Thread: Capability of a standard 90

There are plenty of Land Rover drivers who find that the vehicle is quite capable of doing everything they want to do with no modifications whatsoever.

You might be one of that group.

Get out and use it and you will find out .

Get some driver training for starters, either through joining a club or an independent provider, then get out with some other vehicles and just use it.
If you are new to 4WD you'll find the vehicle out of the factory will have capabilities far beyond your own.

Steve

As above, just go and drive it! See how it goes! It will do far more than you believe exactly as it left the factory.

I highly recommend driving it standard for a good period of time before doing any modifications. It is very easy to get suckered in to the 'I must have xxxx bling in order to drive off-road' when it is nothing but the truth.
Your Land Rover is far more capable than you are off road. You just need to learn how to get the best from it. You will be a much better driver for it, if you haven't been able to rely on extra gadgetry to get you through the obstacles.
The more you know about how your car performs stock, the smarter the modifications you will eventually make to it will be.

Depending on what it comes with, usually the tyres are the first upgrade, and maybe a bull bar to protect the front end and hang a radio aerial from if you are driving with mates. Or because a bull bar suits the look of a Defender...
Otherwise modifications that suit you and your partner's lifestyle, be it drawers or an awning camping, roof bars for a surfboard, mats for transporting pets or carpet rolls for taking bodies in to state forests to bury...

I have a 2010 D90 and couldn't agree more with the advice on here. Just drive it! The vehicle, of the showroom floor, is extremely capable and far exceeds most of its supposed competition. Any modifications or fit-out will become clear as you use the vehicle. While I added extras to mine at time of purchase, I have been a Land Rover owner for more than 40 years and had a good idea what I wanted and needed (they are very different things). For example, a D90 has a relatively small fuel tank (60 litres). While this is adequate for most uses, especially if you occasionally put a jerry can in the back, it will be inadequate for some remote area touring where you may need a range of 1,000 km between fuel stops (ie about 120 litres) and room in the back for touring gear (not limited by the presence of 3 jerry cans). I haven't even considered modifying the suspension or changing the tyre size though I changed the tyres to a different type (tread pattern) when the originals had to be replaced.

You will get plenty of advice on the forum if and when you consider any modifications or fit-out.

A few last words: always remember that the vehicle is more capable than you are; and always drive gently but with determination.

Cheers
KarlB

Agreed with the above, hit it standard first then upgrade what you find lacking or what you will find useful and take your time to research your upgrades. Going into OL or ARB and dropping 10k might just find you with a $2000 locker you never use or the $1000 suspension kit that's too hard etc etc...

I reckon you will be pleasantly surprised at how capable your unit is.

I don't mod any of my vehicles,you'll get further knowing how to drive it than relying on lockers.Forget any of the ''performance'' mods sold in Oz,LR have been building vehicles long before any of them ever started and none of them improve what you already have,a set of mulgo seat rails and more fuel capacity is what you want,I like a second tank rather than one big one and for a few hundred dollars a poly tank behind the back seats gives a big range increase. Pat

Learn how to look after it as well. You will gain more confidence in the vehicle when you know how it works as a whole machine, and when you know that all the oils are topped up and all the bolts are tight.
Look after it and it will give you plenty to smile about.