Landrover defender - are they worth the money?

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Hi all. We are moving in a month and will need a new car, which also needs to be a 'proper 4x4' due to where we are going to be living and the access to it. Dh is set on a landrover defender but the prices of really old ones are astronomical (just been quoted £6,500 for a 1993 90!!!) Are they worth it and how can you tell if you're being ripped off? There seem to be either the 'duff chassis' and therfore pay peanuts ones or 'lovingly checked by a dealer and therefore ask for twice the price ones'...what do we do? Budget is £5000.

My friend got rid of his defender after it cut out on him three times on the motorway and the dealer just said 'oh, it's the software'

Blimey - I thought they were too old to HAVE software! Was it a new one?

X-trails are good, and a lot cheaper than a defender.
Its 4x4 country round here too, and there are a lot of x-trails about.

Well, I think they called it 'electronic control system' - whatever it was, it didn't work! Think it was a 2000/2001 model.

Thanks rusty and thanks bigstripeytiger...can't do an xtrail as a. dh determined on the defender and b. my parents have one (and xtrail) so dh won't buy the same (don't ask!!)

I sold mine for an absolute bomb and it was a pile of shit, mechanically

still think about it every day and desperately want it back

have had other land rovers and definitely not as good as off road - killed the discovery, actually put it beyond economical repair, with a snowball!

currently have range rover nearly as old as me which is fab off road BUT gets 9mpg (4 litre petrol engine) at best when it works which frankly is not very often

(also has to be tied together with baling twine to stop it flying open at the back)

if you're interested, make me an offer!

is one of the few 'soft dash' types left alive

defender td5's are the ones with dodgy electronic problems

older tdi's much more reliable and cheaper parts but correspondingly higher purchase price of course

Hi Mitchy - no offer on the range rover, sorry! Looking for 200 Tdi's (which seem to be the 'ones to go for' according to all dealers) but interesting what you said about the mechanics...that's what I'm afraid of!

mine was a td5 though, bits for tdi's are cheap, was about to go round the clock for the third time so had had a productive life and is still out there, loved or tolerated by someone!

would worry more about the rear cross member as this is not a thing the average person could replace easily and they are often painted over to hide rust, mine sailed through the MOT when it was so rusty you could poke a finger through it

am looking for a tdi station wagon, or double cab pick up or a series land rover swoon am practically on verge of paying someone to take that range rover off my hands so if you want a real project and somewhere for any and all spare £££ to go let me know!

stopped to stare open mouthed at a really cool winch bumper on a defender today, unfortunately was technically in moving traffic while defender was in traffic jam, so driver was able to stare open mouthed right back at me and my obsessive behaviour

must have looked such a freak

definitely something pathological about my interest in all things land rover

Mitchy - I know what you mean. We bought 'Donald' the defender yesterday with winch and snorkel (hee, hee) (not ready til end of July though) and we've been shouting out all the defenders we've seen since - car journeys are a little louder than usual as the kids are very good at it too.

ahhhhh am so pleased for you and only very very very tiny bit !

is he a 90? station wagon type? mine was commercial hardtop so passengers had to squish in the front and endure that almighty oversized gearstick threateningly close to personal places

no chance of pic on profile? my beloved is on mine I think, somewhere - miss him like a beloved pet

oh completely definitely worth every penny

and off road enjoyed thrill of tumbling off bench 'seats', bouncing off ceiling and not falling out the back door which would invariable fly open uphill

can't imagine a vehicle anyone could have more fun with