Thread: New Member - Don't know anything about Defenders - Questions

Originally Posted by Homestar

I still think everything that's been spoken about is all moot until you go drive them both. Defenders aren't everyone's cup of tea - you might find you hate it after driving around the block.

What he (and others) said... full stop. Drive one before you talk about it any more. There do exist people who just cannot feel at home in a Defender. The ergonomics of having a shoulder always against the B pillar, cramping right arm movement when steering, such a very upright seating position etc.

Some love it. Some hate it.

Storytime: Prior to buying this Defender:
flood1.jpg,

I had pretty much only owned toyota 4x4s like this:
Playground1890.jpg

and for one sweet job I had a while back down the Antarctic I got to drive gov't owned ones like this:
image.jpg.

(I hope the observation, they are all dual cabs, hasn't escaped anyone....)

Day comes (back in 2013) and I am looking for another 4x4, want to buy brand new again. I want a platform that will allow me to expose my then 5yo son to family camping experiences and adventures in the remaining jungles of Malaysia.

However - I struggle to get my head around what the good old dual cab has morphed into over the years since I last bought one new.

For the life of me I cannot bring myself to buy into what amounts to automotive "white goods" and then have to embark on a pretty major upgrade project to get it to ready to go further offroad than the mall carpark. (Hiluxes came with 29" 2ply HT tyres in 2013 - for goodness sake!). Even wife shook her head when we test drove the (then) new Hilux - "Its a handbag, you'd be putting your balls in a handbag driving this."

Wife suggests "What about a Defender?". (The neighbour across the road had a 90 and wife thought they look real nice!)

LAUGH! Ohhhh didn't I - LAUGH! C'mon now.... be real! As our conversation continued I offered her a challenge - I challenged her with my assertion that if we booked a test drive of a (then) new Defender, she would not get past clipping up her seatbelt before throwing in the towel. (Must confess I had never driven one myself - but years of campfire wisdom shared by other toyota owners has to count for something!).

Well she drove it and liked it. I felt I had to have a go too. Drove it and liked it. A lot. Could basically drive it from showroom to jungle. Have changed some bits since then. Going from stock 32" to 33" tyres was just a matter of changing the rubber bit from 235/85R16 to 255/85R16. Put torque biassing diffs front and rear, and added a tune. No body or suspension lifts/changes needed for what I want to do with it.

To the OP: I offer you the same challenge I offered my wife 5yrs ago - go drive a Defender, you won't make it past clipping up the seatbelt before bailing out!

Originally Posted by G.man

What The ho har said.

I am going a Defender = short answer.

EXCELLENT,.....TBH I really thought you were going the Jeep route.
Always happy to admit when I'm wrong,....I'm glad I was!!
You'll LOVE Defender, maybe it'll take you a while to get used to its "ünusualities", but there's really nothing like 'ém, not that I'm an expert though, but there are many on here who know ém inside out, so whatever info you need, it'll be available here.
Pics are mandatory.
Good Luck, Pickles.