Defender 110 ordered - Feeling excited!

MrLandy · 2nd December 2015, 05:28 PM

$50K for a Defender has always been surprisingly low IMO. But I think 80K is too high. He might get $60K.

**loanrangie** · 2nd December 2015, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by MrLandy

$50K for a Defender has always been surprisingly low IMO. But I think 80K is too high. He might get $60K.

Too low for a vehicle with manual windows , no airbags , no auto option , crap ergonomics and crap build quality ?

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**Andrew86** · 2nd December 2015, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by MrLandy

$50K for a Defender has always been surprisingly low IMO. But I think 80K is too high. He might get $60K.

RRP is around $60k OTR with those options, so I don't think he'd have any trouble at all selling it for that. The question is how much more than that people are willing to pay, given there are few, if any, left.

**Andrew86** · 2nd December 2015, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Too low for a vehicle with manual windows , no airbags , no auto option , crap ergonomics and crap build quality ?

It has electric front windows, thank you very much. With respect to your other points:

- Only the person you hit is going to need airbags,
- Manual is more fun and better off road,
- I love the driving position,
- Build quality remains to be seen.

It is a fairly basic vehicle, but it's fit for purpose.

**loanrangie** · 2nd December 2015, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew86

It has electric front windows, thank you very much. With respect to your other points:

- Only the person you hit is going to need airbags,
- Manual is more fun and better off road,
- I love the driving position,
- Build quality remains to be seen.

It is a fairly basic vehicle, but it's fit for purpose.

True just not fit for the price, dont get me wrong i love the defendet but for the price and what you dont get, is not value for money in 2015.
Auto eill trump a manual 90% of the time and make daily driving a pleasure not a chore.

**Andrew86** · 2nd December 2015, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Auto eill trump a manual 90% of the time and make daily driving a pleasure not a chore.

The value question will always depend on the individual. I think $60k on a Defender is far better value than $60k on a Hilux SR5 because I'd rather drive something special than something with a lot of driver assists.

The same applies for auto transmissions, it's a preference thing rather than one being superior to the other. I love driving and I love being involved in the process so a manual will always appeal to me in any situation. I drive a manual to and from work every day and have no complaints.

Automatic transmissions have also become incredibly complicated and when they break, they cost a mint to fix. The S-tronic gearbox in my father's Audi cost $52,000 in parts and labor to fix when the mechatronic unit failed last year. Fortunately the extended warranty insurer covered those costs, but what about after that?

Not for me, thanks.

**EastFreo** · 2nd December 2015, 08:32 PM

Something must be wrong with me. I actually enjoy the gear change on my Defender.

**ozscott** · 2nd December 2015, 09:57 PM

Andrew86 can you just confirm that figure for the Audi box ?

Cheers

**Col 110** · 2nd December 2015, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by EastFreo

Something must be wrong with me. I actually enjoy the gear change on my Defender.

I have said this a few times - maybe we are both nuts - but I love driving the 110 Defender - just taking it down the shops is a good excuse for a drive.

The gear changes are fine now. It started out tough and took some time to get used to it - but now I find it quite easy to drive. I am only at 3000km and it already feels better than the day I brought it home.

**Andrew86** · 3rd December 2015, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by ozscott

Andrew86 can you just confirm that figure for the Audi box ?

Cheers

Yep. Over $50k was the total repair cost sent to the insurer and the car was off the road for 2 months. The mechatronic unit was diagnosed as the issue initially, but other components were later found seized in the box that required a full rebuild to be undertaken.

That rebuild required a special custom designed crate to be shipped over from the Eastern States for the box to go in to be safely sent to Melbourne for the work to be done. During the rebuild, it was then discovered that the replacement mechatronic that was installed previously was actually faulty too.

Then when everything was sent back and put back in the car (some time later) and ANOTHER mechatronic unit installed, the issue wasn't fixed.

In the end, a totally new gearbox was the answer (a $20k part), and it's a 10 hour job every time they had to remove the gearbox or reinstall it.

Oh and then the new gearbox, when that finally arrived, was slightly different to the old one and needed an array of other parts to fit properly.

To be fair, if the gearbox was replaced to begin with the bill would have been half what it was (only $30k or so). But these things are so complicated that the process of diagnosing problems can take literally months.

It's a BRILLIANT car, and it now runs beautifully, but for how long? Give me a stick and a third pedal any day of the week. It's more fun anyway.

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