I have a 1994 LR Defender 110 300Tdi which is the best of the bunch - no cat, so exhausts are cheap and the 300 Tdi engine can do 250,000-400,000 if looked after, mated to the R380 gearbox which has a good reputation. My example so far has been very reliable. Purchased in 2000 with 72k on the clock and now (2009) 140k miles apart from tyres, exhaust and one battery (the original battery lasted 8 years) the only other problem I had was a failed UJ in the front propshaft which cost £8 to rectify and two half shafts also failed. Also expect chassis repairs at this age due to the complex ladder style chassis being a rust trap unless diligently treated with a product such as Waxoil. My rear cross member and one outrigger rotted through and were replaced. It has towed a large caravan with 5 people, all their luggage and bicycles without complaint, although when doing so it is slow. Yes the build quality is poor if you compare it to a conventional car: the cab leaks in the rain soaking the carpets (fit rubber ones), the roof lining is sagging, the rear seats are cramped and not comfortable for long journeys, the bottoms of the doors are prone to rotting, the paint is rough and agricultural (paint over spray on the door handles!), the roof is too tall for height restrictions on many car parks, corrosion treatment on new vehicles is shoddily applied leaving exposed areas and leading to costly repairs later - this is just not accepable on a vehicle costing £24k+ when new. On the plus side, it will do 30mpg if driven easily and 25mpg when towing, it is as tough as old boots and very surefooted on the road. The power steering makes it easy to drive for such a large vehicle and it will seat 10 people, albeit not in luxury! DIY repairs are easy for a fairly competent mechanic and pattern spare parts are abudant from Land Rover specialists' (not francised dealers) and cheap. In summary, if you are looking for car comfort, or long distance crusing, or a vehicle where you never have to get your hands dirty, forget a Defender. If you want a tough work horse that you can mostly fix yourself then it may be for you. When buying, inspect it well with someone who knows Land Rovers' because many suffer lack of maintainence and bodging by owners who think the vehicle is tough enough not to need and care whatsoever. You really have to get your overalls on, get underneath with a torch, a hammer and goggles and inspect the chassis well. Also examine the fuel tank for leaks because of the woeful factory application of anti rust treatment.
Tough work horse, surefooted towing, easy to repair.
I ran a 1983 110 ex mod hard top for 5 years prior to giving up on a reconditioned tdi engine (warped head/block) fitted as a replacement to the original naturally aspirated lump. Apart from the engine situation I was thrilled with the vehicle and decided to buy a new 110 county estate. I duly collected it from the Bradford land rover agents and spent the following few weeks discovering all the nasty little surprises in the quality of the assembly and adjustments by the Birmingham monkeys who, amazingly, seem to have escaped Thatchers purge of useless assembly workers. I have been pretty well down every road possible and Land Rover have simply stated that 'It is an agricultural vehicle and they are like that' To which I commented, 'I have never seen a tractor build so carelessly' The body work of the new vehicle is shoddy compared to the old ex mod one and when I returned the vehicle to the local agents in Oxford for the clutch to be eased off as it was dragging on gear changes (even when hot) I was told on collection all was well as their two best drivers had road tested it and it did not need adjustment. Down to he pub and back at lunch time no doubt. I have since attended to it myself. FAULTS: Apparently, according to Land Rover, normally found on a modern Defender.... Heavy handed spot welds, Warped panels, Badly fitting doors, twisted gutter over windscreen and buckled roof, Painted over rough cast hinges, Badly fitting bonnet due to miss aligned weld to hinges and poor assembly, intermittent leaking front doors and a badly adjusted tight clutch dragging on gearbox If you can cope with this kind of thing then the rest, so far, works brilliantly. However it is in much need of being chipped to improve on the performance, the flat spots on the turbo in particular could do with an improvement. Also an overdrive for motorway work would be nice if not a necessity. I doubt that the new model is much better as Land Rover has had over 50 years to get it right and failed. As fast as one problem is sorted out it seems another one comes along as the result of trying to reduce the manufacturing costs. I still love the crate and dont regret buying it and it fondly reminds me of all the old BMC vehicles I grew up with with their odd little ways, although I would not recommend any but hopeless landy nutts to buy a land rover and then a nearly new one is more sensible. Let someone else have the upset of having paid top dollar for a faulty new vehicle. Of course there is the Santana as an alternative (http://www.santanauk.com) In my opinion the Defender is a fantastic concept, built by pratts and sold and maintained by car salesmen!
A good working tool
Bullshit sales brochure and unreliable customer care
I ran a 1983 110 ex mod hard top for 5 years prior to giving up on a reconditioned tdi engine (warped head/block) fitted as a replacement to the original naturally aspirated lump. Apart from the engine situation I was thrilled with the vehicle and decided to buy a new 110 county estate. I duly collected it from the Bradford land rover agents and spent the following few weeks discovering all the nasty little surprises in the quality of the assembly and adjustments by the Birmingham monkeys who, amazingly, seem to have escaped Thatchers purge of useless assembly workers. I have been pretty well down every road possible and Land Rover have simply stated that 'It is an agricultural vehicle and they are like that' To which I commented, 'I have never seen a tractor build so carelessly' The body work of the new vehicle is shoddy compared to the old ex mod one and when I returned the vehicle to the local agents in Oxford for the clutch to be eased off as it was dragging on gear changes (even when hot) I was told on collection all was well as their two best drivers had road tested it and it did not need adjustment. Down to he pub and back at lunch time no doubt. I have since attended to it myself. FAULTS: Apparently, according to Land Rover, normally found on a modern Defender.... Heavy handed spot welds, Warped panels, Badly fitting doors, twisted gutter over windscreen and buckled roof, Painted over rough cast hinges, Badly fitting bonnet due to miss aligned weld to hinges and poor assembly, intermittent leaking front doors and a badly adjusted tight clutch dragging on gearbox If you can cope with this kind of thing then the rest, so far, works brilliantly. However it is in much need of being chipped to improve on the performance, the flat spots on the turbo in particular could do with an improvement. Also an overdrive for motorway work would be nice if not a necessity. I doubt that the new model is much better as Land Rover has had over 50 years to get it right and failed. As fast as one problem is sorted out it seems another one comes along as the result of trying to reduce the manufacturing costs. I still love the crate and don?t regret buying it and it fondly reminds me of all the old BMC vehicles I grew up with with their odd little ways, although I would not recommend any but hopeless landy nutts to buy a land rover and then a nearly new one is more sensible. Let someone else have the upset of having paid top dollar for a faulty new vehicle. Of course there is the Santana as an alternative (http://www.santanauk.com) In my opinion the Defender is a fantastic concept, built by pratts and sold and maintained by car salesmen!
A good working tool
Rubbish sales brochure and unreliable customer care
I have a W reg Land Rover Defender 110 Hardtop with a brand new 110 XS Station Wagon on the way. It is the best vehicle I have ever owned, and I have always bought Land Rover. Keep it up, and convert more people to the Land Rover Tradition!
I have a W reg Land Rover Defender 110 Hardtop with a brand new 110 XS Station Wagon on the way. It is the best vehicle I have ever owned, and I have always bought Land Rover. Keep it up, and convert more people to the Land Rover Tradition!
I have been driving Land Rovers since 1958 and in the years between have driven them in more than 100 counties. The 110 is the vehicle that every other 4x4 has to emulate. As an off-roader it has no equal, as a load carrier it is superb, as a passenger car it is able ( just a wee bit confined if you have 12 up on an African track)But otherwise, the best. I have 20 years experience of designing and managing 4x4 expeditions worldwide, sometimes with up to 60 cars, - so I know the problems of NOT having the right equipment.
A great FUN car that is very versatile. What other car will seat 12 people, carry a wardrobe, get you through a snow drift and transport 250 bottles of wine from France??? Its also great at carving through London traffic.
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