4 x 4 question ( Quite long)

TicTac

TicTac

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My trusty old vauxhall monteray ( It is the same as an Isuzu trooper) broke down this morning on the way to work. My alternator has gone. The vehicle has now been towed to the garage for repair which will cost about £250.00. I have had this vehicle for 8 years and she has done 187.000 miles. Over the years I have owned her I have only had standard wear and tear repairs done. ie new clutch and cylinder ( most expensive repair) shock absorbers. tyres, exhaust, the odd minor MOT expense etc and now today the alternator. My husband keeps on telling me to get rid of the car which is now 15 years old but I don't want to as I only have £2000 to spend on another vehicle and I certainly wont get much for p/ex.

For those of you who have freelanders, are they reliable and what are the cost of repairs like? I do not need a 4 x 4 for towing. My car is a god send in thease weather conditions and in general with carting all my horse stuff around. Forgive me for saying this but I always feel that a freelander is a poor mans 4 x 4 and not upto much, so can you prove me wrong?

Failing that I could go for a small economical car that is still going to be about 10 years old with no guarantee to mechanical soundness.

I am sad as I love my Ruby, but my husband doesn't! Advice please
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I have had nothing but bad experiences of Freelanders. I rather agree with your opinion of them. But waiting for others to spring to their defence!
 
Would never have another Freelander again as long as I live.

I'd spend your money on a Pajero or similar. You can pick them up quite reasonably and they are real workhorses.
 
Due to the size of yours I would say that the freelander will be a bit of a shock to you as they aren't that big.

If your car is reliable, I would pay the £250 and keep it going, then you can still save and eventually when it does go really wrong you will have more saved up for a newer car?
 
I too have a vauxhall Monterey (Automatic) & It broke down the day before New Years Eve
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, had it towed home to my house but have not had it looked at yet as am very short of funds
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. I can honestly say that in the 5/6 years i have owned this car i have never had a days trouble with it and it is a complete work horse as well as being a lovely car to drive
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. I have only paid out for servicing ,Tyres & Odd little things here & there. She has clocked up 170,000 miles which is nothing for this type of car. She too is 15 years old & because i am skint i think i am going to have to have her scrapped
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(still deciding) and if so i will be walking for a while as funds are none existant.
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Why don't you have a look on ebay for a Monterey replacement, that is where i bought my girl from & paid £1,400 for her, best investment i have ever made
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. If i had the money i would go out and but the same car again. There are parts on ebay you can buy

Good Luck
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having just bought a monterey i think its done you well and would pay to replace the alternator and keep going.dont like the freelanders better to have an older but proper 4 x 4
 
I would repair your current car...you could buy a replacement with loads of issues but at least you are familar with your car and what its had done etc.

Wouldnt have a freelander.....my farmer calls em toy cars. You are better off with a 'proper' 4x4.
 
I am on my 4th Isuzu Trooper, they are brilliant. I am faced with the problem that my current one is now 11 years old. It is the last of the 3.1 TD models. The newer 3.0 model is not one you should buy because it had a lot of problems with the oil coolers and even the main dealer told me to avoid them. Sadly they stopped making them now. I will probably go for a Toyota Landcruiser next as I use it for towing.
 
I have a freelander and really like it.... I need it to cart me and my dog around as well as tow and it does both of these really well. I have had mine for 4 years. It has got my other half to work everyday in all the snow we have had.....

I do agree that the boot space is not huge tho.
 
Freelanders are ok if you buy one aged approx 2001 onwards (the new shape before the current new shape!). Petrol engines before this were the k series petrol which had terrible problems with head gaskets going, and the diesel engine was very sluggish. The later models are a big improvement. Having said that, I have an 11 year old discovery with 150k on the clock that I run on LPG and I would have no hesitation getting another. Portable kennel, tack room, taxi for kids (has 7 seats) and of course going to Tesco and even (!) work!
However, if your car is reliable, as someone above said, I'd be inclined to pay the £250 to mend your car and save up for another. £2000 will buy you another 4 x 4 of some description but unless your lucky, you may end up with more problems than you have already. Good luck!
 
I wouldnt touch a freelander with a barge pole we have had 2 and both had major engine problems costing us a fortune apart form the engine the back window drops down and shatters for no reason.
My OH is a car dealer so we come across good & bad in most makes of cars.
 
Our freelander was great in the snow, ok on fuel, and saved me and my mum when another truck hit us! Only thing i would say is that as you already know they arnt good to tow with and also they arnt good off road, even driving over a flat field of grass in the summer ours used to struggle.
 
Yay..........many thanks to all of you who have replied. Ruby stays as she is one of the most reliable vehicles I have ever owned and as some have said, a true and good work horse. A solid and safe 4 x 4

My husband can be a bit of a bully when it comes to cars as he changes his often and he can't understand why I still have mine ( ermm cost of replacing maybe?!) So, here's to the next 100,000 miles.
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Here she is. Ruby Vaux!


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With our 2nd baby due and 3 dogs and various horses, we've decided to get a 4x4 and having sought advice from every possible person, it seems the Toyota Landcruiser comes highly recommended. My husband wants a land rover defender but I think they just look too uncomfortable. Funnily he's of the opinion that freelanders should be avoided at all costs.
 
If you want a 4 x 4 for getting around then the Japanese ones have a good name, even the smaller ones not big enough for towing.

I think the newer Freelanders are OK, but you are talking big money for a new model. I wouldn't get an older model as they have a very bad reputation.

I would be tempted to get yours repaired and start researching and saving for a replacement. I know just what you mean about keeping an old favourite, I have just sold a 20 year old Shogun, and still see it driving around (probably to the petrol station!!)
 
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Freelanders shouldn't even be a 4 by 4 there pretty awful from what Ive heard!

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beg to differ i'm afraid

i have a 7 yr old freelander, it tows fine (not 2 horses!) is great in the snow & best of all other than the standard servicing the only money i have spent on it has been getting the front brakes done!! it has the original exhaust, tyres etc & has never broken down

i plan on getting a new one shortly & know many people who are on their 2nd or 3rd

i tend to find alot of people who berate them have never owned or driven one, the only people i know who have bad things to say about them who have owned one have been the people who had the early models (late 1990's) & to be fair i know more people who who bad ones than good on the late 90's models
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..... and saved me and my mum when another truck hit us! .... even driving over a flat field of grass in the summer ours used to struggle.

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too true they are rock solid, mine has been involved in 4 bumps (not major) & whilst the cars that have hot me have had at least a few hundred £ repairs needed my car has never had more than a scuff on the bumper & the tracking knocked out & a lump taken out of the alloy when someone drove into the back side of it

surprised what you say about driving over the fields though as most summers mine gets used to bring trailer loads of hay in from the fields
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I would pay to have the alternator done, have a scout round on the internet and see what you can get, as the prices do tend to differ from place to place.

I am in a similar situation with my disco, and have just spent £500 on a large range of small repairs to get her through the MOT.... at 12 years old and 139,000 on the clock I think I did pretty well.

I looked at the freelanders before I got the disco, and felt that it was just a glorified family car..... infact the octavia that I had had the same pulling power and a bigger boot!
 
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