# Q5 v Freelander 2 v Tiguan v ??



## elrao (Apr 19, 2005)

Looking to trade up the wife's A3 sportback to something a little bigger now we have the baby and we've been looking at possibly getting a mini 4x4 for a while now, the recent weather making my wife even more keen after wheel spinning up a hill the other night and having to pull over with the baby in the back while I walked a mile and a bit to go and drive them back (lived on a mountain for a winter, so confident driving on ice and snow).

Anyway, reasoning aside...looking for something Q5 size, but ideally 2-3 years old as either used & approved or private sale for c. £20k, which unfortunately rules out the Q5 for all intensive purposes as the used approved ones aren't a huge saving over buying new! Doesn't have to be a diesel, but TDi is what I am looking at initially but a good petrol could tempt me, just feel it needs a fair bit of torque due to the potential weight of the car.

Looked at the Tiguan which comes with a rang of VAG engines inc. the 140 and 170 2.0 TDi engines - but the wife isn't too keen on the styling (only seen photos) and also looked at the Freelander 2 which is a 2.2 td4 (160ps) - she quite likes that so going to arrange a post xmas test drive in one of those. There is a Ford Kuga a few doors down, but she said it wasn't manly enough!! Just wondering what else people might recommend?


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## BAMTT (Feb 22, 2004)

Given the nature of your shortlist the freelander is the only one to go for :wink: ......................unless of course you have no intention of going off road, and if you do just buy a boring VAG estate


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## BAMTT (Feb 22, 2004)

How about one of these to complment the R32 ?
http://www.pistonheads.com/SALES/1378630.htm


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## graTT58 (Jan 28, 2009)

Buy a 4x4 estate car - who wants the image of driving a traditional 4x4 any more?


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## W7 PMC (May 6, 2002)

Got a Q5 a few months ago & rate the car very highly. Decided to get brand new & as it'll be a keeper decided on the 2.0TFSi (211ps) in S-Line spec with all the toys.

If off-roading is a high requirement then i'd guess the Freelander would be more suitable as that's its basic requirement. The Q5 has been excellent in the snow & with the S-Tronic box it's a perfect match up.


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## Charlie (Dec 15, 2006)

Nic (my girlfriend) works for Wayside and had a Tiguan 2.0 TDI for a few weeks, she loved it ;-)

The comments about the image of a big 4x4 are certainly a consideration, but I understand the desire to have something big ;-)

I believe the Freelanders have been plagued by reliability issues, the gearbox in particular, however this is just what I have heard rather than personal experience.

Out of the 3 I would personally go for the Tiguan, but worth driving all 3 to establish your/your wives preference.

Charlie


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## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

Charlie said:


> but I understand the desire to have something big ;-)


So does Nic mate :wink: :lol:


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## elrao (Apr 19, 2005)

Part of the requirement is to have something big enough, but not too big (i.e. a Q7 = too big), hence looking at all the baby-brother options as opposed to Touareg, Range Rover, Q7 etc.

Think it is worth trying to get the wife down to see the Tiguan in the flesh.

On the R36 passat ... nice if it was for me, but not sure about for the wife, although she does like the RS4 avant ...


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## Charlie (Dec 15, 2006)

How about an A6 Avant TDI?



YELLOW_TT said:


> Charlie said:
> 
> 
> > but I understand the desire to have something big ;-)
> ...


Ruddy joker ;-)

Charlie


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

We've had a 2.0TDi Tiguan Sport 140 for a couple of months now. Julia loves it.

It's not permanent 4WD though, if that's what you were hoping for.

I recently had to do a 540 mile round trip to Liverpool and it was super comfortable. Parallel park assist is excellent too, although the only time we actually use it is when we just want to play with it. Auto Hold and Electric handbrake get a bit of getting used to. I still keep putting my hand down reaching for the non-existant handbrake lever!

I've never needed a step ladder to wash a car before either!!


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## BAMTT (Feb 22, 2004)

elrao said:


> On the R36 passat ... nice if it was for me, but not sure about for the wife, although she does like the *RS4 avant ...*


Job done


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## elrao (Apr 19, 2005)

BAMTT said:


> elrao said:
> 
> 
> > On the R36 passat ... nice if it was for me, but not sure about for the wife, although she does like the *RS4 avant ...*
> ...


Ha, find me a nice RS4 Avant (B7) for £20k and I'll take it!


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## barton TT (Nov 13, 2004)

Freelander 2 is the way to go i've had mine for 16 months now and love driving it more than the TT now.


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## whitty (May 17, 2002)

barton TT said:


> Freelander 2 is the way to go i've had mine for 16 months now and love driving it more than the TT now.


Yep, totally agree - love driving the other halfs FL2 - totally different to the FL1 & with the 19's & Sports kit it looks good as well - gave 17k for it 57 plate GS last april


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## Gone (May 5, 2009)

I'm struggling to understand why a new arrival requires a bigger car than an A3 sportback. They're massive! Sounds like you want a small SUV and are trying to justify buying one. With most of my tongue in my cheek I say "Shame on you, Elrao, Don't do it!"

If you genuinely need extra space I'd personally go for an A4 Avant or 3 series touring, and if the winter driving is such an issue I'd send the mrs on as many winter/skid pan driving courses as necessary. Gotta be cheaper than forking out on a nearly new SUV!

Mind you I say that as a single bloke who hates SUVs as fashion/status symbols with a fury.


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## BAMTT (Feb 22, 2004)

whitty said:


> barton TT said:
> 
> 
> > Freelander 2 is the way to go i've had mine for 16 months now and love driving it more than the TT now.
> ...


I'm sorry guys but WTF we have a disco 2 with 7 seats that gets driven across fields, is full of mud and does what a landie should do, it is supremely capable off road

why on earth would you buy an off roader unless you want to be some gangstar bitch superstar

As I said sorry but the only reason I own a vehicle like this is purpose alone


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## whitty (May 17, 2002)

BAMTT said:


> whitty said:
> 
> 
> > barton TT said:
> ...


I do use it "off-road" when using the quad & for towing jet ski's - it also looks & handles ok "on-road" - didn't think the FL2 was sold for "off road" use only! :wink:


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

badyaker said:


> I'm struggling to understand why a new arrival requires a bigger car than an A3 sportback. They're massive!


The sportback is very deceptive. It's only about 2 inches longer than the standard 3dr A3.

Our final choices were down to the A3 sportback and the Tiguan. Ladies like a little elevation when driving don't they? That's what swung it for Julia.

Won't the FL2 drop like a stone in depreciation too.

Oh, and if you're only looking to spend £20k, it's worth knowing that with a little bartering (I had ordered a new Scirocco a couple of months earlier so my ability to barter was somewhat weighted) you can easily get the price down. I paid £20.8k for a 2.0TDi Sport 140 with metallic paint, front/rear park assist and 2Zone climate control (£3200/13.3% discount).


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## elrao (Apr 19, 2005)

Widget said:


> badyaker said:
> 
> 
> > I'm struggling to understand why a new arrival requires a bigger car than an A3 sportback. They're massive!
> ...


The pram / pushchair frame only just fits int he boot of the A3, has to go in sideways, so pretty much takes up the entire floor space of the boot, meaning shopping goes on top. Big shop at Tesco and you are soon looking at piling shopping on the back seat next to the baby.

Going on holiday, suitcases won't go in with the pram either, not even with the backseat down, so anything more than a night away, travel cot, baby bag...you get the idea...and you are looking at packing more small bags which are then a nightmare to manage when one of you is pushing the pram...a lot easier if you can throw it all in one big bag.

Lots more scenarios we have encountered and he's only 8 weeks old!

So what we want is something a bit bigger where we can put the pram in lengthwise, leaving the other half of the boot for shopping, suitcases etc.

It may be that the afore mentioned SUVs don't work either - just looking at the different options to the A4/Passat etc. which we are also looking at.


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

You won't get a pram in lengthways without putting one of the rear seats down in the Tiguan I'm afraid. I'd be suprised if you could even do that in a whopper like a Q7 or Touareg either.


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## Gone (May 5, 2009)

elrao said:


> Widget said:
> 
> 
> > badyaker said:
> ...


I guess I have all this to look forward to! Happy Christmas guys.


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## Matt B (Apr 8, 2007)

Widget said:


> You won't get a pram in lengthways without putting one of the rear seats down in the Tiguan I'm afraid. I'd be suprised if you could even do that in a whopper like a Q7 or Touareg either.


You can do this easily in the XC90 as long as you are not using the third row of seats. We bought one just after my youngest came along in Jan. Really good buy and has been outstanding in the recent snow/ice. Maybe too big for you Rob as they are more treg size. fabulous family car tho


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## BreTT (Oct 30, 2002)

When we had one kid, the RAV4 did the trick perfectly for us - very flexible car and you can get a good discount off one new. We changed to a Touran after that and although it was extremely capable as a family car when the snow came down, we had some issues getting down the farm track that leads to our house. Now we have two kids, we've got an XC90 and I have to confess to being delighted with it.


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## barton TT (Nov 13, 2004)

Here's my Freelander 2.


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## Poverty (Dec 21, 2009)

I have to say I hate women driving massive cars. Mine struggles enough in her fiat 500, never mind if she had to drive a school bus 4x4


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## denTTed (Feb 21, 2007)

My sister's bought a tiguan and regrets it, the boot is too small. The car itself is great, but the boot is small. Have you considered an x3? or even the Honda crv.


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## elrao (Apr 19, 2005)

Not a fan of the X3 or the x5.

Looking at the spec sheets the Freelander 2 might just fit the pram frame in length ways, only one way to find out for sure! Seen a couple of 2-3yr old HSEs for the £20k mark too.


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## Flyboyben (Apr 6, 2007)

I bought my FL2 HSE for £19k a year ago, just a year old with 10000miles on the clock.

We wanted a bigger car to cater for our growing family. Its a fantastic car. We tested the CRV and Rav-4 and neither came close. I didn't bother testing the Tiguan as it just looks too small and pathetic.

One word of caution, the boot isn't huge. I ended up installing a dog guard which meant the boot can be loaded as high as you want without the fear of anything dislodging and flying forwards under heavy breaking.

I've had no issues in terms of reliability and I think you will find that many of the concerns of Freelander reliabilty actually relate to the Freelander 1, not 2. Check out the forums on www.freel2.com for more info.

PS, just make sure you don't buy one with the stupid "Carbon Offset" badge on the back! People will think that you've wasted your money, when in fact it was the previous owner.


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## elrao (Apr 19, 2005)

Flyboyben said:


> I bought my FL2 HSE for £19k a year ago, just a year old with 10000miles on the clock.


Sounds like what I might be after, HSE with low mileage, couple of years old. For £19k looks like you got a bargain, esp. as it was a year ago!


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## Flyboyben (Apr 6, 2007)

It was a bit of a bargain, but it was at the time when the bottom had fallen out of the used car market.

The other thing to consider is an automatic gearbox. I went for the manual and it is my only regret. Its quite a big car to be fiddling around with a stick shift. An automatic would make things much easier and relaxing.


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## MP (Feb 22, 2008)

The wife's had a freelander 2 for nearly 3 years and I love it, she's not as impressed with it, but in the recent snow, it has been excellent. We're looking to change it now and she wants either a Discovery or a Q5. The only thing putting us off the Q5 is the loooooong waiting list for them and second hand values are high.

I'd get another freelander, her's is an SE which has near enough all the extras you want. But the only thing I'd say is the boot isn't that big, her previous car was an X3 and the boot was alot bigger.

Reliability wise, not too bad, had a few visits to the dealer in the first year with a faulty differential sensor, but that was a common fault, since then its been fine.


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## MP (Feb 22, 2008)

Flyboyben said:


> The other thing to consider is an automatic gearbox. I went for the manual and it is my only regret. Its quite a big car to be fiddling around with a stick shift. An automatic would make things much easier and relaxing.


I agree, auto would be alot better, the gear shift isn't the best!


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## W7 PMC (May 6, 2002)

MP said:


> The wife's had a freelander 2 for nearly 3 years and I love it, she's not as impressed with it, but in the recent snow, it has been excellent. We're looking to change it now and she wants either a Discovery or a Q5. The only thing putting us off the Q5 is the loooooong waiting list for them and second hand values are high.
> 
> I'd get another freelander, her's is an SE which has near enough all the extras you want. But the only thing I'd say is the boot isn't that big, her previous car was an X3 and the boot was alot bigger.
> 
> Reliability wise, not too bad, had a few visits to the dealer in the first year with a faulty differential sensor, but that was a common fault, since then its been fine.


Not sure the waiting list is that long nowadays & high 2nd hand values is a good thing 8) We got the exact spec (that equals alot of toys) we wanted from stock so check the dealer network as quite a few Q5's available with no wait.


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## MP (Feb 22, 2008)

W7 PMC said:


> MP said:
> 
> 
> > The wife's had a freelander 2 for nearly 3 years and I love it, she's not as impressed with it, but in the recent snow, it has been excellent. We're looking to change it now and she wants either a Discovery or a Q5. The only thing putting us off the Q5 is the loooooong waiting list for them and second hand values are high.
> ...


It was about a month ago we were looking and they were saying that if we ordered now we'd get it in April. But the salesman did have a look on the system and there were a few available but different specs than what we wanted.

As a matter of interest, hows the 2.0TFSI? We drove the 2.0 TDi and it was ok, but not quick, I didn't know if it would be worth sacrificing fuel economy for performance, as the 3.0TDi is pricy!


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## elrao (Apr 19, 2005)

We test drove a Freelander 2 yesterday, was a 58 auto SE, so not exactly what we were after but the closest thing the dealer had in stock. Wife was impressed and got used to the auto box quicker than I thought she would as she has never driven an auto before, but would want to drive standard before deciding whether to make the switch or not. Good news is the pram does fit in lengthways...just!!

Off to Audi today to look at a couple of A4 Avants, but there aren't many of the new model quattros about used/approved (12 in the country) and none locally at the moment, some nice ones up norf! But going to test the 170ps tdi in the heavier avant and also the 2.0 TFSi ... also booked in to drive their S4 avant while I am at it


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## MP (Feb 22, 2008)

Mmm, S4!

Thats what we are like, we were looking at a Q5, Q7 and Discovery and I thought, for that money you can have a S4. I know what I'd prefer!

Our freelander is an SE and it is quite well specced, sat nav, etc, but the only thing the wife is bothered about if she gets rid of it is she wants a car with a heated windscreen so she doesn't need to scrape it in the morning!


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## W7 PMC (May 6, 2002)

MP said:


> W7 PMC said:
> 
> 
> > MP said:
> ...


The performance of the 2.0TFSi is very good (see way better than i expected). It's 211PS with bags of Torque & mated to the S-Tronic box it's got a very good turn of speed. Not driven the TDi so can't compare. So far the average MPG is close to 30 with a 50/50 mix of motorway & town.


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## elrao (Apr 19, 2005)

MP said:


> Mmm, S4!
> 
> Thats what we are like, we were looking at a Q5, Q7 and Discovery and I thought, for that money you can have a S4. I know what I'd prefer!
> 
> Our freelander is an SE and it is quite well specced, sat nav, etc, but the only thing the wife is bothered about if she gets rid of it is she wants a car with a heated windscreen so she doesn't need to scrape it in the morning!


Exactly...they have a very nice S4 for sale at the mo, all the toys you'd want and basically all but been told I could get it for about £36k, which is £5k off sticker price...

Once you start speccing up a Q5 or even an A4 Avant then you get into the mid 30s quite quickly and easily...only a few more pennies and you are in a better specced S4 (which is the car I really wanted anyway!)


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