2002 Land Rover Freelander

Any vehicle with the prestigious Land Rover name has instant snob appeal and impressive off-road abilities. After all, Land Rover came up with the first luxury sport-utility vehicle about three decades ago and everyone from rock stars to members of England's royal family has owned one. The newest Land Rover sport-utility vehicle is the rugged Freelander. It's been on sale in Europe since 1997, but is the most American-style Land Rover.

Other models are the mid-size Discovery and full-size Range Rover. The Freelander offers a good number of "firsts.'' For instance, it's the first small premium sport-ute from this Ford-owned venerable British vehicle producer. It's also the first Land Rover to have a permanent all-wheel-drive system and the first with unitized body and chassis construction--instead of a trucklike body-on-frame design.

"Premium'' is a key word here because Land Rover also sold a small sport-ute here in the 1990s. Called the Defender, it was stark and mostly designed for rugged off-road use. Land Rover would just as soon Americans forgot it. The Freelander recently debuted in this country because Land Rover needs a smaller sport-utility vehicle to compete with other compact sport-utes. The Freelander is expected to double Land Rover U.S. sales. However, the Freelander is considerably more costly than rival compact sport-utes. In fact, it edges into the price territory of larger highly-rated mid-size sport-utility vehicles. The Freelander resembles other Land Rover models and is generally handsome. Models are the base $24,975 S, mid-range $27,775 SE and top-line $31,575 HSE.

The S is well-equipped, with such things as air conditioning, AM/FM/CD, 16-inch wheels and power windows, locks and mirrors. The SE adds items including leather upholstery, 17-inch wheels and steering wheel radio controls. The HSE adds a navigation system, power sunroof and upscale sound system. The few options include an $875 power sunroof for the SE, $300 heated front seats and the HSE's ($750) upscale sound system for the S and SE A smooth 2.5-liter V-6 with 174 horsepower provides acceptable--but far from neck-snapping--acceleration because this vehicle is pretty heavy for its size at 3,562-3,612 pounds.

Acceleration was somewhat jerky until the engine began to warm up. And the tachometer shows engine speed to be a rather high 3,000 rpm at 70 mph, despite the responsive five-speed overdrive automatic transmission, which has a manual shift feature.

Fuel economy is only an estimated 17 mpg in the city and 21 on highways. Gasoline with an 87-octane rating can be used, but rivals get higher economy. The steering feels a bit wooden, but is quick enough. Handling is good, helped by large wheels and a standard traction control system. The supple suspension provides an exceptionally nice ride.

The brake pedal has a reassuring feel and allows good modulation of the standard all-terrain anti-lock brakes. However, while front brakes are discs, less-effective drum brakes are at the rear. The Freelander has no low-range gearing for rugged off-road driving, but it does have an innovative Hill Descent Control to allow safe travel down steep slopes, allowing the Freelander to descend at no more than 5.6 mph.

A fairly low floor makes it easy to get in and out, although narrow rear doorways impede entry and exit. Land Rover calls the Freelander a five-passenger vehicle, but it only comfortably seats four tall adults because the center of the rear seat is high and hard. It's best to flip down the center rear-seat armrest.

The quiet interior is airy because of a high roof and large glass area, but the dashboard has a look that can be called "stark'' or "durable,'' depending on your viewpoint. At least the leather upholstery helps give the interior a richer look. The steering wheel is a little too thick, but is leather-covered in the SE and HSE. Power window switches are buried in the console.

The front seats are supportive, but their circular backrest adjusters can be awkward to use. Gauges have numbers that are too small to be read quickly. Front doors have large storage pockets, and there's a handy fold-down tray for the driver on the left side of the steering wheel. But no front side air bags are offered. There also are no front armrests, a curious omission on such an upscale vehicle. Cupholders atop the dashboard are hard to reach and rather shallow, causing concern that liquid will spill onto the sound system and other electronic components.

However, there also are door-mounted bottle holders for the driver and front passenger. The cargo area is moderately large with backs of the 60/40-split rear bench seat in their normal position. Flipping those seatbacks forward does little to improve practical cargo space because they cause items to sit nearly at window level. Folding the entire back seat forward greatly enlarges the cargo area, although the seat fold-down releases are hard to reach.

The tailgate has an innovative, class-exclusive retracting window, but swings toward the curb--thus making curbside loading more difficult. Older Land Rover models haven't had the best reputation for reliability, and the failure of the keyless-entry remote fob of my test vehicle didn't inspire confidence. The Freelander comes in a variety of colors. But even Zambezi Silver can't beat Epsom Green with this sport-ute. That's because green is England's traditional auto racing color, and many British race cars, sports cars and Land Rovers have come with it. Image plays a large role in the success of any Land Rover.

LAND ROVER FREELANDER

Prices:
24,975-$31,575
Likes:
Snob appeal. Sturdy. Good handling. Excellent ride.
Dislikes:
Pricey. Bland interior decor. Narrow rear doorways. Awkwardly placed power window switches. Low fuel economy. Quality a question mark.