Defender as a first car?
Discussion
I know this has been discussed before, but I'd like an up to date answer;
Would buying a defender be a good/bad idea as a first car?
I've just passed my test and I'm completely obsessed with them- love them when off roading!
No clue where to go for insurance to get the cheapest available.... I don't have endless money to spend so the cheaper the better!
And would £5k get a decent 90?
Thanks for any advice offered!!
Would buying a defender be a good/bad idea as a first car?
I've just passed my test and I'm completely obsessed with them- love them when off roading!
No clue where to go for insurance to get the cheapest available.... I don't have endless money to spend so the cheaper the better!
And would £5k get a decent 90?
Thanks for any advice offered!!
As above. Go for it.
They're wonderful things to own, and to drive, as I'm sure you already know.
But watch the security side carefully as they're very nickable.
£5k should just about get you one these days. Autotrader shows 17 90's available UK-wide with values up to £5.5k (allowing for negotiation downwards), but choose carefully.
They're wonderful things to own, and to drive, as I'm sure you already know.
But watch the security side carefully as they're very nickable.
£5k should just about get you one these days. Autotrader shows 17 90's available UK-wide with values up to £5.5k (allowing for negotiation downwards), but choose carefully.
)david mcc said:
I'd say no unless you do loads of off roading or need one for farm work etc.
They are noisy, slow, expensive to run and insure, uncomfortable and a source of constant niggles.
As a second or hobby car yes, as a first car no way.
Daddy says no They are noisy, slow, expensive to run and insure, uncomfortable and a source of constant niggles.
As a second or hobby car yes, as a first car no way.
and he´s right in his way.
Another reason to go for it.
PS: Cars you don´t like, cost you money as well.
Better always invest in the right one.
david mcc said:
I'd say no unless you do loads of off roading or need one for farm work etc.
They are noisy, slow, expensive to run and insure, uncomfortable and a source of constant niggles.
As a second or hobby car yes, as a first car no way.
This all day long.They are noisy, slow, expensive to run and insure, uncomfortable and a source of constant niggles.
As a second or hobby car yes, as a first car no way.
And 5k will only buy you a headache if my experience of looking a few years ago was anything to go by.
Test drive one and see if you get on with it - many people love the idea of bombing around in one, until they smack their elbow on the driver's door or jab themselves in the calf for the fiftieth time on the handbrake/transmission brake. I dreaded the prospect of any motorway journey in mine - even a 90s model with carpets and 'sound proofing' - I'd be half deaf by the time I got there. Comfort is not in the Defender options list - you'll either tolerate it as part of the vehicle's character - or you'll go mad.
Assuming the above hasn't put you off....
My first car was a Land Rover Series III 88" (precursor to a Defender 90) which I kept for the following three years. It taught me the finer points of driving an old and unsophisticated vehicle lacking power steering, ABS / decent brakes and to really understand how a car works when it's removed from the all modern assistance gubbins. I genuinely think it made me a better and safer driver as a result - I certainly couldn't rack up any speeding tickets! If you don't mind rumbling around everywhere at slow(ish) speeds and pretty much bumbling along motorways at 50-60mph (faster means more rattles/noise) - then read on....
Less welcome but ultimately handy in the scheme of things; was the fact that owning the thing was a crash course in mechanical engineering and vehicle maintenance - it always needed odd jobs here and there (not so much costly in terms of parts - but every other weekend it needed something doing). My Defender was a lot better than the Series (it was 10 years younger) but it still needed odd jobs doing on a monthly basis to keep it in good shape.
You'll be looking at Defenders that are 20+ years old for less than 5K - they WILL need work and regular running maintenance. If that's something you don't fancy - then it may pay to look elsewhere. A set of spanners/sockets will set you up for 90% of repairs you may need to do. (Plus welding - but we won't go there).
At the end of the day - you can run around in cars (plenty of nice metal out there for less than 5K) which will be more comfortable, reliable, drink less juice, be more sensible and generally get you from A to B with little fuss. But would they be as much fun...? Ask everyone here and you'll get different answers.
For me the above disadvantages of them were outweighed by the 'fun factor' and their tremendous ability when they are used for what they are designed for. I enjoyed the road presence (one of the few vehicles that people give a healthy distance from on the road and car-parks), the ability to basically go where I wanted, whenever I wanted, to tow anything - plus the overall 'character' of them.
I needed a more practical vehicle for longer-distances - and now use a Discovery 2 which uses the same engine/drivetrain and is better on the roads whilst retaining 70-80% of the Defender's off-road abilities. For the record, I regret selling my Defender every time I see one - but I know deep-down the Disco is more comfortable and easier live with now that I have carpets in the footwells, a working heater and have generally become soft, weak and feckless.
Just my 2p.
Assuming the above hasn't put you off....
My first car was a Land Rover Series III 88" (precursor to a Defender 90) which I kept for the following three years. It taught me the finer points of driving an old and unsophisticated vehicle lacking power steering, ABS / decent brakes and to really understand how a car works when it's removed from the all modern assistance gubbins. I genuinely think it made me a better and safer driver as a result - I certainly couldn't rack up any speeding tickets! If you don't mind rumbling around everywhere at slow(ish) speeds and pretty much bumbling along motorways at 50-60mph (faster means more rattles/noise) - then read on....
Less welcome but ultimately handy in the scheme of things; was the fact that owning the thing was a crash course in mechanical engineering and vehicle maintenance - it always needed odd jobs here and there (not so much costly in terms of parts - but every other weekend it needed something doing). My Defender was a lot better than the Series (it was 10 years younger) but it still needed odd jobs doing on a monthly basis to keep it in good shape.
You'll be looking at Defenders that are 20+ years old for less than 5K - they WILL need work and regular running maintenance. If that's something you don't fancy - then it may pay to look elsewhere. A set of spanners/sockets will set you up for 90% of repairs you may need to do. (Plus welding - but we won't go there).
At the end of the day - you can run around in cars (plenty of nice metal out there for less than 5K) which will be more comfortable, reliable, drink less juice, be more sensible and generally get you from A to B with little fuss. But would they be as much fun...? Ask everyone here and you'll get different answers.
For me the above disadvantages of them were outweighed by the 'fun factor' and their tremendous ability when they are used for what they are designed for. I enjoyed the road presence (one of the few vehicles that people give a healthy distance from on the road and car-parks), the ability to basically go where I wanted, whenever I wanted, to tow anything - plus the overall 'character' of them.
I needed a more practical vehicle for longer-distances - and now use a Discovery 2 which uses the same engine/drivetrain and is better on the roads whilst retaining 70-80% of the Defender's off-road abilities. For the record, I regret selling my Defender every time I see one - but I know deep-down the Disco is more comfortable and easier live with now that I have carpets in the footwells, a working heater and have generally become soft, weak and feckless.
Just my 2p.
Some good advice above. But don't even think about running a 20 year old Defender unless you can, and also enjoy, doing your own work. Mine is a second car, and over the past few weeks I've had to change the starter motor, thermostat, free the wipers up, and chase some electrical gremlins. And that's on top of all the scheduled stuff and modifications, and the ever growing "to do" list.
Yes they can be noisy, but not nesessarily slow. At that price find one that is a 200Tdi or 300Tdi (original fit or conversion), put a Discovery transfer box in it and you have something that is perfectly capable of keeping up with, and sometimes overtaking, modern traffic. Do not buy a 2.5 NA or 2.5 TD unless you are a masochist, and don't buy a V8 unless you love spending money on petrol.
They are seriously good fun though, but 100% invest in secondary security, and use it every time you leave the driver's seat!
Yes they can be noisy, but not nesessarily slow. At that price find one that is a 200Tdi or 300Tdi (original fit or conversion), put a Discovery transfer box in it and you have something that is perfectly capable of keeping up with, and sometimes overtaking, modern traffic. Do not buy a 2.5 NA or 2.5 TD unless you are a masochist, and don't buy a V8 unless you love spending money on petrol.
They are seriously good fun though, but 100% invest in secondary security, and use it every time you leave the driver's seat!
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