For those who have not yet experienced the sheer joy of driving this super, long-wheel-base SUV, my advice is to go out and book a test drive so as not to feel left out.
My particular drive included a trip to the Burren in County Clare to visit family members who live close to the Burren Perfumery, just before you come to the little village of Carran. It’s definitely 4WD territory.
The cross country trip to Loughrea and down to Gort was one of those pleasant occasions when all is right with the world - an open road, good radio listening and endless sunshine. The only bad spot was the winding single lane road from Boston up that famous Corkscrew Hill, but the Freelander felt very much at home in this sort of terrain and took everything in its stride.
So relaxed was I on the once-dreaded route, that I found a certain thrill in travelling those particular sinuous pieces of road and even pulled over to view the wonderful view to be seen below the rocky plateau. (I have a fear of heights!)
The driving was certainly made that much easier because of the 5-speed automatic transmission, on all routes I travelled. It was appreciated also when stuck in long traffic tailbacks in Loughrea and Enfield on the return trip.
However for drivers who prefer to exercise their left hand more, they can opt for the manual mode just by tapping the gear shift as required. The best of both worlds, and without the need for a clutch.
For a diesel, it was one of the quietest vehicles I’ve ever driven. You could hear yourself think, unlike the 1.8-litre petrol version which was very noisy and only felt at home when being driven at 30mph or more. The 2.0-litre diesel was also a lot perkier than that petrol model.
It also proved a big hit with my sister and her two under-10s who wanted to go to the seaside. Navigating the narrow road from Carran, up past the famous neolithic tomb with endless tourist coaches proved a doddle, as did the bumpy little track down to the beach at Ballyvaughan. It was a good test for any suspension and this was quite superb. And later, not a complaint from the back on the way home as the two were sound asleep on the extremely comfy seats.
These seats were covered in a cheerful patterned upholstery continued along the doors. After a hard day at the beach, and all that sand, they still managed to look good.
The rear loadspace area proved a big bonus, providing space for all those essentials for a day at the seaside. This loadspace can be covered by a removable spring loaded roller blind. Any small or valuable items can be locked safely away in a stowage box which is set into the loadspace floor.
One other useful gadget allows the tailgate glass door to drop a little when you want to open the rear door so as not to damage the glass. It automatically goes back up afterwards. This window can be lowered from outside the vehicle if you want easy access to the loadspace area when perhaps it’s impossible or inconvenient to open the taildoor. (Or if you are simply too lazy to open the heavy door!)
Smaller cubby areas included a good glove compartment, an expanding strap on the front door cubbies for cans or drinks bottles, two oddments trays on the dash - rubber based so stuff doesn’t slide around and two smaller ones down lower. Another large lidded compartment with two drinkholder depressions in the lid is situated on the driver’s side. This is mainly for access to fuses. A smaller left-hand compartment here could store tapes and CD cases. There is an auxiliary power socket on the central console. Useful netted storage areas in the roof just behind the front seats, where the roof line rises, are great for kids’ bits and bobs on a day trip.
If you really want more load area you can always fold down the rear seats for that extra space.
Other pluses include the reach-and-rake adjustable steering wheel which is nice to handle, and the ‘busy’ looking dash which I found very attractive. Here the instrument panel with its four circular dials certainly looks the part and supplies the usual sort of trip information. The radio is neat and easy to use with nice big buttons. Unfortunately, unlike the 1.8-litre, the turbodiesel car did not come with radio controls on the steering wheel.
Safety features include ABS, Electronic Traction Control, dual airbags, and the Hill Descent Control which allows the Freelander do go safely where other such ‘soft-roaders’ wouldn’t make it at all.
A full tank of diesel took me down and back home again, plus that trip around The Burren to Ballyvaughan, and another day’s driving back on my side of the country. Not bad by any standards!
June 2001
by Trish Whelan