[Closed] Land Rover Defender as every day car..Yes or No?

Plenty of other 4x4's that are cheaper and better put together (i am a Landrover fan) and more frugal in my opinion, its more an enthusiasts vehicle rather than everyday, comfort is lacking too it really is a utility vehicle. I couldn't live with my old 90 from years ago as an everyday car ended up with a Discovery in the end, but that was a fair few years ago when i didn't mind getting under the bonnet and low mpg but at todays prices for fuel and servicing, no thanks.

Had one while our freelander was in the shop and it was pretty awful on the road, especially the motorway, lots of play in the steering, noisy, uncofortable seats and position. Good space in the back, obviously great off-road and good for towing. Weekend car, not an everyday car for me.

EDIT: That's probably not want you wanted to hear. I meant they're great, buy one now! 🙂

How clean are your fingernails?

Was chasing an F reg one at 85 in the outside lane of the M^ this morning.

That's 1968 F reg....

I thought the later ones may be a bit better but sounds not to be the case.
The Mrs really wants one and the off-road ability would be good.
Shame, they really do look good and could get round the poor fuel consumption as it will do short distances but cant be having a car thats forever off the road wanting repairs.
I have no knowledge or skills when it comes to car repair so sounds like Im best to shelv that one.

It will be mainly used by my wife on her short country commute.

Two questions. 1) Does this commute involve crossing several fields? 2) If she's the one going to be driving it every day, does she actually want one?

I'd look at other options. What is the (real)reason for wanting a 4X4?

I love them - I really do, but they are horrible to drive and to live with.

Refinement is non-existent. The steering is heavy & vague, the heater blower is rubbish, the ergonomics are terrible, the suspension is gash, the gear change nasty and it'll be awfui to park (its for your wife!!)

Just remember, they were designed in the late 1940s and nothing much has changed

As i said - i absolutly love them - but i also love old Mini's, Escorts and Morris Minors - but i couldn't live with one every day

It's a bit like going out on a riged MTB from the early 90s......

Great fun, but i couldn't do it for every ride! 😀

I wouldn't buy a 90 for any kind of commute unless you will be regularly dealing with snow, trying to get in and out of fields etc. If you're worried about a dusting of snow once a year and really want a 4x4 then 12k will get you a lot newer and more comfortable vehicles than a 90.

This is coming from someone who has driven most types of Land Rover and I own a Discovery 1 (which I don't drive every day). I think owners of proper Land Rovers fall into two categories - Those that need them for the type of work/leisure activities they do and those that are enthusiasts or both

Go and and drive one first. We looked at them a few years ago and after a test drive discounted it as an everyday car on the grounds that they're crap, slow, noisy, vague, uncomfortable, slow, crap, noisy, vague and crap.

Just bought a 21y.o. Defender 90 though as our 'other' car - it's ace.

Get one, but then again don't.

I'd say go for it. I'm massive fan of defenders and for a short county commute they're ideal. Your good lady will be able to see over the hedges and even run onto the verges if some nob in a peugeot tries to run her off the road. As long as she is happy driving one as they have a heavy gearchange/steering etc. I also prefer the TD5 as the new TDCi is much less practical due to having two forward facing seats in the back rather than the normal 4 inward facing (If you're thinking of having any seats in the back that is.....

if some nob in a peugeot tries to run her off the road.

I used to run one everyday and they're great, but I fall into the enthusiast catagory. Even I found them hard going if you're just driving to and from work in them. I now run a car for my commute and this at the weekend

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Have we met?

😆 Personal experience mate, I drive half an hour to work each morning on very small lanes, I often have to throw my car into the hedge to avoid some tit in a 306 who seems to find it acceptable to do 70 round blind corners.

I wanted one a few years ago but the missus vetoed it. Whatever you do, don't compromise and get a Freelander - we did (not Freelander 2, they might be better) and ended up with the worst of both worlds!

Now our two boys are approaching the age where we can go camping etc I'm starting to yearn for a 110. Eeeh, summer holidays, load it up with all you could possibly need and more, then drive to a field somewhere and set up camp. After dropping the missus at the nearest 5 star spa hotel that is!

This is not an easy question:

I have a Defender as my everyday car, I only do about 2000 miles a year though.

Noisy, cramped, thirsty, leak, etc.

I love mine it makes me grin ear to ear when I drive it.

However, much better cars on the Market etc...

Drive one, do some distance in it, make your own mind up. But go with your eyes wide open.

I have had a couple of Landrovers and they really must be a labour of love otherwise they will cause no end of grief. As a commuter i wouldn't use one but they are huge fun for this 😀

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To OP. The answer is No to Defender ...

My friend was so into Defender 90/110 until I introduced him to Toyota Landcruiser. No comparison ... Toyota wins hand down.

He paid £15K for it and he was very surprised that the Japs could build such good 4x4 ... 🙄

If you don't have the time to mess around with your 4x4 then go for Toyota Landcruiser.

My favourite is old Toyota FJ40 which is not produced anymore but I just hope Toyota will produce an updated version of this in future.

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Personal experience mate, I drive half an hour to work each morning on very small lanes, I often have to throw my car into the hedge to avoid some tit in a 306 who seems to find it acceptable to do 70 round blind corners.

I've used them for work in fact I've pretty much driven every 4x4 in the UK and what I say is this "People drive landrovers then try another 4x4 and don't drive them again."

Even if you use them off road day to day as I did there great at one thing only off road, there crap at carring anything (not enough room) and really heavy on juce.

If you want a tool for work go for a Hilux other than that I'd have a look at the car mags and see whats recommended. For a personal vehicle I had a dicovery for 12 month and I had more hassel with that than a Vitara I had for nearly 10 years!

I drove one last month for the first time since passing my driving test in one round Colchester in 1994. Noisy, slow, awful steering, uncomfortable......felt dangerous to drive tbh. Pal at work lent me his, he's an enthusiast, has this orange monstrosity pimped out to the max. I really wouldnt.

As above, love them, but crap for general road work, just not the tool for the job. However for lower average speed short journeys they are fine and even fun, so long as you readjust your expectations. A eurobox they are not. They don't constantly break down, they just need to be looked after, that's all.

Agreed, I had one and for a short commute it was fantastic, I loved the feeling it gave me every day when I climbed in. I actually looked forward to driving to work!! However when my commute increased and involved motorways, things changed and I soon replaced it with a golf! However this was four years ago and the TDCi ones are miles better than my TD5 was for motorway work.

Friend bought the 2005 Toyota Landcruiser 90 series or Prado like this one.

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If you can find one with the spare tyre underneath the rear boot go for that one because those with spare tyre on the rear door might become too heavy for the rear door in the long run, as well as blocking rear vision a bit.

I've know a few country lane drivers (ref above comments)and what tends to happen is one day/ night you, if your luck is in, will wake up in a hospital bed or if your luck is out don't ever know what happend to themselves.

I've on more times than I care to remmber helped recovery teams pull vehilces out of woods, fields streams and rivers.

After the air ambulance/ parmedics have carted off the smart arse who though they were gods gift to rally drving on public roads.

Ummmmm..
A lot of good advice and very contradictory.
We do live out in the sticks a bit and have had experience of having to walk the last two miles when my car gets stuck in the snow (Peugeot 307 SW) so defender would be good from that point of view. Have no intention of doing any proper off-roading but like the idea of it not mattering if it gets a few 'war wounds'.
Wife currently destroys alloy wheels on her Audi and it is constantly full of rubbish after trips to dump or garden centre etc, so thought the LR would do the job. She had a series 2 for 10 years or so before I met her and had a 1975 beetle until I bought her a proper car so is well used to no heater poor handling, leaking etc..etc. She does do a fair bit of horse riding too so that often involves muddy fields and piles of hay in the back of the car. She commutes mostly on country roads into local town.

In that case I'd say either go for a Land Cruiser type or 10k on a new car and 2k on a 4X4 for the really crappy days.

Sounds like she knows what she is getting into, so go for it. I'd probably go for a late 300tdi one though and save some of the cash. Worst case is you have to sell - and you'll get your money back.

Sounds like she'd get on just fine with a defender in my opinion.

specialknees - Member

Ummmmm..
A lot of good advice and very contradictory.

Just buy a Landcruiser and drive carefully is all you need.

It is not illegal to own and to drive a 4x4 so I don't see any problem with driving one everyday for school runs, shopping, cruising etc ... If others want to drive into your 4x4 that's their problems.

🙄

How about a TDi Toureg in V10 form? Plenty of them for £12k, can't possibly imagine why

Looking at a TDi 2008 tomorrow, mileage is a bit high at 80k but its just within my price range.
Seller says its great on the motorway (he would though wouldnt he) and has six speed gearbox.
Its a station wagon 90 so six seats I think but forgot to ask.
Aparently has central locking, electric windows etc so seems prety modern...for a Land Rover.
Then again?

Remember to let the Mrs test drive 'her' car 😉

Let's us know how it drives ... 😀

Then try out a Landcruiser ...

if it is 2008 it'll be a TDCi, same engine as a transit. Superb engine and less problematic for high miles than the TD5's 6 speed box makes them much quieter and easier to live with than the older engines. As I mentioned before though, when the TDCi model came out (you can tell a TDCi by the hump in the bonnet!) it had to comply with EU safety regs and couldn't be fitted from new with inward facing seats. makes them much less practical with two full size front facing seats in the back.

If its for country lanes they are great. Who care about body work. All the stuff about comfort is relative. Of course they are not Range Rovers but I would rather take my 110 to Scotland than my Dads's 1950's Daimler.
Who needs 70+ except dimwits who speed?
Fuel consumption will hurt though. Try a few out first. Buy a landrover mag or join a forum. Try difflock.com

Thanks guys, some good advice there.
I will let you know how I get on with the test drive.
Mrs is already driving it in her mind so its going to have to be really bad to talk her out of it.

This could be the start of a life changing experience I didnt really need.

How bad is Bad fuel consumption?
She currently drives an Audi 3.2 V6 Auto, Surely not as bad as that??

Personally, as an everyday car I wouldn't recommend one for all the reasons given by others. I'd agree with what others have said about them being an enthusiasts car - if you love 'em, you love 'em! Worth bearing in mind that they're quite a different drive to most old cars/car designs - quite agricultural compared to a beetle (even my mates 'old scrote' beetle!).

If your OH is still really interested in a Landy, try and get a decent long demo of one, or even better, hire one from a specialist for a day or two. If she wants the Defender look, but wants something a little more refined, and much better built, you could have a look at a Mercedes G-Wagen - or, much as it pains me to say, get a Toyota.

p.s.

This could be the start of a life changing experience I didnt really need.

Resist at all cost! 😀

dont listen to the crap above - buy one.
My daily driver for 6 years is my 1991 110. Im 6'6", comfort is fine, heater is fine in winter, 100% reliable,
Wife likes driving it, tows our 3.5t Ifor trailer no probs, easiest car I've ever owned to service. Plenty of specialist garages for repair work, massive online community.

However they are complex bits of kit, lots of oily bits and service items - gearbox, transfer box, 2x diffs, 2x hub swivels, 2x propshafts etc etc. Unreliable ones are ones that have been abused or neglected.

Buy one now - BUT make sure you look at lots - and take someone with you who knows them inside out, if you dont like it sell in autumn and dont loose any money. Or keep it wait till the kids leave home and drive to Capetown in it.

Mine
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Toyota = heavy and expensive on parts.
G Wagen - heavy and rust on the back ends plus expensive parts

panda (4x4) ?

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igmc.

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An Icon Bronco? If I ever get to live the Beckham life, this'll be mine!

Just checked, the one I am looking at tomorrow only has two seats in the back, so not ideal.
I have lined up a few more to look at. One of them is not a genuine station wagon aparently but has windows and still seats four in the back + the two up front. I suppose it must be a converted van? not sure if that makes a difference though.
Been doing a bit of research and all the late (Puma?) ones have the front facing rear seats and only two so now looking at up to 2004.
Seen a real nice 2002 one with low miles but sides look a bit rippled. Guy selling says most people expect that but I dont on an otherwise nice looking car. Also a friend of a friend has a V8 for sale.I took a look on the way home from work, I know im mad but as it will do very low miles I like the sound of it (literally). Didnt drive it as not insured but he took me up the road in it and it was well..strange but I liked it. Mmmmmm....tempted.!

meh, a colleague or two owns them and every other person drives them (110's) round here. I have one outside on hire again this weekend for work.
For driving up hillsides, carrying dogs and sheep, pulling outsize trailers or razzing around as part of MRT team (colleague has one with flashy lights and searchlights and everyfink) they are ace.
For drving on road, paying the bills, reliability, noise etc, no, no, no.
But they do put a smile on your face. Usually wiped off by a visit to [url= http://www.lixtoll.com/ ]Lix Toll[/url] for the next bill.