Land Rover Defender 90

Ok ok im going to get abused for this, people who own land rovers either adore or hate them. I fall in to the later catagory. And i will explain why

I have owned a 1990 defender 90. It was relativly expensive to buy and so very unreliable, unlike no other vehicle ive ever owned except the landrovers im about to list.

A discovery 1995, the 200tdi was a better engine but still a badly built vehicle that cost a sack of money to keep on the road and mainly built with leftover interior parts bin (try a metro interior for same parts...)

The 1996 range rover p38.. I could cry just talking about this motor it was god awful and went wrong just sat on the driveway...

But i digress, i wanted to make a point that i have a fair experience of the land rover product and having owned most of the other well respected 4x4's in the class over the last 15 years i feel i can comment fairly and make a comparison for the ordinary joe looking to possibly buy one.. (Dont do it joe...you have been warned)

The 90 is great off road, take it out and it'll do brilliantly, but its certainly no more capable than any other good off roader in the right hands with the right tyres, that said it has a great ride height from the manufacturer, this is always an advantage. And will save on the cost of mods to raise the vehicle up. People (usually only owners) will say the landy is the best etc, but they are all on a similar par really, four wheels all turning to get up a hill.... Dont believe all the egotistical hype. There are 100's of youtube videos to back up this observation. Defender vs etc etc.

The chassis will rot worse than a mercedes commercial vehicle... Just a fact. the interior will force you to open the window so you can fit your arm in while you drive... (I found myself doing this in the snow at 40mph!) why oh why the drivers seat has never been moved over an inch or two i really dont know. The heater is pathetic if it works at all. Dont expect to drive in the winter without full coat and gloves... And you cant really move the seat back far enough to get comfortable without spending a pretty penny on other mods to do so...

Dont expect a comfortable road ride but thats not what genuine off roaders offer, you dont seem to get a good ride with any of the good off roaders and for me thats acceptable.

When buying dont bother looking for an engine that isnt leaking on your driveway, even the biggest landy fan will try to tell you they all leak and thats good for them etc etc. i dont look at it that way, a leaking engine in the wrong hands will eventually do damge over time, you may be the second owner of a nackered engine because of that leak.

Check the off road forums, people are very split on these vehicles but many mechanics and ex owners who avoid these with a passion cant be wrong... A dodgy vehicle is a dodgy vehicle, badly built, cheaply built buy a lazy workforce....

Yeah i read reviews like mine and still bought a defender... I should have listend...

Then i bought a p38.....

Jesus!

We've owned our Defender 90 Station Wagon for 5 years and it's been superb.

My wife loves it too, in fact we fight over the keys! We never had any reliability issues, although it's only done light off road driving. It's never leaked any water either.

Maintenance costs are higher than a car, as you'd expect, plus being post March 2006 it's liable for the higher rate road tax. Performance is good for what it is and it will maintain 80 mph on the motorway, not that you'd want to, a happier cruising speed it 65 and watch the world go by in the outside lane.

In the snow last Christmas it was the only vehicle that could get off our road for a couple of days, even Range Rovers and other 4x4 vehicles stayed on people's drives.

We paid £19,500 in 2006 and 3 times this year I've been offered over £16,000 for it.....but it's not for sale.

What do you need more. Its so powerfull. and there is more than enough when you put your foot down. SANDS BEST FRIEND, WOW it rocks on sand. Just a bit hectic on juice but so worth it. Buy one if you can.

The Land Rover Defender 90 is by far the must unique SUV out there. Unlike its "poser" cousins, the Defender is the real deal. It has no peers in the outback and is relied upon around the world in the some of the harshest environment's imaginable.

Land Rover dropped the ball when they failed to add air bags to the Defender and had to quit exporting them to the States.

Having owned two Discoverys, I was ready to graduate to an even more unique vehicle. I have certainly found that and more in my Land Rover Defender. Eleven years old and still worth as much as it did when it rolled off the assembly line. How many other truck or SUV owners can make that statement? A very basic vehicle, there is no fluff, no pretention. It is all that you see, no more, no less, a great truck. True, it isn't for everyone. If you're looking to be pampered, surrounded by luxury and lulled by your vehicle, you're not fit for Defender ownership. You can find those pleasures in a Range Rover. If, on the other hand, pleasure comes to you in the form of uniqueness; ready for anything, anytime; instant recognition of your sense of adventure and when time permits, actually living out the adventures (which I do in the deserts, beaches and mountains of Southern California), then look no further than a Land Rover Defender.

Land Rover Defender 90:

I was looking to get into 4-wheeling and I had a few friends that had Land Rovers. I have a buddy with a Range Rover and 2 friends that have Discoveries. I liked their trucks, but I wanted more of a "Jeep-like" convertible truck, so I opted for a slightly used 1994 Defender 90. I was excited when I first got it and enjoyed driving around town with the top down, but upon my first long road trip the head gasket blew. So, in the middle of no where, here I am with a broken down "EUROPEAN" truck that nobody has parts for. A local shop ordered the parts and 3 days later I was back on the road. I almost headed for home, but I decided to go on. I reach my buddy's house in the mountains and we headed out the next day to go wheeling in the backcountry. Well, everything was great, until....bang, SNAP! My driveshaft gives out and snaps a joint. Greeeeat. So, we disconnected the faulty parts and I crept back to his house using the front wheels. To make a long, painful story short, I fixed the heap and put another $4500 into it before putting it in Auto Trader and happily ridding myself of the 4-wheeled money pit. The beset thing is, I sold it for $5300 more than I bought it for! I then did some research and decided to buy a fully restored and dialled-in 1977 Ford Bronco with a new 5.0 litre EFI motor and 5spd transmission. I was also able to afford a ski boat, AND I paid off some bills. So, now I have an American made V8, 4x4 that's a full convertible, and I'm pretty sure that I can get parts for it at ANY auto parts store, but I'm not sure...WHY? Because I haven't had to repair or replace anything and I've put over 50K miles on it and wheeled everywhere from Mendocino to Moab! So, I learned my lesson. I don't understand all of you Euro-loving Rover Fans? Why do you opt to pay twice the price for a sub-par product that will drain your patience almost as fast as it will drain your bank account? I figured it out though, you're all label lovers. The few times I did go wheeling with a group of "Rover Guys", they all had their Timberland boots, Polo shirts, RayBan shades and they drank wine at camp. I guess the term, "Bang for Your Buck" has never made it across the pond, and there's a few Yanks that have never heard it either...they're Land Rover guys. See you on the trails, if your rigs make it there!

The Land Rover Defender 90 has a great 4x4 system with a 4:10 transfer case and diff lock. The defender is truely unbeatable off road. Under the hood rests a 241 ci 4.0L small block V8. Not many cars this size have V8s. It is a very stout car with all aluminum body pannels and a steel ladder frame. Everything on it is built to take a beating. With only a 90 in wheel base it weighs in at about 4,500 pounds, very soundly made. Also because of the aluminum body pannels it is not top heavy at all I have put this thing at angles off road that would have rolled anything else. In short its a small indestructable tank. I love mine.