Well it’s snowing folks across the UK and it has been for several weeks now. In Scotland it has been the coldest winter in over 30 years. As many county councils are beginning to run out of salt to grit the roads it begs the question which car is best to own in severe weather conditions. With some reports suggesting that over 40% of the UK’s workforce were unable to get into work in the past few days due to the treacherous driving conditions, this suggests it is a financial issue for industry as well as safety that are important to consider. One of the best vehicles to own in these icy conditions is a Land Rover.
A used Land Rover is great value for money if you take into account the starting price of a new model. For example a used 2001 Freelancer can cost anywhere from around 6,500. If you consider the starting price for a vehicle of this type then this is excellent value for money. There are several different types of Land Rover such as the Freelander, Discovery and Defender which all offer different features the customer may desire.
Over the past few years Land Rover and most other 4×4 vehicles have come under criticism because of the environment. This is mainly due to its relatively high fuel consumption due to the size and weight of the vehicle. However fuel consumption is an easy topic to target. In fact most 4X4s are built in a robust way in order to survive for 20 years. In my experience the Land Rover is a reliable vehicle which is great news if you are looking to purchase a used Land Rover. This vehicle offers a fantastic driving experience.
The Land Rover 4×4 is an excellent vehicle if you live in the countryside but this has also become a popular vehicle for a person with a young family. This is probably because it is a comfortable ride compared to other 4×4 (loosely demonstrated on Top Gear Bolivia Special shown a few weeks ago) and there is plenty of room to accommodate the weekly shop, pets and the kids all at the same time. The vehicle looks great, with a robust and powerful image yet still looking understated. Ok, so compared to small superminis the fuel consumption isn’t the best in the world but would you expect it to be considering the size and weight difference?
In order for you to really experience the driving performance of the 4×4 vehicle I suggest test driving a used Land Rover. This will allow you to decide for yourself if the range of Used Land Rover models available is right for you.
It appears that car thieves have changed their habits. Gone are the days when only high-end prestige vehicles like Audi, BMW and Mercedes were stolen to order, now the thieves have their eyes on your average family car!
A recent survey by Tracker has revealed that car theft by keys has risen to a massive 80% for the first quarter of 2010, that’s up by 6% compared to 2009. The study has also revealed that car thieves are now targeting lower value vehicles in order to meet the demands of the competitive car market. Stephen Doran, managing director of Tracker Vehicle Recovery Services explains.
“The recession is taking its toll on thieves too and we have seen them adjust their targets to suit buyers, making lower value vehicles just as valuable to them as the fancy sports cars.”
Tracker’s recent results show that the highest value stolen vehicle for 2010 was the Mercedes CL63 AMG worth a whopping 120,000, whilst the lower value vehicle recovered was a Ford Sierra worth just 1,000.
So, what are the top ten most commonly stolen and recovered cars? Well, it appears some things never change with the luxury BMW X5 crossover remaining in the top spot, followed closely by the Land Rover Range Rover and BMW M3. Its good news if you own an Audi TT though, the roadster has slipped down the popularity ladder to be overtaken by the Land Rover Defender.
Don’t breathe a sign of relief too quickly though. Tracker warns that your standard average family car is now high on the list of desirable targets.
“While the top ten results features prestige brands, this doesn’t tell the whole story, as thieves will target vehicles across a range of values, especially as today’s market means car buyers are looking for bargains” comments Doran.
So how can you protect yourself and your beloved vehicle? Many car owners are now investing in a car security system such as a GPS vehicle tracking system. A car tracker works by using GPS technology to pinpoint your vehicles exact position and detects any unauthorised movements with its inbuilt movement sensor. Some car security systems even send out a security guard to wait with your stolen car until your vehicle is recovered. These car trackers can be quickly and easily installed by an approved fitter.
Has your car made it onto the top ten list? Check it out…
Top Ten Stolen & Recovered Cars for 2010:
1. BMW X5
2. Land Rover Range Rover
3. BMW M3
4. Land Rover Defender
5. Mercedes Benz MI
6. Audi RS4
7. Mercedes Benz SLK
8. Mercedes Benz CLK
9. Audi TT
10. Audi Q7 / Porsche 911 / Porsche Boxster / Subaru Impreza
Land Rover gave its news Discovery a minor facelift along with relatively low-key updates. Already on its fourth generation, Land Rover’s highly versatile luxury SUV gets a more powerful and highly efficient engine that goes well with a new exterior identity and a stately interior. The model that it is replacing boasts of more than 100 international accolades under its belt, so much is expected from the Discovery 4. However, Land Rover confidently said that it is up to the challenge. Let’s find out why.
Land Rover came up with two engine variants for its new Discovery line up. First up is the LR-TDV6 3.0 litre twin-turbo diesel capable of generating 180kW of power and 600Nm of torque. It gobbles 8.9 percent less fuel as it is now rated at 9.21/ 100km on the combined cycle. It is also more eco-friendly with an 8.3 percent cut in CO2 emissions. The LR-TDV6 just spews 243g/km. Revving up the power, the 5.0 litre naturally-aspirated V8 punches out 276kW of power and 510Nm of torque, with fuel economy rated at 13.9/100km and CO2 emissions pegged at 326g/km. The revised engines are paired to a new six-speed adaptive shift automatic gearbox.
The interior has been completely redesigned and has a more premium look and feel than its predecessor. It features a modified dash, leather trimmed centre console, new electric leather seats, and a host of new amenities that include metallic air vents, gear knob and speaker trims; a HD radio; a new five-camera ‘surround’ system for easier parking; an audio-video DVD navigation system; and a premium audio package composed of 14 speaker stereo, a CD player, input for iPod, an aux input socket for MP3/USB, and a subwoofer. Push button start and keyless entry are standard across the range.
Land Rover also gave the new Discovery an extensive upgrade to the chassis and suspension systems. The steering has been revised, larger 360mm brakes have been installed and refinements have been made to the Terrain Response system. The British automaker also made notable improvements on its renowned Hill Descent Control (HDC) system by integrating a Gradient Release Control feature. This means that the system will kick in automatically when HDC is activated and controls acceleration and brake pressure on steep declines. Additionally, Land Rover fitted its new Discovery with the innovative Trailer Stability Assist to reduce engine torque and automatically initiate light braking while towing to minimize towing-related mishaps.
Safety-wise, standard across the new Discovery range are dual driver and front passenger, driver and front passenger side and head, and rear passenger head airbags; Electronic differential control, Emergency Brake Assist, Hydraulic rear brake boost, Hill Descent Control, improved Understeer Control and Roll Stability Control. Other features include All-terrain Anti-Lock Braking System, Electronic Parking Brake, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Dynamic Stability Control and Electronic Traction control.
Overall, the new Land Rover Discover is the perfect car and a superb SUV that can put other fancy SUVs to shame. It has the perfect mix of features and enough power that can make every trip feel less like a cruise on the moon’s surface and more of a smooth and comfortable ride.
Land Rover Freelander 1 – Starting the Compact SUV Craze
The first generation Freelander from the Rover Group was a product of market research conducted in the late 80s. It pointed to a potential market demand for compact all-terrain 4×4 that characterized the emerging SUV popularity of the period. The Rover Group lost no time to undertake a classified product R&D in the early 90s codenamed CB40, after the Canley Building 40 where the project was being hatched.
Rover was looking to get some funding from its business partner Honda which promptly declined because they were already developing their own compact SUV program that would hatch the CR-V in 1997. Rover decided to go for the project on its own and after BMW bought the group in 1994, its autonomy was assured and hardly did BMW get itself involved in the project.
In 1997, the Land Rover Freelander 1 was launched eventually becoming Europe’s best-selling 4×4 until 2002, when the Group was already under Ford Motors.
Freelander Models
For almost 10 years, from 1997 to 2006, the first generation Freelanders had just two basic models – the 3-door softback semi-convertible SUV and a 5-door Estate SUV. But it’s interesting to note that the 3-door model also had sub-models that included a hardback and commercial van versions.
Both would come in various edition trims with the 3-door E, S and SE variants and the 5-door models coming in E, S, SE, HSE, Sport and Sport Premium trims. In 2004, the Freelander had a major facelift in the Mark 1 version sporting a new interior and external updates like a new front face and rear.
Under the hood, the Freelander came in different inline 4-cylinder engines starting with the 1.8-liter Rover K-series badges as 1.8i but not sold in the US. Then there’s the 2.0-liter Rover L-series badged1.8 Di between 1997 and 2001 that was replaced by the BMW M47 diesel badged TD4 from 2001 until its production end in 2006.
At the same time, the 2.5 liter Rover V6 petrol engine badged V6 came out. With all engine configuration, the Freelander was offered with either 5-speed automatic or manual transmission which dominated the early releases. The automatic Tiptronic gearboxes came with the V6 and enjoyed a large following among SUV enthusiasts.
The Freelander K series had been problematic as its head gasket/cylinder liner often failed while its engine block was considered made of poor alloy build causing many of the liners to “drop” in the blocks causing the gaskets to fail. Overheating in the K-series also caused head-gasket failure and prompted Rover to update an underpowered engine to the more popular 2.0 liter L-series.
The Land Rover Freelander 1 was a capable off-road 4X4 that earned some credentials in a number of endurance races like the Camel Trophy and the Land Rover G4 Challenge. But while the first generation Land Rover Freelander 1 enjoyed hill descent control as well as Traction Control which used ABS to control each brakes to give excellent off-road handling, it was generally considered a compromise as it didn’t have low range gear selection or center locking differential found in other Land Rover models.
But it was excellent in city driving as most SUV users rarely ever pushed their beloved SUVs in rural dirt and mud roads. It had it last production run in 2004 mainly due to the lack of V6 engines.
Land Rover Discovery – The Real Deal 4×4 Living Legend
The Land Rover Discovery is a living legend. Project Jay, as it was first called back in the day, the car if is the mostly awarded 4×4 in history. It is the only vehicle that has received 97 international awards for just one production 4×4. After reading this article there will be no question why this cool 4 wheel drive is so popular around the globe. It suits anyone, and everyone.
The different Discovery models range from the latest Discover 4 or LR4 right back to the 1994 models, so there is plenty to talk about. This article will focus on the Discovery 3 and 4, which is most likely to be the vehicle that you are looking into buying.
To start with the Land rover Discovery 3 model was built between 2005 to 2009, with a 5 door SUV style. Engine options were the two liter Ford AJD-V6, PSA DT17, TDV6, the four liter Ford Cologne V6 and the “big one”, the 4.4 liter Jaguar AJ-V8- a car that really took off road adventure to the extreme.
The transmission of the car was 6 speeds, with both manual and automatic options. The wheelbase is 113.6 inches with a curb weight of 2,461 kilograms.
The Land Rover Discovery 3 was introduced as a new design, sharing very little with its predecessor the Series II. Although it kept the key design features of the Discovery, the stepped roofline and steeply raked windscreen.
In the United States the Discovery was marketed as LR3 because of negative quality associations with the Discovery brand just like the Discovery Series II which was rebranded as the LR2.
One of the most exciting features of the Discovery LR3 was the all new Integrated Body Frame, or IBF. This was a great development as the previous series were based on a traditional, strong ladder frame chassis. The old frame was great for an off road experience but were heavy and hard to drive on the road. The alternative to the strong ladder frame system is the Monocoque system which is more rigid providing a better road, high speed driving experience.
The IBF claims to combine these systems by providing a Monocoque system for the engine bay and passenger compartment while the gearbox and suspension lies on a ladder chassis. How well this worked depends on who you speak to, but one thing sure, it definitely is a heavy car. The extra weight of the Land Rover Discovery probably was the reason it was the first Land Rover to be produced with a rear locking differential.
The other big feature in the land rover discovery 3 was the full independent suspension or FIS. This was an air suspension system which allowed the ride height of the vehicle to be modified by simply pumping or deflating the system. This provided a more versatile vehicle that could be raised when off road and lowered for a more comfortable, and safe, handling. However, many car owners felt that this feature caused the vehicle to bottom out when taking the car off road. An attempt to solve this issue was made by installing a cross linked air suspension system that mimics a beam axle.
These features were included to adapt the new model to a changing 4×4 market. Off road performance was no longer a priority as more and more users were using 4x4s nearly exclusively on the road and demanded a smooth and comfortable ride. This is precisely where the LR3 stands out, providing refined on road manners while still being a “REAL 4X4″ with hardcore off road performance.
So guys that just about sums up this great run around. Great for on road, off road, anywhere you want to get. An all around runabout car. A never ending list of awards, which I’m sure will continue well into the future. If you have the cash, you should bag the car!