Defender 90 Extreme (SWB)

[Knight]

Hey All,

Does anyone currently own one of the new Defender 90's (the SWB model)?

I am looking at possibly buying one in the next month or so......BUT before i do this, i wanted to get some feedback! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

(Now, i love the Disco as it can off road very well.....Well the way i push it, it can!! :twisted: )

But I wanted to hear from anyone that has bought one recently

I have had some 'internal insight' from a friend who is 'in the know' at L/R and i am assured that any 'niggles' in previous Defender models have be dealt with.....I really want to hear it from an owner as opposed to the powers that be at L/R. (as was with the Freelander, i was told all the 'niggles' in that model had been dealt with..... and that info was :oops: WRONG!!!)


So, any feedback would really help me make my decision.

Thanking all in advance for their help! :wink:

Knight

[Phoenix]

I can't recall any owners here yet, although a couple are contemplating buying one like yourself, the best you will get is the guys wh are driving 2001+ Defender 110s.

[snailbait]

We have in our club lroc 2 90 Defenders they are sparten in side They are like the early short wheel base land rover with out the harsh ride they seat only 2 people and with a verry good TD 5 turbo engine it all depens on what you want to do with the vehicle it does not come in auto it is verry economicle read the brochure. it is not like a rav 4 it is better than it and has low range etc

[rmp]

Knight,

4WD Monthly has reviewed the Defender 110 and 90 over the last few issues. The 110 was in 4WD Of the Year, the 90 was reviewed independently and again in #62 against the Jimny and the Wrangler.

I'll summarise the reviews for you:

- great offroad
- good interior space
- poor ergonomics

Worth a read. Another mag did a review but it didn't say much.

However, I think the people on the forum are of more use.

I can't believe there will be any mechanical difference between the 90 and 110, so I reckon opinions of 110 owners count for a lot.

The D90 is a two-seater only, but who'd seriously put four people in the Wrangler or Jimny and go offroad anyway.

[Expat]

Hi Chaps...

Picked up our new D90 Extreme just over a month ago , and here is my first impressions..
If you are over six foot plus tall it might seem a tad on the un-comfortable side in the compartment and a tad cramped.
Dashboard is well laid out and still (thank god) simple , and the centre stowaway doubles up as a handy arm rest.

Everything very nicely finished and not as far as my eye can pick up any quality control issues here , even the added bonus of a CD player , well I never!.

As for driving , in one word 'Joy' , believe me when I say that you will have a grin from one ear to the other each time you get out.
The drive is smooth and power pick up is second to none (thanks to the turbo) , fuel economy is steadily improving as more Km's are put on the clock ,engine noise is still there....but what would it be like without it!!!.

Offroad is also an fantastic experience , the D90 will handle anything you are prepared to throw at it with ease , I would post some pics on here in the gallery but doesnt seem to want to load here style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif

In a word I couldnt recc this highly enough ,I would def suggest taking one for a test drive and try and come away without a 'fuzzy feeling' inside.

oooh...one more problem you will have with the D90 is that you will be forever having fights with your other half on who's driving!.

[Phoenix]

Sounds like someone loves their D90 (I didn't even know that we had someone here that drove a D90)

If you like you can e-mail me the pics and I can put them up.

my e-mail is greeny@vision.net.au

[Expat]

Ok.....

Managed now to post some pics in the gallery!!!...

They are on Page 5 if you fancy a look.


Cheers

Glenn

[Phoenix]

I just had a look at them then. Very nice D90, if only I could afford one :cry:

I'll just have to manage with Grover for now style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[Expat]

Phoenix.....

Funnily enough I thought that I couldnt afford one as well......then I had a test drive of one.....and the rest is history..... :roll:

Funny how you find the cash for it...must be something they stick in the drivers seat that impregnates the skin whilst your on your test drive.

Going back to your earlier post , I too havent seen one D90 as yet , havent got any idea how many LR are getting rid of over here but reckon it cant be that many.
At the LR 4wd day a few weeks back it was just us in the D90 the rest were Disco's and RR's , still I reckon if LR wanted to shift a few more of the SWB's they could do no harm in taking a few up there and letting people test drive them...we had quite a few converts on the day.

Cheers

Glenn

[Phoenix]

I think that it is just a landrover thing, when you get in one, you just want to buy it.

If I could convince the missus to get one it would be ok, but she has already said that it has to be pink. I guess that I had better check the land Rover colour charts 8) , after all, the one that the dealer down here had was canary yellow 8O

Welcome to AULRO. And I gotta say, i love your D-90. Me, i'll probably wind up with a 110 at some point :twisted:

[Knight]

Well,

My questions seem to be answered!

Thankyou Expat!! 8)

I know alot about the whole LR range (remember i have an 'insider' advantage) Suffice to say that the 90 has only been in this country for 2-3 months now and i wanted to really make sure that there were no...how would you say....'LR factory issues' that cam with it when you bought it..like other LR models. So, thanks again expat!

Now as for other info you guys might want:
They will not be being released in the 'metalic grey' colour (it was withdrawn from the production line..at the last minute?) and yep that CD player was a last minute additive!!
(they finally thought, that we here in OZ would like one = CORRECT!)

Good to hear it IS a problomatic FREE beast! (yep, i do say BEAST!)

RMP - matched against the Jimmny????(PLEASE!!) I have got all those mag issues and i thankyou for that and I agree with you this forum HAS helped as what i really needed (and got) was a 1st hand HONEST answer! (unlike the mags and LR themselves)

So, that's it for me folks....got a tiny bit more $$ to save and in less than 2 months....I shall own one also! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

CANT WAIT! :twisted:

and i love the fact that its a 2 seater only! ( one of my other cars is a Suzuki Sierra....and i love thrashing that one around and i have had my 2 bakseats in storage now for 2 years, i agree, id never put anyone in the backseats...not the way i drive!)

OK, enough cr*pping on form me...

Gotta go for now....

Chat to you all soon.

Knight! :wink:

[rmp]

Originally posted by Knight
Well,

RMP - matched against the Jimmny????(PLEASE!!) I have got all those mag issues and i thankyou for that and I agree with you this forum HAS helped as what i really needed (and got) was a 1st hand HONEST answer! (unlike the mags and LR themselves)




Why not against the Jimny? They're both serious SWB 4WDs, albeit very different. I bet a lot of D90 buyers would be looking at the Jimny and the Wrangler.

BTW that D90 in Chatswood's LR dealership appears not to have moved!

Cheers

--
Robert

[Timmo]

Give me time Robert....is it a black one......??

[rmp]

Originally posted by Timmo
Give me time Robert....is it a black one......??

Burgundy, I think. Dark, anyway. It's on the Pacific Highway in Chatswood, at the Volvo/Landie dealership, Alto I think it's called.

Does it matter what colour it is, it should be covered in mud shortly after you buy it anyway!

[Knight]

RMP,

The reason I wrote : Jimny PLEASE!! is that i have been off road with 2 recently, and they both 'bottomed out' on a small hill. One driver gave up when he dented his 'undercarrige' Even my old Suzuki Sierra (no mods either) could do/ cleared ALOT more than the Jimny could! - I had to tow one out of trouble as it got stuck and could not get out! (and we all have the same Off Road tyres too) :roll:
(in my opinion **MY opinion only** i don't think they can do as much as other swbased 4x4's) again, that's my opinion only! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

I can understand the comparison with the Wrangler, the one i saw on the same weekend could do alot more, not the Jimny! ...it just could'nt hack it!, not though the lack of the owner trying too (dent in his undercarrige as a result) style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif

The D90 at Alto Land Rover in chatswood, is their 'demo model' (hence they will sell that model as a last resort - if there is a delay in delivering a brand new one to a customer etc) I had a friend buy one from them and he wanted the one they had on their lot (the Burgandy one) and that was the answer he got. Which worked out well in a way, cause he ended up getting a black one (he really wanted black too) style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

Anways, that was my 2 cents worth. :wink:

Knight

[one_iota]

They fly!

http://www.safarigard.com//D-90/Brendon.mpg

[Knight]

one_iota

That short video....is FANTASTIC!!!! :twisted:
(promise I'll try and get that kinda 'AIR' when i finally get my one) - better save some extra $$ for repairs i think :wink: jokes.....

Though, i have gotten my (2nd car) Suzuki off the ground, yet not that high!!(yet??) :wink:

again, great Vid, will pass that one onto my firend that just bought one....telling him..The challenge is on!

Knight

[Expat]

hehehehehe.....
Mad video that......made a note to myself not to show the other half that one , she will be all up for it.....

[Phoenix]

8O 8O 8O Awsome video, I don't think that i'll be trying it though :wink: