Thoughts and musings on the new defender

[Chicken Drumstick]

I have a p38, well I’ve got two at the moment for some reason… 😛 so quite familiar with the foibles of EAS. Although I admit I have converted one to coils. My Uncle also has a D2 with EAS bought new back when they first came out, Y reg I think. So I do have some mileage and experience with air suspension. 
 

That said, for the more modern setups such as the D3 and L322 onwards you don’t seem to hear or see much about EAS failures on any of the forums. P38’s it can be a daily occurrence and indeed my EAS example has suspension issues right now! 😒 I’m therefore under the impression that the newer setups are less error prone and problematic. To the point that I wouldn’t even consider EAS to be a risk. 
 

Two close friends have L322’s, both on their 2nd. My Uncle and another mate have L405’s and I’ve know lots of people with or had D3’s and D4’s. I don’t personally know of any of them having EAS issues. Other minor problems yes, but nothing suspension related apart from bushes. I also have not seen or read of any EAS failures with the new Defender on any of the forums. 

[Waldorf]

If you listen to Land Rover enthousiasts you would think that it has been going downhill ever since the Series 1. I have met guys who insisted leaf springs were far superior to coils, or that any engine after the 200 tdi was useless and unreliable. In the past 20 years I have driven a series, many classic Defenders, a D4 and a brand new Defender, and all of them have been reliable, on leaf springs, coils and air. The only Land Rover to ever leave me stranded was a 2008 Defender, when the intermediate shaft let go. I am convinced that any Land Rover can be reliable, but they need regular servicing. 

Currently I drive a MY21 Defender 110 D250, and it has been faultless. It is hands down the best car I have ever had, though it is not as pretty as the D4 I had before.