Thread: Help - Wife wants a Patrol, I am heart struck on Defender

Originally Posted by GlennWA

Hello Will. We are going from an 1996 XH falcon bench seat ute, hardly the pinnacle of comfort and refinement; however we lived in the USA for the last two years where we had an older Fully Loaded V8 Ford Explorer Limited which was very nice.

So i assume handling isn't your biggest concern LOL, personally i love Defenders, so i have a biased opinion, really the decision is up to you and the missus, you will probably like whatever you pick, both are very good vehicles, it's just that with a Patrol you look like every other person in a fourby on the road.

We do a lot of long distance touring. We have gone from a Disco1 ES, leather seats, cruise control, duel sun roofs etc to our Defender 130 and we find it just as comfortable on long trips as the disco, as the seating position and visabilty is terrific

As an aside, when we were in the N.T. the other year we were with a nearly new Patrol, after a couple of not too deep river crossings we opened our doors to let the floor dry and the patrol opened it's doors to find soggy carpet and wet toilet paper

Mrs hh

Do as I do, buy her a buzz box and let her choose the car, you stay out of the decision. Then you can have the say on the landie.
Best of luck!
Lindsay.

We have one of each, albeit both are ten years old now (ok the Defer is older ) and guess who drives which.

I'm not familiar with the new CRD Patrol engine, but the rest of the car is pretty much bullet proof.

Ours is about to clock over 400,000km and it's been used hard from new and still drives well. (coil cab ute)
The doors are long and drop a little, those that have had farm use often crack the mount's on the door frame, otherwise it's as tight as it was when SWMBO drove it out of the yard and has been dead reliable in that time, apart from two radiators (stray current)
The only things changed are normal service items.
It's still on it's original clutch too.

I wish i could say the same for the Defender.

I'm not sure if springs and damping has changed much since the first GU's, but the Defender runs rings around the Patrol for ride comfort, particularly off road.

Seats are no contest either, I get out of the Patrol and am stiff and cramping (and I practice yoga) yet I climb out of the Defender almost as fresh as when i started. (within reason)
I'm near as dammit 6'2" and 94kg and yes, the Defender is snug, but apart from the bloody noise (and apparently the new ones are much, much better) it's the nicer drive for me.

Unsurprisingly SWMBO sees it differently.

Either can be built to be a great touring vehicle and it's reasonably easy to overcome their respective shortcomings, (although the driveshaft issues with the current Defender when lifted are unforgivable IMO)
IME you'll be fiddling with the Defender a lot more than the Patrol.

Unfortunately, once she has sat in a comfy new patrol, a defer doesn't stand much of a chance, too much like chalk and cheese. But for that sort of money, take a second hand range rover ('06ish) td6 for a spin. The patrol will fade into the past...

I would not buy a Nissan simply because if you have the tinniest of problems Nissan will not help you.Do a search about Nissan,look on the Patrol and Navara forums and you'll find a heap of very ****ed off owners.Defenders might need a DC shaft when you lift them and a set of seat runners if your tall but thats nothing compared to what owners are forking out for both Toyota's and Nissans just to keep them running.Having had all three LR got my money. Pat

I have to agree with Rick130 here,but as Pat303 has said you will get NO help if you have a warranty problem.

My wifes sister & husband have had 3 since the first GU came out,never ever had an issue,not what i can say about the Disco's i have had over the same period of time.

Visibility over the bonnet in the patrol is definitely worse than the Deefer.

the last one they had was recently involved in a massive head on accident with a Patrol of the same vintage,'06.

Very luckily no one was badly injured,both Patrols & one was also towing a 22ft van,were written off.
The accident investigators said if it wasn't for the airbags,injuries would have been a lot worse to all involved.

The deefers lack of airbags could be an issue,but as we know every accident is different.

I haven't driven a 2.2 Fender but have done a lot of miles in a 3.0 auto Patrol through work. Was expecting it to blow my nuts off after a 300Tdi auto but have to say I was quite disappointed, in so far as, put a brick on the accelerator and maybe by the time you're in the next shire it'll be doing 100.

Faultless car though and if I was in the market, I'd probably get one.