Thread: What does your better half think of Defenders?

My gf wont drive the freelander as it needs encouragement to get to speed and "handles poorly". Yet loves the idea of a defender?!?

Even more so, she encourages the idea i have of building a 1uz powered ute! And wants to help!

Cheers!

My other half loves our tdi 110 and drives it every day. Most surprising is that my in laws just bought the new puma defender and she had a decent drive in it. The verdict was ....yes its quiet and has no rattles ....but she does not like it as it does not have the proper defender vents, visability is not as good cause of the new dash so she feels claustrophobic in it and the seats arn't as comfortable as the old one. She is happy to stay with our Tdi

I did overhear her trying to convince her mother that she has to wave to other defenders otherwise they will be talking about her on the AULRO

My wife actually picked ours. We were looking at the Fender and 2 D2s at the time. She loves the real 4x4 look of the Fender and has no dramas driving it, but would love one in an auto. It of course was a compromise for the room. The D2 auto would have been a far more sane choice with its comfort level. But hey we have got it and will have it for some time. The kids love it as well.
The seating position in the rear is great for kids, not so good for adults. The seating position has actually eliminated my boys motion sickness as he can see easily. He would get motion sick in the RR Classic and the Commodore. Having said that he does not often get motion sick in the Statesman, which has a bit to do with all the extra room I think.

She loves it, but would have prefered a 110SW...

Originally Posted by LoveMyV8County

Am I the only one on this forum whose wife does NOT like the Landy? "The clutch is too heavy", "it is too noisy and slow", and the aircon in the footwell is not only intrusive on leg room but prevents the passenger window from being wound up and down.

She is not interested in going on any 4WD track unless the destination is worth the ordeal.

Kids love it to pieces though, as do their friends.

No your not an orphan, my wifey dislikes the fender as well, will not drive it, prefered the toymota troopy. But thats fine with me, now only have to chuck the swag in the back when camping and theres always plenty of room in the engel for food and beer

She will ride in it reluctantly, (might be all the rubbish inside, and unwashed outside) but does not like driving it. In the three years I have owned it, she has driven it twice. Once to just park across the road. On this occasion, she complained she couldn't get it into 2nd gear. She claimed it was broken, and left it in gear to show me how it wouldn't go into 2nd. When I got in, and started it up, I found the car was in 5th, and wouldn't go into Reverse from there. Only a Diesel would start from a stop in 5th, and do a U turn in the street. She just likes to put the car in D, and go. My son, and his mates love the Defender, and complain when I pick them up from school, in the BMW X5. Where is the cool car??

Cheers,
Ken

Originally Posted by Mudnut

She will ride in it reluctantly, (might be all the rubbish inside, and unwashed outside) but does not like driving it. In the three years I have owned it, she has driven it twice. Once to just park across the road. On this occasion, she complained she couldn't get it into 2nd gear. She claimed it was broken, and left it in gear to show me how it wouldn't go into 2nd. When I got in, and started it up, I found the car was in 5th, and wouldn't go into Reverse from there. Only a Diesel would start from a stop in 5th, and do a U turn in the street. She just likes to put the car in D, and go. My son, and his mates love the Defender, and complain when I pick them up from school, in the BMW X5. Where is the cool car??

Cheers,
Ken

I'm not so sure. It might be a generic Land Rover feature.

I was once given a lift by an old farmer in a 4 cyl petrol Series II.

His technique for changing down to second was to wait until the engine was almost stalling in third and then slowly move the gear lever back, across and back into second.

That seemed to work OK for him.

Then on one occasion as the engine was close to idle speed in third, he moved the gear lever back into neutral and back again without going across the gate.

I swear I could count the number of times the pistons went up and down while he gradually picked up speed in fourth, then changed into third, picked up a bit more speed and changed up into fourth.

There was never any indication from the Land Rover that it considered there was anything inappropriate about his technique.

Still, I have to admit that was only fourth gear. Your better half managed it in fifth.

Well, my parents hate it. My sister hates it. My sisters friends hate it.

I love it. My friends love it. And the girly girls in the back never seem to mind either

Now, if theres any other vehicle that stops you having to give your family rides around, but encourages your friends to spend time with you, I'll....still keep my deepender