Thread: Why should I buy a Defender 110?

You've got to spend spend spend on a Toyota to get it to the same level of 'offroadness' that a 110 comes off the factory floor with.

The TD5 (which is what you'll be buying with $25K) has a few known problems: Oil in the loom; loose oil pump bolt (not common) and the fuel reg leaks from the rear of the engine. Otherwise they are very sorted.

Make sure your missus is happy with the level of creature comforts though. They are pretty basic compared to the Jap stuff.

where to start ( cracks knuckles) 25 k is a good budget. i dont have any thing bad to say about defenders, having said that they are not known for there day to day family use, as a primary vhical eg the cab is smaller than a discovery, my self i would like one but the family side of 4 a discovery is best suted , we have a 2002 discovery td5 ( 5 cylinder diesel 5 speed )

the advantages they have over toyota are mainly a nicer interior and the suspention is smother off road, most yotas have leif springs witch cant flex as well as a coil spring.

i have herd the debate of toyota parts avalibility, how ever i disagree. any car part can be overnight freighted with in australia you have to know who has the parts and call them direct. if your in the desert bobs garrage is the closest repair place after a 4k tow he wont have radiator for a 2003 toyota any way, they just cant all stock evrey thing.

its my opinion that me as the head of my family am responsibul to bring the most likly parts to brake down on any bush trip, eg hoses belts thermostate rescue tape and drive shafts so when im broken i can fix it and move on. i dont think that toyota parts network is enoughf for me to justify owning one.

il step off soap box now, i have just removed my auto to install a manual because im conserned about the computer controlled side of the auto, so when im in the bush i dont have to worry about it, just put it in gear and go. that is one of the bonus sides of defenders is that they are all 5 speeds.

im not sure how hard core you plan to go but consider putting 10k aside for lockers winch and tyres. my d2 has about 16k of extra gear on it, so that may be some of the reasion you are seeing diffrent prices for cars, some of that gear is not visibul unless you know what to look for and get underneath.

dose the missus like the idea of a defender ? if you can talk her into it i would be over the moon for you, but you may find a series 2 diesel discovery is more comfortabul for a daily ride.

let us know how you go.

I live 700k's from my local dealer and have never had issue's with parts or getting work done.I've had 5 tojo's as work vehicles in the last 12 years and the reliability hasn't been there and the parts can be very hard to get,alot harder than LR's. Pat

when i crossed the simpson desert in my defender i didn't see any toyota dealers sitting between the sand dunes so i figured if any make of 4wd broke down we all would need to be towed to either mt dare or birdsville, once again no toyota dealer in town

there are a number of non dealer land rover specialists that will send parts to anywhere in aus

comfort levels would be the big thing and there are known fixes for any of the major issues

the only reason to buy anything that isnt an absolute NEED is because you want to! the only people you have to justify and agree with is your imideate family.

Toyota Nissan Landrover all have the + and -

dont belive everything you read or hear.....way to much emotion ego caught up in it. if you like the look, how it feels and it mets the requirments of your vehilce needs....go with it what ever the brand.

cheers,
Serg

Firstly, it pays never to make assumptions about these vehicles. You need to check it over and then have it checked by a reputable mechanic.

That said, I would say that $25,000 for a 1999 with 190 odd K is slightly high, unless you would definitely spend the money on the accessories.

Defenders (and probably Land Rovers in general) require a little more owner awareness than the average modern sedan. A Defender is a utilitarian vehicle not a 4wd lounge chair, and while comfortable enough has levels of NVH that many would consider unacceptable, and has idiosyncrasies that include leaking footwells and water coming in over the doors.

When you say "family of four" I take it that is the total - not the number of children? Kids LOVE Defenders - the rear seating is elevated and the view forward and sideways is great for them. But getting four of them in is a problem. The "third row", if fitted, faces inwards and is not the most comfortable.

Rear storage is fabulous, especially with a cargo barrier. After all, its a space capable of seating four adults.

People, even sane people, take Defenders everywhere. Unless you plan on going VERY far off the beaten track a stock Extreme Defender (which has traction control and ABS) will get you there and back without trouble.

is it expensive even for an extreme 110 with ABS and traction control?

Thanks so much for your reply, it helps a lot, and yes, we are 4 in total. The kids would love the higher rear seats.

Price is a bit high - but not ridiculous, although as you say it does not have a service history. You want to be happy that it has not been overheated, as the head HATES getting hot. In that case it is a bit of a lottery, and you have to go on other indicators like the condition of the rest of the car.

It also says (in the fine print) that it has a limited slip diff. Assume the rear diff? This might mean it was either owned by someone who was an enthusiast, or someone with buckets of cash. Or they might mean the centre diff lock. Be worth finding out, as not many 110's have an LSD.

For that money I'd be thinking you could find one with a full service history, esp as you are up in QLD (I gather) so there are a lot more on the market up that way than down in Adelaide where I'm from.

HTH
David