Defenders

[Nick Calne]

With my pajero dead-ish I went to the land rover dealership to try out a defender today, it being a while since I last drove one. I went thinking that the NC cheque book was going to be subject to further duress in the near future but came away a little uncertain.

It felt cramped and narrow - it put me off a bit. Not as nice a place to be as the pajero. Anyone else got a defender as I could do with the benefit of your thoughts?

[HockleyBoy]

My Defender is noisy, it leaks, it freezes up on the inside in winter, its hot in summer etc.

But I love it and wouldn't change it for anything else!

Mine is a 110 300tdi CSW with 12 seats, I still get around 25mpg on a run (not too bad as its now 20 years old and has around 180k miles on the clock). It will cruise comfortably at about 75 on the motorway, it hardly smokes, its very easy to work on, parts are easy to get and cheap if you don't mine pattern parts. Servicing costs me about £40 a year and I can fit lots of stuff, people, dogs in without worrying about damaging the seats or trim. It will go anywhere and any new dents or scratches just add character. They also hold their value remarkably well (bad news if you want to buy one)

I have owned mine for 17 years and will continue driving it for as long as I can keep getting an MOT.

[Nick Calne]

Thanks. I'm contemplating buying a 110 xs utility through work.

Sounds like you love it but do you ever hanker after say a rangie?

[HockleyBoy]

Had a Rangie as well a few years back at the same time as the Defender, personally I hated it (enough to give it back and I was given a fully serviced one with 12 months MOT in reasonable condition for nothing) I found it to be the worst of all worlds, a great wallowing gas guzzler on the road and pretty poor off. I am however not a great judge, I have little interest in cars generally as I much prefer bikes.

I haven't driven any of the latest versions but to me they just look to be slightly higher saloon cars like BMWs X5 and the Audi Q series and I am not keen on them (or their drivers at times as I commute by bike and meet a few on the A13!).

The 110 utility sounds like a good choice, I am sure the build is better and things like the heater work better on later Landrovers than mine.

[Sin_Tiger]

My experiences of Defenders are largely before that name was coined  of the newer ones I preferred the last of the TD5's. Cramped wet and cold, did they ever make them another way 

I personally didn't enjoy the cab or crew cabs for that reason, slightly claustrophobic, that's probably why I stuck with Classic Rangies, that'll be the wallowy big sheds 

The biggest problem with Defenders is that you tend to farkle them like bikes.

Bit left field, if you want a compact capable and very well appointed 4x4 Kia Sportage, wavy a bit bigger with good towing and pretty tough,  Kia Sorrento,  seriously and this is coming from a dyed in the wool Landie anorack.

[Bixxer Bob]

MY Pathfinder, like the aforementioned Landrover, is developing character with every dent and scratch.  When it eventually goes (and it won't be a while yet) I'm going to buy a pre 1974 Landrover.  Why?  Road tax free, everything can be serviced by me, including welding where necessary - even a re-chassis if needed - and it'll tow anything, go anywhere and lug anything I need it to.  For the occasional run up north we'll hire a car for a couple of days and still have change from the road tax on the Pathy alone......

[Sin_Tiger]

Please don't talk to me about changing chassis 

[HockleyBoy]

The biggest problem with Defenders is that you tend to farkle them like bikes.

And that is why we love them 

[London_Phil]

Nice little article in Car Mechanics from July this year on Defenders. They call the article survival guide, and its a 3 pager on the general parts reliability and availability of the vehicle. The last Land Rover I had was 1956  Series 1 SWB with a rag top, so I'm not current on these, but there a worrying note re the heads on a 200TDI being hard to source if they warp at all. Not sure if the article is available online.