Land Rover Freelander2   Women's view

Want the classiest and most capable compact 4x4 on and off the road? Then you probably want a Land Rover Freelander2, June Neary decides

The kids just love it when we have a 4x4 to test out. They cant wait to get in the car to go to school (nice change) and they lord it over school friends as we loftily pass by. Sadly, I dont need the four wheel drive capability of a Freelander for the school run but who cares? Its as at home in suburbia as in the Serengeti and in second generation guise has moved even further ahead of rivals at least if you want something thats more than just a 4x4 car. This is the only compact family-sized quality 4x4 thats really rugged enough for weekends and holidays off the beaten track.

Although the shape is familiar, you get more Freelander for your money now. Its 50mm longer, 109mm wider and 32mm taller but the wheels have been moved further towards each corner, freeing up another 105mm in the cars wheelbase, making rear seat accommodation a whole lot better. Weight has crept up a whopping 250kg to around 1770kg in the process but a parallel improvement in safety, refinement and quality is a transaction I think that most customers will be willing to accept.

* Value for moneyIn the current Freelander2, theres a choice of Td4 diesel power or the i6 petrol variant I tried. Sadly, only the five-door bodystyle is now on offer. The original Freelander was the first car of its kind to offer V6 petrol power, in this case the rather lifeless 2.5-litre 177PS unit found in the old Rover 75.

This 3.2-litre engine is much better.

Against the clock, the i6 will get to 60mph in 8.4 seconds and keep accelerating until that not insubstantial frontal area fails to punch a hole through the atmosphere, by which time 124mph should be showing on the clocks. Other stats that youll probably want to be furnished with include a combined fuel economy figure of 25.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 265g/km.

On my test route, a bit of spirited driving saw the average drop to significantly below 20mpg, so youll need to be rather saintly to equal Land Rovers economy figures. Most people will ignore all of this and buy the Td4 diesel instead and I wouldnt blame them. Prices start at around £21,000, rising to around £35,000 for the top of the range i6 model. By that stage however, you might as well have bought a Discovery.

As for equipment, well, there was more included than I would have expected. Even entry-level S in the diesel range nets you 16-inch alloy wheels, six-way driver and four-way passenger seat adjustment controls, air conditioning, a driver information centre and electric windows. Hardly poverty spec in other words. Step up a few more grand and you can net the XS variant, which features 17-inch ten-spoke alloys, footwell and puddle lamps, front parking sensors, a telephone integration system, plus an Alpine stereo with nine speakers and electric front seats.

The penultimate trim level is SE I tried, the highlights of which include a satellite navigation system, electric sunroof, six-disc in-dash CD changer, heated front seats and 18-inch alloys. The HSE then gets 12-spoke alloys, ritzier climate control, Dolby pro logic 14-speaker stereo, leather seat facings and steering wheel trim, plus a memory function for the drivers seat. Theres also a sportier HST variant.

Easily. The Freelander2 is great fun, an excellent companion on the school run and perfect for high days and holidays.