Why don't people buy more Landrovers

JamesH · 21st December 2013, 06:30 PM

"Land Rovers are typically bought by pretentious, cashed up Corporate types that to be driven around leafy suburbs and used to pick up and drop off the kids and do the shopping and will never so much as see a flat gravel track in their lifetime.

The deserve each other really."

I like this quote too but because it is honest enough to acknowledge the elephant in room where discussion about Landrover versus Nissota is concerned.

In the UK, where they sell a lot of Landrovers the car does gave a heritage part to its brand but it is essentially classless and you're not making a personal statement. That's not true here in Oz. Here, when you drive a LR , as well as choosing a type of car you are also choosing not to drive Toyota or Nissan, cars which are more prominent.

Say what you like about why you made your choice, Landie owners you go into the room of mirrors and you will see someone who refuses to go with the herd, and that has been a part of your choice.

The attitude is what the herd picks up on when they start ranting about Landrover.

I will never ever consider Toyota or Nissan. Don't care how cheap the running costs are supposed to be. Never ever. I'd rather catch the bus.

Guilty as charged.

**samuelclarke** · 21st December 2013, 11:00 PM

Why don't people buy more Land Rovers? I'll share my experience...

I've owned a 200Tdi Defender 110 for 5 years - bought it with 300,000km on the clock and have done another 130,000km since. Overall it's been a great vehicle, despite it being high maintenance by design, with costs around $10,000 over 5 years. I've never been stranded with a breakdown I couldn't fix with basic tools.

At 20 years old my Defender was starting to show its age (beach driving and heavier off road aren't kind to any 4WD) with rust starting to become an issue in the chassis and corrosion in the doors, plus an engine rebuild. The time had come to take the Defender off the road and in 2014 I'm planning on starting a full ground up rebuild with galvanised parts. This Defender will live again.

Let's make this clear - I love Defenders!

We went looking for replacement options...Defender, Amarok, Hilux, 79 Series. Both my wife and I really wanted a new Defender, but we couldn't justify spending $50k+ on a vehicle that still had many of the issues of our 20 year old Defender (hence why we are going down the rebuild route). Looked at the Amarok and mostly liked it...but it overall didn't sell us. 79 Series would've been our choice, but didn't want to spend that much at the moment on a vehicle.

So the Hilux was the only one left on the list (I know what some of you are thinking)...we signed contracts and took delivery in June this year. Six months and 23,000kms on I can honestly say I'm 100% happy with it. Does if have the character of a Defender? Nope! But it does have its own character - problem free reliability. For all the Hilux haters out there...I've had zero issues from delivery to now. Fully loaded with roof top tent and touring gear it laps up everything. I've had such a positive experience with my first Toyota it's left me happy and very impressed...this is coming from someone whose blood runs green.

I wanted to buy a new Defender and would've if they were a viable option for me. As much as I love the Defender, when it came to putting down the money on a new one I couldn't justify it. I honestly hope Land Rover can deliver on the Defender replacement as I'd be first on the list to buy if they do! For now we're Toyota and Land Rover owners...a 2013 Toyota Hilux SR D4D and 1992 Land Rover Defender 200Tdi 110 (once it's back on the road).

**Debacle** · 22nd December 2013, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by newhue

as a young buck we had cruisers and patrols, and the "goat track" over the headland at Moreton Is was aways a will I won't I make it run. We usually didn't make it no matter how hard we flogged our trucks, and with low tyres. Well eventually we did and we'd sit up top all chuffed with ourselves enjoying the view.

sure enough, a beat up grey 109 series 3 with some classic crappy gal steel homemade bar work, stock tyres, and full of fishermen would put put put up and over. They looked at us with a "what's the issue" look upon their face.
It was from then my life changed.
I think for many of us are sold the rest, but eventually BUY the best.

I remember the goat track, wish it was still there. My old S2 with 186 would just climb up in 3rd low nice and slow, never needed a second attempt. Only downside was waiting down the bottom for others to make multiple attempts and rip up the track, but it was better than bouncing along the inland track from Bulwer.

**rangietragic** · 22nd December 2013, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by newhue

as a young buck we had cruisers and patrols, and the "goat track" over the headland at Moreton Is was aways a will I won't I make it run. We usually didn't make it no matter how hard we flogged our trucks, and with low tyres. Well eventually we did and we'd sit up top all chuffed with ourselves enjoying the view.

sure enough, a beat up grey 109 series 3 with some classic crappy gal steel homemade bar work, stock tyres, and full of fishermen would put put put up and over. They looked at us with a "what's the issue" look upon their face.
It was from then my life changed.
I think for many of us are sold the rest, but eventually BUY the best.

Was a similar track on fraser in mid seventies called middle rocks.Once we were sittings in our vw buggies watching the 4wds have run up after run up and not make it.Along came an old soft top shorty landy,bar tread tyres,3 old blokes all wearing overalls and beanies,rods hanging out the back,just chugged up and over no worries

ps,we made it over first go too

**Bushie** · 23rd December 2013, 08:14 AM

Perceptions

At lunch time we reached the junction of the rig road again. The trip across the WAA line had been most enjoyable, we had seen only one group travelling in the opposite direction who had warned us that a couple of the dunes had very steep east faces and would give the landies some problems,

we’re still waiting to get to them, obviously either their perception of steep dunes, vehicle performance, or driver capability varied from ours. The WAA line was fairly smooth with little in the way of corrugations, reflecting the lack of traffic.

Martyn

From my Madigan report in 2008

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