Land Rover Defender 110- everyday vehicle?
Discussion
After having only had a motorcycle for the last 8 years I fancy getting a Defender 110 due to its load carrying capacity. I will almost never go off road with it but rather it would be used to travel between Paris the UK amongst other things to pick up bulky items so lots of motorway driving.
How feasable is this with a 110 or is it just a bad idea? What about fuel consumption, road noise, comfort etc?
How feasable is this with a 110 or is it just a bad idea? What about fuel consumption, road noise, comfort etc?
Edited by Driller on Friday 29th October 11:50
They're not really a motorway vehicle but will tow anything and, if you want to drive through cities and busy roads, not much will get in your way.
I'm trying one on an off road day next weekend.
Thought it might replace my Vogue for the s
tty weather.
Have a good test drive in one, on all sorts of roads and see if you could live with it.
I'm trying one on an off road day next weekend.
Thought it might replace my Vogue for the s
tty weather.Have a good test drive in one, on all sorts of roads and see if you could live with it.
Davel said:
They're not really a motorway vehicle but will tow anything and, if you want to drive through cities and busy roads, not much will get in your way.
I'm trying one on an off road day next weekend.
Thought it might replace my Vogue for the stty weather.
Have a good test drive in one, on all sorts of roads and see if you could live with it.
Thanks for the reply, no problem getting a test drive but 1 hour with the car is not going to give me the same insight as an owner who has had one for a while.I'm trying one on an off road day next weekend.
Thought it might replace my Vogue for the s
tty weather.Have a good test drive in one, on all sorts of roads and see if you could live with it.
If you're over 6ft the driver's seat can be cramped, although some people do fit alternative seats. Tyre choice does affect roadnoise levels significantly, plus they are generally unrefined(the petrol engines are quieter, the V8 quietest); this can be reduced by fitting one of the aftermarket insulation kits. I think you're bonkers but I'm being hypocritical; I bought one for no other reason than I had a student loan burning a hole in my pocket.
I've used a 200TDi CSW pretty much as a daily driver for 9 years and it's fine - if you like that kind of thing.
Reasonably comfy seats and an enjoyable drive, but slow, noisy and the heater can barely demist the windscreen (I use heated seatcovers in cold weather, otherwise its pretty cold). It's not at it's best on motorways, so if I'm going more than about 150 miles and want to get there in good time I usually take the car instead.
It's reliable in the sense that it has never needed a recovery truck, but if you are the kind of person who fusses over a leaking sunroof or things rattling/making graunching noises/not working at all then it'll drive you mental. It has required some bits doing that would be expensive if you weren't able to do them yourself (clutch, gearbox, welding to chassis). Similarly, there's a lot of upkeep compared to a normal car - I generally have a list of jobs to do on mine, so I seldom find myself at a loose end. Unless you keep on top of these jobs they accumulate until you're driving a right heap.
Reasonably comfy seats and an enjoyable drive, but slow, noisy and the heater can barely demist the windscreen (I use heated seatcovers in cold weather, otherwise its pretty cold). It's not at it's best on motorways, so if I'm going more than about 150 miles and want to get there in good time I usually take the car instead.
It's reliable in the sense that it has never needed a recovery truck, but if you are the kind of person who fusses over a leaking sunroof or things rattling/making graunching noises/not working at all then it'll drive you mental. It has required some bits doing that would be expensive if you weren't able to do them yourself (clutch, gearbox, welding to chassis). Similarly, there's a lot of upkeep compared to a normal car - I generally have a list of jobs to do on mine, so I seldom find myself at a loose end. Unless you keep on top of these jobs they accumulate until you're driving a right heap.
I use a 110 SW as a daily driver - it's fine if you don't want to get anywhere in a tearing hurry. Mine's a 2007 puma-engined XS, so 6 speed gearbox, comfortable heated front seats and screen, stereo you can hear and heating that works, all of which make it much easier to live with and OK on motorways. I'm about 5'9" and am comfortable in the car, much taller and you might need to get some extended seat rails. I average about 25mpg.
Edited by ian964 on Thursday 28th October 22:04
I've never understood this thing about tall people finding 110s uncomfortable - I'm 6'2" and find mine perfectly OK and my friend who is 6'6" won't drive anything else. We're both quite broad, so I suspect it may depend on how you're proportioned; the best thing is probably to try one. Cubby boxes make a massive difference comfort-wise because then you've got a nice armrest.
Defenders are not great for getting bulky items into...rear door is quite small and the wheel boxes take out a bit of space... father in law had one as his only car but he off roaded and shot out of it a lot, so fine for him.
He used to get mid to high 20's out of it (2002ish model deisel) but I've never seen anyone drive with as much mechanical sympathy or consideration for ecconomy!
A more sensible choice of vehicle might be a Range Rover/discovery or an estate...but then if you really want a Defender, buy one...just don't try and justify it to any one sane ;-)
He used to get mid to high 20's out of it (2002ish model deisel) but I've never seen anyone drive with as much mechanical sympathy or consideration for ecconomy!
A more sensible choice of vehicle might be a Range Rover/discovery or an estate...but then if you really want a Defender, buy one...just don't try and justify it to any one sane ;-)
I think it depends on what age/budget you are looking at. I go through periods of using very little other than my 110 as a daily (it's a 94 200tdi), having said that daily use during these periods is pottering around within a few miles of home, school run, shopping etc - as soon as a journey length gets 'significant' I do wimp out and defer back to the family smoker (Legacy), my 200tdi is a raucous old beast however. Curent Puma models in comparison I expect are far more useable and interiors far more modern (both a good and bad thing), I expect I would be happy to use one of these for the sort of thing you need it for.
Thanks for all the helpful info everyone. What draws me to the Defender is the rugged mechanical "truckiness" of the thing. After reading a few of the comments though I'm wondering if it's a good idea and I shouldn't get a Mercedes Vito instead 
I'm 6'3" so the height thing people mentioned could be a problem. The noise on the road is no problem at all- the more the better! I'll get a test drive and try it out on the motorway.
I'm 6'3" so the height thing people mentioned could be a problem. The noise on the road is no problem at all- the more the better! I'll get a test drive and try it out on the motorway.
Why not buy an old Sherpa van as a compromise? Then you could carry lots of gear and still have all the leaks and rattling noises! 
Seriously, if I was doing regular trips of that kind of distance a Mercedes van would be quite an attractive option compared to a Defender - or something like a Volvo V70 if the stuff wasn't quite so big. I'd suggest some research on ferry fares and tolls before making a decision though, and if you need to enter London then there's the LEZ to consider.
Seriously, if I was doing regular trips of that kind of distance a Mercedes van would be quite an attractive option compared to a Defender - or something like a Volvo V70 if the stuff wasn't quite so big. I'd suggest some research on ferry fares and tolls before making a decision though, and if you need to enter London then there's the LEZ to consider.
Driller said:
After having only had a motorcycle for the last 8 years I fancy getting a Defender 110 due to its load carrying capacity. I will almost never go off road with it but rather it would be used to travel between Paris the UK amongst other things to pick up bulky items so lots of motorway driving.
How feasable is this with a 110 or is it just a bad idea? What about fuel consumption, road noise, comfort etc?
I think it's all about compromise and personal attitude. A Defender is on the face of it, noisy and unrefined.How feasable is this with a 110 or is it just a bad idea? What about fuel consumption, road noise, comfort etc?
Edited by Driller on Friday 29th October 11:50
But for some reason I like them for long distance. Good driving position, comfy and just enough involved to stop you getting too bored.
MPG will vary on model, but most diesels will average 24-28mpg normal use and better if you drive gentle and on a long run. If you plan long motorway style journeys then an aftermarket Over Drive kit might be an idea. And if you get a Tdi or Td5 then either remap (latter) or intercooler/pump tweaks (former) are well worth the money and will change how the vehicle drives.
An older V8 on LPG might be a good option too. That's the great thing with Defenders, all parts are interchangeable and replaceable. So even a 1983 model could be made as modern as 2009 one with little real effort.
ian964 said:
I use a 110 SW as a daily driver - it's fine if you don't want to get anywhere in a tearing hurry.
Edited by ian964 on Thursday 28th October 22:04
Eggman said:
I've used a 200TDi CSW pretty much as a daily driver for 9 years and it's fine - if you like that kind of thing.
Reasonably comfy seats and an enjoyable drive, but slow,
If I'm honest, I've never really understood this. The legal limit in the UK is 70mph. A V8 or Tdi onwards diesel will easily do this and cruise at this speed or a bit higher.Reasonably comfy seats and an enjoyable drive, but slow,
I've also never noticed them being slow on country roads either
in fact quite the opposite when driven correctly.300bhp/ton said:
If I'm honest, I've never really understood this. The legal limit in the UK is 70mph. A V8 or Tdi onwards diesel will easily do this and cruise at this speed or a bit higher.
I've also never noticed them being slow on country roads either in fact quite the opposite when driven correctly.
I get what you're saying but it's nice to have a bit of extra go for when you need it, and at 70 there just isn't any. Similarly once up to speed you can make decent progress on an a road but you won't get past that 40 mph artic and roundabouts are painful.I've also never noticed them being slow on country roads either
in fact quite the opposite when driven correctly.If it suits your driving style, fine, but I found it frustrating.
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