Land Rover Freelander vs. Nissan X-Trail

Why the comparison?

Other manufacturers might lay claim to inventing the compact SUV, but here in the UK the Land Rover Freelander has dominated the genre for so long it's the car most people think of. However, there are plenty rivals out there that give the Freelander a serious challenge both on- and off-road. The X-Trail has always been one of the best, Nissan's 'soft-roader' blending fine looks and class-leading dynamics on road to create a serious rival to the British car. And with the Land Rover getting ever more expensive as it moves upmarket the X-Trail is an even more tempting proposition, particularly as it has just undergone an overhaul to offer more space, pace and comfort.

How are they similar?

Packing four-wheel drive, but used almost exclusively on road, this duo fight it out for sales among customers wanting the space, high-driving position and image of an off-roader. Either will get you further into the wilderness than you'd have thought possible, the Land Rover having a bit of an edge in the muck, but there's not much in it. The same is true on the road, where both drive with the sort of verve that shouldn't really be possible in such tall vehicles. Five seats feature in both, neither offering a third row of seats like some rivals. As a result either offers a decent load space, the X-Trail's the more usefully sized. Turbodiesel engines feature under the bonnets of both, and they're within a second of each other in the 0-62mph sprint, the Land Rover managing a time of 10.9 seconds, the X-Trail covering the sprint in 10 seconds dead when fitted with the 171bhp engine.

How do they differ?

The engine in the Land Rover is a 2.2-litre unit. It's smoother on start-up over the X-Trail's 2.0-litre unit and less peaky in its power delivery - if you opt for the higher power X-Trail, that is. The Land Rover is only offered in one 158bhp turbodiesel output, Nissan giving its customers the choice of either 148bhp or 171bhp. The price range for the Freelander diesels is between £21,000 and £31,000 whereas the X-Trail is offered from £20,000 to £27,000. For the money the Nissan comes with more equipment as standard than the Land Rover, the range-topping 2.0 dCi Adventurer Extreme coming with leather seats, rear parking sensors, satnav, climate control, electric everything and Bluetooth telephone connection. The Land Rover largely matches this with its 2.2 TD4 HSE model, but it's nearly £4,500 more.

You pay for that badge, and in some ways it's worth it. The Land Rover's Terrain Response system is excellent and simple to use, its off-road pedigree well established. The interior feels pretty upmarket too, though it is let down by Land Rover's continued use of cheap-looking LCD displays on the instrument panel. The X-Trail has improved inside in this second-generation model, the clear instruments and better quality plastics giving it too a more upmarket feel. The Nissan badge will never hold the cachet of a Land Rover one in this marketplace, though. The Nissan's interior feels the more spacious and well built. And that's where the Nissan really scores over the Land Rover: reliability. If you want to be sure of only ever seeing your dealer at scheduled service times then the Nissan is the car to have, Land Rover's record for reliability not exactly blemish-free.

So which one would we have?

That would depend on our priorities. Many will buy the Land Rover because of its heritage and badge prestige; however, you pay handsomely for the privilege. The Nissan might not get quite as far into the wilderness as the Freelander, but it's every bit as good on the road and model-for-model offers better value for money. Which makes it our choice here.

Kyle Fortune