So today I decided to pursue my dream a bit further and walked over to the local LR and Jag dealer(who also manages the local garage) to try to get a grip on running costs, which turned out to be interesting in a way but not particularly helpful:
Q: what are the service intervals and what does service cost?
A: every 12000 miles, dont know about cost.
Q: what are the most common spare parts needed, and what do they cost? (I was thinking brake parts, exhaust, maybe bits of steering linkage...)
A: dunno, dunno
Q: how 'bout tires, how long can I expect a set to last, and how much will a new set cost me?
A: dunno, dunno
Q: which items are factory accessories, and which can be fitted later? and how much more would that cost?
A: dunno, dunno, dunno
At this point I got tired of the whole excercise and left. I really can't see that my questions are that strange, and I'm amazed that he didn't have some sort of answer ready. I really thought that having a cost forecast and breakdown available for potential customers was SOP among car dealers dedicated to one or two brands.
Q: what are the service intervals and what does service cost?
A: every 12000 miles, dont know about cost.
Q: what are the most common spare parts needed, and what do they cost? (I was thinking brake parts, exhaust, maybe bits of steering linkage...)
A: dunno, dunno
Q: how 'bout tires, how long can I expect a set to last, and how much will a new set cost me?
A: dunno, dunno
Q: which items are factory accessories, and which can be fitted later? and how much more would that cost?
A: dunno, dunno, dunno
At this point I got tired of the whole excercise and left. I really can't see that my questions are that strange, and I'm amazed that he didn't have some sort of answer ready. I really thought that having a cost forecast and breakdown available for potential customers was SOP among car dealers dedicated to one or two brands.
Ashoofack
New Member
When Matt said specialist he meant an independant garage. A good rule of thumb is: If Land Rover recommend a dealership that dealership is garanteed to be crap, know nothing about Land Rovers and be wildly expensive. Find a good privatly owned garage, with no formal links to any marque, who knows his stuff about Landies; they'll give you an honest opinion.
8{|>
New Member
Comparing a Defender to a car isn't that simple, after all when buying a car the choice is a simple "does my bum/wad/cod look big in this?" - Whereas Landrover ownership is a bit more of a lifestyle choice, the dream of going wherever you want, the thought of travel in strange places, the independance to do your own thing, rugged reliability.....
After the dreaming here's one persons reality
RELIABILITY is terrible by modern standards - mine, a 1999 110 td5 CSW [pre ford] needed a new air flow meter, injector loom & an injector at 57k miles
- [one up to the detractors of TD5], however it still got me home 120 miles away with no internal damage to the vehicle - and the kids were enjoying themselves so much in the lion enclosure at the safari park .
INSIDE It's draughty, noisy, cold in winter, the seating position is poor [whichever of the 12 you choose], the carpets and seats are worn, it was manual windows, and the body leaks when it rains. For a huge vehicle there's no where to store items such as cd cases.
OUTSIDE it's starting to get little bubbles of corrosion under the paint, the chasis has surface rust and the plastic grill is starting to fade, the rubber seals around windows are starting to split.
ECONOMY About 24 miles to the gallon and I drive carefully
HANDLING As you would expect it's like an alchoholic lap dancing sumo.
Will I sell it? no way!! A newer one would be as far as I'd go - but even then perhaps in 15 years!
In summary - you either like them or you don't. Don't expect anyone to understand your reasoning 'cause you cannot explain it logically. As said it's a lifestyle choice, your's for the taking. One life - live it and more than anything live it your way!
After the dreaming here's one persons reality
RELIABILITY is terrible by modern standards - mine, a 1999 110 td5 CSW [pre ford] needed a new air flow meter, injector loom & an injector at 57k miles
- [one up to the detractors of TD5], however it still got me home 120 miles away with no internal damage to the vehicle - and the kids were enjoying themselves so much in the lion enclosure at the safari park . INSIDE It's draughty, noisy, cold in winter, the seating position is poor [whichever of the 12 you choose], the carpets and seats are worn, it was manual windows, and the body leaks when it rains. For a huge vehicle there's no where to store items such as cd cases.
OUTSIDE it's starting to get little bubbles of corrosion under the paint, the chasis has surface rust and the plastic grill is starting to fade, the rubber seals around windows are starting to split.
ECONOMY About 24 miles to the gallon and I drive carefully
HANDLING As you would expect it's like an alchoholic lap dancing sumo.
Will I sell it? no way!! A newer one would be as far as I'd go - but even then perhaps in 15 years!
In summary - you either like them or you don't. Don't expect anyone to understand your reasoning 'cause you cannot explain it logically. As said it's a lifestyle choice, your's for the taking. One life - live it and more than anything live it your way!
Ashoofack
New Member
The Landy is a good reminder of whats important and how life should be lived. If I invest time, effort, blood and tears I know that it will never let me down and make me smile each and every time I get in it. However, if I just thrash it to its design limits every day and give it no consideration - it will just say fek off and refuse to perform. The Landy forces you to enjoy life at a more leisurely pace.
It will frustrate you; people will look at you strangely; you will have to learn basic mechanics; you will learn what the magic levers do (even if you don't own a series); you will learn to enjoy the whole journey and stop focusing on just the destination; you will end up giving-up 1 weekend a month just to look after it (if not see above); your wife will think that you have finally gone round the bend; your friends will realise that you have gone round the bend (but just watch their smiles when they get in the passenger seat) and the list goes on and on.
As most posters have said; for most of us buying a Landy is actualy more about a lifestyle choice. As 8*&^%%$$£????? said "Live life" I think you may just be looking for someone to say: Yeh great choice, makes sense go for it. Well:
Yeh great choice, makes sense go for it.
It will frustrate you; people will look at you strangely; you will have to learn basic mechanics; you will learn what the magic levers do (even if you don't own a series); you will learn to enjoy the whole journey and stop focusing on just the destination; you will end up giving-up 1 weekend a month just to look after it (if not see above); your wife will think that you have finally gone round the bend; your friends will realise that you have gone round the bend (but just watch their smiles when they get in the passenger seat) and the list goes on and on.
As most posters have said; for most of us buying a Landy is actualy more about a lifestyle choice. As 8*&^%%$$£????? said "Live life" I think you may just be looking for someone to say: Yeh great choice, makes sense go for it. Well:
Yeh great choice, makes sense go for it.
yella
New Member
landrovers have always been a cult vehicle./ they are not a car they are a vehicle. my wife drives a car and she is as awkward and unpredictable as my landy. owning a landy is not car ownership it is a hobby or even a way of life. there is always something that needs doing but you can almost always do it yourself. landies are owned by a wide range of people and all of them have one thing in common. they all love their landy. if you want a reliable economical comfortable vehicle then buya car. if you want to join a community of friendly people that come from all walks of life then buy a landy.i have owned landy's for over 20 years and i will always own a landy. i also have friends all over the country that i have met through owning a landy. its a community that lets you in and welcomes you no matter if you are an acountant or a labourer. just buy one, come in and enjoy yerself.
mmaddock
New Member
You are so right YD. I always refer to a LR as a "vehicle" rather than a "car"!
There are parallels with what you are saying within the biking community too. If you turn up on a bike, you are pretty much guaranteed that another biker will chat to you no matter what - same can be said about a fellow LR owner (apart from maybe some of the snobs in their new ones!)
Matt.
8{|>
New Member
And just like motor cycling you'll be dressed in strange clothes, potentially cold - possibly wet, will have travelled miles to get to your favourite bit of road [or lack of in this case] and the rest of society will treat you as a pariah and think of reasons to ban such criminal activity.
dabac have you purchased your landy yet?
dabac have you purchased your landy yet? radicalrabit
Member
I find people with new laandys like top smirk cos they have a new one but they get scared to thrash em uo th e lanes or take them into muddy water over ploughed fields or ontop snow cobered ice incase they scratch them , but still, i wish i had a newer one......
Philthy
New Member
I have a new 90 and I still take it up lanes etc. Isn't that what it's for???
If we had any sign of 'The worst Winter ever' that the F@#£wits at the Met office had promised us, I'd have taken it out on snow too!!!!
No snow in Herts this year.
I just love the way all other Defender owners (and non school-run discos etc.) wave when they see you. It gives you a feeling of being part of something bigger.
Buy one - you'll not regret it.
At least the hosepipe band doesn't affect us LR owners!
If we had any sign of 'The worst Winter ever' that the F@#£wits at the Met office had promised us, I'd have taken it out on snow too!!!!
No snow in Herts this year
.I just love the way all other Defender owners (and non school-run discos etc.) wave when they see you. It gives you a feeling of being part of something bigger.
Buy one - you'll not regret it.
At least the hosepipe band doesn't affect us LR owners!
