New Defender? After thoughts and ownership details
Discussion
About to pull the trigger on a 110 X P400e.
The electric range and short journeys make it the pick of the bunch. School and office run are 10-15 miles. Plus, long term ownership of a diesel is extremely unappealing.
Does anyone have recent experience or ownership and insurance?
I’m coming from an HSE L460 so hoping insurance will be preferable!
The electric range and short journeys make it the pick of the bunch. School and office run are 10-15 miles. Plus, long term ownership of a diesel is extremely unappealing.
Does anyone have recent experience or ownership and insurance?
I’m coming from an HSE L460 so hoping insurance will be preferable!
NorthernUproar said:
About to pull the trigger on a 110 X P400e.
The electric range and short journeys make it the pick of the bunch. School and office run are 10-15 miles. Plus, long term ownership of a diesel is extremely unappealing.
Does anyone have recent experience or ownership and insurance?
I’m coming from an HSE L460 so hoping insurance will be preferable!
I'm looking at same right now! I can only help on insurance really - for me it's looking about £1500 (JLR insurance) which is double what we pay for a Discovery 4 and more than half what I've been quoted for a new RRS.The electric range and short journeys make it the pick of the bunch. School and office run are 10-15 miles. Plus, long term ownership of a diesel is extremely unappealing.
Does anyone have recent experience or ownership and insurance?
I’m coming from an HSE L460 so hoping insurance will be preferable!
Check you can get insurance though as almost all of the best rated insurers have given me a "No to any Landrover" response. No conditions, just no.
Some will do renewals but seem to have a rule on no new LR policies.
There was chat of a theft excess in news last week (I'm fine with that) but I tried again during week and still got a "No".
Have you managed to test drive one? Be good to know what range is like when used for that kind of run. There are no dealers near me that even have one to look at never mind test drive.
My cons list is currently:
1. Boot floor has a bump in it where batteries are. Seems ok but our D4 has such a good flat load area. Not a big deal for me but I need to look at one to be sure.
2. Worry that LR bring out a 50 mile range version soon. This seems to be less likely as the platform has no-where for more batteries (hence bump). The RRS PHEV seems ideal (but could be un-insurable!).
3. That range is too small and I'd need to plug it in constantly to get best from it. I have an EV but it does 250 miles so I don't need to remember to charge every time. Our runs are similar to yours at 10-20 miles.
4. Spec variations are silly and seems hard for dealers to follow. Caused by parts shortages I think. If you want larger screen be sure model has it.
5. Local dealers haven't been helpful. 2 people I spoke to were just completely wrong on many items but spoke as though it was fact. Coupled with insurance grief it's taken fun from it!
6. The 2L engine seems to have a lot of negative press. Changing oil often appears to resolve though.
Tons of pros too and I really cannot find anything else (other than RRS) that fits. Even the L460 has downside that it feels too big for us.
Insurance wise, the L460, despite many years of no claims motoring and a number of other vehicles on the policy was coming up for renewal at just under £4k. We live in a village in North East England. Not particularly a crime hotspot so I thought it indicative of where insurance was heading on the RR and RRS.
The Defender is a surprisingly pleasant £1.1k to insure.
Not driven one but happy to go with the reviews that it’s a hoot to drive. Range, in real world, I expect to be 20 miles. We have chargers at our workplaces as well as at home so expect very little fuss with pure EV most of the time. Youngest's school is 19 miles in each direction so I’ll be good one way though I am intrigued about its combined fuel efficiency on the return leg! 400bhp will be good fun though!
The Defender is an itch I’ve been hoping to scratch since they were relaunched in new format. Have been fortunate enough to own most of the vehicles I aspired to as a kid, Porsche, Ferrari and most recently the big green L460!
I’ve also just incurred £5k in servicing costs on an 8 year old diesel RR Velar. The D300 engine is marvelous but it’s convinced me diesel and in particular DPF filters are not a fit for lots of short journeys and the way that we live.
The diesel defender or any diesel for that matter just isn’t an option for me now. Even my L460, after 41000 miles and its service at LR, just seemed notably ‘grizzlier’ once it’d been properly run in.
The Defender is a surprisingly pleasant £1.1k to insure.
Not driven one but happy to go with the reviews that it’s a hoot to drive. Range, in real world, I expect to be 20 miles. We have chargers at our workplaces as well as at home so expect very little fuss with pure EV most of the time. Youngest's school is 19 miles in each direction so I’ll be good one way though I am intrigued about its combined fuel efficiency on the return leg! 400bhp will be good fun though!
The Defender is an itch I’ve been hoping to scratch since they were relaunched in new format. Have been fortunate enough to own most of the vehicles I aspired to as a kid, Porsche, Ferrari and most recently the big green L460!
I’ve also just incurred £5k in servicing costs on an 8 year old diesel RR Velar. The D300 engine is marvelous but it’s convinced me diesel and in particular DPF filters are not a fit for lots of short journeys and the way that we live.
The diesel defender or any diesel for that matter just isn’t an option for me now. Even my L460, after 41000 miles and its service at LR, just seemed notably ‘grizzlier’ once it’d been properly run in.
Just a little update on my first year of ownership.
Great car. Can’t moan. Well, apart from the depreciation, the insurance cost, and the reliability/crap dealership experience.
A few weeks ago the reversing beep packed up- quite a common thing I believe. Went into dealership who said the sensor had been damaged, therefore not under warranty, and would be £280. I authorised work over phone but asked for photo to be emailed. It never came. After chasing up 6 times, and speaking to dealer principle the photo arrived. Looking at the bumper now there is a tiny scuff, like a hedge was brushed. Barely visible. Shouldn’t have damaged a sensor.
Then last week I have the error message “normal suspension only available”. I called the dealership and said would they have time to look and fix the problem asap as I was going abroad on the bank holiday weekend with the car for a month. Yes, 100% was the reply. Drop car off, told the air compressor has packed up, but they have one in stock and will sort by end of week.
Next thing I hear when chasing is they haven’t one in stock but it’s on order and will be ready Tuesday.
Chase on Monday and am told they’ve been busy but will be ready end of day Wednesday.
Chase on Tuesday and am told the part arrived, but was broken. They fitted anyway and it didn’t work. And couldn’t fix til after the bank holiday.
After asking to speak to someone else, all of a sudden they can get the part in and fix next day in time for the weekend.
Car was collected yesterday. Work was under warranty. If it hasn’t been, would have been about £2200. For a three year old car with 27 on the clock.
I asked for a summary of work to be emailed to me. A laughable email with so many errors of spelling and grammar it would have failed gcse English.
It’s been fun, but come May probably trading in.
Great car. Can’t moan. Well, apart from the depreciation, the insurance cost, and the reliability/crap dealership experience.
A few weeks ago the reversing beep packed up- quite a common thing I believe. Went into dealership who said the sensor had been damaged, therefore not under warranty, and would be £280. I authorised work over phone but asked for photo to be emailed. It never came. After chasing up 6 times, and speaking to dealer principle the photo arrived. Looking at the bumper now there is a tiny scuff, like a hedge was brushed. Barely visible. Shouldn’t have damaged a sensor.
Then last week I have the error message “normal suspension only available”. I called the dealership and said would they have time to look and fix the problem asap as I was going abroad on the bank holiday weekend with the car for a month. Yes, 100% was the reply. Drop car off, told the air compressor has packed up, but they have one in stock and will sort by end of week.
Next thing I hear when chasing is they haven’t one in stock but it’s on order and will be ready Tuesday.
Chase on Monday and am told they’ve been busy but will be ready end of day Wednesday.
Chase on Tuesday and am told the part arrived, but was broken. They fitted anyway and it didn’t work. And couldn’t fix til after the bank holiday.
After asking to speak to someone else, all of a sudden they can get the part in and fix next day in time for the weekend.
Car was collected yesterday. Work was under warranty. If it hasn’t been, would have been about £2200. For a three year old car with 27 on the clock.
I asked for a summary of work to be emailed to me. A laughable email with so many errors of spelling and grammar it would have failed gcse English.
It’s been fun, but come May probably trading in.
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