To balance this one out a bit, don't dismiss the Rover. The 75 was and is a reasonably reliable car, quite a bit better than other Rover products, which were not as bad as people make out. It's comfortable, economical in diesel form and personally I think, good looking. Add to that, how cheap they are, you get a surprisingly capable car for little dosh. I have had two Passats (much older) in the past and found them to be characterless and not such great shakes in the reliability department either. As for the Freelander, with the new model on the doorstep, you need to buy cheap. You will probably wonder how much better the new model is and would it have been worth waiting for one.
At the end of the day, just buy like you would a caravan, something that fits your needs and buy on condition, not age.
Hope this helps.