10/06/08

• Price31,305
• We like...Smooth, powerful diesel
• We don't...Fiddly stop-start controls

Latest ’small’ Land Rover is talented, off-road and onFew off-roaders ever go off-road. For most, bumping across the kerb outside Sainsbury’s is the biggest challenge they're set. But it’s reassuring to know, isn’t it, that there is one you can pick, that can. Whenever called upon, a Freelander will chug serenely across a boggy field, cross a beach or haul a dinghy plus trailer up a slipway.

Ten years back, the Freelander became the first of a new era of tough, do-it-all cars in a handy size. But early ones earned a reputation for cranky behaviour that soured the deal for owners. That’s firmly in the past: a look at the latest one confirms careful assembly and the same, ‘this’ll last for ages’ sense that you also feel with, say, quality garden tools or camping gear.

Good ground clearance and armour guarding the exhaust and other vulnerable bits underneath shows that it’s fully prepared for rough stuff, while a natty control in front of the gear shift adjusts the suspension according to the ground you’re covering. But it’s civilised on-road, too, smothering in-town craters with the assurance you’d expect from a weighty car. That said, it dsn’t feel heavy to pilot. Its steering is light but feeds back info well from the road, and it's accurate, too. It’s relatively easy to place on the road and the view out is good, although reversing is a bind because of blind spots around the rear screen.

You sit high and inside the Freelander is light and airy, while the rear seats are set a touch higher than the fronts, which helps prevent car-sickness (something parents will particularly appreciate). It’s an extremely comfortable to take on a long motorway trip. The seats and trim look and feel as if they’ll last as long as the car ds, but they’re chunky and functional, not executive-car refined. The engine stop-start button and keyfob are more of a fiddle than a benefit, though.

And the diesel is muted until you press it hard, giving a fruity rumble that’s quite pleasant. It trickles nicely through traffic, teaming well with the six-speed auto gearbox (a £1370 option on our car). No surprises then that 19 of 20 owners choose it rather than the petrol 3.2 unit they might otherwise go for. The Freelander’s four-wheel drive works full-time, although most of the power is fed to the front wheels while it’s on-road.

The cabin is spacious enough for five plus luggage, although close rivals like the BMW X3 and Honda’s CR-V offer an inch or two more.

One thing’s certain: the Freelander isn’t cheap. But is it a wise buy? If your employer is buying for you, the leasing rates are attractive: which hints that those in the know appreciate their value. And while off-roaders have had a tough time in the public eye lately, second-hand prices for recent Freelanders remain steep. Which suggests that whatever you pay now, you’ll see a sensible chunk of when you come to hand it back.

Inexpensive? No. Good? Undoubtedly.

• Engines2.2 TD4
• Power
• 0-60 mph11.2sec
• Economy37.7mpg
• CO2g/km224
• Insurance groups13
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags7
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: