Land Rover Freelander (from 1997 to present)

With the Freelander, Land Rover has showed the opposition just how a compact 4x4 should really be designed and built. Whilst other manufacturers have produced cars that look tough but can’t really mix it off road, this British challenger is the real thing. BMW-influenced build quality means it’s a decent bet as a used buy too.

The Freelander Discovery was launched in October 1997 to universal press acclaim. The body choice included three or five-door bodyshells: those who went for the three-door had the option of either ‘Softback’ or ‘Hardback’ bodystyles. In Softback form, you could fold the roof back like a convertible, while the Hardback offered removable panels. There was initially a choice of two engines; a 118bhp four-cylinder 1.8-litre 16v petrol unit (from the MGF) and a 96bhp 2.0-litre turbo diesel. A 2.5-litre V6 was developed for launch in September 2000. There were three trim levels on offer – standard, Xi and XE – and Land Rover also added a Commercial van version in 1999. Basically, the Freelander was what the Discovery wasn’t; an all-new model. Instead of being put together with parts from the corporate sales bin (the Discovery for example, was originally based on the old-shape Range Rover), the Solihull-based design team had, in this instance, the cash to do things properly – some £450 million. And a new factory to build the car in. It made all the difference. In autumn 2000, a revised range was launched, with an all-new Td4 diesel engine and a top-line V6. Minor interior and exterior improvements were included into a revised range structure of S, GS and ES. Despite what Land Rover will tell you, the Freelander is no Mondeo. It does however, offer a much wider portfolio of virtues for the average family. No Mondeo could go the places this car will happily travel: potholed tracks, boggy fields, shallow rivers – all hold no fear for the Freelander family. Perhaps more significantly, a Ford, a Nissan or a Vauxhall is what it is; a competent, sensible family car, identical to thousands of others. At the wheel of a Freelander, you feel a little set apart – and not only because of that high driving position. The detail touches help. The way the window of the rear door drops down electronically at the touch of a button on the key fob so that you can load in your shopping without opening the back door. The clever elastic bars in the doors for holding drinks and bottles. You could go on.

An early 1997 three-door softback (petrol or diesel) would be worth about £6,700 for example, as opposed to around £7,100 for a more typical S-plater. Add around £500 for the Hardback three-door bodystyle and around £1,600 for plusher XEi trim. Five-door prices start at around £7,700 for petrol or diesel models running up to around £16,500 for well equipped 2003 V6 models. Diesels range from £7,400 for the first 2.0-litre di to £20,400 for a well-equipped and recent TD4. As with all Land Rovers, always insist on a full service history. Be careful too if the car you're looking at has a towbar fitted, for this may mean that it has had a hard life dragging horse boxes out of muddy fields. The engines and the transmissions used are robust but quite expensive to repair if they do go wrong, so watch out for rattles and ensure that all the electrics work perfectly. The car is a favourite target for thieves, so a good alarm and preferably an immobiliser are a must. A great used alternative to an ordinary family runabout that will become ever more attractive as prices fall. Excellent original build quality means that you can buy a used car with real peace of mind.

(Freelander 1998 1.8i manual with a/c - approx exc.VAT) A clutch assembly will be around £170, a starter motor around £130 (exchange) and a radiator around £145, Brake pads (rear) £36 and front around £50. A replacement headlamp (offside) is close to £80 and an alternator should be close to £210.

Or in this case off it. Here, the gadget Land Rover are keenest to talk about is their patented ‘Hill Descent Control’ system, developed to compensate for the fact that the Freelander lacks the kind of low ratio gearbox you’d find in a Discovery, a Defender or a Range Rover. On a sticky, steep descent, you engage HDC by clicking a Nintendo-style trigger on the gear lever. The system selects first gear and uses the anti-lock brakes to automatically maintain a descent speed of 5.6mph. Should the track get slippery or become more undulating, this will reduce to 4.4mph. HDC was optional on base models and standard on plusher ones: it’s worth seeking out if you’ve a choice of used options. On tarmac, the Freelander won’t handle exactly like your average family hatch or estate – but it’s not far off. The ride in particular is really very good. The performance from the petrol and diesel engines isn’t very sprightly though.

Land Rover Defender (from 1948 to present)

Launched in 1948 and still selling well, the classic Land Rover makes an unusual used buy. The original model was re-launched as the Defender in 1990. Still however, you find few who use the name. To most of us, this car will remain quite simply the definitive Land Rover; nothing more, nothing less. The Defender has a growing cult reputation both as a new and used vehicle. Behind the wheel, you realise just how silly and ineffectual most trendy modern off-roaders are in comparison. They may look fashionable around town but get them out in the country and they flounder. This then, is one for the serious off-road enthusiast. Look carefully before you buy, though, as unlike many other 4x4s, most Defenders will have spent a lot of time off-road.

Land Rover has never stopped improving the basic vehicle. In 1994, the company's new R380 manual gearbox was added. More importantly, so was the latest version of its turbocharged direct injection diesel engine, the ‘300 Tdi’. That gave way in turn, early in 1999, to the five-cylinder diesel from the Series II Discovery. Over the years, a wide variety of body-styles have been available; including short and long wheelbase cars (called 90 and 110) a pick-up, seven and twelve-seater wagons, a short-wheelbase soft-top and, most recently, a double cab pick-up. The majority of used vehicles on the market are likely to be either Series IIIs or the newer Defenders. Engine changes have been surprisingly few, given the age of the basic design, but there have been many updates and revisions. The combinations of engine and body-style are many and varied. Engines are as follows: 2.3, 2.6 and 3.5-litre petrol and 2.3-litre diesel, 2.5-litre turbodiesel and 2.5-litre Td5 turbodiesel. Rugged, agricultural looks that are becoming as chic in Soho as they are unremarkable and irrelevant on muddy trails the world over. These are basic machines, sometimes in the extreme, depending on the vehicle's age. Not exactly ideal for motorway cruising, but then a Land Rover was never designed for quiet and smooth cruising – quite the opposite, in fact. It is a vehicle that will take you literally anywhere and back. That's worth remembering if you're worried about whether something so rough and ready, if also dependable and strong, is your cup of tea.

With such a long list of engine and body combinations, produced over many years, prices vary enormously. You can pay anywhere between £500 and £18,000, though most vehicles tend to be in the lower to mid-end of that range. A car which has been used extensively off-road (and shows it) will be what you'll get for £500 to £3,000. Better to pay more for a Series III County wagon and avoid the tears an abused off-roader can bring. Upwards of £3,000 you'll find quite a selection in good condition and the £5,000-£10,000 bracket should contain a fine range of Defenders. Also worth seeking out are some of the recent limited editions such as the V8-engined 50th Anniversary model launched in 1998 or the 1999 Heritage version. Build quality isn't exactly to Rolls Royce standards, as you would expect, but these are basically sound and well-built vehicles. Rust is not much of an issue, as body panels are aluminium, though the separate steel chassis needs to be checked. As with any 4x4, be extra careful that the chassis is straight and that the engine and gearbox have not been abused either by rough off-roading or by too heavy a tow-load (the County is a favourite of the horse-box set). Dents and bumps under the car and noisy diffs and smoky exhausts are the telltale signs. More than 1.5 million Land Rover vehicles have been produced since the original was launched in 1948, so you're buying something of a robust legend. Drive before you buy, to be sure you can put up with the somewhat agricultural nature of some versions, though. These cars really do go on and on, and make great used cars. A bit of noise and a somewhat relaxed cruising pace will help to remind you you're the owner of a little piece of rugged British history.

(Based on a 110 TDi and approximate, excluding VAT) A clutch assembly will be around £170 and a full exhaust about £170 (without Catalyst). An alternator should be close to £85 and a radiator just under £300. Brake pads front and rear are about £40, respectively. A replacement headlamp costs close to £20.

It’s not terribly appropriate to judge the car for its on the road performance – or at least not terribly fair! Any Land Rover of this kind will be not nearly as much at home on the road as it is off it. The 3.5-litre V8 Series IIIs and Defenders are probably your best bet, if on-road ability is important while the diesel Defender pick-up is simply remarkable off-road. Like a Range Rover, the centre of gravity is high and a Defender will lean into bends a little alarmingly. Fear not, they hug the road, despite what you may feel at the steering wheel. The pace will be slow but steady and a snowy B road is unlikely to slow you as much as other cars.