Looking at a Defender 90

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Originally Posted by Daz7

Typical carsales tossers.

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That's why I went all the way to Tamworth to buy mine. They understood Defenders up there.

Cheers,
Jon

Once you've gotten used to the unique driving position you'll never go back to any other car. Happened to me 25 years ago and I've never looked back...

I had the same experience back in 2010 when buying my current 90. Fair to say it was the first batch of 90's to be imported in 10 odd years, but the sales people at the first dealer thought I was off my head to even contemplate one.

The second dealer had a sales lady that admitted she knew nothing about them, but her courtesy and professionalism made the sale regardless.

Sales people work on commission, so a Defender sale doesn't really rank up there with a D4 or RR...

Cheers,

Lou

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Originally Posted by Loubrey

Sales people work on commission, so a Defender sale doesn't really rank up there with a D4 or RR...

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Hi Lou,

I completely understand the commission situation, but to just blindly bag out the vehicle demonstrates more to me about the salesperson than the vehicle. Hence, no sale.

I would look very positively on a sales person like the lady you described, who was up front about a lower level of knowledge specific to the vehicle.

I would rather get a reputation as a salesperson who listens to a customers needs and bends over backwards to accommodate them in a product sold by my employers, than an arrogant, ignorant tosser who basically demonstrates he thinks the customer is a fool and proceeds to ignore everything they have been talking about.

I'm sure commission on a $50,000 sale would beat the commission on a zero sale and bad word of mouth.

However, rant over, I (like you) absolutely love the Defender driving position and look for any excuse to leap in behind the wheel :D

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Originally Posted by Daz7

... Say with a 13-1400kg loaded camper on the back would it cruise at 100 and not become a mobile chicane on hills?

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I tow my AussieSwag Ultra D camper with my MY12 90 with absolutely no problems. Holds road speed easily on gentle hills and drop back to 5th for steeper stuff. I have surprised a number of landcruisers by overtaking them when we were both towing uphill.

Both the Puma 2.2 Tdci 90 and 110 have the same engine/gearbox. The 90 is a bit lighter so I have found it to be a bit 'nippier' than my 110. But virtually nothing in it.

I tow my loaded 1000 kg camper trailer easily with my 90. First gear is great for starting when towing... no antics with slipping clutches needed! The engine 'anti-stall' feature is brilliant! 6th gear is super on the highway... into 5th up steeper inclines but keeps speed no worries. Bags of torque.

Land cruisers indeed look!!! :>)

I've towed our camper with both our 110 and 90 without any dramas. The 110 is lightly more comfortable with the extra wheel base but they both do it with ease and generally maintain speed up most hills if I change down at the right time.

Either way the Defender is a much better tow vehicle than our old Dmax. I got the gear changes wrong heading from Geraldton to Northampton wrong when we first got that and got overtaken by a Cockburn Cement triple road train going up one of those hills in the area. :eek2: