...Yes, it's not an out and out offroader, but it hacked me through the snow with no issues...it a deisel so it does 41mpg on the combined....I went for a higher milage one but top spec :-) Quote
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 Saw that on a Top or 5th Gear, it folded in the middle in a crash test ... but then I do love driving a car made from a bathtub with all the crash protection of a crisp bag Top Gear had the post test wreck of one in the studio during a feature on the Euroencap 5 rated cars. The state of the passenger cell was shocking. I suspect bathtub drivers probably trundle about with a bit more consideration of their own mortality, whereas the 4x4 tends to give that Tonka toy feeling of invulnerability to the driver. Quote
RobC Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 we enjoyed our freelander... and went green laning in it quiet a lot...although the EGR valve's are a def: problem on the later ones with the bmw 320d engine. Really good offroad, we looked at the honda's and where very dissapointed at the cheapy feel. Mate had a CRV ones and his wouldn't even pulls his mates honda off a curb when he beach it... on the plus side the FL will pull a trailer but sadly will complain at hills... MPG return was about 38mpg HILUX? ours is by far the best off roader we've driven.... and at 60 on the motorway I get 34mpg Quote
Captain Colonial Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 Saw that on a Top or 5th Gear, it folded in the middle in a crash test ... but then I do love driving a car made from a bathtub with all the crash protection of a crisp bag Top Gear had the post test wreck of one in the studio during a feature on the Euroencap 5 rated cars. The state of the passenger cell was shocking. I suspect bathtub drivers probably trundle about with a bit more consideration of their own mortality, whereas the 4x4 tends to give that Tonka toy feeling of invulnerability to the driver. Yep, saw that too, horrifying stuff. The other argument I read about was when Richard Branson wrecked a Range Rover on the M40. Rolled it over swerving to avoid another car, and was so impressed with the rigidity he ordered 6 for his fleet of cars to transport Upper Class passengers. Which, of course, completely ignored the fact that the Range Rover is so top-heavy in C of G terms with such a soft suspension that it caused the roll to begin with, and that if he'd been driving a regular car, there may have been no accident at all. But back to the thread, the Honda CRV is indeed a good shout. The question is, how much in terms of capability does the 4x4 need to be? Snow and off-road tracks, or true mud-slugging and hill climbing? Quote
mikef Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 I've had a Hyundai Tucson since Dec 2010 and am very pleased with it. No frills but therefore less to go wrong. 2 litre Diesel getting 38 mpg. It is also of a size that suits her indoors. Quote
Terry Everall Posted May 24, 2011 Author Posted May 24, 2011 The car will need to pull a horse trailer with one pony in it across wet grass paddocks Quote
RobC Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 IMHO.... I go FL they have there problems, which can be over come. BUT they will do the job. Having said that I wouldn't pay 6k for one.. find a 4k one or lower Quote
RobC Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 2k one here and there are loads all 2157 of them on ebay here you go Quote
RobC Posted May 24, 2011 Posted May 24, 2011 pm'd you terry.. I am busy at work if anyones asks... Quote
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