My rents are looking at getting a used car for about 20k.... At the moment they're looking at a Freelander 2 and a BMW 3 series tourer(estate). We've got a labrador so it needs space to fit one in the boot (something i don't think the 3 series has).. Looking for a diesel in either.... I just wanted to get some opinions on both cars, and maybe some other suggestions for other cars we may have missed.. looking for under 30k mileage ideally, although it shouldnt get tonnes of mileage... They have no need in a 4x4, they just say "they like the extra space/ higher ride height".(and obviously in this sense the cabin of a freelander and that of a 3 series are rather different)... I'm guessing you'll all side with the 3 series, but anyway just thought i'd try and get some opinions..
Used car suggestions... Freelander 2 vs 3 series tourer
- Thread starter ojrules
- Start date
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Yes I'd go with the 3 series if I didn't need 4 wheel drive. However, neither has the most commodious boot I have seen to be honest, a used car with a budget of upto £30k opens up a lot of doors beyond a Freelander and a 3 series. I am not going to suggest an M5 touring because ...well frankly it's daft, if your parents wanted one of those ...they would know it.
But they should check out the 5 series estate, the E class estate and used Range Rovers ...I mean the proper RR, the full banana ...which is as near as you can get to an off-road capable, high riding Jag
But they should check out the 5 series estate, the E class estate and used Range Rovers ...I mean the proper RR, the full banana ...which is as near as you can get to an off-road capable, high riding Jag
They have absolutely no need in an offroad vehicle, i prefer the 3 series.. i can see what attracts them in the freelander 2 - the one they've found is top of the range, (although is 3 years old with 33k miles), and it's very nice inside...
We havn't really looked at a 5 series estate - ironically it's too big... The boot in the freelander is big enough, but the question is about the boot in the 3 series...
- I've been inside the freelander 2 they're looking at, but when we went to the bmw garage y'day we couldn't get the keys to the used 3 series tourer, so had a peek inside the 3 series tourer alpina in the show room, was obviously very nice, but the boot was rather tichy, but we reconed the boot was smaller in the alpina than in the normal tourer somehow....
We havn't really looked at a 5 series estate - ironically it's too big... The boot in the freelander is big enough, but the question is about the boot in the 3 series...
- I've been inside the freelander 2 they're looking at, but when we went to the bmw garage y'day we couldn't get the keys to the used 3 series tourer, so had a peek inside the 3 series tourer alpina in the show room, was obviously very nice, but the boot was rather tichy, but we reconed the boot was smaller in the alpina than in the normal tourer somehow....
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I can't imagine the Alpina being anything but the same size as a normal 3 Series Touring.
The boot really isn't very big, so if it's between those 2 cars only, there's only one way it's going to go..
If they're open minded, you could probably haggle a brand new Subaru Forrester or Legacy down to £20k.
Thanks for all the suggestions.. the new subaru legacys don't look that bad, im not too sure about the estate though... and having a nice looking car is deffinately on their list... We have considered simply pushing down the back row of seats ( since i won't be around next year) which pretty much solves the problem of the 3 series.. its rather stupid really, because for the first time in 18ish years they won't have to ferry around me or my brother, and so to celebrate they seem to be buying a bigger car than they already have 
.. ... they still seem ( well at least my mum does) fairly insistent on a freelander, but nothings decided at all yet...
.. ... they still seem ( well at least my mum does) fairly insistent on a freelander, but nothings decided at all yet...
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[TW]Fox;17114905 said:
she fits fine in our mondeo hatch aswell
.(although she mostly travels in a focus estate). its just the 3 series boot does seem really small, and it slopes down a lot aswell... need to have a good rummage around in one, take the parcel shelf out etc...she moults like crazy so there no way shes sitting next to me
.. but seriously she's always been fine, in the estate we use a crate, and theres plenty of room... I'm sure we can "fit" her in the boot, but its whether theres enough room for her to move around a bit, and stand up for instance (which im not sure there is)
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maybe its an optical illusion .... but seriously.. from the one(s) i've viewed, the boot space seems fairly small, but on the pictures on the web there seems to be plenty of room. We did do an arbitary measurment of the boot on the alpina, and on the used one we couldnt get the keys to and the boot did seem bigger in the latter, but maybe im just going insane...
its not exactly like the freelander will solely be used for urban stuff, the rents do like to go out to the "country side" although that tends to be places where the "country side" is neatly arranged around gravel paths
... they're certainly not looking at a 4x4, just the space in the cabin.. for instance we looked at the citroen c-crosser and the mitsubishi outlander (which incidentally are the same cars), really liked them but after test driving them realised they were of really poor quality...
.... but seriously.. from the one(s) i've viewed, the boot space seems fairly small, but on the pictures on the web there seems to be plenty of room. We did do an arbitary measurment of the boot on the alpina, and on the used one we couldnt get the keys to and the boot did seem bigger in the latter, but maybe im just going insane...its not exactly like the freelander will solely be used for urban stuff, the rents do like to go out to the "country side" although that tends to be places where the "country side" is neatly arranged around gravel paths
... they're certainly not looking at a 4x4, just the space in the cabin.. for instance we looked at the citroen c-crosser and the mitsubishi outlander (which incidentally are the same cars), really liked them but after test driving them realised they were of really poor quality...Yes I'd go with the 3 series if I didn't need 4 wheel drive. However, neither has the most commodious boot I have seen to be honest, a used car with a budget of upto £30k opens up a lot of doors beyond a Freelander and a 3 series. I am not going to suggest an M5 touring because ...well frankly it's daft, if your parents wanted one of those ...they would know it.
But they should check out the 5 series estate, the E class estate and used Range Rovers ...I mean the proper RR, the full banana ...which is as near as you can get to an off-road capable, high riding Jag
Aren't the 3s just as spacious as the 5s in this budget? Or am I imagining things?
Also, if the budget was 30k the op would say 30k
not many peole just find another 10k by chance He did say 30k ...he just said 30k miles not 30k pounds, a mistake I already acknowledged.
The 5 does have a bit more space in the boot than the 3, but not much though. It was more about it being a larger more comfortable car with a better interior and more cabin space though.
The 5 does have a bit more space in the boot than the 3, but not much though. It was more about it being a larger more comfortable car with a better interior and more cabin space though.
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Jumping in and out a 4x4 won't be doing your dogs joints any favours. While labs arn't the biggest dogs they arn't the skiniest either.
You could always carry steps around, but then you kind of defeat the benefit of the larger boot
You could always carry steps around, but then you kind of defeat the benefit of the larger boot
^^ yes this is a problem they will have to look into, we would have to get a ramp if we wanted to take pooch around... It's simply too high which yes, does take away some of the point of having a big boot...
From the looks of it, you can get a top of the range freelander, for the money of a standard 3 series, and unfortunately the interior finish (and satnav etc) does seem to matter a fair bit in their opinion... i can understand where they're coming from, but also think its a bit shallow (closest word i can think of) buying a car heavily influenced by it's interior, rather than what it drives like (something which happened with the C-crosser, looks reasonably nice, if not a little brash, and the interior looks fairly nice, but take it for a ride and it's pants).....
From the looks of it, you can get a top of the range freelander, for the money of a standard 3 series, and unfortunately the interior finish (and satnav etc) does seem to matter a fair bit in their opinion... i can understand where they're coming from, but also think its a bit shallow (closest word i can think of) buying a car heavily influenced by it's interior, rather than what it drives like (something which happened with the C-crosser, looks reasonably nice, if not a little brash, and the interior looks fairly nice, but take it for a ride and it's pants).....
There is nothing wrong with interior finish being very important. If you are not a driving enthusiast then arguably a really lovely interior matters more than how well it oversteers on the limit or what the feel through the steering wheel is like.
Sadly, two people designed the C Class. One was very talented. He did the outside.
The other was on day release from the local hospital. He did the interior.