can anyone tell me

[ade]

why I wouldnt want to replace me always reliable ever faithful 95 300tdi discovery with a 2012 defender 110 SW?
been looking at them lately. other than no electric rear passenger windows or electric mirrors?
more room, probably more capable than the discovery, pro's and con's please.
thanks

[goingbush]

Lots of reasons why you should not buy a New Defender,

But then theres this

stolen from a post somwhere else on AULRO

Overall: This car is cool....very cool. Cool people step out of defenders; farmers,soldiers,firefighters,aid workers, explorers, royalty, mountain rescuers, special forces. It's not a car for men who are so highly preened and plucked they look like women. It's not a car for men who have a need to be looked at or feel the need to have a highly tuned 'chick magnet' with a 'woofer' box the size of a small country in the boot to prove they are a man. Metro sexual males will wince at the thought of climbing into a Defender in case they dirty their Armani jeans.
The man who drives a Defender is a down to earth, practical, modest all round bloody good egg that has a million cool stories about his life. He has no need for a 'big fast red' accessory to feel like he's made it in the world. When Landcruiser drivers criticise Defenders, Defender drivers just smile wryly. If someone criticises a Toyota you can bet you will receive an hour long lecture on why Toyotas are so good. Good maybe....but definitely not cool. One could say almost like any type of whitegoods....useful, practical but definitely not cool.
So there you go, if you are considering buying a Defender you will be part of a unique group of individuals, how many times have you driven a Toyota and had other Toyota drivers give you a wave when passing? Drive a Defender and you automatically enter into a unique band of people.

[newhue]

well copied goingbush.

Have to say Defer drivers are different to most people I have met. Most, and I say most because I have not met the tosser yet, but there has to be one somewhere. All in all the ones I have met are good value people, bit odd some of them, but still good.
It seems odd that water will land on your foot in a new Defender, and though not great, it's not the end of the world either. I think you have to be a bit like that to accept a Defender.

Don't get hung up on the supposed unreliability of a Puma, there a hand made modern car built to a budget, with modern work ethic. Somethings will fail, or perhaps several things will fail, but overall they are a worthy purchase. Remember all manufacturers have product failure, but LR accept it as part of their day, where from what I hear others don't. You may just find a new Defender has very little wrong with it as well.

[tonic]

Not really sure what to advise except that from a personal point of view I like the older models.

I finally purchased a 98 300tdi 110 station wagon about three months ago after a 2 year hunt. Rust is a killer in the doors, people dont seem to want to clean out the drain holes to let them do there job, so they get rust. The one I bought still had rust and cost $1600 to have taken out. Still better then around $1200 per door to replace from oz suppliers, you can do better.

The reason for my purchase of an older one. I believe I can spend up big and get a very capable 4x4 with litle to no electrical/computer stuff (easy to fix on the run) and still not come near the cost of new one.

I'm talking, maxi drives, 2" lift, heavy duty or improved suspension, uprated intercooler/rad from UK, engine rebuild, whinch, navigation, heavy duty clutch, spots, water tank, extra fuel tank, compressor, uhf, wheels tyres.

I would like a new one for the wife as a town car, but personally would not take a car with computers/electronics across oz, which is our plan.

For a couple of examples, my wifes RAV accelorator sensor went, $450 second hand 2 day wait, or new $750 and 3 week wait. Work mates Nissan GU Patrol, exactley the same thing with similar results. Ok, so you get a limp mode to get you home, but try that on a sand hill.

Hope my opinion helps in some way.

Tony

[Allan]

Just go for it, they make the rest look like large land anchors:twisted:.

Allan

[WhiteD3]

why I wouldnt want to replace me always reliable ever faithful 95 300tdi discovery with a 2012 defender 110 SW

I can.................buy a D4. Another (say) 14k will get you a bottom of the range 2.7 D4. Reliability, comfort, capability, economy. A Defender is what....60k? IMHO I think you'll retain the additional cost in 2nd hand value down the track too, compared to the Defender.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

I'm not sure I understand Tonic,,
you go on about reliable old defenders ,,


then you change (you would say upgrade) everything but the grill:confused::confused:


as for electronics in cars,,,
how are those solid tyres going?:p

[ramblingboy42]

I also dunno why you'd want to lift a fender?

[newhue]

I can.................buy a D4. Another (say) 14k will get you a bottom of the range 2.7 D4. Reliability, comfort, capability, economy. A Defender is what....60k? IMHO I think you'll retain the additional cost in 2nd hand value down the track too, compared to the Defender.

I may be speaking out of turn here, but a Disco will never holds it's value like a Defender. A 300TDI can still fetch $16 000. I haven't checked of late but a Disco of the same vintage would maybe fetch $3000.

Don't get me wrong, I'd have a disco 3 or 4 if we could afford it as a second car. The Defender for me makes an OK town car, a great work car, and an awesome get away car.

[Jojo]

Well, if you want to replace your old trusty Disco then you definitely don't want to replace it with a "modern" truck full of electronics. Besides, a Defender without vents below the windscreen and a dash out of a F**d Fiesta has lost its appeal big time. But a second-hand Defender, that would be my choice. Having said that, I finally decided to keep the Disco and buy a Defender, but this option sometimes may need the consent of some other important family member (as in my case;)).:cool:
Cheers

[tonic]

I'm not sure I understand Tonic,,
you go on about reliable old defenders ,,


then you change (you would say upgrade) everything but the grill:confused::confused:


as for electronics in cars,,,
how are those solid tyres going?:p

All personal opions here, I watched a great video of different 4x4's going over our wonderful corigations, a 2" spring lift makes the ride far more comfortable. Having driven my mates 97 130 from new on many shooting trips, I see nothing wrong with the original equipment, and that goes for other parts as well that I intend to change.

The reason for my changes are that the car is comming up to 14 years old and I want to take it round Australia in 4 more when our son is old enough to enjoy it, I have not owned it all it's life so cannot trust the previous maintenance performed. EG: when I bought it half the bushes were flogged and I have since put poly all round

Talking to Alli Sport in the UK, they advise that the standard radiators are on the limit of the minimum amount of coolant the engine requires, having driven inland for work I can tell you this place gets hot. Mine had just had a new head and my mates extremely well maintained 130 has also just had a new head.

My main point was cost and electronics. You can make new an old one for far less than a new one and not have all those fancy electronics to contend with in the midle of say the Simpson Desert.

All personal opinions here:)

[p38arover]

why I wouldnt want to replace me always reliable ever faithful 95 300tdi discovery with a 2012 defender 110 SW?
been looking at them lately. other than no electric rear passenger windows or electric mirrors?
more room, probably more capable than the discovery, pro's and con's please.
thanks

Simply because the Disco is a far better vehicle for everyday use than a Defender. (I've owned a V8 County and a 300Tdi Disco.)

For starters:
Noise (you can talk to passengers without shouting and you can hear the radio)
Practicality
Creature comforts
Rear seat passengers can see out of a Disco
One can get an auto tranny in a Disco.

That loadspace in a Defender looks big but it ain't that practical. Heck, you can get a loaded pallet into the back of a Disco. The rear door on a Defender is quite limiting.

Really, the only thing the Defender has going for it is that iconic look.

[newhue]

I'm not so sure the electronics are the devils work, particularly if they are simple as in a Defender. People are zig zagging the country in far more advanced electronic vehicles daily, and succeed.
People worry about a broken water pumps, shocks, springs, slave cylinders so they carry a spare, why not carry a spare accelerator sensor, ECU, or whatever you feel the most likely to fail. Yes they are expensive, but having a current car is part of the deal and perhaps wreckers can help here.

I recall when turbo's were fitted to cars, how unreliable or suspect they could be. Spinning at 30 000rpm and if it fractures there goes you motor so better stick to normally aspirated. Most people don't think about turbos at all anymore.

I feel water is the only enemy to a PUMA, bonnet high and only if I become stationary I'm a goner. So I'll choose a different path.

[Chucaro]

I used to have a 1998 Tdi300 Disco and for me the big limitation is the cargo area.
A RR Hiline with a Tdi 300 engine will be the best vehicle for me. It have more room behind the seat, it is a fantastic tourer and have class.
Now I have a Defe Tdi300, I love it, the cargo capacity (room and payload) is awesome, if you have young kids you cannot hearing them nagging on the back seat ( mother in-law as well), it is cheap to run and maintain, do not need any suspension mods and finally it is the best in its class :cool:

[ade]

Having said that, I finally decided to keep the Disco and buy a Defender, but this option sometimes may need the consent of some other important family member (as in my case;)).:cool:
Cheers[/QUOTE]

according to the missus, this wouldnt be an option unfortunately

[JohnF]

I think the reason you would buy a new one is that you have too much money and want to give it to a mechanic for the warrenty services, which probably will cost you much more than keeping the old 300TDI going.

And electronics can cost.

Could be wrong, but do not think so.

I will stick to old reliable.

[ade]

I think the reason you would buy a new one is that you have too much money and want to give it to a mechanic for the warrenty services, which probably will cost you much more than keeping the old 300TDI going.

And electronics can cost.

Could be wrong, but do not think so.

I will stick to old reliable.

your right john, I have made my mind to keep old faithful