The lodgers bought a freeloader!

[Chillitt]

It's OK though cos its one of the new ones..
Trouble is, he wants to call it a truck... How do I explain to him that a Freeloader isn't a truck ?

[MattF]

Stout length of wood. Beat him repeatedly with it whilst notifying him of the truth.

[Bogus]

Just because its new, doesnt make it OK.

Bogus

[Chillitt]

Just because its new, doesnt make it OK.

Bogus

True, but if it was an old one it couldn't be OK. He's just texted to say it cuts out at the lights. I said take it back, he said, It's supposed to do that! there's one born every minute....

[PDR]

Ahhh, so he has bought it as a run-around while he looks for a proper 4x4
How can anyone who has owned a Toyota ever contemplate driving a FreeLander? They where a flawed design from day one and will never give the same reliability of a Toyota.

[fonecrusher1]

I considered buying one a few years ago but the monumental amount of critisim the thing has gained since its launch in 97 is staggering. Dear god they're badly built. Apparently they're pretty much 'touch n go' after a few years. Even car dealers warned me about them!!
The current generation looks quite nice but i just couldnt trust it & it still aint a real offroader no matter how much the landy brigade try to convince themselves.
Sorry landy fans if it aint jap its crap.

[Apache]

There's a low mileage 03 plate in a dealer near me for £3k! Thats a lot of motor for £3k, and its not really any less reliable than a lot of other cars of its age.

Most people who buy one will never use it offroad (it was never really designed for it), so in that respect it will probably be OK.

You forget that Toyota (and a few other jap makes) are the exception rather than the rule when it comes to reliability. If I was in the market for something like that, I for one would take that Freelander over a Mondeo or Vectra of similar age, and it will be a similar reliability.

[Chillitt]

Well this one was bought to go off road.. towing a trailer with his enduro bike on it. I do hope he will be all right...

[That Ruddy Squirrel]

Well this one was bought to go off road.. towing a trailer with his enduro bike on it. I do hope he will be all right...

Can the bike tow a trailer load of bits back ?

[fonecrusher1]

Hey apache I get what your sayin but theres a reason freelanders are so cheap! I can think of quite a few F.lander alternatives (that are reliable) I would rather spend a few grand on; subaru forrester, hyundai santa fe, Rav4, Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin, honda crv.
I owned a Pajero Pinin for a year & their cheap, about the same size as freeloader & actually very good offroad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyeGoYJDQUI

[mud skipper]

ask a landy mechanic, for his opinion. great for trade as they have more come backs than franky sinatra. heard of a great fault today, the prop has a viscous coupleling and they some times seize up and the rear drive rips itself from the body.

[Apache]

Pinin is tiny compared to a Freelander. They're as small as a Jimny! Plus they are pure hairdresser.

Landys aren't the most reliable car on the road, and I wouldn't give a Defender a home simply cos they are so bl00dy uncomfortable, but Surf's break too. You only have to read the techy forums on here. I used to have the choice of a V8 Disco, a TDi Disco, a 110 Defender and a Mitsi Warrior for work (often on Salisbury Plain) and as a preference would take the V8 Disco, with the TDi as a 2nd choice. The Mitsi was awful, and as I said, the Defender was just too painful and unreliable. The V8 needed a bit of repair now and again (it got thrashed) but the TDi never let us down. The Mitsi always seemed about to break, and the Defender broke in every way possible!

At the end of the day, a Freeloader would probably be a lot nicer to drive on the road than my modded Surf. I probably wouldn't want to do more than gentle laning in one though.

[fonecrusher1]

"Pinin is tiny compared to a Freelander. They're as small as a Jimny! Plus they are pure hairdresser".
Apache you've probably owned, run & driven a lot more 4x4s than me but youre wrong about the pinin being a lot smaller than the 97 to 06 freelander.
Obviously im on about the 5 door version which offers similar passenger/cargo space & they are far from being 'hairdresser' related off road.
I think you may be referring to the pajero junior.
Sorry mate dont care how nice they are to drive, freelanders are rubbish. Whats the point in spending 3k on a car which will cost you the same amount in replacement parts & labour in a few years of ownership?

[MattF]

The chap next door has a Freelander. It's p1ssing fluid out of the master cylinder at the moment, I believe. Plus one of the windows is stuck partially down.

[fonecrusher1]

The chap next door has a Freelander. It's p1ssing fluid out of the master cylinder at the moment, I believe. Plus one of the windows is stuck partially down.

Thats normal for a freelander.