Thread: Not good news

"...Get a few mates,one each in a showroom stock hilux,cruiser and 200 series and I'll get my Defender and we'll drive the outback tracks and see which one is built for purpose...

Why not add Pajero and Patrol,?- all of same vintage and engine/fuel.

Have them driven by equally competant and sensible owners...and over difficult but semi-sane tracks, - make the comparison long enough to cause at least one vehicle-blamed failure in each...

Anyway, getting back home is, IMHO, part of The Purpose... Unlike a new D4 from around here... went away on 4 trips, came back 3x on a Flat Top. Now traded for a new L/Cruiser simply 'cos it's reliable. (but agrees the D4 was "better" driving)

A major reason for buying my '95 Range Rover over a '95 Pajero was price. Had to take the (new $95k) RRC as the (new$58K) Paj in similar cosmetic condition/kms was nearly twice the price I paid...

The second-hand market is a very Darwinian enviroment...

Funnily enough, I'd agree with the grizzle about the steering "turning too fast". My Classic, AFAIK, has the same steering ratio as previous, non air-bagged models...with larger diameter steering wheels. It's a valid whinge... my RRC wheel feels too small for the car. Older RRc's I've driven seem nicer.
But agree that Yanks could do with a size-reduction...

I still stand by my comments about 'fit for Purpose'. - Have just done a rough audit on my now-deceased 1990 LPG Mazda 626. Just over 400,000km, (another 150K to 200k left.. sob... .)

One radiator top-tank only replaced. Bottom and core perfect.

One alternator just died around 200k. At least it died, and did'nt melt itself like my RRC one did...

Original -and working perfectly - heater matrix.....

R-12 A/c working ok... air temp at vents was 10 degrees on a HOT day on 'fresh'. - Checked last week before the Tragedy....

On its ORIGINAL dizzy cap and rotor. Rotor is ok, did'nt have to take the cap off to check... the other car did that for me.

Original IGN amplifier and coil.

Spark plug leads were changed ONCE in its life, with genuine MAzda ones.

ONE change of thermostat. - Original housing.

Original disc rotors front, rear drums skimmed once in entire life. On its second set of rear shoes, about 5 sets of front pads.

Power steering started leaking a couple of months ago. - Pump/hose fitting area.

ALL electric switches working 100%, one cabin light dead... and the indicator relay gizmo temporarily died with a dry joint. Fixed. Wiper switches and headlight dipswitch and HVAC fan speed switch all 100%.

Original Starter motor.

Original clutch, despite #2 son's habit of 'riding' it, over the last 12 months.

Upholstery and dash plastic still in good condition, living in the sun for 50% of its life. (commuter car)

No rust anywhere. (it IS a Mazda...)

Does that sound 'Fit for Purpose'. ?

I'll say it again, if LR had gotten Mazda to build/improve the RRC and D1, there would'nt be as many Jap 4WD's on the market by now.

Anyway, if that's an Owner-Satisfaction survey, then it's also as much about the Dealer/Manufacturer back-up as it is about the car.

How I enjoy being a catalyst !

Anyone who knows me would consider a Land Rover to a be POS. However , Grumble has done many thousands of km throughout the Australian bush and never let me down or embarrassed me where vehicles I have been travelling with have......but my history with Grumble in suburbia is deplorable over the last 3-4 yrs. The number of times he's been off the road for various mechanical problems is nothing short of terrible to the point where people I know wonder why I bother to spend the money. Those people tell their friends about my quite unreliable Land Rover. If I filled out a survey on the number of things I've had to repair and/or replace over the last 5 years nobody would move me from the bottom of the list. My wife doesnt understand, she says I keep telling her its the best vehicle and says it owes me more than I could sell it for....which is probably correct.....so the surveys are probably quite correct.