Is the Defender any good for the city?

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mrr84

New Member
Posts
32
Location
Dubai & London
Hi all, I have put a deposit down for a 2008 defender 110 since I have finally saved up enough to buy one now. I am going to be doing both city driving & off roading. Taking it to work or on long drives far out the city.

I would really like to hear your views about the defender being driven daily in the city with all the congestion, traffic snarls & pedestrian crossing.

I often go to the beach with my jet skis and desert with my quad bikes and I recently acquired ariel atom so I have been taking it down to the track for high speed adrenaline rushes. That is another reason why I need a defender to tow. I find american cars unreliable to be honest.

So do any of you drive your defenders in the city alot? I would really appreciate it if you would share your stories & opinions with me?
 
Hi

Where you driving it Dubai or London? My daily drive is a 110 2005 td5 in Dubai - awsome no problem.

Haven't seen any new 07 models here yet - do they have any in Al Tayer - guess not as you have ordered.
 
Hi

Where you driving it Dubai or London? My daily drive is a 110 2005 td5 in Dubai - awsome no problem.

Haven't seen any new 07 models here yet - do they have any in Al Tayer - guess not as you have ordered.

In Dubai, just ordered it 2 weeks back and put the deposit down. Ordered it in Stornoway Grey.

The '07's are out nah they dont have any on the showroom floor, nor any for test drive. They have about 12 cars. I think all have them have been accounted for.

So seriously no worries about daily traffic driving? Since you live in dubai, you know how bad the congestion?
 
Worse than doha I hear.

Yep, its ****ed up because you find some prick on the road who doesnt know where he wants to go and then last minute he plans out his route in his ****ed up brains and then cuts every single car on the road to get to that exit or turns just inches away from a catostrophic accident. :mad:
 
Not to mention the amount of tinting fitted on the windscreens here on cars. Majority of these people tint their cars fully and then when its dark they cant see **** outside and change lanes without indicating and just change lane, if they here a horn they move back into their lane. Mostly the locals and arab expats and asians are famous for this. Talk about road etiquettes!!
 
Yep. Just like doha...
the worst are the indians in their pickups, the landcruiser brigade and those bastard trucks that always circumnavigate the roundabouts from the very outside. So if you want to get off the roundabout its tough ****, you have to go round again - only most people dont, they stop and wait for the truck to move out the way.
Not as many 4x4s in dubai though?
 
Forgot to mention a new hazard in doha since the recent introduction of speed cameras is people who approach one at 90 in a 100 limit and then anchor on to 60 to pass through it, then accelerate away again like theres no tomorow.
 
Not to mention the amount of tinting fitted on the windscreens here on cars. Majority of these people tint their cars fully and then when its dark they cant see **** outside and change lanes without indicating and just change lane, if they here a horn they move back into their lane. Mostly the locals and arab expats and asians are famous for this. Talk about road etiquettes!!

But are there any women drivers?

Would they let HybridGirl drive?

CharlesY
 
Yep. Just like doha...
the worst are the indians in their pickups, the landcruiser brigade and those bastard trucks that always circumnavigate the roundabouts from the very outside. So if you want to get off the roundabout its tough ****, you have to go round again - only most people dont, they stop and wait for the truck to move out the way.
Not as many 4x4s in dubai though?


What a bunch of idiots. Yes just like dubai, dont worry its same **** here every single day. Its not only the drivers fault, its also the road infrastructure. Where the **** in the world you have a FOUR LANE ROUNDABOUT and they increase the lanes on the motorways here in dubai but it doesnt reduce the traffic just brings more cars on the road. Not to mention the money minting toll system we have in place (SALIK).

When they plan roads they are make a mess, they should learn from the europeans on how to make roads. Yes dont worry with speed cameras all around here people keep speeding until they see a camera reduce their speed to the speed limit and speed off. What a bunch of ****ing morons. :mad:
 
I'd imagine its good because of its small size compared with the other traffic on ME roads.
 
all this talk of doha and dubai and indians, yer could be talking about any where in the world that has roads. drivers the world over do daft and dangerous stuff.
having seen a bit of the world i reckon most countries have they own way of driving like an arse. in france its they tend to tailgate yer before they overtake then try to overtake in top gear, they also like to make their own gap to squeeze into and dunt take kindly to you for not altering speed or trajectory so they can pull in before they have a head on with the lorry bearing down on them.
yer can go any where and yule always have some tulips trying to kill everybody and their brothers. and the cops the world over have the same reaction to any reports about it ' oh we can't do nowt cos they havn't actually kilt yer!'

all yer can do is treat every other road user as a complete brain dead imbecile and drive accordingly
 
The low gearing helps with city driving

And as it's a Defender you don't get attacked by the anti 4x4 mob as much!!

Adsey

Yes thats what I was thinking, since your cant drive fast anymore in the city. Screw anti-4x4 mobs, here in dubai on average every family has a 4x4. I find a 4x4 much safer than a car :D
 
all this talk of doha and dubai and indians, yer could be talking about any where in the world that has roads. drivers the world over do daft and dangerous stuff.
having seen a bit of the world i reckon most countries have they own way of driving like an arse. in france its they tend to tailgate yer before they overtake then try to overtake in top gear, they also like to make their own gap to squeeze into and dunt take kindly to you for not altering speed or trajectory so they can pull in before they have a head on with the lorry bearing down on them.
yer can go any where and yule always have some tulips trying to kill everybody and their brothers. and the cops the world over have the same reaction to any reports about it ' oh we can't do nowt cos they havn't actually kilt yer!'

all yer can do is treat every other road user as a complete brain dead imbecile and drive accordingly


Like you said mate you get morons every where. Same thing here in dubai, if you're in the fast lane driving at the speed limit you will certainly get tailgated by driver who wants to go faster (they will flash their headlights until you move if you dont they take over and cut you and then brake to slow you down and **** you off lmao). My question is the fast lane was built to go fast so the slow drivers should move out and let the people who want to go fast. :rolleyes:
 
i have an 07 defender and i drive it a lot in York City which does get very congested
its pretty good because u just ride around in 1st or 2nd on tick over and dont use as much fuel, sometimes 3rd gear
Defenders have so much road presence too, i find im king of the road:p so people dont come near u in traffic
u always get right of way
i find it very easy to drive in the city


today was funny, on 2 seperate occasions today a merc 4x4 i think its ML or summat saw me on a single track lane and he immediately pulled over to let me (the king) to pass in my superior car :p
and also a new toyota hilux did the same
i think they are scared :D
oh i love my defender :)


i hope above helps
 
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