2.2 SD4 XS manual

Comfortable and capable

I live in the Scottish Highlands, where a 4x4 vehicle of some kind is owned by almost every resident. I have resisted this trend for a while, but finally bought my Freelander last autumn. I couldn't have bought at a better time - we had a lot of snow this winter, and the Freelander confidentially coped with every hill and road condition we encountered. The car is also sufficiently ruggedly built to brush off the potholes and broken road surfaces of the spring.

Comfort is excellent. I like the quality of the interior. My car has the optional extra full-leather seats in cream, which look great with the black exterior of the car. My car has electric seat adjustment, and both my wife and I are able to quickly find an adjustment that suits us. We love the high driving position and excellent visibility. It is a shame our car does not have a seat-position memory. I believe the higher-spec models have memory seats.

Space-wise - all is good. The boot is a decent size, and with the rear seats folded, I have been able to transport a number of furniture items without a problem.

Running costs? I am getting around 40mpg as an average - but this is in the Highlands, where we seldom see much traffic, and can cruise at 50mph much of the time. I am yet to encounter servicing bills.

Performance - The engine has a huge reserve of torque and pulls strongly from very low engine speeds. But it also revs sweetly, and the Freelander is surprisingly rapid when needs be.

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