Land Rover Freelander or true British Bentley - the drive of your life

Hats of to Mel B aka Scary Spice for letting it slip that she drives a Bentley whilst living in LA. Good to hear that in these uncertain economic times our celebrities are flying the flag for our precious exports.

Mel commented "While it's beautiful, fast and only for the rich, some hairs on the back of the neck still stay down" and asked.. "is it because it's four-wheel drive?"

Much as we love the Spice Girls number one hairy (Scary Spice) one has she not considered the usefulness of a four wheel drive on the flat, straight streets of California?

Whatever Next - All Terrain SUVs dominating the States? You only need to see this video clip that demonstrates the style and grace of the freelander in a variety of circumstances - driving conditions, terrains and challenges.

Well the "Shopping Info Guide" is hardly qualified to discuss the merits of four wheels - we touched on the subject of the exceptional tyres that allowed a Landrover Freelander to circumnavigate the world and following the recent Royal endorsement from Sara Phillips of the Freelander we decided to have a closer - if Land Rovers Freelander is the hottest selling compact SUV we think it worthy of inclusion in our guide to help visitors make and informed decision before they buy.

So what doe the Freelander offer that adds those extra thousnads to the price tag?

Safety first

The Euro safety report award the Freelander maximum marks on many of its critical tests

Comfort zone

The UK broadsheet newspaper The Independent's let its motoring journalist Roger And-Out take the Freelander 2 for a comprehensive test drive and the resultant write up was one that described the sheer comfort for both driver and passenger whilst off road and emphasised the smooth traveling whilst on the road.

All Round Performance

Finally the motoring institution Top Gear summed up the vehicle -
"The Land Rover Freelander is a capable SUV, with more off-road ability than its rivals and a more grown up mini-Discovery."

Fuel Economy - glug

Top Gear was the only review that offered the helpful suggestion that "Diesel engine suits it best, petrol version is thirsty" worth bearing in mind as we see oil prices continue to inexplicable rise.

Land Rover April Fool?

They're joking surely?

Is Land Rover in Deep Doo Doo?

No sooner had I researched and composed my findings for Land Rovers
but the news is full of what can only be a terrific April Fool Joke - The Best of British motor company is to be owned and run by Tata (India) Automobile Corporation.

Much uproar over on Landyzone - forum for Land Rover Enthusiasts and LandRover Club where there is a genuine feeling of loss. One thread started by a disgruntled Range Rover fanatic pronounced the news at the death toll for Land Rover and that he would seriously consider buying a HyJynx Jizz rather than support this appalling sale.

Forum members have even written to the BBC to ask that the company's UK origins are emphasised in past articles and any future reports broadcast and also include links to the UK website. "There was a time when working at Landrover had a special status but I can only think that the workmanship and quality that the brand became famous for is under threat. The least the British Broadcasting Corporation can do in these troubled times is show its full support"

While we watch and wait to see the outcome owners of these formidable work-horses can hope that the value of their vintage models and classic cars. Already sites are springing up offering authentic genuine Land Rover vehicles collected from around the world. With over 70 percent of land rovers ever built still running the re-importation of these vehicles looks likely to grow as British enthusiasts will want to ensure their firm stamp on Land Rover heritage.

Get Off My Land Rover

Great British Land Rover Vs Rest of the World

Choosing an all terrain vehicle - often referred to as SUVs - Sports Utility Vehicle should be pretty straight forward - go for the tried and tested and add a bit of patriotism to boot and it has to be Landrover every time.

Oh no - far from it. After many hours pouring over various web articles about what to consider when choosing a SUV it quickly became apparent that all terrain vehicle are not equal.

Key Questions:

Do you encounter extreme conditions such as snow, ice or mud? Consider the tyres required for grip.

How much off-road driving will you be doing? Plenty of ground clearance or the underside is a goner.

And many many more - Will you be using the SUV to tow a trailer or boat? How many people will want seating? How much stuff will it take how much space is there? The questions are endless.

I suppose the two essential areas to focus on are

• Space - Look for an SUV that’s got the amount of space you need. There’s no point in being cramped or not having the space to shift stuff you want shifting.
• Power - Don’t settle anything less than a 6 cylinder engine otherwise you’ve just got a glorified mini van with no power.

That means an SUV should not only look like an SUV it should act like an SUV.

Top banana advice seemed to concentrate on value for money - make sure you get the best bang for you "buck".

And that brings us full circle - to meet the needs of those who really need an off road work truck Land Rover seems to remain top choice - just need to find the best model at the right price.

A search on eBay returns a vast selection of models ranging from brand spanking new to old classics. No the place to buy a vehicle but looks top banana for spares and parts - also noticed the land rover owners magazine has plenty of choice for these

A search for car price comparison sites returned results for the usual price comparison suspects including the ubiquitous Kelkoo along with a list of car insurance checking sites. One site that has to get a mention is Honest John and although this site compares only new cars you've got to take your hat off to these guys - its almost as transparent as the Estate Agents who imaginatively named themselves - Easy Money.

Back then to trawling the small ads for a used land rover - this advert caught my eye which suggested a try before you buy day with the range of all terrain vehicles. After watching these videos of land rover experiences. These appear to be a smart idea for anyone trying to decide which of the various Land Rover models would suit them best and are available at nine centres throughout the UK.