New Defender

[T4tomo]

Was a great place

Well, apart from the brief window it opened last week when a farmer went through in a tractor and dragged the concrete blocks out with him.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-67215523

hard to understand why idiots in small cars would then want to drive through it though....

 

[Jody]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-67215523

hard to understand why idiots in small cars would then want to drive through it though....

Youtube fame innit

I find it odd that the most popular Rufford Youtuber was there at that exact moment the tractor went through, even through it's been closed for months now.

 

[gbb]

Whenever I read this thread, I'm reminded of a much earlier discussion when the Defender was slated by the Grenadier devotees for looking too much like an old Defender. I remember it being said, oh couldn't they use some imagination ?
And then the Grenadier was released....err.
I have no great opinion of either BTW, the Defender seems well recieved in general, i certainly see them regularly

 

[Jameshow]

I don't like the rear lights either. Would look better with larger Ferrari lights or ranger rover strip lights!

 

[Jody]

And then the Grenadier was released....err.

I see one most mornings and would take an original Defender over it any day.

 

[GilesM]

I bet less than 1% get used like that, nice to see it getting a proper outing!.

Sadly I think you are probably right, but give it time, as more second hand ones come on to the market prices will drop and more people will start finding out what they can really do. Not everyone is willing (stupid enough) to take a car costing the wrong side of £60k properly off road.

 

[GilesM]

View attachment 711841
The new Defender has a 900mm wading depth, which compares to 500mm for the old Defender.

900mm is for the air suspension ones with the suspension in the highest setting. It also has wade sensing which uses sensors underneath the door mirrors to monitor the water depth.

 

[GilesM]

I’ve seen a lot of them up here, in Cumbria, this past couple of days

None appear to be driven by farmers/‘traditional’ Defender owners/users

I think that had been the case for a while, the many different pickups have become a more popular choice even when the old Defender was still being made.

 

[GilesM]

I see one most mornings and would take an original Defender over it any day.

Not if you had to drive 400miles in it.

 

[GilesM]

A number on the M40 today too. A couple of observations:

There are no fewer than 3 separate red circular* taillights of varying size on each side, and that's without fog lights being illuminated.
The little roof ladders and pannier-type side boxes look a bit odd, and must create an awful lot of drag.

*In the way my Panda does circles - i.e. not a circle

I like the lights, but just personal choice.
If you have a roof rack the ladders are useful, it's a high roof, altough I don't like the factory ladder, will probably buy one of the aftermarket ones at some point, right now I just climb up using the spare wheel as a ladder.
I agree the boxes look odd, and I don't have one, but if you do proper off road stuff I think they are very useful for recovery ropes and stuff, remember after use the ropes can be very wet and muddy, so better if you don't have to put them back in the boot with your clean stuff.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I think that had been the case for a while, the many different pickups have become a more popular choice even when the old Defender was still being made.

Probably so, particularly after the introduction of the 'Puma' engines
It was the same for a while with the Td5, until it got to be fully understood (the little foibles, like the tracking of oil along injector loom)

Not if you had to drive 400miles in it.

The longest I ever undertook in any of mine, was South Wales
It took a bit longer than I would in a (normal) car, but it was fine

Did it in 2 different models
110Tdi ('300' Hard-Top)
110Td5 ('Heritage' Station Wagon)

 

[GilesM]

The longest I ever undertook in any of mine, was South Wales
It took a bit longer than I would in a (normal) car, but it was fine

Did it in 2 different models
110Tdi ('300' Hard-Top)
110Td5 ('Heritage' Station Wagon)

I wouldn't say long journeys are not possible in the old Defender, I'd even say they would be fun, but if you gave me the choice, I'd always go new defender for the long ones, very comfortable and 400bhp makes overtaking a bit easier, even with the wee teardrop van behind us.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Do they do LWB version - I saw in the distance (i.e. I couldn't be arsed to walk over to where it was parked because peeing down with rain) what I thought looked like a new 'un which was notably longer than average. Am prepared to believe it was my rainy specs deceiving me BTW

 

[GilesM]

Do they do LWB version - I saw in the distance (i.e. I couldn't be arsed to walk over to where it was parked because peeing down with rain) what I thought looked like a new 'un which was notably longer than average. Am prepared to believe it was my rainy specs deceiving me BTW

There is a 90, short wheel base, three doors same as mine, 110 longer wheel base five doors, and a new 130 is now available, still five doors, but noticeably longer than the 110.

 

[Thorn Sherpa]

I have a Nissan Pathfinder to do the yard/horse duties bought second hand cost 2k. I wouldn't spend a penny more on something that spends half its time covered in mud straw and sliding into and through bushes but each to their own. The new defenders are probably a very capable vehicle no doubt but I wouldn't put anything costing 60k + through what I put mine through 😂