Thread: Will I regret buying a new Defender?

Thanks everyone
I was considering a new 130 single cab chassis. They are less than $40K at present like the 90 series are trying to sell them off. By the time you add all the accessories and a tray you are looking at another 10K though.

If a new one does come out I don't expect it to be affordable though for me. I have looked at buying a used 130 puma but there are none about.
karl, are you sure about the trucking of the broken truck to the nearest dealer? Is the case that you ring the roadside service that is included and if they cannot fix it, it gets sent to the nearest dealer, and back again to your home or at least where ever it was when the breakdown occurred?

I don't expect anything to go wrong with the vechicle. If I pay good money for a new car I expect it to perform as intended and not have anything at all serious break. My wife and I have a 2007 Hyundai Santa fe Elite Diesel and the only things that have broken in 3 years and 85,000Km are the rear door lock sometimes doesn't open (a common fault) and also it blows parking headlamp bulbs. That is all nothing else has broken or been faulty. The elite has everything you would expect to break, 10 way electric seats, tilt slide sunroof, climate control air both sides and 6 stack cd player. If Hyundai can build a reliable car, and the model we have is an early one of the series then LR should be able to build a Defender after decades.

I am a farmer so all my friends have utes so I am aware of some of the problems that occur. The V8 landcruisers are woefull and way overpriced for what they are. No way would I or could I pay $60K + accessories for one. I know the early Patrol 3L had problem and locally a few were destroyed if driven hard. The sump and oil system was too small I believe and if driven hard they didn't last. I think now they have sorted them out but maybe I am wrong. I am they only person in our area with a td5 defender single cab ute. I would like another one but not if its going to ruin me.

I will have to check with Toowoomba LR on warrenty.
Cheers

Scott, Land Rover Assist comes with every new Land Rover and lasts as long as the warranty (ie 3 years). After that you can renew subject to an annual fee. See Roadside Assistance | Land Rover Australia for more detail. Like all such services there is are limits and fine print. With towing, you are covered for the first 60 km.

For some recent discussion see: Defender2 - View topic - Land Rover Assist - How good?

Cheers
KarlB

2002 130 with 170K on the clock, what's it worth? say 20K? a new one at 40K? so you would look at spending another 20K? then if you are as happy as you say with your current rig, why not spend 10K or so upgrading it? maybe a new engine? or even get a whole new interior to get that new car feel...
Do the math, work out what you REALLY want your ute for, make a list of what it will all cost etc, and maybe you can upgrade you current rig to your "new" standard and have some dough left in the kitty!

Sometimes it's better the devil you know...

just my 2cents worth...

Originally Posted by Marshall

2002 130 with 170K on the clock, what's it worth? say 20K? a new one at 40K? so you would look at spending another 20K? then if you are as happy as you say with your current rig, why not spend 10K or so upgrading it? maybe a new engine? or even get a whole new interior to get that new car feel...
Do the math, work out what you REALLY want your ute for, make a list of what it will all cost etc, and maybe you can upgrade you current rig to your "new" standard and have some dough left in the kitty!

Sometimes it's better the devil you know...

just my 2cents worth...

By the time he gets the primary producers price and writes the vehicle up against tax it would be a fair bit less than a 20k upgrade methinks.

Why worry?.If it's what you want buy one. Pat

I wouldn’t read to much into what’s written around AULRO on how bad the puma is. I think it’s a bit biased. But that’s easy to understand if you look and the puma posters and there post counts.


I have an Isuzu county so its just sport to bag puma owners. Who are really just van drivers


I say if thats what you want, just do it. thay are a great wagon

I don't get any concessions. I get the Gst back but also have to charge it on my old one. A new one is just under $40k with GST. There is $10K worth of accessories including a tray which is $5500. The above also would include stamp duty and rego. If I get $22K for mine that gives me $20 but its now depreciated below that so I would have to pay tax on the capital gain. The change over would be at least $26K if not more.

"The LR assist Towing/Transportation
If your vehicle cannot be mobilised at the breakdown location and/or requires electronic diagnosis, we will arrange to have your vehicle transported to the nearest Land Rover Dealer or other repairer as approved by us. If your vehicle is outside a capital city or major regional town, we may use a road transport company to transport the vehicle.

Towing is provided free of charge up to a limit of 20 kilometres from the breakdown location, where the breakdown location is within any capital city or major regional town. Outside of these areas, towing is provided free of charge up to a limit of 60 kilometres. All additional towing costs are your responsibility.
If the breakdown has occurred after business hours, we will arrange for your vehicle to be stored at a secure facility and delivered to a Land Rover Dealer on the morning of the next working day."

This says to me that if it breaks down in Inverell they will take it 60Km towards Toowoomba and I have to pay to take it the rest of the way. This doesn't sound very good to me, especially if I have a problem which I probably will.

If I keep my current TD5 how much would it cost to get a new engine and where would you buy it from? Assuming I need one in the near future. The gearbox should only cost a couple of grand to recondition I assume. The sals diff should go for a long time.

I could spend a lot on repairs for the price of a new one, but you would still have an old truck in the end. Food for thought though.

Originally Posted by Scott

Towing is provided free of charge up to a limit of 20 kilometres from the breakdown location, where the breakdown location is within any capital city or major regional town. Outside of these areas, towing is provided free of charge up to a limit of 60 kilometres. All additional towing costs are your responsibility.

Hi Scott, where did you find this? I only ask because there is no mention of it in the owners warranty book, (for my 2010 110), and I've had another vehicle towed much further than those limits by LR Assist whilst it was under warranty.

I must say LR Assist are very good, (possibly due to practice ). LR customer care on the other hand....... I've had some of my most dissatisfying conversations with this dept of LR.

Best of luck which ever way you decide to go

Cheers,