The Phat Tank - Freelander 2
Discussion
It's been a while since I purchased a new (to me) car that I wanted to create a readers car thread, but here we are. It's barely worthy really, but I find them quite enjoyable to write and like to look back on them occasionally, so here we are.
Firstly we probably need a recap. I've had quite a few cars over the years. My last decent car was my BR9 Legacy that I imported from Japan. That was a pretty cool car. Thread here, but I sold it in July 2023. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Since then, I started off by using the blue Picasso that was originally my wifes car https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... as we got her a 208 to replace it. Fast forward to April this year we decided the 208 was just too small for her needs and the Picasso was dying, so I got her a 2008 (the slightly bigger version of the 208) and I started using the 208. Both are 3 cylinder 1.2 petrol
It's been fine for the last 6 months(ish) but not ideal. I commute along the M27 and M3, and as you can imagine a small engine Peugeot isn't brilliant at this. 3500RPM for 20mins doesn't do it much good, and it gets through quite a bit of oil (these engines are bad for it regardless, but I'm sure this extended motorway run isn't helping) plus it's just not very nice, especially after 12hr night shifts.
The final straw was last month, when we went on holiday as a family to Cornwall (about 4hr away). We had to take my wifes 2008 (with the same engine) and whilst it coped, it wasn't ideal. High revs, cramped for the 4 of us etc. It did it, although after 4hrs solid on the way home it started spluttering. It cooked the plugs, which I swapped once home. It was time to get something more suitable.
I didn't really know what I wanted, but I quite like XC70s after having a few, but they are very expensive these days. 2010 versions, with 150k are 6/7/8k. Crazy money imho. I looked at XC60s but couldn't find one that seemed reasonable. I looked at V70s and Jag XF Estates (I like estates) but all were high mileage for my budget. Etc Etc. In reality I'd been looking online for months at all sorts but nothing grabbed me.
Until last week. We'd rescued a poorly hedgehog and I had to drop it over to a rescue near Beaulieu. On the way home I went past a small garage and spotted a gleaming Freelander parked outside with a price in the window. It was up for £6500. More than I wanted to spend, but the days of the cheap car seem to have gone (see above, XC70s for upwards of 6K which would have been 3k a few years back). A test drive was undertaken, a check of the paperwork showed good history including Haldex fluid change etc. It was overdue a cambelt change, so an offer was made, 6k with a belt change. Cheeky, but worth a try. Turns out the actual price was £6750 but he'd marked it wrong on the forecourt. I left it.
Long story short, someone else offered £5750 (new price was £5995 due to cambelt being overdue) and paid a deposit but then dropped out on the day of collection due to getting pulled near Exeter doing more than a ton. He lost his deposit. The garage contacted me and asked if I was still looking. Said they'd take £5500. We eventually agreed on £5250 which is a good price for one of the later one like this. 4.5k gets you a 2011 150k version.
So what have I got, and why?
It's a 2013 Freelander 2 GS, with the 6 speed manual, having covered 97k. Its green with heated cream leather interior. It's fairly basic spec for one of these. No winter pack, so no heated screen or steering wheel. Manual seats (but heated which I really wanted). Basic stereo with BT streaming. No rear sub (they removed this from the MY13 GS for some reason). No nav. I figured I could cope with these things as basically there is less to go wrong given its 11 years old. Heated screens fail, the nav is useless now etc. The manual has the 150bhp TD4 lump (the late SD4 is auto only). I wanted a manual so the wife could drive it if required (she doesnt like autos)
I did a ton of research before committing, and was pleased to see that on the whole they seem the most reliable of the Land Rover family. There are issues with them obviously, but nothing compared to their big brothers.Owners really seem to rate them, including a few threads on here. Repair costs aren't horrific and 40mpg seemed viable. Exciting it is not, but I couldn't care less about excitement these days. I just want something that is quite, comfortable with the rubbish roads we have, and a nice place to be on a cold, dark and wet drive to and from work during the winter. The added ability it has when conditions are less than ideal is a nice bonus. I also managed 42mpg going to and from work the other day. In a way it reminds me of the old Citroen BX estate I used to share with a friend. Just a tool to do a job, which is really what I want these days, especially with a few longer trips to come over the coming months (you may have seen my thread about my mother moving to the other end of the country....)
Some more to come shortly but this is more than enough for a first post. Apologies!
Firstly we probably need a recap. I've had quite a few cars over the years. My last decent car was my BR9 Legacy that I imported from Japan. That was a pretty cool car. Thread here, but I sold it in July 2023. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Since then, I started off by using the blue Picasso that was originally my wifes car https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... as we got her a 208 to replace it. Fast forward to April this year we decided the 208 was just too small for her needs and the Picasso was dying, so I got her a 2008 (the slightly bigger version of the 208) and I started using the 208. Both are 3 cylinder 1.2 petrol
It's been fine for the last 6 months(ish) but not ideal. I commute along the M27 and M3, and as you can imagine a small engine Peugeot isn't brilliant at this. 3500RPM for 20mins doesn't do it much good, and it gets through quite a bit of oil (these engines are bad for it regardless, but I'm sure this extended motorway run isn't helping) plus it's just not very nice, especially after 12hr night shifts.
The final straw was last month, when we went on holiday as a family to Cornwall (about 4hr away). We had to take my wifes 2008 (with the same engine) and whilst it coped, it wasn't ideal. High revs, cramped for the 4 of us etc. It did it, although after 4hrs solid on the way home it started spluttering. It cooked the plugs, which I swapped once home. It was time to get something more suitable.
I didn't really know what I wanted, but I quite like XC70s after having a few, but they are very expensive these days. 2010 versions, with 150k are 6/7/8k. Crazy money imho. I looked at XC60s but couldn't find one that seemed reasonable. I looked at V70s and Jag XF Estates (I like estates) but all were high mileage for my budget. Etc Etc. In reality I'd been looking online for months at all sorts but nothing grabbed me.
Until last week. We'd rescued a poorly hedgehog and I had to drop it over to a rescue near Beaulieu. On the way home I went past a small garage and spotted a gleaming Freelander parked outside with a price in the window. It was up for £6500. More than I wanted to spend, but the days of the cheap car seem to have gone (see above, XC70s for upwards of 6K which would have been 3k a few years back). A test drive was undertaken, a check of the paperwork showed good history including Haldex fluid change etc. It was overdue a cambelt change, so an offer was made, 6k with a belt change. Cheeky, but worth a try. Turns out the actual price was £6750 but he'd marked it wrong on the forecourt. I left it.
Long story short, someone else offered £5750 (new price was £5995 due to cambelt being overdue) and paid a deposit but then dropped out on the day of collection due to getting pulled near Exeter doing more than a ton. He lost his deposit. The garage contacted me and asked if I was still looking. Said they'd take £5500. We eventually agreed on £5250 which is a good price for one of the later one like this. 4.5k gets you a 2011 150k version.
So what have I got, and why?
It's a 2013 Freelander 2 GS, with the 6 speed manual, having covered 97k. Its green with heated cream leather interior. It's fairly basic spec for one of these. No winter pack, so no heated screen or steering wheel. Manual seats (but heated which I really wanted). Basic stereo with BT streaming. No rear sub (they removed this from the MY13 GS for some reason). No nav. I figured I could cope with these things as basically there is less to go wrong given its 11 years old. Heated screens fail, the nav is useless now etc. The manual has the 150bhp TD4 lump (the late SD4 is auto only). I wanted a manual so the wife could drive it if required (she doesnt like autos)
I did a ton of research before committing, and was pleased to see that on the whole they seem the most reliable of the Land Rover family. There are issues with them obviously, but nothing compared to their big brothers.Owners really seem to rate them, including a few threads on here. Repair costs aren't horrific and 40mpg seemed viable. Exciting it is not, but I couldn't care less about excitement these days. I just want something that is quite, comfortable with the rubbish roads we have, and a nice place to be on a cold, dark and wet drive to and from work during the winter. The added ability it has when conditions are less than ideal is a nice bonus. I also managed 42mpg going to and from work the other day. In a way it reminds me of the old Citroen BX estate I used to share with a friend. Just a tool to do a job, which is really what I want these days, especially with a few longer trips to come over the coming months (you may have seen my thread about my mother moving to the other end of the country....)
Some more to come shortly but this is more than enough for a first post. Apologies!
First things first. I got the car booked in for a cambelt change. The earlier ones were 150k/10 year intervals. This was revised to 105k or 7 years on both the SD4 and the facelift TD4 (like this one). Whichever way you look at it, it's overdue by a year and potentially 30k. This is due to be done towards the end of October.
Next up was tyres. For it's MOT it needed two new fronts. Obviously the cheapest available were fitted, in this case a pair of Runways. The rears were worn Davantis that would have needed replacing in the near future. I considered getting two more Runways but ended up getting a reasonable deal on 4 Pirelli Scorpions, which were fitted today. They have really improved the ride and road noise. I kept the two new Runway and they're currently on eBay to see if I can recover a few quid.
The final part to mention at this time is rust. Land Rovers seem to like rusting. The Freelander struggles with rot on the subframes, and this one, whilst not awful is no exception. It was the only thing noted on the new MOT.
Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i
The plan is to treat this in the next week or so, and then apply Lanoguard or similar just to prevent it from worsening as I'm really aiming for a few years from this car. After watching some reviews I've ordered neutrarust 661, which you paint on the affected areas and it converts the surface rust. Whilst not ideal to be doing this, I don't believe you'll find a rust free example at the lower end of the market these days. These cars are a minimum of 10 years old now, having been made until 2014.
Apart from that, the plan is just to use the car to waft too and from work, and undertake a few longer trips over the coming months. We as a family have to go to North Wales at some point, which is a solid 5hrs from home, and I'll potentially go and visit my mother at some point all the way up in Cumbria (against my better judgement). Let's hope the Phat Tank (named by the youngest) treats us well. Exciting it isn't. Competent it is.
Next up was tyres. For it's MOT it needed two new fronts. Obviously the cheapest available were fitted, in this case a pair of Runways. The rears were worn Davantis that would have needed replacing in the near future. I considered getting two more Runways but ended up getting a reasonable deal on 4 Pirelli Scorpions, which were fitted today. They have really improved the ride and road noise. I kept the two new Runway and they're currently on eBay to see if I can recover a few quid.
The final part to mention at this time is rust. Land Rovers seem to like rusting. The Freelander struggles with rot on the subframes, and this one, whilst not awful is no exception. It was the only thing noted on the new MOT.
Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))
Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i
The plan is to treat this in the next week or so, and then apply Lanoguard or similar just to prevent it from worsening as I'm really aiming for a few years from this car. After watching some reviews I've ordered neutrarust 661, which you paint on the affected areas and it converts the surface rust. Whilst not ideal to be doing this, I don't believe you'll find a rust free example at the lower end of the market these days. These cars are a minimum of 10 years old now, having been made until 2014.
Apart from that, the plan is just to use the car to waft too and from work, and undertake a few longer trips over the coming months. We as a family have to go to North Wales at some point, which is a solid 5hrs from home, and I'll potentially go and visit my mother at some point all the way up in Cumbria (against my better judgement). Let's hope the Phat Tank (named by the youngest) treats us well. Exciting it isn't. Competent it is.
I bought a 3 year old 2013 Freelander 2 HSE. It was approved used, had an huge amount of options, and was 18k when I bought it with low miles from a main dealer. Mine was a manual as I hate automatics.
I utterly loved it. They had a major interior upgrade in the last year, and it really felt like a mini Range Rover. It felt like driving a comfy armchair. Keep an eye on the turbo actuator. Michelin cross climates are brilliant. They blow headlight bulbs for fun, but they are the worlds easiest things to change, just a spanner and pull out the headlight. It was brilliant at towing my race car.
I utterly loved it. They had a major interior upgrade in the last year, and it really felt like a mini Range Rover. It felt like driving a comfy armchair. Keep an eye on the turbo actuator. Michelin cross climates are brilliant. They blow headlight bulbs for fun, but they are the worlds easiest things to change, just a spanner and pull out the headlight. It was brilliant at towing my race car.
We have an early one in the family. Bought very cheap with highish miles. Aside from the common issues (steering rack, wheel bearings) it has been superb over 4 years. Great tow car. Quite thirsty (seems to do the same as our TD6 L322 did on a run) but doesn’t matter in our use.
Oil filter placement is…frustrating!
Oil filter placement is…frustrating!
I'll look forward to that then.....
Annoyingly I popped into a shop today for all of 5 mins, and when I returned a civic was parked unbelievably close to the passenger side. Their door has left a mark on my door, and they also slightly scraped the rear arch. It's not enough to have an argument with them about, so once home I spent a little time giving it a quick wash and a polish, and thankfully have removed 95% of the damage. The space was clearly wasn't big enough for them, I'm not sure why they even tried! t
t.
Anyway, what's did strike me is the depth of the green. Originally I thought it British Racing Green but it has a flake, which really shows under torch light (it was getting dark). The colour is insane. Easily my favourite colour car I've ever had.
Annoyingly I popped into a shop today for all of 5 mins, and when I returned a civic was parked unbelievably close to the passenger side. Their door has left a mark on my door, and they also slightly scraped the rear arch. It's not enough to have an argument with them about, so once home I spent a little time giving it a quick wash and a polish, and thankfully have removed 95% of the damage. The space was clearly wasn't big enough for them, I'm not sure why they even tried! t
t.Anyway, what's did strike me is the depth of the green. Originally I thought it British Racing Green but it has a flake, which really shows under torch light (it was getting dark). The colour is insane. Easily my favourite colour car I've ever had.
My father had a 59 plate GS TD4e manual from new and did 100k or so miles in it. I looked after it for a couple of weeks in 2010 when he was on holiday and really liked driving it. It was much more sparse than your car inside; cloth seats etc.
He really enjoyed it. The only thing I recall going wrong is that he had 5 new wheel bearings in his ownership. They were a massive step up from the original Freelander, and more of an honest Land Rover than the later Disco Sport.
He really enjoyed it. The only thing I recall going wrong is that he had 5 new wheel bearings in his ownership. They were a massive step up from the original Freelander, and more of an honest Land Rover than the later Disco Sport.
Jobbo said:
My father had a 59 plate GS TD4e manual from new and did 100k or so miles in it. I looked after it for a couple of weeks in 2010 when he was on holiday and really liked driving it. It was much more sparse than your car inside; cloth seats etc.
He really enjoyed it. The only thing I recall going wrong is that he had 5 new wheel bearings in his ownership. They were a massive step up from the original Freelander, and more of an honest Land Rover than the later Disco Sport.
Agree - there was a problem when I got my FL2 (turbo actuator) when I bought it approved used. I was given a brand new Disco sport for 2 weeks while it was sorted, and I genuinely preferred the FL2. The disco sport felt like a step down in quality (although I liked the automatic tailgate!).He really enjoyed it. The only thing I recall going wrong is that he had 5 new wheel bearings in his ownership. They were a massive step up from the original Freelander, and more of an honest Land Rover than the later Disco Sport.
FFS. Got a massive nail through my brand new front tyres. Far too close to the edge to be repaired, so had to get a replacement after less than 100 miles. Literally cannot believe it. £130 down the drain. Go fund me is here....
Otherwise a new door lock cover arrived via the post today. The original wouldn't sit flush for some reason, and for 7 quid I figured a replacement wasn't a bad idea.
Really easy to pop off and back on
Have managed to find some rubber mats via gumtree for £40. They seem to be £60/70/80 on eBay so chuffed with that, assuming I've not been scammed and they actually turn up.
Otherwise the underside treatment is progressing. I've done the rear subframe now and most of the front alongside the wishbones and front brakes. Just the rear brakes to cover and then I think I'll Lanoguard the entire underside, just to keep it looking better and keep any thoughts of rust away. It's been really enjoyable getting under it and actually making a difference.
Update: Mats arrived. Bargain!
Otherwise a new door lock cover arrived via the post today. The original wouldn't sit flush for some reason, and for 7 quid I figured a replacement wasn't a bad idea.
Really easy to pop off and back on
Have managed to find some rubber mats via gumtree for £40. They seem to be £60/70/80 on eBay so chuffed with that, assuming I've not been scammed and they actually turn up.
Otherwise the underside treatment is progressing. I've done the rear subframe now and most of the front alongside the wishbones and front brakes. Just the rear brakes to cover and then I think I'll Lanoguard the entire underside, just to keep it looking better and keep any thoughts of rust away. It's been really enjoyable getting under it and actually making a difference.
Update: Mats arrived. Bargain!
Edited by S100HP on Wednesday 25th September 16:27
We had a 57 plate TD4 XS for about four years from 2009. Only sold it due to getting a company car. Really enjoyed having it. Only took it to 75k miles, but all it needed in that time were one set of tyres and a headlight bulb.
Far, far more reliable than any of the newer and more complex Land Rover products. Enjoy!
Far, far more reliable than any of the newer and more complex Land Rover products. Enjoy!
I'm looking between one of these, a Disco' sport or an Evoque at the moment. Depends how much I feel like spending when I find one nearby.
What are these like for rust? I've seen complaints about the fuel tank cover disintegrating (don't care about this myself as not important part). Do you know if the sills dissolve like on Disco' 3 and 4?
What are these like for rust? I've seen complaints about the fuel tank cover disintegrating (don't care about this myself as not important part). Do you know if the sills dissolve like on Disco' 3 and 4?
Tractor Driver said:
Personally, I’d avoid any Disco Sports / Ewoks powered by the later Ingenium 2.0 unit. Early ones had the old PSA 2.2 diesel unit (as per the Freelander 2), which is a whole lot more robust.
I'm with you on that, anything with the Ingenium engine is being immediately ruled out. I'm sure there are plenty of good ones out there but I fancy my chances of getting a good Ford engine more.Almost two months into Phat Tank ownership and I bloody love it.
I probably mentioned in my original post that I negotiated a reduction based on the cambelt needing doing. It went into a local garage for that at the end of October, costing around £420 after a nice NHS discount. That was a weight off my mind as it was a bit overdue.
I also today fitted a new battery. The stop start hasn't worked on the car since I got it and I suspected the battery was low. It was a bit slower to turn over on colder mornings and revs dropped when heated seats, lights and heating were on first thing. Having the battery tested today showed it at 51% health. Unfortunately for me the stop start batteries are fking expensive! £204 of your finest English pounds expensive! It is massive tho!
Nevermind. Popped the original battery out and replaced with a new. Apparently it takes several days to realise it has a new battery and for stop start to work again. Only it doesn't. I've driven it this afternoon and it kicked in immediately the first time I stopped, which is excellent.
Otherwise it's doing sterling service wafting me to and from work early morning and late at night, and trundling around in-between.
Long live the phat tank! It's been brilliant so far.
I probably mentioned in my original post that I negotiated a reduction based on the cambelt needing doing. It went into a local garage for that at the end of October, costing around £420 after a nice NHS discount. That was a weight off my mind as it was a bit overdue.
I also today fitted a new battery. The stop start hasn't worked on the car since I got it and I suspected the battery was low. It was a bit slower to turn over on colder mornings and revs dropped when heated seats, lights and heating were on first thing. Having the battery tested today showed it at 51% health. Unfortunately for me the stop start batteries are f
king expensive! £204 of your finest English pounds expensive! It is massive tho!Nevermind. Popped the original battery out and replaced with a new. Apparently it takes several days to realise it has a new battery and for stop start to work again. Only it doesn't. I've driven it this afternoon and it kicked in immediately the first time I stopped, which is excellent.
Otherwise it's doing sterling service wafting me to and from work early morning and late at night, and trundling around in-between.
Long live the phat tank! It's been brilliant so far.
Edited by S100HP on Monday 18th November 15:50
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