90 as a daily commuter

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DaveK671

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The other half really fancies a 90 for her run around and commuter for work. Not to mention it wohld be great for winter and the odd off road excursion. She travels only 6 miles each way so fuel consumption isnt too much of an issue.

What's folks thoughts on a 90 for this? Are they generally reliable enough or is such a short journey gonna do more harm than good to the engine etc?

We would be looking to spend around 5k on one so hopefully get one in fairly good nick.

Cheers guys

Dave
 
Personally I use mine as a daily commuter for just running over the fells, to the local shops etc etc (I work from home) - and I give it a big run once a fortnight or so.

Which engine is she aiming for? Comfort over winter may be a big point.

As far as running, it shouldn't do any harm as long as you keep the servicing up and give it a good run once in a while (on top of the short runs).
 
Engine wise no idea. That's my job so I guess I need to start learning fast haha.
Good news that others use them this way though. Must say I would love to have one.
 
A lot of landrovers get used for short runs, so no real problem , in winter it will take longer to get an effective heater output , as its not a matiz :) I use my 90 as a run around , does mostly short runs , but its an auto , if it was manual might not use it quite so often , but its a nice break from a freelander , and gets me the defender experience without having to put unneeded miles on my 110
 
My 110 200tdi van is up to temp after 4miles, but after 20 miles the cab is still ######## freezing. I've now put in lots of insulation and divided the cab from the body. Hopefully I'll be warmer this winter. I've still to service the heater. So you'll have to think on that, as for driveability there's no problem and of course great in snow..
 
They will be as reliable as any other car so long as you look after it, many people dont.
The early 200 and 300 diesels take an age to warm up at town speeds, and in winter horrible way to go to work.
Heated windscreen is an essential piece of kit as is heated seats, that way the crap heater isnt such an issue.
Heated seat kits on ebay and a doddle to fit to defenders, screen about 150 quid again easy to wire up.
 
I've got an old td90 converted to a 200tdi she's got no soundproofing, gaps in the door tops etc etc... I travel maybe 3/4 miles to work and she warms up in time, never had trouble with the engine, and the parts that have worn out/broken have been my own fault offroading. And my heater works great! It's a standard one... but if the temp outside is down to single digits I put a coat on till the engine has warmed up haha.

I do give her a good run every week though - 20/30 miles and drive it hard.

Get some good road tyres though, if you do decide to go on a long journey, tyre noise can be annoying, or in my case make you sleepy... haha
 
I drive my 1989 200tdi 90 everyday to work (60 mile round trip). No insulation, no carpet. Admittedly I haven't driven it in the middle of winter yet but I get about 33mpg.

It may be noisy and uncomfortable but there's no other vehicle that would get me to work with a big smile on my face :)
 
My missus uses her TD5 CSW as a car and has travelled to work in it every day for the last nine years.

The Landy is fine for this, although in cold weather the heater takes a few miles to get going. There's no heated seats or screen in either of our Defenders.

I use my 110 TD5 CSW for my business and have done 10,000 miles in it since September.

I have found the Defender to be a great vehicle and would not go back to a van like l had before. Sure it takes a while to warm up in very cold weather but so did my van.

Earlier this year we had a 300tdi and although it did well, the TD5 is better for this kind of use as it is more refined, quieter, less bouncy and leaks less water into the cabin.

Sadly you may struggle to get a good TD5 for £5,000 as you really could do with a SW for the extra soundproofing and creature comforts.
 
I use a 25 year old 90 everyday for work and she's a beauty. Don't get me wrong the heaters don't work and she shakes my bones on the motorways, but she's the most reliable daily I've ever had.
 
Mad the ****ing lot of yeh, I did 4 years and thats enough for me!
So I bought a disco and now changed job so only 5 miles to work and have to say if I knew this 6 months ago the disco would not be on the driveway.
The only car ive ever owned where the missus never had any intention of driving or being in ever:D
 
DaveK671 said:
The other half really fancies a 90 for her run around and commuter for work. Not to mention it wohld be great for winter and the odd off road excursion. She travels only 6 miles each way so fuel consumption isnt too much of an issue.

What's folks thoughts on a 90 for this? Are they generally reliable enough or is such a short journey gonna do more harm than good to the engine etc?

We would be looking to spend around 5k on one so hopefully get one in fairly good nick.

Cheers guys

Dave
Click to expand...
A Ninety, or a Defender 90, should be completely reliable if it is well maintained and not abused. Driving to work certainly shouldn't overstretch it.
With modern traffic, performance probably wont be an issue either! :D But if she is worried about speed, you might do better with Td5, they are more powerful though Tdi aint bad.
Comfort is fine for short trips, coat and scarf in winter, it may not heat up in six miles. Try and take it for the odd good run out at weekends, make sure it gets fully warmed up, prevent issues associated with short trips.
A landy is perfectly good daily drive, I have often done this without any problems.
 
Yes, they're perfectly good for commuting, going for picnics, driving around and enjoying the countryside, moving house and a whole lot more. The only thing I notice is my hands get a bit cold on winter mornings, so sometimes I steer with one hand at a time while the other is clamped in my armpit to warm it up. Must remember to put some gloves in the car.
 
A defender is not as reliable as any other car. Full stop. The build quality just isn't there. The non existent heaters shouldn't be too much of a problem of you are only going six miles, same for the less than plush seats/driving position. Yes a disco will do most of these things better but it's not the same. If you want a fender try one to make sure it does tick your boxes. Of it does then these things that would turn any "normal" person off will become minor foibles that you'll be happy to live with.
 
My Mrs has used our for her daily commute to work for 10 years, about 30 mile round trip. (Well, she did until I started the rebuild a year ago :)) She can't wait to get it back! It has been very reliable over that time. Clutch fork gave up once, but that was only 100 yds from home. Other than that I can't remember any dramas. Very cold in the winter, she goes to work with plenty of layers on, hat, scarf and gloves. Loves it though. As has already been said, it depends on how much you love the vehicle and the pleasure of driving it to the trade off of standard car creature comforts.
 
goonarmy said:
A defender is not as reliable as any other car. Full stop. The build quality just isn't there. The non existent heaters shouldn't be too much of a problem of you are only going six miles, same for the less than plush seats/driving position. Yes a disco will do most of these things better but it's not the same. If you want a fender try one to make sure it does tick your boxes. Of it does then these things that would turn any "normal" person off will become minor foibles that you'll be happy to live with.
Click to expand...
Never had a Defender, but my various series, and my Ninety, have been totally reliable. Never broken down once in thirty years of driving them. Odd thing has gone wrong, but always given me enough warning to get home. To be fair, most of my other cars haven't broken down much either.

Edited for accuracy! Thinking about it, I am wrong. I have once broken down in a Landrover. It was a series 2a 88, I had bought it upcountry. I was on the A30 when a high pressure line broke. I left it at a farm and went back with a fuel pipe, sorted.

Agree totally about driving them before buying, they aren't to everybodies taste!
 
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Defenders are just as reliable as any other car if looked after properly and serviced. Particularly when left standard. A lot of people do upgrades and mess about with them on the cheap. Then you can get into trouble.
Parts are also much cheaper than other makes of cars.
Heaters in the winter are awful. I have done everything to mine but it takes a good 20 minutes before any real heat comes out of the vents. I have solved the problem by buying myself a good warm coat and gloves.
When it rains water will come in from around the doors unless you keep on it.
But there aren't many cars that will keep there value like a Defender and driving them does put a smile or your face. I know several woman that have them as there daily car and wouldn't want to change them for anything else. I would suggest she takes one out for a test drive first to see if its her thing. You haven't mentioned where you live or what sort of commuting she will be doing. If your in town I would suggest a TD5 as they are supposed to be a bit more refined. I have a 200 tdi and love it in spit of all its quirks. My wife also loves it. When we have to go somewhere together the Defender is her first choice.
 
If it's only the heater that bothers you, there are a couple of solutions.

Engine pre heater. Plug in to the mains and warms the engine overnight.
Auxiliary heater. Expensive, but solves the problem completely. Plus it will add value to the Defender, so not that bad.

As for reliability, our Defender 90 is the most reliable car we've owned. If you buy a good one and only use it on road, it will last forever.
If you buy a well used £5,000 one, there are going to be issues to deal with.
Treat a car like many people treat Land Rovers and it would be scrap within five years.
Yet people will complain that their newly bought 25 year old seven-owner-plus-one farmer-veteran of numerous ham fisted off road excursions, home maintenance, pay and play weekends, towed-everything-from-horsebox-to-boat (including launching in the sea) stolen and recovered twice, never garaged or washed Defender is "unreliable"
 
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