RE: Land Rover Defender (L663) | PH Used Buying Guide
Discussion
Firebobby said:
cerb4.5lee said:
It would only make me angry if I'm honest, because even cyclists can ride 2 abreast now, and I think that idea stinks.
Cyclists have always been able to ride two abreast under the right circumstances. I hope you're not on of the " you don't pay pay road tax" brigade? Perhaps the old adage of "walk a mile in another man's shoes" before you call him applies here? Cycle a mile and behold the ignorance of many many drivers. Not all I hasten to add, but I'd wager those drivers also cycle!!!I'm not a "you don't pay road tax" type, but I just hate cyclists that's all.
nismo48 said:
Excellent informative read, and a good all round workhorse
I really like these and see a few of these around locally, but compared to the previous model I'd be worried about exploring its capabiliites off-road because it's too nice! Technically, I'm sure it's astonishingly capable, but part of the charm of the old model was its utilitarian nature and it didn't matter if you got mud, water, etc (!) in the cabin, you could just wash it out and it was good as new again!Saying that, though, maybe I'm the exception and most of these will spend their time on the black stuff.
Chris
Nomme de Plum said:
Firebobby said:
MotorSpeak said:
If course if you let your children run around on the road there is a possibility of injury, but no more than injury from any other of the 30 million cars on UK roads. Trot on back under your bridge Troll!!!We should drive in a manner that we will not course harm should something unexpected happen.
He is not the troll here.
Not sure what your argument is either as no-one here has suggested driving in a manner that could cause harm.
Simoninspalding said:
cerb4.5lee said:
Dombilano said:
MotorSpeak said:
Not if pedestrians don't walk in the road, and are aware of their surroundings. As with any other car. He used to say..."if you think you're stronger than a car...then crack on".
If a pedestrian steps out in front of a tonne and a bit of car, that's not my concern
As you can see, it does not give carte blanche for pedestrians to cross a road at will, they need to wait for a gap. And at junctions if someone was already setting off, I'm not just gonna plough into them am I?
Edited by Dombilano on Sunday 11th February 11:34
Life long LandRover enthusiast and owner here. 1 x series, 3 old style defenders, 1x Discovery 4, 1 x Discovery 5. Took delivery of a brand new 90 hardtop D250 last July after a 2 year wait from ordering.
I’m a highish mileage driver - it has 16000 miles on now.
One fault where the steering wheel mounted cruise control buttons became inoperative but quickly attended to by dealer.
32-35 mpg real world driving.
Very comfortable seats, immensely capable in winter conditions in the north of Scotland in rural areas where I live and work.
Excellent build quality and paint finish.
Very quiet to drive.
Gearbox almost always changes smoothly and imperceptibly, perhaps with the exception of at low speed on full lock on tarmac when you can feel it a bit jerky perhaps as the diffs cope with the turning.
Delighted with it.
Highly recommended and worth the wait.
I’m a highish mileage driver - it has 16000 miles on now.
One fault where the steering wheel mounted cruise control buttons became inoperative but quickly attended to by dealer.
32-35 mpg real world driving.
Very comfortable seats, immensely capable in winter conditions in the north of Scotland in rural areas where I live and work.
Excellent build quality and paint finish.
Very quiet to drive.
Gearbox almost always changes smoothly and imperceptibly, perhaps with the exception of at low speed on full lock on tarmac when you can feel it a bit jerky perhaps as the diffs cope with the turning.
Delighted with it.
Highly recommended and worth the wait.
So....(please bear with me, there is a L663 story here). I am not really a fan of SUVs. When living in the UK I avoided buying another after owning an X5, (good car to be fair) and went electric to move the dogs and family about. Then a job in Greece came up and owning an electric car just wasn't an option, (infrastructure mainly and very poor roads/drivers).
I bought an older 2015 Defender 90, but the newest, nicest, best maintained example I could find, (thread on PH here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
). I drove it from the UK to Greece and have lived with it for 19 months. It might actually be the perfect car for Greece, as its small but tall, (the roads in the city are very narrow), and even when you think you are driving on a nice road, they can quickly became off-road roads... Which being a Defender is not a problem.
Because the 90 was so good, I decided to order a new (L663) hybrid 110. However, as a bit of a petrol head this quickly turned into a V8 order instead. Of note, I forgot to tell my wife, and you can imagine the conversation we had when it arrived.
At first I was actually a little disappointed. The thing about the old Defenders is they are full of character. Yes they are a bit of an acquired taste, but they are fun and just have a certain something about them. The L663 is all business, comfortable and modern. Not really the same breed as the older cars. However, over time it has really grown on me. After driving electric cars it does feel considerably slower, (not that it matters), but when it comes to going off-road, it really is king. And trust me, in Greece I have taken it off road more than once, most the time unintentionally. It's also supremely comfortable on road, something I really enjoy on the broken and worn-out roads here.
I think I have been quite lucky. Both Defenders have been shockingly reliable. The only issue I had with the L663 was broken surround cameras on day 1, (quickly fixed by a software flash), and the 90 needed 2 new injectors. I call that fair, as the environment and poor roads take their toll on cars here.
As a secondhand buy I think they might actually be pretty good value. Oh, and they look good too!
I bought an older 2015 Defender 90, but the newest, nicest, best maintained example I could find, (thread on PH here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
). I drove it from the UK to Greece and have lived with it for 19 months. It might actually be the perfect car for Greece, as its small but tall, (the roads in the city are very narrow), and even when you think you are driving on a nice road, they can quickly became off-road roads... Which being a Defender is not a problem.
Because the 90 was so good, I decided to order a new (L663) hybrid 110. However, as a bit of a petrol head this quickly turned into a V8 order instead. Of note, I forgot to tell my wife, and you can imagine the conversation we had when it arrived.
At first I was actually a little disappointed. The thing about the old Defenders is they are full of character. Yes they are a bit of an acquired taste, but they are fun and just have a certain something about them. The L663 is all business, comfortable and modern. Not really the same breed as the older cars. However, over time it has really grown on me. After driving electric cars it does feel considerably slower, (not that it matters), but when it comes to going off-road, it really is king. And trust me, in Greece I have taken it off road more than once, most the time unintentionally. It's also supremely comfortable on road, something I really enjoy on the broken and worn-out roads here.
I think I have been quite lucky. Both Defenders have been shockingly reliable. The only issue I had with the L663 was broken surround cameras on day 1, (quickly fixed by a software flash), and the 90 needed 2 new injectors. I call that fair, as the environment and poor roads take their toll on cars here.
As a secondhand buy I think they might actually be pretty good value. Oh, and they look good too!
Edited by findtomdotcom on Sunday 11th February 14:15
chunder said:
Well he is actually isn't he as it is a nonsense post appearing to advocate that 50%+ of vehicles on the road shouldn't be there and all freight transport should go back to canals.
Not sure what your argument is either as no-one here has suggested driving in a manner that could cause harm.
Apparently SuVs represent a little over 21% (2020) of vehicles so nowhere near the over 50 %you state. Not sure what your argument is either as no-one here has suggested driving in a manner that could cause harm.
Whilst i fully accept that outside urban areas they may be handy especially for those who tow, but in congested urban settings they a nuisance.
They are inherently more dangerous to other road users in or out of cars and the safety of the SuV occupants is very model specific so may not be as safe as some people think.
Nomme de Plum said:
chunder said:
Well he is actually isn't he as it is a nonsense post appearing to advocate that 50%+ of vehicles on the road shouldn't be there and all freight transport should go back to canals.
Not sure what your argument is either as no-one here has suggested driving in a manner that could cause harm.
Apparently SuVs represent a little over 21% (2020) of vehicles so nowhere near the over 50 %you state. Not sure what your argument is either as no-one here has suggested driving in a manner that could cause harm.
Whilst i fully accept that outside urban areas they may be handy especially for those who tow, but in congested urban settings they a nuisance.
They are inherently more dangerous to other road users in or out of cars and the safety of the SuV occupants is very model specific so may not be as safe as some people think.
tr3a said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I just hate cyclists that's all.
Ah yes, hatred. Such a useful emotion.Don't ever go to Denmark. Or the Netherlands.
Hate is too strong of an emotion I agree, and I think it is more frustration for me really.
chunder said:
The article is a review of a Defender, if you have a point to make about the safety aspects of a Defender then make it, otherwise I imagine there are plenty of other threads for SUV haters.
I don't hate anything or anyone. I actually owned an SuV when I lived in the USA and needed the 4WD I've driven Range Rovers and a Defender albeit many years ago.
I see quite a few near me doing all manner of things but mainly towing boats.
I think SuVs like the Defender may have their place but cities is not one of them.
tr3a said:
davidexige said:
MotorSpeak said:
Hate these things. They have no place on modern roads and are inherently dangerous to pedestrians.
I wondered how long it would be before the first BOT arrived.We’ve had ours for 10 months now, 18,000 miles covered, around 600 I’d say towing a twin axle Trailer carrying either an MX5 or building waste, and it’s been absolutely faultless. It’s quiet, comfortable, superbly built and thought out (in my opinion) and makes me happy regardless of the day I’ve had whenever I get in it.
Living in Rural Herefordshire/Monmouthshire having it over the last week or so has been a godsend. I’m a serial Land Rover owner and as excellently put in the buying guide, was happy to accept any foibles (I don’t think there are any personally) it may have had. It’s blown me away, and continues to impress me nearly every day. Superb.
Living in Rural Herefordshire/Monmouthshire having it over the last week or so has been a godsend. I’m a serial Land Rover owner and as excellently put in the buying guide, was happy to accept any foibles (I don’t think there are any personally) it may have had. It’s blown me away, and continues to impress me nearly every day. Superb.
MotorSpeak said:
Do you burst into tears when you see a Transit, too? How about a bus?You also might want to check NCAP Vulnerable Road User scores before commenting - eg Fiat 500, 53% vs Defender, 72%…
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