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Thread: Living with the New Defender

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
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    Adelaide
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    Living with the New Defender

    Seems like a few new owners on the forum and more coming.

    What's it like to live with? Things you like? Annoyances? Reliability? Anyone done any touring in one? How about the work/school run?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    Whitsundays and sometimes Sydney
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    been a dream so far, just clicked over 5000 KM's, no issues, only been back to the dealer to have the accessories fitted post initial delivery.
    The one annoyance, auto stop/start, nowhere on the MHEV to disable it that i have found permanently, if you had the original 4 pot D200/D240,
    there was a plug you could pull under the cargo floor in the rear to turn the feature off with out any "codes" or warnings being thrown up..
    the other niggle is the P400 requires some brake fettling to fit 18" , not yet committed to that until i find out if LR will swap for the other LR calipers,
    although I do have 255/65 R19, so still a decent profile for a 19' rim..

    2200KM trip planned Sydney to Airlie beach in approx 7 weeks time, and full prep for a lap of Oz including the harder nether regions in early
    2022, when the off road caravan rocks up.. I had it PPF'd in anticipation of the trip due to the level of unsealed/gravel roads up around the
    Kimberleys and other areas.. wanted to protect rather than fix the paintwork when it is 2 years old.

    deffer.jpg

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
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    Zilch,

    Can I ask which PPF you got ? I gather this is not a vinyl wrap ???? Or similar thing ? Can you see it on the car ? Do they do the grill, f/r bumpers, side mirrors etc


    Quote Originally Posted by zilch View Post
    been a dream so far, just clicked over 5000 KM's, no issues, only been back to the dealer to have the accessories fitted post initial delivery.
    The one annoyance, auto stop/start, nowhere on the MHEV to disable it that i have found permanently, if you had the original 4 pot D200/D240,
    there was a plug you could pull under the cargo floor in the rear to turn the feature off with out any "codes" or warnings being thrown up..
    the other niggle is the P400 requires some brake fettling to fit 18" , not yet committed to that until i find out if LR will swap for the other LR calipers,
    although I do have 255/65 R19, so still a decent profile for a 19' rim..

    2200KM trip planned Sydney to Airlie beach in approx 7 weeks time, and full prep for a lap of Oz including the harder nether regions in early
    2022, when the off road caravan rocks up.. I had it PPF'd in anticipation of the trip due to the level of unsealed/gravel roads up around the
    Kimberleys and other areas.. wanted to protect rather than fix the paintwork when it is 2 years old.

    deffer.jpg

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Whitsundays and sometimes Sydney
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    Quote Originally Posted by Garfield View Post
    Zilch,

    Can I ask which PPF you got ? I gather this is not a vinyl wrap ???? Or similar thing ? Can you see it on the car ? Do they do the grill, f/r bumpers, side mirrors etc

    Xpel gloss ultimate PPF with xpel ceramic coat finish,I had all the vehicle minus the roof between the
    rails, included mirrors, bumpers, grill etc, Xpel is the PPF that LR use but with the satin
    finish (Matt/stealth)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Melbourne
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    RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR........................... thanks


    Quote Originally Posted by zilch View Post
    Xpel gloss ultimate PPF with xpel ceramic coat finish,I had all the vehicle minus the roof between the
    rails, included mirrors, bumpers, grill etc, Xpel is the PPF that LR use but with the satin
    finish (Matt/stealth)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Adelaide
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    Living with the New Defender

    Great call on the wrap. My D4 was wrapped for the first 9 years of its life by the previous owner, and the paint looks new as a result despite over 80,000km of touring off road.

    Looks fantastic. Colour is my biggest challenge Living with the New Defender Love the Gondwana stone, Hakuba silver, Eiger grey and the Fuji white.

    I wish there was an option for a traditional LR dark green though - like British racing Green on the FFRR.

    Might go for white and have it wrapped green.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
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    Brisbane
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    Hi Alex. Since joining here in 2017 I've gone from driving a 2015 Discovery Sport, to a 2010 Discovery 4 and for the past few months and 8500km a 2020 Defender First Edition. I'll do a separate post about the details I guess but I'd like to give you some sense of things that would be the same no matter which new Defender you're talking about or the options it might have.

    It's a little glitchy in the infotainment but it's thoroughly great to drive. Passenger space is excellent. Boot space is challenging compared to the D4.

    It's taken me a while to get used to reversing it, and I still don't like reversing in the dark because there's not enough light thrown out the back to make the cameras work well.

    My D4 was relegated to parking outside because it was already 3rd-hand and covered in pinstripes. The Defender being shiny and new and about thrice the price was worthy of reconfiguring the garage and moving some stuff out to a garden shed, but even so I have to lock the suspension in access height and usually engage low range so I can reverse ultra carefully into the rather tight space. Actually the space isn't that small, it's just a large vehicle. I'm holding off installing a roof rack until I can be 100% certain I'd still be able to get into the garage with the added height.

    I mention the roof because when it comes to camping or touring I think the Defender's smaller boot makes it mandatory that you utilise the much improved roof load capacity. 168kg is the weight you're allowed to have up there while driving, providing you're on sturdy enough tires. The spare wheel has come out from under to give better clearance, but eats into what would have been boot space, so more volume of stuff needs to go all the way up high.

    The brakes are super sensitive. Some people hate them. I've gotten used to them.

    The space in front of the centre console is large but it's rather difficult to get things in or out of there. Except for 1.5L bottles of water, two of which just drop straight in very happily. They'll squish your USB cables though for your CarPlay or Android Auto connection. I'm re-thinking my plans for that area now to focus on permanent fixtures like the UHF unit. Or flexible things like a package of hand wipes. TP maybe since I don't have the wonderfully large cup holders from the D4's rear quarter shelves that were perfect for the emergency roll.

    Build quality has been somewhere between good and great in most respects. I have one bit of plastic trim behind the front left wheel that doesn't sit quite flush; the driver's A pillar cover needed correctly attaching to stop the highway-speed buzzing; the rear passenger door and seal needed adjusting to remove the extra firm pull that door demanded in order to open; the exterior window trim is a bit loose and rattles around a bit as many have noted. Yet everything that feels like it actually matters feels solid and precise and reliable. Touch wood.

    The rear door is a bit small and has an awkwardly-shaped opening as far as cargo is concerned, but actually operating the door is a tiny bit of a revelation. It's got some magic arm thing that seems to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. So despite being obviously heavy you just put the door where you want it and it stays there. Give it a wiggle and it's free to move again. And once you get it *almost* closed there's an automatic motorised helper to bring it securely shut.

    Mind you the infotainment doesn't beep or chime at all if you accidentally drive off with the rear door open. It just shows you the normal picture of the vehicle but with what looks like nappy chafing on its bum – the rear door is coloured in red but it's NOT shown as being open the way all the other doors are. I got to nearly 100kph before realising it wasn't one of the kids windows being down that was making the wind noise.

    But the bottom line is the same as the top one. It's just delightful to be inside it, and especially to drive it. People obviously put a LOT of time and effort into designing this vehicle and though not better in every way (I miss the physical gearshift and other driveline controls from the 10yo D4) it's my favourite thing so far, by a mile.

  8. #8
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    Thanks TB great post.

    I'm also coming from a 2010 D4, albeit one with drawers permanently installed in the back with a half height luggage barrier, so I'm actually already used to a pitifully small and awkward space and having to use the roof for anything decently sized.

    That said, a pioneer rack is a god send. So easy to load and secure.

    Super keen to hear how people are going touring in them. A report on issues after a lap would be amazing.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2021
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    Bump....
    as I’m interested to hear some long term reviews about the defender

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by hweebe View Post
    Bump....
    as I’m interested to hear some long term reviews about the defender
    Just shy of 20,000km.
    Still brilliant to drive.
    A PITA to change tyres due to super high body lift needed.
    GVM nightmare.

    With my muddies on, the bar and winch up front, 1/3rd tank of fuel and literally nothing else but myself (80kg) in the vehicle, the weighbridge says 2.66 tonnes. My GVM is 3,150kg.

    Unless somebody can find a way to re-certify my vehicle up towards the 3,320kg rating of other Defender variants with the same chassis and suspension, I'm facing some tough decisions.

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