Defender 90 or 110?

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
MikeV8SE

MikeV8SE

New Member
Posts
1,771
Location
Bucks
Hi all,

I'm seriously considering putting my Range Rover Classic (1991 V8 Vogue SE) up for sale, but for all the right reasons! :) It is a second car and I love driving it, and thus want to drive it more - but really need a diesel if that is going to be the case!

My brother has suggested going halves on a Defender which is great as we have a bit more budget for the car and modifications. It will have 3 primary roles, and this is where I can't decide whether a 90 or 110 would be better! In addition to day to day tasks, it's uses will be:

- Transport in adverse weather (we live in quite a remote area of the Chilterns which always gets hit with snow and/or flooding, and I am a member of our local 4x4 Rescue/Response group)
- Weekly tip runs - a fair sized garden = lots of garden waste!
- Green laning + pay & play days
- Potential expeditions later this year/next year? Likely across the Pyrennes or down to Morocco perhaps.

So which would be more suitable? I'm thinking 90 because it'll still have plenty of room for tip runs, will be better (I assume?) for green laning and pay & play days and, given the expedition is likely to only be myself and the missus or me and my brother, should still be plenty roomy enough for an expedition?

Also, is it better to go for a car with solid sides or windows in the back? Do they all have seats in the back? I'm guessing for our budget we'll be looking at a 200Tdi or 300Tdi - is the 300 worth the extra if we can get one?

Anyway, I'd really appreciate any advice from you, the owners, as what model/engine/extras I should look for? Budget for the base vehicle will be around £3k-£5k, and then we can add equipment and modifications to it as we go along!

Thanks in advance :)
 
Last edited:
i would go for 110 td5 ,110 station wagon and 90s fetch more money for age and condition ,easy job to fit windows in back
 
Ive got a 110 300tdi with solid sides (which I think is nowadays refered to as a utility) and I love it.

I dont off road anymore, but need the second row of seats for my family. The solid sides are great for transporting the dogs in as folk cant see inside, and its ply-lined in the back. I havent ever seen any other 300tdi utility versions, perhaps mine was special build as its an ex-police Defender?

I guess to decide whether to buy a 90 or 110, you have to ask yourself if your ever likely to need to carry more than one passenger. And I guess on an expedition, you need all the internal storage space you can get. Dont think Ive ever seen a 90 kitted out for an expedition.
 
Thanks for the responses! I thought the 90's had seats in the back? There would be very few occasions I'd need to transport more than 2 people (no kids!) but would be helpful to have a couple of extra seats in the back for occasional use!

I do think the 110 has a lot of advantages, but the extra length/wheelbase would be a hinderance on green lanes and offroad - but I have no knowledge to base that on, so by all means correct me if I'm wrong!

Would a Td5 be in budget? Thought they might be a bit expensive!
 
I have a 90. You can get bench seats, or fold-up seats in the back - they'll do the job for a short trip, but I wouldn't want to use them for long. Failing that, you can fit fold-up forward-facing seats - starts getting expensive and they're still pretty impractical.
Choosing between the 200tdi and 300tdi - as far as performance goes there's not a lot in it. The 300 is perhaps a little more refined, but they're both bullet-proof engines (assuming maintenance, blah, blah...) I'd be inclined to go for a good Tdi over a not-so-good TD5.

I like the practicality of a 110 - but I prefer the look of a 90. That's why I've got one :)
 
The 110 is the one to go for if you need practicality and space. In reality, a 110 will go almost everywhere a 90 will - it's just the extreme stuff that a 110 might struggle with. A 110 is also an ideal expedition vehicle, having a much higher payload than a 90 and a massive load space. :)
 
A 110 is better for tip runs and expeditions given it's size and is still easily capable enough for sensible greenlaning. Seems a no-brainer to me :p Station wagons will go for more money, so if you get a hard top (like a van, in my siggy) you have two seats and so much room in the back you could fit a king size bed! If you come laning on the 13th you are welcome to have a poke around mine :)
 
I had a 90 up until last month (i think). Lovely vehicle, but I definitely agree they are not practical for more than 2 people in any configuration I've seen. I traded mine in for a 200tdi 110 csw. I go off roading usually at least once a week, and in my few trips I made in my 110, I felt that as soon as I was used to the extra length, I slight adjustment to driving style meant I could go anywhere my 90 would go. Trouble is my engine is now blown :eek:.
I would get a tdi 110 station wagon or utility wagon (i think they're called: basically a station wagon but with no windows in the "boot"
 
110 csw every time. I have the utility version too. It keeps the stuff in the back secure and out of sight of prying eyes and means you don't get killed by flying tools etc when offroading. There's very few places that I have been offroading/greenlaning where my 110 won't go but a 90 will.
 
Just to confirm the various comments that the inward-facing seats in the rear of a 90 are for short distances or children only. Any other use is going to provoke a lot of very loud complaints. Also, that area is the only storage area, so you can't take 6 people and some stuff as well.

That said, you mention that you only usually carry 2, in which case you'll be fine provided the space behind is big enough for what you want to carry.
 
khaos said:
I'd say a 90 with van sides and a trailer. The only problem would be the expedition bit. You can't fit 3 people in a 90 for more than 30 miles, it's unbearable.
Click to expand...

Why bother with a 90 + trailer when a 110 would suit all of his needs without the extra hassle? :confused:
 
patently said:
Just to confirm the various comments that the inward-facing seats in the rear of a 90 are for short distances or children only. Any other use is going to provoke a lot of very loud complaints. Also, that area is the only storage area, so you can't take 6 people and some stuff as well.

That said, you mention that you only usually carry 2, in which case you'll be fine provided the space behind is big enough for what you want to carry.
Click to expand...

not sure your supposed to put children in side facing seats, theres a few threads about it in here somewhere
 
bobbler said:
not sure your supposed to put children in side facing seats, theres a few threads about it in here somewhere
Click to expand...

"There's no legal requirement to fit seat belts in sideways-facing seats. The human body bends forward from the waist - not sideways - so the potential for internal and spinal injury is high if a passenger uses a seat belt in a sideways-facing seat. For similar reasons child seats and boosters cannot be approved for using in a sideways-facing seat."

Pasted from here.

Personally, I make everyone who uses the dickie seats belt up because a human body flying around a motor in a crash will cause a lot of damage. Youngest I've sat in a side facing seat is 11yrs, wouldn't go lower unless they were physically larger.
 
juiceyv8 said:
keep the v8 ya poof:p
Click to expand...

Wish I could but it's faaaaat too expensive to run if I want to do more 'laning and pay & play days, plus it's too good nick for that lark!! :D

Langers said:
The 110 is the one to go for if you need practicality and space. In reality, a 110 will go almost everywhere a 90 will - it's just the extreme stuff that a 110 might struggle with. A 110 is also an ideal expedition vehicle, having a much higher payload than a 90 and a massive load space. :)
Click to expand...

Good to know, thanks!

Like someone else said - I think I prefer the look of a sorted 90, but the 110 makes more sense.

However, for my budget there's loads of 90's and very few 110's, so the decision may be being made for me!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
Defender 90 advice
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
grandy21
G
A
90 / 110 door striker
Replies
6
Views
537
APLandy
A
D
Changing TD5 Defender 90
Replies
4
Views
763
lightning
lightning
torr_td4
1996 Defender 90 wiring diagram
Replies
1
Views
352
Anaconda
A
T
Defender Wolf as a first Defender project?
Replies
14
Views
768
tottot
tottot
Back
Top