Took a new Defender for a test drive overnight

[disco2hse]

Well, I took the new Defender for a test drive overnight last week. Sorry no photos, but you know what it looks like. Drove for at least 3 hours straight on good roads, dirt roads, hilly roads and through a couple of paddocks

Really nice driving, good acceleration and great on the hills, but there are some niggles:

• There is an annoying flat spot when you put your foot down until the turbo spins up. This could be an issue when you expect to get power and there is none
• The gear lever has a spring thing that centres it between gears and if you're not quite quick enough you lose where you were, gear-wise
• Having the reverse up beside 1st wasn't very entertaining since getting into first requires a push to the left and reverse a slightly harder push
• Reverse gear is slightly high ratio'd, so the speed is too fast
• Low range first doesn't seem slow enough to me. I can see a market for under-drives
• Some finishing wasn't too good for a vehicle with its price tag; exposed wires in the cabin, glue smears, that kind of thing
• Power tops out at around 3500 rpm, but there seems to be more there that could be applied.
• It seems to be stuck in a middle ground of not being quite comfy enough for the soccer brigade and not rugged enough for the serious workhorse.

I didn't have time to pull the boat unfortunately, but I imagine it'd do ok there (weighs just shy of 3t) but not at any great speed.

In the end, after driving it and considering what we have now I don't see that there is any compelling reason to go out and buy one, especially new at $68k. Maybe I've been associated with computers too long, but the "never buy the first version" seems to apply here. To my mind LR needs to do more work on this to get to where it needs to be.

Just a few thoughts.

[spudboy]

Good feedback - thanks.

BTW - the price won't be $68K (I think a 110 is $50K + ORC).

[Quiggers]

$68K?

The LR website shows the new 'fender at $48,990 (plus onroad).

NSW reg all up: $700
Stamp duty approx: $1470
Dealer delivery: $??????

A bit over $51k, rolling, by my reckoning....

http://www.landrover.com.au/au/en/Ve...price_list.htm

GQ

[Quarks]

Try NZ$68K

Then it's totally believable.
http://www.landrover.co.nz/nz/en/Veh...der/prices.htm

And where in Oz would anyone be able to get an '07 Defender to stop still long enough to take it for a 3hr test drive??

[spudboy]

Well the New Zealand Shekel isn't holding up is it

[Frenchie]

Try NZ$68K

Wow that's only about AU$23.50 isn't it??

Might be worth importing a few.

[disco2hse]

Wow that's only about AU$23.50 isn't it??

Might be worth importing a few.

It wasn't just 3 hours. It was overnight, and that was just the first drive

[disco2hse]

The other annoying thing is that they are only trying to sell the 90 and 110 suburban configurations. I got all the fancy-schmancy brochures and the whole range of body and seating styles is available but there's no prices. They're trying to limit the colour ranges too.

The NZ market is just too small and so they (LR NZ) are trying to bulk order to cut their costs and increase margins for the agents.

Compare these with Toy*** 70 Series and you can see why they aren't keeping up in the market. Price difference is only a grand, but boy you get a whole lot more.

[disco2hse]

With Ford trying to flick off Landy with Jaguar and with the Chinese sniffing around, what do you reckon the chances we might end up with a Dong Feng diesel and noodles in the loom are?

[FenianEel]

The other annoying thing is that they are only trying to sell the 90 and 110 suburban configurations.

You lucky baaaaaaastards, we don't even get the 90, they won't even do it on 'special order' - I checked

Might have to 'back door' one from NZ