Is it a blog? Is it a review? Manual Facelift Mk1 Freelander TD4...better than my 03 Hippo? 

If your auto Freelander is not responding well you need to: 1 Clean the EGR valve 2 Clean the plastic intake manifold. 3 replace the turbo hoses. 4 optional, put a tuning box on it. When I had mine I did all these, and the engine and gearbox responded as when it was new. You could also stick it in manual mode!. Also the Auto box is a Jatco, not a getrag. Lastly the gearbox holds onto 1st and 2nd when cold to heat the ATF fluid, it's not a fault.

To me facelifts look good when new however after 20 years almost all original pre faceliftl models look better becausr they are closer to what the designers wanted. Pre facelifts are also often better to drive because they are usually lighter and the suspension settings are set up more for the press release.

Was at my local MOT centre over in Northern Ireland, over 20-30minutes I saw majority of the cars pass apart from a Range Rover L322 and two other Land Rovers which both failed. Owners didn't seem so surprised it was almost like they knew they would but put them through anyway to see how much work needed to be done.

I always thought the Freelander had the 5 SPD jatco auto same as X trail 1. They are very special. Nothing like them now in terms of character

I have to confess that I like the facekift version better, it looks just higher quality and more modern.

as the owner of both a pre & Facelift freelander , i always thought the center console was moved to allow fitting of a double-din stereo ..... and for me pre-facelift 3 door FL1 is the best looking of them all

There is at least 1 4wd rover 75 that uses a freelander ECU over on the 75zt forums.

6:00 “feels very American”. That’s because they actually were! They were recycled from the American Ford parts bin

`there was a 4WD 75 prototype with freelander bits iirc

I do prefer the facelift freelander I think the interior looks a bit more high quality especially if optioned with a light coloured interior. In terms of 4wd 75 Rover made ZTT AWD protype using the freelander 4wd system. There is thought an easier way to have a petrol powered auto its the v6

No, you draw exhaust fumes in if you drive with the rear window down!

Can you talk more about the rover engine? There's little information on it on the interwebs 😅

What are you doing with all those apples ?😂

Matt you obviously enjoyed yourself in that manual freelander and l have owned an automatic Hillman Gazelle and an automatic Hillman Gazelle it was back in the 1970s so l have no idea which one l preferred and with my 1997 Toyota Hilux the manual ones are worth more and sell quicker than the automatic ones l have not driven a 1997 hilux with an automatic transmission but l did drive an automatic next generation Toyota Hilux automatic and it was awful at the time l had a manual Mazda Bravo much much better

The silver-ish plastic bits look very cheap and a real afterthought. Otherwise not a bad makeover.

Auto better off road I have 201000 miles on mine. Perfect.

Automatic is made by Jatco, not Getrag.

It would be a natural upgrade from Hippo to a face-lift FL1

Get orf my land!! 😀

I have a freelander 1 td4 auto and mine is not slow believe me

It's still a very pretty car. Pity it's a manual.

Shame Mr. PScan doesn’t vacuum his cars very often though. The dirt shows up very badly on camera.

These vehicles, pre- and post-facelift, earned themselves an absolutely horrible reputation for failing to proceed. Why things like air conditioning and lights, not to mention door locks are run through the body control computer just proves the engineers at BMW and Robert Bosch need to be fired for following the Second KISS Rule. Instead of Keeping It Simple, Stupid they decided to Keep It Stupid, Simple.

So basically it seems every car must be worse for having an automatic gearbox in your view? A Freelander 1 was never noted for having the nicest manual gearshift around, even for a compact SUV; but one aspect of your Hippo you are unhappy with is that it is an automatic. Most Merc's have awful manual gearboxes too; hence why hardly anybody has bought them in the history of the brand. But I recall you were on the verge of selling your C-Class just because it was an automatic. Can it be maybe convoluted in your own mind that automatics really are so much worse? Because I cannot imagine the driving experience of some of these cars you have driven is greatly enhanced by simply shifting your own gears.

Its easy to bicker on about how manuals are better than autos when you havent had the chance to experience the pleasure driving home in a manual after an 8 hour manual labour shift in traffic every freaking day lol

The most overlooked feature of the Freelander is how good it is for developing one's leg muscles thanks to how often it needs to be pushed.

Another good video Matt 🚘🚙🚗👍👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👏👏👏👏

I had a 2.0 diesel manual the previous owner had put a tuning box on it it was pretty quick, mine was the face lift because the dash was higher like you described thanks for that explanation

Matt your auto box in Hippo is made by JATCo not Get Rag which is how hits meant to be said,also the auto box is supposed to hold on to the lower changes when it's cold by design it helps to warm up the fluid.

Getrag, I understand it is pronounced ge-trahh-g 😊

If the Freelander Auto is anything like my w124 auto, it'll hang onto gears longer when cold to speed up the warming up process

Swap k20 and this car will be the best

Thanks for letting me mess with your 75

So people don’t like SUV’s but like freelanders? Isn’t it dafter to have a Land Rover with full cutting edge 4 wheel drive and never take it off road?

Nice motor, I own a '55 reg Td4 SE manual, soon to turn over 54K

Electric window switches on the door and center console?

I had a brand new Discovery 2 ES which by definition meant I drove more Freelanders than Discovery's. The TD4 Sport auto was quite cool. I also liked the 2003 2.5 V6. Although that was more unreliable than the Discovery. I did more recently buy a 2018 Disco Sport which was nice . I now have a Honda CR-v 2023 which is very like the Disco Sport but without all the warning lights and 45 mpg not 36 mpg. I still love Land Rovers but I would never buy another one.

Terrible cars all round I would not want to drive one to the end of my road

Nice one!! Cheers

Ah, good old ULEZ: I’ve been living that dream for a while now. Luckily, I do have a three door, 2001 1.8 manual Freelander that is ULEZ friendly. And a 2004 1.4 ZR105 that’s ULEZ happy too. Shame my 1996 MGFs fall fowl 👎

Yep I love my old Freelander...pre face lift...basic no frills does what it says on the tin...no silly gizmo just get in and drive....

And the TD4 MK 1 Facelift "Jatco" autobox has Sport Mode which includes the option of sequential "semi-auto" shifting. Clive.

Good spot regarding the dash / instrument binnacle layout on the Mk1, Rover is still very much with us in Land Rover.

I got rid of my 56 plate HSE with 115k miles on last year now im upset about it 😂😂 my stomach drops when i think about how much i loved it! All terrain tyres and never even slipped in deeo snow

Ha! I presume he didn't tell his wife there's an auto in the KV6 Freelander so he could crack on with this mad project :p

Had one of these in 2.5 V6 auto form. Sold it reasonably quick as the fuel consumption was horrific and the interior felt very very cheap compared to my MG ZT and Rover 75. MG Rover actually built a 4wd ZT-T 180 which is currently on the road somewhere.

Noses: - Ancient Greek profiles! Real Greeks (Times: Great Migration)!!!

If youre ever out of Kent and come to the midlands then you can drive my disco mk 1 with the 4.0 v8 and a 5 speed manual

Land Rover.... The reason British motorways were designed with a hard shoulder

The 75 rear axle is derived from the rwd e46 axle I believe so maybe you can fit that

I like the facelifts version tbh

The manual box is by Getrag, the Auto is made by Jatco, two different companies. Nice review though.

Do you happen to be looking for another hippo, Matt? My 2002 3-door Td4 auto is sadly going to need to find a new home shortly, due to lack of space. I would shrink it and put it on a shelf if I could, I'm looking for an enthusiast to buy it because I can't bear the thought of it being run into the ground. Needs a couple of jobs so could be good for content.

Nearly bought a Freelander back in 2016 was a manual facelift with the TD4, another itch i need to scratch one day!

Getrag is German, so proniunced like "gay_traag"

Have a search for MG ZTT 4X4

Hi and I love your very positive Hippo review! I have a 2004 facelift TD4 auto and I just double-checked on Landzone. The autobox is actually a Japanese "Jatco" [ Japan Automatic Transmission Company ] as I always thought, used worldwide by many big manufacturers. ( LZ Nodge68 says " All autos KV6 or TD4 use the Jatco box. The TD4 manual is a Getrag.") As a precaution I had the fluid changed by my local garage when I bought the car in 2016 and I love it and the car generally. So Hurah for Hippos! Clive, Aintree, Liverpool.

All good stuff. Lots of topics in there. The newer interior is nicer….but lacks some of the character of the original. The original interior dashboard is a bit smaller in places and makes the original look more roomy and a bit more car like. The exterior of the newer one does look very good - this really still looks contemporary in 2023. Personally I prefer automatic…I started in manual cars and went thru a phase where similar to the video i was 50/50……the traffic has since gotten worse and I wouldn’t consider going back to manual or stick now. ….that said it isn’t as simple as saying one transmission type is always better than another…..there’s good and bad in both. Part of the is down to which type of automatic, traditional torque converter, CVT, or automated manual (VW DSG, ASG, FORD POWERSHIFT and so on) - I’ve owned all 3 types. Again it depends on the age of the technology when u experienced it. CVT on a Honda is way better than what it once was on other cars in years past…..it can almost fool someone into thinking it’s a traditional automatic. It even has a pretend torque converter…..yes with the Honda CVT or a traditional automatic I would go with those off road and not the manual…..because torque converter and seamless drive + that accurate control when barely moving or the transition between not moving and moving. Add on Winter mode and other programs and its job done. But unless a VW DSG or Ford power shift automated manual were fitted with those programs, I wouldn’t want one. My VW DSG couldn’t deal with slippery surfaces - pulling away on them especially up hill. It was like a switch…..and the computer was dimwitted….struggling to keep up. It was actually slower away onto fast roundabouts because the computer needed a second to figure out what was needed. Compensating with your gas pedal didn’t fix that and resulted in wheel spin. The CVT Honda is actually quicker off the line because the power is always on the wheels in D or S. push your foot down, the car moves, simple. No DSG computer engaging temp neutral (even tho still in D or S). Also driven some poor manuals too, where gear levers didn’t self center (5 speed)….and going from 2nd to 5th was an easy mistake. Others inc the mk1, mk2 Ford fiesta, Ford Orion 1.6i petrol 5spd, 2000 era original Toyota Yaris 1.0 & 1.3, and the manual version of my 2019 Honda Jazz (Honda Fit) were/are horrid to drive because their clutch is unforgiving….like a switch…..car won’t move an inch w/out plenty of revs. Nasty to drive slowly. Whereas a mk2 2000 era corsa has a perfectly easy clutch and gearbox. Because of compulsory net zero regulations, the move to hybrid and then fully electric cars means manual gearbox won’t be around for much longer on new cars. We are now in that transition period.

Had 2 Freelanders, both broke, weird problems. Strangely I still like the way they look and I miss them. My 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe beats them in to a pulp. Comfort, speed, reliability. Try the Korean way, Matt?

That box under the boot floor will be full of subwoofer on that car if it has Harman Kardon (or a mixture of subwoofer and water in the case of my Mum's old Freelander!). She had hers for about 5 years in exactly the same spec as that (but with the more modern alloys that I think that car would have come with) and it was actually an excellent car for her. I've enjoyed watching the progress with your own Freelander.

I got a question, i'm about to buy freelander restyling with 109hp and automatic gearbox?Is it slower than regular manual gearbox?I mean 0-60.

I like the pre-facelift more, much cleaner design. But the facelift version is not ugly by any means. Interior looks a bit more ''premium''.

Getrag with a ‘Guh’ make gearboxes in the old Ford gearbox factory in Halewood, next to the JLR former Escort factory.

I had one of these for 4 years or so . Replaced the egr valve after my only major breakdown on the M 1. Also the propshaft u joints. Had a misfire that a great company swadlincote diesels near Burton on Trent sorted for me . The only minor irritation was that a previous owner had the clutch changed but not the release bearing . Changing gear was a chore at times. And yes a 6 speed was needed. All in all a good motor.

I remember changing the bulb in the clock was a real pain in all Rovers/Land Rovers of this era.

The 75 evolved into the ZT v8 - longitudinal engine rear drive. Only 883 were made

All well and good modifying a car to be compliant but will it be recognised as such even if the registration details are changed? Red tape doesn't often bend. Maybe just wait until it becomes age compliant. A 70's/early 80's Range Rover would be the obvious alternative choice for me. I imagine cars that are now 40+ are rocketing in price.

Yipee I finally made it here.

@furiousdriving would you be up for swapping hippo for a 57 reg R56 mini ? Ulez compliant and had clutch, tyre and and timing components changed in last 12 months of my ownership, 97500 miles

We were using skoda Octavia Vrs estates as paramedic cars, we then switched to a fleet of 6 first generation Freelanders, straight away the drivers all hated them said they were slow and handled like boats, we then saw over the year atleast 3 engines failures and 2 gearboxes, they were crap, over the 3 years we had them we never had all six running at the same time. I couldn't see why management went for them as they were terrible for the job of being a fast response vehicle. We now have a mix of octavia and superb estates which are far better for the Job.

Is the Mk1 Freelander TD4 in a high road tax bracket?

Like you Matt, I much prefer manual gearboxes to automatic as 1. You make the choices on a manual. 2. There is less to potentially go wrong . 3 I feel more in control 4.More fun to drive. That's my story 😊

im older auto's only for me now especially now 20mph in Wales. i can say i have not missed manuals , i spent most of my driving on manuals but traffic coming home from work drove me insane

Was that your bones creaking or the cars🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I thought the V8 75 was rear wheel drive?

Surely u can't be serious!