to think that a giant Range Rover with 'Overfinch' emblazoned on the back is the definition of 'twatmobile'

[Poulay]

Was cycling down the road earlier, saw one of these things go by

I know lots of people say they need Range Rovers to cope with the pot holes, or the snow, or the pedestrians, or whatever things.

But let's be honest, they are big hulking lumps of metal that would tip over if you drove them too fast.

And on that basis paying £90k for a souped up one

www.overfinch.com/buying-an-overfinch/view-current-stock/

and then a further £5k or so for a personalised number plate just makes you look stupid.

Doesn't it?

(Just want to add I have nothing against fast cars, if you're going to get an Aston Martin or whatever, fine.....

But souping up a vehicle supposedly designed to drive up unmade roads. I mean why????)

I'd have the Overfinch Defender.

We have an Ex Army Landrover, they are not built for comfort but they are fantastic for what we use it for, also if the damn thing breaks down we don't have to hook it up to a computer to find out what the problem is. As fr the MPG DH is getting 33 mpg when towing a fully laden Sankey trailer, where as my daughter in her brand new Seat Ibiza manages only 35 mpg when its nearly empty.

I also know of a Rangerover that has been used frequently off road and is used as a recovery vehicle for 4x4 rallys. Not all range rover owners want them for the school run.

I used to have a classic 4x4 and it was ace.

If I had the time, the energy and the money I'd get a LR 101 truck and use it for the school run! :)

(not really. I'd yomp about the countryside, pull doctors' cars out of the snow in winter, and deliver meals on wheels, which I what I used to do with mine).

yes - a 101 would be the ultimate school runtransport.

I also have a Range Rover (Soft Dash Classic as it happens) if it doesn't get sold before leaving the country then it's getting the full works on our return. I seriously doubt anyone would call that a twatmobile.

Ah the Overfinch Range Rover, the WAGs transport of choice. Screams 'money no taste' in ways words never could.

If I ever required a 4X4 (Unlikely) I'd go down the same route as the late photographer Patrick Lichfield and deface the Range Rover type on the bonet so it reads 'HANG OVER'

If it was me I'd have a 1984 RR in Mustard modernised inside and tuned.

My LR needs forward planing for corners, it is 50 years old and mostly original. I would hate driving it around a city, some local villages are bad enough. Parking it is hellish. Driving it can be like wrestling a sumo, can you remember cars before PAS?

I can understand tge desirability of the overfinch tuning. Performance is so much better. But not sure I'd live in a city and drive one.

DB & DH are on the 4x4 emergency crew and provide a valuable service.

You are not having a 101 for the school run dearest

How's things with you my dear?

kellestar re 1984 - I think you're better off getting a tax-free one, if you're going to have an old one.

no power steering - I know - nightmare! v. tiring.

would definitely consider a LR air-portable Lightweight in the future.

Chicarito is NOT 5' 9'', without his Cubans or stilettoes.

Horribly naff. Esp in white. Bleeeeurgh.

Yanbu. They are usually driven by 'new money' types

My friend has (with personalised number plate too ). The cost of petrol is awful - way over £100 to fill up and that doesn't last very long at all. Think about 200 miles for a full tank.

They are not called personalised number plates, they are called cherished number plates. . I used to work for Land Rover Assistance and we had to call them that. I can tell you, after some months of working in this job (and for other car companies) that:

Aston Martin drivers are lovely, posh and patient
Mini drivers are sweet (the only people we were allowed to say "hi" to)
BMV drivers are a mixed bunch with a lot of twunts
VW drivers are pretty alright normally
Range Rover drivers can be really entitled
Defenders drivers are all awesome in every way (although trying to recover a car when the location is halfway up a mountain in Wales is not fun)
Anyone with any association with Overfinch was total and complete arsehole who assumed I was thick because I worked in a call centre and didn't know what was wrong with their vehicle because I was a girl.

I had one bloke threaten to come to my office and beat me up because I wouldn't assist him (he had bought his LR in Europe at a significant cost reduction and was therefore not covered my UK LR Assistance). Working in call centres is FUN.

MrsTerryPratchett - how's the reliability of the Discovery 3?

I've heard that it's much better than the old discovery - and I've heard that it isn't - I don't know what to believe. Thinking of buying a 2nd hand one.

YANBU I hate the Overfinch. We have an RR sport though and never feel the need to justify our private personal choice of what car to spend DH's hard earned money on. We can be twats mind you but nothing to do with the car.

Toaster this was many, many moons ago so I wouldn't want to steer you wrong. When I worked there, we knew what glitches came up a lot (ACE fluid issues, back window heaters cracking the glass) but it changes with all the new models so I wouldn't know now. You could see if anyone at Gaydon would talk to you. Their engineer bods are very good.

Toaster are you on any of the landy forums ? DH will be back later if not and if he doesn't know the answer he will know someone who does

We had one. It was a seriously shit car. We had the RaC on auto-dial for the 3 months we owned it. If it's on your lottery list, cross it out and get a regular range rover!

Toaster24 our discovery 3 is fab, love it and no problems, bought 05 plate as they are lower tax - have had a 1,2 & 3 - Aiming for the range rover sport next.

Our discovery 1 fell apart so we now have the engine and gear box in the body shell of our offroad 90, still going strong 220 miles on the clock - they just don't die in a puff of smoke like the other rubbish...

The Overfinch is a step too far but there is a market for it and if theres a market there are jobs being generated.

I also have "yellow" hair, but we use ours to tow a boat, transport 2 dogs and 2 kids, drive to france and take skiing so it's mostly muddy but it also does the school run along with the other 4x4's in various states of muddyness...ach to their own I say.

Toaster go on the www.disco3.co.uk loads of really lovely helpful folk on there that will let you know the score on buying and what to look out for!

YANBU - they are proof that a fool and their money are soon parted.

Like that remark earlier about Marx and SUVs

thanks folks! will drop in on the Landy forums.

we have a range rover. not an overfinch one tho! just a plain, old one. dh is a big bloke and needs large boot space for work.

and it runs on LPG. half the price of unleaded.

toaster24 Have a look at Landytown - nice friendly folk and you may spot some familiar names

At the risk of sounding all serious....

C'mon people? How can you seriously contemplate owning a car that scores so badly in terms of what happens to pedestrians (especially children) if you accidentally hit one? Range Rovers have some of the worst ratings for pedestrian safety of any cars. It's quite good in terms of safety for those inside being driven/ driving it but not so great for everyone else.

Quote from euro NCAP rating site:

"Pedestrian
Just three sites out of 18 tested on the vehicle's front gave any protection. This is dire, and Land Rover needs to improve matters."

No nonsense please about 'oh well I'm a careful driver'.