Thread: Pros and Cons of Land Rover

To quote an earlier post:

A friend once told me to think of a Defender as a giant meccano set that comes preassembled from the factory. If you expect Lexus reliability and build quality, you'll come away dissapointed. If however, you can live with the fact that you may from time to time have to reassemble some of its components to get it just right, then you're ready for defender ownership. Or rather, you'll find defender ownership a satisfactory experience.

If you're after a 130, you'd probably be looking at either a Tdi or a Td5 engine, both of which have been proven reliable. They have been around long enough so that their potantial faults are well known. So long as preventative maintenance is carried out, they should be reliable and trouble free. A new Puma 130 is also an option (powered by a Ford 2.4l turbodiesel out of a Transit van mated to a 6 speed gearbox), but they're relatively young and still have some teething problems (I could be wrong here - somebody please correct me if I am).

Td5's have a brain (ECU) which doesn't like water, oil, excessive vibration and the like, and if/when it starts playing up may take some troubleshooting to diagnose and fix. They are on the other hand more powerful and refined than their predecessors, and can readily be tweaked by brainwashing. Pre 2002 Defender 110s had a stronger (salisbury type) rear diff, after which they changed to a weaker (rover type) one.

The Tdi's are completely mechanical, so there are no electronics to go wrong. Thought by some to be more reliable for remote area travel, they are also a bit rougher and don't have as much power. Two variants were available - 200Tdi made between '91 and '93 (or sometime in 94?) which came with a weaker 5 speed (LT77) gearbox and the later 300Tdi (94 to 98) which came with a stronger 5 speed (R380) gearbox.

Between '81 and '90, Land Rovers also came fitted with an Isuzu 4BD1 engine (the civilian equivalent of an army 110 "Perentie"). These are the roughest out of the lot, but thought to be the holy grail of reliability (completely mechanical, and designed to pull a 6t truck). In their naturally aspirated form, they are a bit gutless compared with their younger (turbocharged) siblings, but where they lack in power they make up in low down torque. They also respond well to turbocharging, and can go as well as a V8 at 1.5 to 2 x the fuel efficiency. Unfortunately, they were never fitted to a 130 out of the factory, and your better half may require some serious convincing before agreeing to one. Don't ask me how I know.

That should get you started. The pros and cons of each engine have been covered in many a thread on these forums, so have a read through, decide which one best suits your purposes (and budget) and then make up your own mind if you're ready to take the next step.

Good luck.

Bojan

there are no cons

Originally Posted by Vern

there are no cons

x2

I love my 130 and wish I had got one earlier but was also put off by the horror stories from people who never owned them. I just love driving it, I feel like I am continually tinkering with it but that is half the fun e.g. I have removed the roof lining to fix the water leaks and have pretty much got it sorted just need to replace the windscreen and it should be leak free, well on the inside anyway

My brother and nephew are now thinking they may get one. It's contagious

Originally Posted by Dougie81

Hi all.

I am brand spanking new to this web site so if this has been posted before, I apoligise.

I am very interested in buying a dual cab 130 defender ute but have to admit, I know nothing about Land Rover in general bar alot of bad reports from friends/family etc.

I currently own a cruiser but have always loved the look of the defenders.

I'm not overly mechanical but many in my family are so I was just wondering if I could get a warts and all pros and cons of owning a defender so I can start seriously looking into if I might be biting off more than I can chew!

The more info the better

Cheers!

How many of the friends and family actually owned Land Rovers??

(like all cars) If you are looking second hand, condition is everything. Get one with a solid service history. 130's are work horses, and if you get one that is due for a lot of work, or hasn't been looked after it will cost you an arm and a leg.

If, however you get one which has been looked after, serviced properly and regularly you will have an asset to pass down to you grandchildren.

Nearly all of the landrover horror stories that I have known have come down to poor / nonexistent servicing*.

*accept for Pumas. If you want a new one, search for 'puma' and make up your own mind.

Go for a decent drive in one - you'll soon see what the main pros and cons are.

FWIW, this is my top 3 for Fenders:

Pros.
1 - simple, relative to the alternatives
2 - reliable if treated properly
3 - hold their value well

Cons.
1 - Seating position can take some getting used to
2 - extremely unreliable if treated poorly
3 - expensive compared to the alternatives (for what you get on the surface)

Most importantly - dont believe everything you hear about LR; both good and bad tend to be wildly exagerated!

Cheers,

Adam

Its a Land Rover.
One either gets it or they don't.

I just sold my beloved tdi and am looking for a series model now as a hobby.

There is nothing like it.

I have an 08 puma 110 and honestly cannot believe the amount of issues it has had big and small. Disappointingly I am not alone, and yes I realise they aren't all like this. I do not abused it and look after it very well and yet from the get go things have failed at a ridiculous rate. They are (I'm told) nearly all I sorted out but time will tell if there are more gremlins in the wings.

Oddly (to me) I am very attached to it and really love driving it, but if it continues to be as problematic once the warranty runs out I will have no option but to get rid of it because I will simply be pouring allot of good money down the drain.

I have always wanted a defender 110 and saved hard for many years to get one, but based on my experience of my car, I would suggest something else if you do not have the time, patience and money to spend and keep spending. All this becomes irrelevant if like many you buy your car and fall in love with it; because as they say love is blind.

Pro's - Off road it's fantastic, the best for the money IMHO
- rugged scrub out interior
- great platform for the diy tinkering
- very friendly and helpful community.
- when everything works as it should it is the best fun to drive.
- pretty good economy
- the defender wave

con's - build quality. Mines been a joke.
- can't keep water or dust out.
- The brakes could be better.
- LR hubris when dealing with issues.
- Always seems to be something I have to keep an eye on
which currently has robbed me of the confidence to do the big trips.