Thread: Defender vs 80 series reliability

Originally Posted by DAMINK

Most of the farmers around here drive Toyotas. As a guess 90%.
And most i assume buy them because they are the best fit for there needs.
That alone tells me which is the better buy and more reliable as farmers are not silly.

I currently sit on a farm 200ks north of Adelaide in a close farming community of loyal Toyota fans who vehemently defend the brand.
Within very few km radius of here there are 5 or so Hiluxes that have all gone bang with cracked pistons.
A few long faces as the Toyota illusion has been shattered and the cool aid spilled

Originally Posted by DAMINK

Most of the farmers around here drive Toyotas. As a guess 90%.
And most i assume buy them because they are the best fit for there needs.
That alone tells me which is the better buy and more reliable as farmers are not silly.

If I was a farmer I would buy a Toyota only because I wouldnÂ’t want useless backpackers/lots of different people driving a Land Rover with a different drivetrain and driving style required. At the end of the day you can abuse a Toyota with fast starts, bad gear changes and it would still be ok. A defender is for people who like something interesting to drive, and actually care for their car, if I drove my defender like some people I know drive ToyotaÂ’s/patrols (diesel soot gets the moot) I would definitely start breaking things.

Originally Posted by DAMINK

Most of the farmers around here drive Toyotas. As a guess 90%.
And most i assume buy them because they are the best fit for there needs.
That alone tells me which is the better buy and more reliable as farmers are not silly.

Lots of people smoke and/or do drugs - doesn't mean it's good for you!

One of the things many people overlook, is the different philosophies between the two companies.

LR have always (at least since the late '70s - early '80s) been on the leading edge of technology, in the search for "a better mousetrap". First in the field to put coils under a serious 4WD. Disc brakes front and rear. ABS. Traction control. The list goes on.
The problem with being on the bleeding edge of things, is that sometimes you bleed! Trying new stuff can often lead to an impression of unreliability.
The real measure is how well the maker/dealers handle those issues. LR used to be great at that, then the bean-counters got the top gigs and "customer service" went out the window.

Toyota, on the other hand, are followers, not leaders. They will wait until a technology is proven (by the likes of LR) before they will incorporate it in their vehicles. Let someone else iron the bugs out. Makes for a very bland, but usually reliable, driving experience.

If LR was serious about a true Defender replacement for the "working" market, they should be looking at fitting the existing Deefer with a large, under-stressed diesel engine, solid drive-train built to suit the engine characteristics, and only enough technology to meet the minimum regulations for the market. Do only enough re-styling to meet crash/pedestrian impact needs, and leave it at that! That is pretty close to what Toyota have done with the 70 Series, and it's working for them.

Originally Posted by DAMINK

Most of the farmers around here drive Toyotas. As a guess 90%.
And most i assume buy them because they are the best fit for there needs.
That alone tells me which is the better buy and more reliable as farmers are not silly.

That's probably because there is a local Toyota dealer to service it. Doesn't necessarily mean its a better vehicle.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

That's probably because there is a local Toyota dealer to service it. Doesn't necessarily mean its a better vehicle.

See i think dealerships or lack there of is important when purchasing a vehicle, especially when on the farm.

Just posted in the other Defender vs 80 thread.
Easy decision std vs std the 80 romps in all day every day.
The 80 won’t leak from factory for starters.
While the issues with Defenders can be sorted with aftermarket goodies they should never have been there in the first place.
Ignoring later models and staying with 90’s vehicles, LR should be deeply ashamed of the continued build of vehicles for decades exhibiting the same faults without any attempt to address at the factory.
But they aren’t.

Originally Posted by strangy

Just posted in the other Defender vs 80 thread.
Easy decision std vs std the 80 romps in all day every day.
The 80 won’t leak from factory for starters.
While the issues with Defenders can be sorted with aftermarket goodies they should never have been there in the first place.
Ignoring later models and staying with 90’s vehicles, LR should be deeply ashamed of the continued build of vehicles for decades exhibiting the same faults without any attempt to address at the factory.
But they aren’t.

And unfortunately,the last run of Defenders from '07,were extremely problematic,it seemed as though the manufacturer couldn't care less about them.
That sort of thing definitely doesn't help the brands reputation.

Originally Posted by G.man

Just curious how is initial cost even a consideration in favour of a Defender?

Last 80 series i seen, just under 300,000 km, 1 owner vehicle, full service history, TD multivalve, only ever used to tow a boat through sydney and guy was after $20,000.

Defenders are like $40,000

$23k
https://www.carsales.com.au/private/...Type=Spotlight

Under 200k kms and $22.5K
https://www.carsales.com.au/private/...Type=Spotlight

There's 18 in total under 320k kms and for less than $25K. I was talking about D3's being half the price, not Defenders.