Thread: Defenders on "Car Sales."

Originally Posted by Pickles2

Yeah, it's been on there for a fair while now.
An outrageous price,...or is it?!!.....It only takes one person, who REALLY wants one,....but it won't be me!
Pickles.

Point is though as much as I love my Landy they are not the only form of transport out there or the only 4x4 up to the job. For sheer off road ability the Jeep Wrangler is hard to beat, but it is let down by its load carrying, but many buying a 90 wont worry about this too much and for 95k you could buy two Jeeps. The Toyota 75 series is expensive but it is not 95k and they are not bad 4x4's really then there will be the new Mahindra Scorpo that should be here next year or the year after at the latest. It will likely be 25k ish so you could buy three and still have 20k change. dont laugh they dont look half bad Mahindra Scorpio SUV | New Generation SUV In India
Chris

Originally Posted by cafe latte

the new Mahindra Scorpo that should be here next year or the year after at the latest. It will likely be 25k ish so you could buy three and still have 20k change. dont laugh

That's a bit like saying a Jaguar E-type isn't worth $100k because you could buy 10 Geely MKs for the same money. A true enough statement, but missing the point in my opinion.

The reason I love my Defender so much is because it isn't sensible, or particularly good value, and it's built in England, by hand, from metal, to last more than the length of its warranty. It was designed to be fit for purpose without consideration for pedestrian safety or the morning school run. It's an unapologetic one-fingered salute to everything that's wrong with cars today, and there's inherent value in that.

There is so much disposable junk on the road these days. You could go out and buy the latest and greatest from whatever third world country has the cheapest labor on the day, but a car is the second most valuable asset any of us will own and I don't see the point of knowingly buying rubbish. Unless it was someone else's money paying for it.

I think $95k for that little Heritage is money well spent, but it's money I don't have

Originally Posted by cafe latte

Point is though as much as I love my Landy they are not the only form of transport out there or the only 4x4 up to the job. For sheer off road ability the Jeep Wrangler is hard to beat, but it is let down by its load carrying, but many buying a 90 wont worry about this too much and for 95k you could buy two Jeeps. The Toyota 75 series is expensive but it is not 95k and they are not bad 4x4's really then there will be the new Mahindra Scorpo that should be here next year or the year after at the latest. It will likely be 25k ish so you could buy three and still have 20k change. dont laugh they dont look half bad Mahindra Scorpio SUV | New Generation SUV In India
Chris

Chortle......


They look much like anything else on the market. Yet another one to choose from.

Oh, note the side mounted rear seats.

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Chortle......


They look much like anything else on the market. Yet another one to choose from.

Oh, note the side mounted rear seats.

They wont be coming to Aus with those seats, it is the one thing stopping them now. Look, I am here on this forum because I own and love my new Defender, but I have now driven a Mahindra and the driving experience is not that much different to the Defender. Actually overall it has a huge amount in common with it. The new one I linked the the silly rear seats has a proper ladder chassis and diff lock so it is far from a run of the mill soft roader. No I wont ever sell my Defender, but I do also believe they are far from flawless either. No matter how true it is that they are so so wrong they are right and hand built etc etc the really is other stuff out there that will do the job and very well too. Also being hand built is probably to blame for the issues some of us have with output shafts failing and such like hand built has its negatives too..
Chris

Originally Posted by Andrew86

That's a bit like saying a Jaguar E-type isn't worth $100k because you could buy 10 Geely MKs for the same money. A true enough statement, but missing the point in my opinion.

The reason I love my Defender so much is because it isn't sensible, or particularly good value, and it's built in England, by hand, from metal, to last more than the length of its warranty. It was designed to be fit for purpose without consideration for pedestrian safety or the morning school run. It's an unapologetic one-fingered salute to everything that's wrong with cars today, and there's inherent value in that.

There is so much disposable junk on the road these days. You could go out and buy the latest and greatest from whatever third world country has the cheapest labor on the day, but a car is the second most valuable asset any of us will own and I don't see the point of knowingly buying rubbish. Unless it was someone else's money paying for it.

I think $95k for that little Heritage is money well spent, but it's money I don't have

A Defender is not an E type, far from it, I have driven a couple of E types in my time, actually I thought they looked ok, but the drove horrible, fast but scary handling. A Defender is what it is, a commercial type 4x4 with few creature comforts, simple and effective why we all bought them.. Other cars though will do the same thing very well for far less than 95k. The Mahindra was a bit tongue in cheek, I expected a response, but the fact is they are good 4x4's and very reparable too with a growing accessory market too and very cheap indeed. All the reviews of them say they are tough as nails, very competent off road, but lacking in Toyota et al comforts.. Sounds familiar from Defender reviews I have read..
The Defender is an icon, I love mine, but I would never have spent 95k if that was the price and if I had the missus would have me committed.
Chris

Originally Posted by cafe latte

A Defender is not an E type, far from it, I have driven a couple of E types in my time, actually I thought they looked ok, but the drove horrible, fast but scary handling. A Defender is what it is, a commercial type 4x4 with few creature comforts, simple and effective why we all bought them..

Of course it isn't an E Type, but the Defender is an emotional purchase in the same sense. That's why the community is so strong and everyone waves at each other, because only people who love Defenders buy Defenders. Which is good; it keeps the riff raff out

Looking at a Defender objectively, it's hard to see why anyone would buy one today and it's easy to see why production ceased. They're slow, noisy, relatively uncomfortable and lack even the most basic modern features, but people still bought them for reasons that won't make a lot of sense to a Prado owner.

Those emotional, subjective elements are the reason they hold their value so well. There's a premium attached to the perceived value of a Defender that accounts for things that can't be quantified in rational terms.

Similarly, a new Ford Focus is faster than an E-Type, handles corners with more confidence, has a huge array of modern creature comforts and costs 90% less. None of those Jag owners are going to care though, or feel any less proud of their cars.

The great thing with Defenders is that they're just as iconic and emotive as many classic cars, with the added benefit of a new car warranty and far less risk.

It only takes one fanatic with deep pockets for that $95k Heritage to sell. I'm sure someone out there will buy it if the seller is patient enough.

Originally Posted by Andrew86

Looking at a Defender objectively, it's hard to see why anyone would buy one today and it's easy to see why production ceased. They're slow, noisy, relatively uncomfortable and lack even the most basic modern features, but people still bought them for reasons that won't make a lot of sense to a Prado owner.

My 2014 Defender is neither slow, noisy or uncomfortable. It has all basic modern features I require including great sound system, aircon, heating, robust interior. On the contrary, I find the Prado (and 200 series and all dual cab ute clones) to be cumbersome, uncomfortable, ugly and lacking in many features of a Defender, including but not limited to: robustness, command driving position, poise on and off road, aluminium body, HD chassis, low centre of gravity, manouverability, hose-out ability, very comfortable supportive seats / upright seating position, load carrying ability, flat sided practical box shape, design character and price.

Originally Posted by Andrew86

Of course it isn't an E Type, but the Defender is an emotional purchase in the same sense. That's why the community is so strong and everyone waves at each other, because only people who love Defenders buy Defenders. Which is good; it keeps the riff raff out

Looking at a Defender objectively, it's hard to see why anyone would buy one today and it's easy to see why production ceased. They're slow, noisy, relatively uncomfortable and lack even the most basic modern features, but people still bought them for reasons that won't make a lot of sense to a Prado owner.

Those emotional, subjective elements are the reason they hold their value so well. There's a premium attached to the perceived value of a Defender that accounts for things that can't be quantified in rational terms.

Similarly, a new Ford Focus is faster than an E-Type, handles corners with more confidence, has a huge array of modern creature comforts and costs 90% less. None of those Jag owners are going to care though, or feel any less proud of their cars.

The great thing with Defenders is that they're just as iconic and emotive as many classic cars, with the added benefit of a new car warranty and far less risk.

It only takes one fanatic with deep pockets for that $95k Heritage to sell. I'm sure someone out there will buy it if the seller is patient enough.

I actually think the Defender is the most comfortable car I have ever sat in the upright seating position is good for hours and hours, but normal cars and other 4x4's get very uncomfortable really quickly. The Mahindra though has a seating position exactly the same and similar simplicity which is why I am buying one for the farm.
Also I can put more kays on the cheap Mahindra and less on my beloved Defender
Chris