Should I buy a defender???
Discussion
lord love rocket said:
Just a quick one.
Whats your opinion of a 1999/2000 defender? thinking of getting one to conquor the snow the for off road fun during the winter
views??
Does it have to be a Defender? A 1999/2000 Discovery will be almost as good off road, and a fair sight more comfortable on it. Having owned both, The Disco was a better car in pretty much every respect....Whats your opinion of a 1999/2000 defender? thinking of getting one to conquor the snow the for off road fun during the winter
views??
except for the fact that it wasn't a Defender.
Having said that, plenty of Jap 4x4's that will give you a lot more for your money when compared to what is likely to be a leggy TD5 Defender.
HellDiver said:
Cold in the winter, hot in the summer, bouncy and crashy ride, rubbish brakes, axles that snap at the slightest hint of a hill, rubbish engines, rusty chassis, rusty bulkheads, dodgy electrics, ergonomics of a '40s tractor.
All wrong and rubbish.HellDiver said:
Buy one, they're brilliant.
At least you get that bit right 
300bhp/ton said:
HellDiver said:
Cold in the winter, hot in the summer, bouncy and crashy ride, rubbish brakes, axles that snap at the slightest hint of a hill, rubbish engines, rusty chassis, rusty bulkheads, dodgy electrics, ergonomics of a '40s tractor.
All wrong and rubbish.HellDiver said:
Buy one, they're brilliant.
At least you get that bit right 
lord love rocket said:
300bhp/ton said:
Hackney said:
If you're Chelsea, yes.
wtf??
But yes OP, buy one! I would if I didn't have to do 25k a year, however am contemplating a second car at some point next year
Edited by Nth on Thursday 9th December 16:02
BeeRoad said:
300bhp/ton said:
HellDiver said:
Cold in the winter, hot in the summer, bouncy and crashy ride, rubbish brakes, axles that snap at the slightest hint of a hill, rubbish engines, rusty chassis, rusty bulkheads, dodgy electrics, ergonomics of a '40s tractor.
All wrong and rubbish.HellDiver said:
Buy one, they're brilliant.
At least you get that bit right 
.My Series is 43 years old, admittedly she's just had alot of the above mentioned points fixed but how many 43yo Jap 4x4s do you see in comparison? (even allowing for less of them in the first place)
Get one and enjoy
lord love rocket said:
i just love the shape of a defender
but in responce to your question it doesnt HAVE to be a defender just a smallish SWB 4x4
Defender's are great, my frist car at 17 was a 300Tdi D90.but in responce to your question it doesnt HAVE to be a defender just a smallish SWB 4x4
That said, if you want a Defender but but more elbow room, more comfort, a nicer cabin, etc. Then buy one, you'll find it's called a Range Rover Classic or a Discovery.
Under the skin they are all pretty similar and just as capable. The only real differences are wheelbase and the body bolted on top of the chassis.
You'll also get more Disco/RR for you money too, or pay a lot less for it. But Defenders do hold their value well.
Now it depends if you want to haul stuff about or not and tow. But there are other 4wd's that might be worth a look.
My two favs would be a Suzuki Jimny. Fab little 4x4, think of it as a Series 1 Land Rover but with Defender suspension and better built than either.
Jeep Wrangler - in essence the car that inspired the Defender. Biggest adv here is options like a 4.0 litre engine, automatic transmission, air con and a proper removable roof.
Neither of these are as good as the Defender at towing or hauling though, but both are equally as good off road.
The only other difference is the Defender is full time AWD, which means it has a centre diff. For normal use it's "open" so the front wheels can spin faster/slower than the rears. This means it is fine to used all year round and on dry grippy tarmac. The centre diff can be locked for serious off road action or really slippery conditions.
Most other 4x4's, which def includes the Wrangler and I'm pretty sure the Jimny are 2wd or 4wd. The have no centre diff. So they can be fully "locked" the same as a Defender for really slippery stuff. But if it's only a bit slippery out then you might damage the transfer box if you use 4wd. Which means 2wd is all you are left with.
It's not such a huge issue, but it does mean you as the driver would need to think about it a bit more depending on the conditions.
Lastly, not sure on budget but I'd also seriously look at a Mercedes G-Wagen. Look as good as a Landy, tough and well built and with some clever off road ability too.
Others would include Mitsubishi Shogun, Isuzu Trooper, Diahatsu Terios (here good thinks about these), Suzuki Vitara, Diahatsu FourTrak, Nissan Terrano II/ Ford Maverick.
I think most others (Hilux Surf, Patrol, L200, Bronco, Blazer, Explorer, Disco, Range Rover, etc.) are all going to be bigger LWB type vehicles.
Im biased but yes do it.
I have driven mine through central londinistan several times
inc chelsea and every time is seems like i was the only one
"defender" in the city its great and i always got a positive
response from folk mind you mine is 5 inches over standard
and bright orange with a union flag roof.
I have driven mine through central londinistan several times
inc chelsea and every time is seems like i was the only one
"defender" in the city its great and i always got a positive
response from folk mind you mine is 5 inches over standard
and bright orange with a union flag roof.
lord love rocket said:
300bhp/ton said:
Hackney said:
If you're Chelsea, yes.
wtf??
I was highlighting Chelsea football club's apparent need for a footballer who is neither forward, midfielder or goalkeeper, but who is in actual fact a defender.
NB I am not a Chelsea fan.
Hackney said:
lord love rocket said:
300bhp/ton said:
Hackney said:
If you're Chelsea, yes.
wtf??
I was highlighting Chelsea football club's apparent need for a footballer who is neither forward, midfielder or goalkeeper, but who is in actual fact a defender.
NB I am not a Chelsea fan.
:-)
Even I got that and I know nothing about football!!
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