Lightning
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Posts posted by Lightning
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Well, after 18 months ownership of a new Defender in base specification with the steel wheels, l've changed my opinion.
The new Defender is a great 4x4 and l can't fault its ability both on and off road. lt looks good as well, and is great to drive.
But it's not a Defender. lt's just too far removed from the old one. The lneos Grenadier is a "new Defender" and to be honest so is our 2020 Jimny. Although it's a bit small to be a serious contender.
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There's nothing wrong with the new Defender as a vehicle, l've found mine to be highly competent both on and off road, and have had no issues whatsoever with it.
Its just that it's not really an evolution of the old model, it's a completely new vehicle.
The Grenadier would be classed as an evolution of the old Defender.
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For a limited company
lf it's a Commercial Vehicle you can claim tax back on the purchase. You also pay much lower BIK, £699 on the Grenadier
Also if you are VAT registered you can claim the VAT back as well.
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lneos had now managed to get a 2-seat version of the Grenadier classified as Commercial with HMRC in the U.K.
This is great news for businesses who can now put the vehicle through their books.
Had this been the case back in 2022 l would have had the Grenadier over my new Defender.
l actually had a Grenadier on order but had to cancel due to it not being certified as Commercial with HMRC (although it was with DVLA) so l couldn't put it through my business.
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Yes maybe l was wrong with that comment. The new Defender is certainly selling, there's still a 6-9 month waiting list for some versions such as the Commercial.
l wonder how many JLR would have sold if they had retained the shape of the original but given it updated underpinnings like the Grenadier.
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There were one or two parts in the old Defender that remained the same throughout the entire production.
But these days "legacy" doesn't sell vehicles, although people will buy into the name.
l guess the old Defender couldn't carry on as it was, but it's a shame LR didn't build a Grenadier.
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Here's my update.
Having now had the new Defender 18 months and 12,500 miles
WHAT IF ANYTHING DO I MISS ABOUT MY OLD DEFENDER?
Now l was thinking about this tonight while listening to my missus playing in a swing band.
l was reading about a woman who was a Leprosy Doctor in Vietnam in early 1962, and she was kidnapped with her Land Rover. The vehicle was found but she was never seen again.
And there was a girl in the 1990's who walked the length of Africa, her support vehicle was a 110 and later an old Series 90.A TV nature documentary about Africa, the presenter was driving around an ancient meteor crater in a green series 1 soft top with the screen lowered. The vehicle seemed almost a part of the African Bush, like the old trees it was driving past.
And l was thinking, there's a connection, these two women above would have recognised a 2005 Defender as a Land Rover, l can imagine them opening the bulkhead vent flaps on theirs to try and get some air flow in the heat of Vietnam or Africa.
And going on holiday in our Defender there was the connection, although a caravan site in the Lake District isn't quite Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
And that's what's missing from the new one. The legacy. There's no connection with the people who lived (and died) in Land Rovers back in the days when they were supplied to missionaries, aid workers and other people in far flung places.
When you drive an old Land Rover you are following in the footsteps of these people, in some small way. But l don't feel it driving the new one.-
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On 5/8/2024 at 9:24 PM, deep said:
It's a strange world! It's a shame to lose a straight six and surprising a relatively new motor is being replaced by a supercharged V8 on the grounds of emissions. Trouble is, these days, it doesn't matter that much. Everything is smooth, quiet and powerful enough that it really doesn't matter in actual use. We are soooooo far removed from what drew me to Land Rovers, all those years ago!
The D200/250/300 remains in some versions.
The 3.0 Ingenium hasn't had the issues that the 2.0 has suffered from.
My Defender has the D250 and in the real world it's all the engine you ever need in a vehicle of this type.
l've never had it flat out even when towing the caravan. Torque is 600Nm at under 1,500rpm.
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On 4/6/2024 at 2:19 PM, landroversforever said:
IMO £60k isn’t that bad when your boggo basic mini is something around £21/22k before any extras.
The cheapest new Defender is £51,000 for the 90 D250 Commercial
lt's got everything that you need as standard. Well, apart from rear seats.
There's no such thing as a basic vehicle these days.
Also being a Commercial Vehicle the road tax is only £360 and it's exempt from the £2,000+ first year road tax on vehicles over £40,000.
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Your only hope will be the Land Rover main dealer, parts supply has improved this year but you'll just have to wait for them to come in to stock.
l ordered an interior door handle two weeks ago, there was no stock and no delivery date but it arrived within a week and l have the part now.
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On 2/8/2024 at 8:27 AM, Lightning said:
50mpg? l've got a 2022 90 with the D250 (3.0 diesel) and the best l can get on a run is 40mpg.
Round town, driving between customers l am averaging 25mpg although if l drive really carefully l can get 28.
UPDATE
This was my best effort on a local journey, using "ECO" mode but not holding up the traffic
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l had a look at one at the dealer yesterday (the 130)
lt actually works really well, so long as you need a vehicle that size. lt would make a great family wagon, particularly if you were using it for holidays.
lf anything it does seem to work better than the 110.
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l guess you're right.
I have always been passionate about cars and if l was working on the design l would want to drive the vehicle as soon as it was available. But l guess in real life that's not how it works.
l know someone who worked on the software for the new Defender and he's never driven one either.
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Update
The renewal premium was £680 with LV
2022 Defender 90 D250 Commercial
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What stood out for me was that's he's never actually driven the new Defender, after working on the vehicle and "knowing it for eight years"
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l fear the O/P has come....and gone
However, just in case.
Hopefully you managed to sort this out. What was the cause in the end?
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50mpg? l've got a 2022 90 with the D250 (3.0 diesel) and the best l can get on a run is 40mpg.
Round town, driving between customers l am averaging 25mpg although if l drive really carefully l can get 28.
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I've driven the Grenadier and it is a great vehicle although feels quite large.
Nevertheless l would have bought one if it had been classed as "Commercial" by HMRC, which it isn't.
So l couldn't put it through my business.
lnstead l bought a basic coil sprung Defender 90 Commercial. Putting this through my business has saved me £14,000 in tax, effectively making the Defender £40,000
For my business use the new Defender is fabulous, the D250 diesel generates 600Nm torque at 1500rpm, and towing our caravan is completely effortless.
However if l was setting out to drive to Cape Town it would be the Grenadier l would choose.
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True enough
But it's actually a bit more complicated than that.
As it's the "Commercial" version
l've been able to put the Defender through my business and saved £14,000 in tax due to the govt scheme that was running last year.
So long as l don't sell it because then l would be taxed on the sale price.
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Discovery 4 is an awesome vehicle, hindered only by the issues with random engine failure.
I would have bought my friends (and saved around £25,000 over the cost of my Defender) but there's too many failures of the TDV6
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"Don't get me wrong, I like the new Defender. It is a brilliant Discovery. Which clearly many potential Discovery owners also agree with"
Have you owned or driven all three vehicles (Discovery 3/4, Discovery Sport, Defender) to come to this conclusion?
The new Defender is nothing like a Discovery, l've driven both Discovery and Discovery Sport. My friend had a Sport until it was stolen. l drove that from time to time. Completely different vehicle
My other friend swapped his Discovery 4 for a Defender 110 and l drove that one a fair bit, including towing a twin axle caravan with it. was nothing like a Defender.
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On 10/31/2023 at 10:37 AM, Chicken Drumstick said:
Not meaning to be flippant. This is of course what the world and brand needs. A likely £150,000 off road focused model that nobody will use off road due to the cost 🙄 Talk about about a brand loosing its way.
But the new Defender still has a full order book and waiting list of up to 15 months on the Commercial version.
They are everywhere round here. Sales are what's most important and in that respect JLR will consider the new Defender a total success.
lt's a shame JLR didn't build a "Grenadier" though. But l doubt they would have sold as many if it was at all compromised on road.
For instance
Just look at all the whingeing in reviews about the Grenadier steering.
(they've used a steering box as it's a "proper" off road vehicle)
I own a new Defender 90 Commercial which is a great vehicle, but if l was crossing Africa l would sell it and buy a Defender TD5 or TDi.
While the new one would undoubtedly do it, l would feel more at one with the journey in the old model.
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On 10/16/2018 at 3:07 PM, FridgeFreezer said:
That Grenadier thing is going to cost shedloads if it ever gets built.
Well, that was an accurate prediction. Basic 2-seater van version starts at £65,000 and the cheapest car version is £75,000
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ls nothing straightforward on this vehicle. Couldn't Land Rover have observed the standard wiring colour code for the trailer socket like every other manufacturer?
Thoughts and musings on the new defender
in New Defender Forum (2020 onwards)
Posted
lt's not better or worse than the old Defender, it's just different.
For my business use it's better than my old Defender.
But l am using the vehicle as a car, and not off road or for Overlanding. The kind of things that the old Defender excels at. To be honest l would have had a Grenadier, which seems to be the best of both worlds