Thread: 2007 Land Rover Defender Revealed! - Photos and Pics.

I think I'll just buy a bonnet off one and fit it to mine, no one will notice the difference.

Dependent on the engine, I love it, especially yhe 7 seat set up, perfect for my situation, I wonder if you could have the retro fitted into a current fender. I think they could well pick up some extra market share with this one as it isnt as utilitarian as previous models, its not as upmarket spec inside as a disco, it sits between the 2 in some respects. From a laymans point of view in terms of fenders, from a professional point of view with a marketing background. Id get one

Regards

Stevo

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Interesting boggo, i've actually heard the reverse!

That doesn't surprise me Phoenix,one bad apple................

At least give us the option of a bigger motor. Toyota are putting a 4.4L V8 twin turbo diesel into the next Troopie with 5 doors and proper seating. I know that power isn't everything but a tiny Transit engine will look pathetic to anyone shopping for that sort of vehicle.

I also like the 6-speed, but why not the auto??

Also hate the bonnet, don't mind the dash and the improved climate control sounds good.

I reckon they have just lost a lot of sales from current Defender owners like myself who were considering an upgrade. And face it, that is their main market.

Softend the look, that engine is it turbo intercooled?, has more torque than the td5 and 300tdi, Hmm 2.4 l though not a big engine.

Sumo

I'd get one if I had the money. I'm only just in the process of upgrading from a 3.5 Stage 1 and the new one has significantly better seating arrangement, dash has come into the new millenium in a great leap (guess that means only small tweaks for next 30 years then?) and torque to die for. OK, so it's squeezed out of a small motor, but all you TD5 owners seem to think you can leave much larger-engined cars in your wake so I don't think that's a big issue. Power is much less of an concern IMHO, esp with the 6 speed box.

Where does it sit in the Aus market? It doesn't. They make much more money out of this market selling the high-tech toys and I really don't think they're interested in the commercial market. I think we're lucky to have the Defenders sold here at all. Just check the NZ LR site and compare with the Oz one - they obviously sell Fenders there. Perhaps time for some reverse migration?

Steve

Originally Posted by Frenchie

At least give us the option of a bigger motor. Toyota are putting a 4.4L V8 twin turbo diesel into the next Troopie with 5 doors and proper seating. I know that power isn't everything but a tiny Transit engine will look pathetic to anyone shopping for that sort of vehicle.

I also like the 6-speed, but why not the auto??

Also hate the bonnet, don't mind the dash and the improved climate control sounds good.

I reckon they have just lost a lot of sales from current Defender owners like myself who were considering an upgrade. And face it, that is their main market.

That's exactly what I was talking about above in regards to Toyota!

LR make me wonder at times. They are on a winner with the D3 and RRS and they go and do something like that with the defender.

Wonder what the price will be, I better not get started on that I won't be able to stop

Originally Posted by boggo

Talk to any courier that owns a transit diesel,and they will tell you to run a mile,not very reliable at all,I'm told.I agree with Tusker,a stop gap maybe?Bring on a volvo engine I say

BACKBONE OF BRITAIN, OR IS IT?

A review by 01709andy14 on Ford Transit
December 4th, 2005


The new ford transit 2.4 duratorq they say is the backbone of britian, or is it? As an independant motor vehicle repairer looking after a fleet of 250 transits I see more of the good and bad points of the van than most, even seeing the after sales from the customers side and not just what Ford say.

Now the the good bits.
The new transit comes in a multitude of guises with different engine sizes, lengths, roof heights and front or rear wheel drive.This one is the 2.4 long wheel base, semi high roof, rear wheel drive.{try saying that after 4 pints}.The load space is 3399 mm long , can cope with upto 1600kg , will take 4 euro pallets or 8x4 boards........................................OH god i'm fed up with this specification tripe, whats it like ?

The van itself is a far better van than the old 2.5di bone shaker that we all know. The driving position is excellent and you would be forgiven for thinking you were driving a car. If your van is empty and there is a rain cloud on the horizon then be warned they can be a bit tail happy as the 2.4 turbo engine produces a fair amount of power. The van has quite a few good points which I won't go into. Your local ford dealer will tell you this as he is planning his next holiday on your money. The best bits are the fact that when you load the van it seems just as quick as it is when its empty, and also that 100,000 mile or 3 year warranty.

And now here we go with the bad bits.

RELIABILITY!! Working on these vans day in day out I have seen some pretty poor what can only be described as build quality.
ie: engine failure at 1500 miles
turbo failure at 200 miles
5 vans from a batch of 10 requiring new diesel pumps in the first 3 months . Thats just a few from the top of my head.
All this from the backbone of britian and a multi million pound company, what is ford playing at , thank god for that 'bumper to bumper' 100,000 mile warranty.

AFTER SALES!! Vans by their nature have to be on the road to be earning money. Should your new van require repair under warranty get ready for a bit of a wait. Some examples I have seen are 5 days for a pump, 3 weeks for an engine and even 2 days just to get it looked at!!

WHAT AFTER 100,000 MILES? The Transit can be some what expensive to repair with it's common faults.

Things to look for if buying second hand are:
Vibration on clutch pedal when stood in traffic {faulty fly wheel at a cost of around £600}
Intermittent loss of power on motorway or poor starting{faulty diesel pump at around £1800}
Noisey timing chain and poor oil pressure{new engine!!!}

CONCLUSION
Overall I think the transit IS a very good van, however my advice would be to buy one with about 40k on it to iron out those problems from new but still have a fair bit of warranty left and then renew it before 100k.

Would I buy One?? Possibly!!

Do I run one?? No (overladen 200K Renault that never lets me down).

Ford Transit (rear-wheel drive) 2.4 Di upto 2002
Problem: Repeated premature clutch failure and possible damaged dual mass flywheel.
Solution: A revised final drive ratio (5.13) rear axle should be fitted. This will reduce the top speed of the vehicle, but will aid in situations such as a steep hill with full load, preventing repeat clutch failure.

Interesting.

Ron