Hi all,

I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I'll have to let my current car go to the scrappy fairly soon, and am thinking about replacing it with a fairly new Defender 110. I've never owned a land-rover before and except for a few hours in a series III I'm just about clueless about what to expect.
Trouble is that all the people I've been able to talk to so far seems to be too madly in love with the general concept of the car to be able to provide me with any useful information regarding HOW a landy actually compares to other cars.
I don't actually need much of the terrain- or the towing capacity but I'm quite attracted to the apparent ruggedness and serviceability of the vehicle since I intend to hang on to the car for quite a while.
So, are they as rugged as they look, or will they start to suffer all those minor failures that plague modern cars as soon as the warranty wears off?
How do they compare to a "normal" station wagon in terms of running costs for a car in daily use? What are the most common repairs/replacements needed, and how do they compare to what you'd have to pay for a"normal" car?

I'd be grateful for all the info you can provide.

Cheers,

dabac

I have driven a few cars from small cars to BMW's so I think I can safely give you a fair opinion.

I currently drive a 90, and personaly I think will try and drive a landy until the cows come home. The only thing that may stop me buying new ones is if Ford continue to ruin them, then I will need to spend fortunes keeping one going for life!

Ok, if you have a car then your going to have a pros, but lets face it driving is combat, more people die on the roads in the UK than in the Gulf, and lets face it thats what a war is about, so you might as well drive in something thats going to look after you.

A car is generally going to be faster, easier to park in town, easier to wash, and cheaper on fuel.

But then you have to think, if you have a Defender, you can do most of the work on them yourself, having good clearance means you can get under them without lifts or ramps.

The first ever job I did on my 90 (besides fitting a new battery but that doesnt count) was a clutch master cylinder, with a haynes manaul at my side, and a neighbour who could help me with the bleeding process and call out things from the manaul to me.

Your going to get more respect on the road, people do not like seeing 2 tonnes with giant steel bumpers coming at them.

You have an advantage on country roads and in traffic, because you can see whats over hedges and over car tops. I was driving in the country once and a Landy did what I thought was a mental move, then when I was in my Landy I realised it was not mental, because the driver could see what was coming over the hedges.

On the whole not a lot can stop them, I was out playing in the snow with mine yesterday, and I had the choice of 100's of people which I could have given a tow. Flooded roads are less of an issue, and when the odd bit of pavment driving is required to get past that school run car blocking 2 lanes of traffic your not going to wory about bumping up on the pavement.

I think you will be very happy with your 110 if you bought one, if and when you buy it, get in here and you will have access to a wealth of knowledge.

There ****e mate.

However after five months of owning one I can honestly say it's the only four wheeled vehicle I've enjoyed driving and got as attached too as any of the motorbikes I've owned.

Don't agree with disco's parking bit.

My 90 has a smaller footprint than our Nissan Almera, its got all round visibility (truck cab) and you can see all four corners. Making it much easier to park.

well mine has no power steering and I get fed up eventully!

they are slow and uncomfortable. and the petrol ones are very thirsty. esp the v8.
but they are very practical. will go anywhere. other drivers are frightened of you. and you really do fall in love with them.
no other modern car can do that.

my focus tdi is a great car. but ill never love it. see what i mean?

The way I see it is that a car is there to get you and yours from A to B and back again in comfort efficiently.

A Landrover is more like a pet. Great to have around, and occasionally a pain in the arse.

my cousin is one of the few peeps (the only one) i know who still uses his series landy as day to day transport.

A Landrover is more like a pet. Great to have around, and occasionally a pain in the arse.

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Or a wife. A pain in the arse, and occasionaly great to have around.

ormus said:

my cousin is one of the few peeps (the only one) i know who still uses his series landy as day to day transport.

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I use mine as me day to day transport chap 1959 series 2 with an ill fitting tilt (Back rolled up 24/7 365) and I'm still in me diamond back tyres, only cos I can't be bov'd to change them over to me others. Mind you it's only a 2 mile drive to work. Plus side is, the Ayathollah wont get in it cos "its dirty and it smells".

Regards WP.

GRUNT said:

..A Landrover is more like a pet. Great to have around, and occasionally a pain in the arse.

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But aren't all cars a pain occasionally, or are landy's more of a pain than the average car? One of the things I'm trying to avoid/reduce to a minimum is the "nuisance failures" that ordinary cars seems to thrive on as soon as the warranty has run out (you know - the built-in diagnostics that somehow fails to remember that it had major service last week and all that.)

But aren't all cars a pain occasionally, or are landy's more of a pain than the average car? One of the things I'm trying to avoid/reduce to a minimum is the "nuisance failures" that ordinary cars seems to thrive on as soon as the warranty has run out (you know - the built-in diagnostics that somehow fails to remember that it had major service last week and all that.)

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If you are looking for reliability, don't look at a Land Rover! However, when you say fairly new, do you mean a Td5 110 new? great engine, reliable, but you won't get away from electronics on a Td5!

Matt

discomania said:

I have driven a few cars from small cars to BMW's so I think I can safely give you a fair opinion.

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Great! just the thing I was hoping for.

The only thing that may stop me buying new ones is if Ford continue to ruin them, then I will need to spend fortunes keeping one going for life!

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But you eventually plan on replacing the current one with a newer version? Is it because of upkeep and the law of diminishing returns? Or are there features underway in coming versions that you are currently missing?

What sort of life expectancy is there to a defender in the first place? (generally speaking)
In my experience the average Ford, Vauxhall, VW etc tend to be pretty run down when they reach 120.000 miles or earlier. If it hasn't been heavily used every day, then more or less everything starts falling apart at that time, electrics, interiors, and the mechanics. Will a landy in general and a defender in particular do much better?

A car is generally going to be faster,

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Faster isn't a problem, I don't do much speeding anyway. As long as I can reach & maintain the legal limits I'm happy.

easier to park

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My wife would love that, her parking skills has cost us two bumpers, one fender and one rear window on the current car already.

...and cheaper on fuel.

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That MIGHT be an issue, there has to be an acceptable balance between how much I enjoy I and what it costs me. Maybe I just have to buy one to find out...

I think you will be very happy with your 110 if you bought one,

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I have the scary suspiscion thet you might be right. Sometimes I wish I could settle for a car as soulless means of transportation and nothing more. It sure would free up a lot of spare time.

if and when you buy it, get in here and you will have access to a wealth of knowledge.

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I had a look around prior to registration, and it sure does look that way. Hopefull if I buy one it'll be a while before I'll need to enlist the support of the more technical forums...

mmaddock said:

..when you say fairly new, do you mean a Td5 110 new? great engine, reliable, but you won't get away from electronics on a Td5!

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Yep, preferably not new as in new-from-the-dealer but rather something 2-5 years old. I don't mind electronics as such, it's the dodgy electronics I like to get away from. Apparently there's supposed to be an engine with mechanical injection as well, but I've only seen it as a catalogue option.

What sort of life expectancy is there to a defender in the first place? (generally speaking)
In my experience the average Ford, Vauxhall, VW etc tend to be pretty run down when they reach 120.000 miles or earlier. If it hasn't been heavily used every day, then more or less everything starts falling apart at that time, electrics, interiors, and the mechanics. Will a landy in general and a defender in particular do much better?

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Are you joking?! The diesels will do mega mileage. My P38 has done over 200k now and is still going strong. 200 & 300's can do that without taking a breath. Td5 should easily be good for 200k+ too.

In terms of bits to drop off - well, there isn't much in a Defender to drop off!

Whoever said it was easier to park is lying! My 110 was a nightmare to park - firstly you have to check if it will fit in the multi-story, and if it will, you'll have a lot of fun trying to get it into the micro spaces they put in most car parks now. Even in a normal car park the steering lock isn't great so it makes it hard to park. Although nothing can be as bad as a Freeloader, their steering lock is awful. The advantage is that you've got a dirty great solid metal bumper, so should you hit anything, it certainly won't do the damage to the Defender!!

Buy it & you will love it, the uncomfort (Defender!) and reliability issues will come second!
Like previous poster, I've owned every type of car in the past from a knackered old Lada to a brand new Z3, and I've always gone back to a LR in the end - currently on my 5th, with no intention of replacing it with anything other than a Landie! - or possibly supplementing it with another one

My 90 has done 150,000 and still going strong... Diesels are only bedding in by 100,000! A Diesel will do 500,000 with all its oil changes, and the correct maintenence, then you could overhaul it and do more! If you could get a 200tdi then I think that engine is the last of the pre elecrtics.

I would replace my current one (well probally buy another) because I am going to need to be able to carry more people, I have a hard top, so I can carry 3 in proper seats and 6 in the back, but thats them sitting on the tub wheel arches...

ormus said:

my cousin is one of the few peeps (the only one) i know who still uses his series landy as day to day transport.

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Heidi is my daily transport: series 3 with NO power steering (you only need PS if you dry-steer, and that's a no no ). My weekend runabout is a bit bigger

Gareth Coe said:

Heidi is my daily transport: series 3 with NO power steering (you only need PS if you dry-steer, and that's a no no ). My weekend runabout is a bit bigger

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Yeah thats true, dry steering is not good for the steering or the tyres, still it makes good fun counting how many times you turn the wheel to go full lock.

I have a PAS box that I could put on, I figured its something else to go wrong. I like basic. Its going to be easier and cheaper to fix.

I have a two year old TD5 .It has rattled from new.Both doors need to be slammed hard to shut properly and its bloody noisy. In town its easy to park and the chavs in their neon lit kit cars know never to cut me up as I dont care about scraping the side of my car against them. Off road I have never got stuck and it is billiant brilliant fun. Buy one.

james231410 said:

I have a two year old TD5 .It has rattled from new.Both doors need to be slammed hard to shut properly and its bloody noisy. In town its easy to park and the chavs in their neon lit kit cars know never to cut me up as I dont care about scraping the side of my car against them. Off road I have never got stuck and it is billiant brilliant fun. Buy one.

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I have to agree with this, although my 90 is 16year old and she doesn't rattle, must be an age thing. Young LR's these days... cheeky!

Re. the doors, have you tried toying with the hinges and lock mechanisms? You might be able to sort it out that way.