I absolutely love my 90 .... it's 1988 in vintage, put a 300 tdi engine in R380 gear box , transfer box & rear axel of a discovery in mine . Have it 17years it's a part of my soul
This brought a smile to my face. I absolutely love these! My granddad had one of these. Which he passed down to my brother, since then. He sadly left us. In 2021. Right in the middle of the pandemic. So every time I see one. I instantly smile.
all heater controls should be like that - not a stupid menu on a daft screen that distracts you for 90 seconds just to take 2 degree's off the cabin heater
Very few cars have touchscreen heater controls and those that did are moving back to knobs because what you said is true. With the exception of some EVs but they're a whole other level of stupid.
Who in the world would part from their hard earned money to buy one of these noisey, slow, oil dripping square bricks that have bad habit of leaking when raining.and a handful to drive on the road. Me,I cant work out why I love these bloody things so much, Im onto my 3rd Defender ,a 2012 Puma 3 door 110.It is so versitile and attracts alot of attention everywhere I go. I was parked at a beach in beautiful Western Australia the other day and a bloke wanted to buy my Defender on the spot for good money but I had to turn him down as Ive only just bought it. Great coversation though and made my day❤❤❤❤.
I was looking at Defenders on Auto Trader a few weeks ago and was gobsmacked by the prices. Older ones and newer ones alike are all expensive. I would love one as a kind of fun, novelty second car but for the prices they go for there are way better options for the fun/novelty role.
These were the full size Tonka toy (before Tonka toys may have been available). Agricultural yes, creature comforts no but stacks of fun and versatility. These are so much better than the replacement version in my humble opinion. These cars have that something that most cars released in the last decade or so have lost and that is 'Character', I love them.
Analogue in the extreme. Perfect. I learnt to drive in a very well used early sixties model. It nearly had three gears and, almost, brakes. My god father who owned the thing told me it was the best car to learn in. "If you can drive this ol' heap, you'll be able to drive any thing boy". Still miss you Ron.
Very Nice! I ran a Pre-Defender 110 from 1986 until 2008, covering 96,000 miles, before it finally suffered terminal chassis rot. I will re-chassis it one day. Mine is a 2.5 litre petrol, did 66 mph flat out, and about 13 mpg. It came with a paddling pool in the passenger footwell as standard. I also recall that on cold mornings the plastic bush inside the gear knob would shrink, causing it to part from the gearstick unexpectedly. This led to me punching my passanger in the face when selecting second gear. Ah! Happy days
When I worked for BT we had one of these in my team. Bright yellow of course, it was meant to be used to get into difficult terrain. I loved to drive it, but the steering was very vague on tarmac. Scary but nice.
Judging by the squeak, that clutch might be a bit heavier than it should be. The mechanism does like a drop of oil sometimes. Personally I'm a fan of the Td5 era for the sound and the old dash with bulkhead vents. You could still get all of the 'luxuries' that this later model has, on the XS trim, which is why I chose mine.
@@B_Road_Machines 2.2 version, yeah. 2.4 was a solid motor with better reliability. The Td5 wasn't smelling of roses, the 10p versions (1998-2001) suffered from cracked cylinder heads and duff oil.pumps. And oil in the ECU wiring loom, was a common fault right across production years. Some suffered from failed Fuel Pressure Regulators (FPR) too, were diesel would run down the side of the engine block caused by a blocked filter and would blow its gasket.
Me to, I have the TD5 110 XS sw which I think is the best of all, the wife ha sthe 2016 tdci 90 which, hmm, much quieter, nippier, hate driving it. besides the 110 is a far better tow car.
Hi Matt, great review. Had loads of defenders over the years. When I had one I hated it when I didn’t have one I was desperate to get another, go figure! I saw you in Wagamamas at Christmas, didn’t come and say hello as you were having family time.
I think they’re great - real icons. A friend of mine has an ancient 90 pickup on his farm which he swears by. Apparently his favourite Land Rover though was a pre-Defender County LWB. I’d love to have a go in one - but, I’ve never understood why people buy and use them as everyday road cars - the driving position alone looks like hard work for a long road trip. But, off-road - there can’t be much that these can’t get through.
What!😳 Dylan went electric!?!?😱🎸 Why wasn’t I notified of these thing??? Old Landys quickly become a beloved family pet. Mine however leaves a bigger spot on the carpet.🤦🏼♂️ Cheers!
By 2035 only the absurdly wealthy will be able to afford the diesel and the road tax so no doubt old Land Rovers will still be overpriced, like old minis, they were uncomfortable rot-boxes when new and they still are, but people pay for the image, not the practicality! A 2015 Sandero today could still be worth £4K, not bad as they were less than ten grand new compared to £28K for the Defender 🙂.
@@conradharcourt8263 My 1968 Mini has done me quite nicely for almost 28 years, not rotten at all, nice comfy adjustable suspension, waxed all the cavities when I rebuilt it, 1380 engine goes quite well, 40-45mpg on a run depending on level of daftness. I bet its still doing its thing even after the Dacia is dead and buried, not bad when I only paid £500 plus about three grand on restoration costs. Unless the 10k Dacia was bought cash it would have been 12k plus but people forget about interest when they talk about depreciating assets.
@rickbaines8262 Glad to hear from you. True, Minis have an enthusiastic following and they were fun to play with, but personally I found them unbearable on a longish journey. A few survive of course but most of them were gone by the time they were ten years old. I have no particular interest in Dacias, I never even driven one, but I guess that like all modern cars they already have the rustproofing that had to be added to an old Mini. They certainly have more ground clearance; I remember grounding a mini in a pothole forty years ago, I dread to think how they suffer on today's roads. Incidentally, although many people borrow to buy new or used cars, when calculating depreciation the actual cost to any individual purchaser is not relevant as the loan cost cannot of course be included in the asset value 😊.
Ran a series 3 during the '90's for personal use which was crude but fun. For work had to be able to go anywhere, anytime at night so company provided 110 van body again through the '90's which was a lovely vehicle, this was eventually replaced with a Toyota Hilux single cab again a nice vehicle but I missed the Landrovers. The one you tested looks superb and a long way from the company ones I drove. Would snap that up given the chance and that colour suits it well. Great review.
1972 Series 3 109 for me. Absolutely about the vague steering, and incredibly heavy steering too with no power assist and a heavy 6 cylinder engine. Had to watch your elbow on the window channel when heaving the steering wheel around in reverse - that hurt!! Loved it though! Only car I've driven where I literally didn't have to think or worry about speed limits, as it basically felt unsafe once you were going any faster than the limit in 30s or 40s, and once you were in a 60 or 70 it didn't go that fast anyway!
Great review Matt. I did a lot of my early driving on my dad's farm series 3 88 hard-top. This looks luxurious compared to that. Favourite comment - "I really like this shade of blue" - I wish I could have seen what it was!
Good video. I like it's no frills built for a specific purpose of go anywhere and tow trailers plus it's clever design features which is so Land Rover. Has got great street presence on the road.
Ha ha ye I'm sure. There is a trend though here in Dublin for Yuppies etc. to drive these similar to the 90 in the video and also the 110, around town, they are factory spec and cleaned and polished to the nines. They will never see a minute off road ha ha.
They roll badly, they're noisy, they handle about as good as an elephant on ice skates, steering is hard work but if you drive it carefully and considerately it is perfectly safe and by dog it brings a smile to my face to drive it, maintenance is simple and parts are plentiful and reasonably cheap. It has the soul and charm that the new Slovakian made, chunk of unreliable electronic filled Chelsea Tractor will never have.
@@AnyoneSeenMikeHuntI get you, my boss has a defender, I have a wrangler, he wishes he bought a wrangler so badly. We've been driving these and towing boats for years so we know what we're talking about. I learned to drive in a defender in 1996, I kind of like them as it's nostalgic for me, but that's as far as I'd go with the LR.
Looks like you're having some fun with this one and living up to the name of the channel. Have you by any chance driven the all new Defender in your work?
I've got a low mileage Freelander 1 pre facelift 3dr td4 in ES Spec and I love it, flawed in so many ways but always brings a smile to my face when driving, so much character and gets more comments as praise on petrol station forecourts than cars ten times it's value I've owned in the past 😂 saying that I have a few cars and I'd say the Freelander and the Citroen C3 Pluriel when in full spider mode get the most comments, I'm not totally bonkers though I run A Mercades w212 E350 as a daily driver😂 ❤
The vent you mentioned on top of the wings is the intake for the heater blower, not the air intake for the engine. A snorkel would be fitted to the vertical vent on he side where you were standing.
The battery is under the passenger seat and the fuse box is under the driver, not something you would really want to immerse by pushing the wading limit height. Handling in the dry is quite good, depending how brave you are. When it is wet or damp, you really have to take it easy otherwise it will spoil your whole day, no sudden changes of direction. Just an amazing machine though, owned mine for 9 years, still worth what I paid for it!
Landys teach you how to drive ! A bit of sound proofing suspension spring upgrade (alive tuning do them) and a remap is all that’s needed to make massive improvements. Best cars ever in my opinion 😊
The original 1948 ones are noticeable by the headlights behind the grill, the aluminium bulkhead and trapezoidal doors to fit in the 86" wheelbase, same length as the Willys Jeep, the 87" had a steel, very susceptible to corrosion bulkhead and rectangular doors. That defender the height of luxury to a series 2 or even a 3. LR could have continued them if sold as a commercial vehicle but that might have damaged sales, the copies that are available now and as good are sold as such to get around the regs. for cars. My last Landy was an ex MOD 2a 109 Station Wagon that had 24 V electrics as a former Radio Communication vehicle, the radios were 96 V. I had to buy second hand rear seats to fit in it. the interior front was series 3 a crossover vehicle as had the 2a wings and grill, It had a rear PTO to drive other equipment which I used for my driven LR ammunition trailer that The MOD had built mainly for the 110 FWC. The MOD have put out a design request for a replacement of similar design and variations for their thousands of defenders and series 3's which will be in Govt. Surplus Auctions over the next few years, so plenty going cheap hopefully.
Dude, nice review but you were right next to the engine intake vent (where a snorkel would fit). It’s that odd shaped vent on the off-side front wing. The other side is the intake for yer heater matrix.
I did some offroad training in one and they are quite amazing. They look really cool and are quite customizable too. Would I want one as a daily driver? Definitely not.
I actually like the simplicity of this Land Rover Defender 90 but safety caught up with the old school design which was around for over 60 years l think it's the longest run of any vehicle in the actual design that was tweaked but kept a lot of the design elements of the original Land Rover which makes them absolutely cool also a nice touch exposed screw heads and the simple dash board and the fact that you have to concentrate on driving the Land Rover and a six speed manual gearbox about the only sporty part about the Land Rover
I just searched ''2.2 TDCi Duratorq problems'' and this came back.... Piston rings and cylinder bores wearing out, Internal components within the engine braking, Oil deprivation, Engine Overheating, Over Fuelling Injectors, Timing Related Problems, Excessive emission of black smoke, Starter motor problems, Blocked vaporizers, Oil pump failure.... the list goes on. The 2.2 wasn't Ford's finest hour.
The brand - British Aerospace took control of Rover (thanks Maggie), and the Disco might have been called the Higland Rover instead but some v small scale maker had and used that name. After all, late 50s there was going to be a Road Rover.
"Iconic anachronism" summed up the Land Rover perfectly. So flawed, yet so perfect. The rocketing LR prices and so so sales of the Grenadier (hampered by the popularity of the new Defender) show how 'right' the Land Rover is. I like comfortable cars, but I'd have a Land Rover if I could afford one!
I’ve always wanted a SWB Land Rover since being a kid in the 1970s. Pity these old Defenders are so expensive - and sought after and stolen - to make it worth me buying 😢
I have to say as someone who has had vast experience over a few decades with 110s the Jeep Wrangler is head and shoulders above the Defender. My dad had a 1986 LR 110 which i grew up with, he had a 1998 Defender for several years, both of which i drove on a daily basis. My boss now has a 2011 Defender 110, which i drive all the time and have done for years. I own a 2008 Wrangler and the difference is unbelievable. The wrangler is just as good off road, far more reliable, far better to drive, far faster/more economical, strangers also love the wrangler. My boss says all the time that he wishes he bought a Wrangler. I like Defenders, but only in a nostalgic kind of way. If you want a Defender type 4x4 for gods sake get a Wrangler, don't be a sheep just for the sake of the Defender name, they really really aren't as good as you'd love to imagine.
What you’ve managed to do with this comment is to put two vehicles in completely different categories! The Wrangler is more like an older Discovery so compare it to that. The defender is classless and nothing really compares to it because of what it is, slow, noisy and uncomfortable and most owners understand this and don’t expect anything other than that..
I’d love another classic Defender, but I live between Bath & Bristol so ends up falling foul of the stupid LEZ’s. I had a 92 Defender 110 with the 200tdi. A New Defender is too expensive and the Ingenium engine with all its expensive faults makes it a no-no.
You are OK in Bath as long as it isn't registered as a commercial. In Bristol you need it to be over 40yrs old and you will be exempt. Or just use the wife's car for going into the centre, like I do 😂
After WW2 these things filled a void and became an icon. They infiltrated many parts of the world with the exception of America because they had their Jeeps. Unfortunately they had reliability issues which Toyota overcame with their Land Cruiser which replaced many Defenders. Think they ruined the Defender concept from the Series 1 as it grew in size it became a very different vehicle while trying to maintain the same image.
Interesting, I could have sworn my great uncle had an automatic Land Rover for use on the farm, he lost most of his left foot in the army in Malaya and couldn’t use a clutch m. I need to ask the family
The best Defender is the one with a 300TDI engine in, these 2.2 Ford transit Engines are the worst engine they ever fitted, all to do with trying to be green hence they stoped making them and brought out the new shape one which is not really a Defender any more, find an older one with a Galvanised chassis fitted and you will have a landrover for life.
Did not, Army colleague was demonstrating LR on an exercise in 1980s with US army guys in the back saying WTF this thing is unreal! @@SoWereDoingWhatNow
@@davidfromborneo259 Ahhh.. a couple of grunts in the back of an LR constitutes the 'US military'. They were so impressed they completely ignored it. Even the convict Australians stopped using the hateful thing 30 years ago. Righto. Carry on...
So many reinforced misconceptions. Yes the steering is heavy compared to a car, but self centering, seriously? It has permanent 4x4 and as such the torque self centres quickly (unlike the Grenadier), there must be something wrong with that one. The ride, well for some strange reason everyone tests a 90, indeed they are horrible choppy things, the 110 is much better generally, especially for towing. The gearbox, well I confess while the 6th gear is nice but I HATE the clicky ford ranger gearbox in my wifes similar 2016 tdci 90, you just cant do slick 2 finger gear changes like my R380 in the td5 110. I also find that while the 2.2 is a fiesty engine you have to stir the gearbox, which leads to the paranoia of the gearbox/transfer box coupling failing once again. My TD5 with only a stage 1 remap pulls from 30 to 90 in 5th gear (top gear) happily, in fact for most of the route you were driving and stiring the box in the smoother 5cyl I would hardly change gear! Your knowledge of air intakes and elecricales is poor too, the vent on the wing top is the cabin air intake, the one on the side by the drivers door is the engine air intake where the snorkel fits. As for the critical electronics, the ECUs are under the drivers seat, but yes I have had water halfway up the seatbox of the TD5 to the alarm of the dog who was sittin on the rear floor at the time. Visibility, yes the tdci dash is worse that the TD5 and the bonnet bulge obscures the n/s front corner. but on the bright side you dont have these huge door pillars of modern cars that obstruct a huge peripheral view when approaching junctions! Noise levels in a tdci, hah! try the TD5, both ours are the top spec XS spec with 10 years between, you can listen to the radio on level 3 in the 90 at 80mph and talk to you partner, the 110 I confess the radio needs to be at 90% volume, and raised voices for communication at the same speed. The Defenders are no modern armchair with wheels, but I can sit quite happily in there for 4+ hours towing either the caravan or a 3.5t trailer. Yes I do also have a daily car for commuting, it has criuse control, climate control, its quiet does double the mpg, but its OK. Getting into a landy however always puts a smile on my face. I confess too to owing the 80 in my avatar and an S3 88 so maybe a wee bit biased, after all Ive only been owning and driving landies for 35 years. PS, the wifes 90 when we drove it off the forcourte on 1st March 2016 was the only car I have bought new that went UP in value from the proce payed by £5k AND is still worth as much as we payed for it with 70K on the clock! Indeed all four of my landeies from the 1952 80" on are worth significantly more than I paid for them including the 110
I personally, like the illegitimate children of the LR. The Toyota Land Cruiser, and the Toyota Hi-Lux. The Land Cruiser are nearly unstoppable in rough terrain, And ask an Aussie about the Hi -Lux Land Rover was their unofficial Grandad . Cheers
In 1941, the Japanese government asked Toyota to develop a light truck for the military. After the Empire of Japan occupied the Philippines, during 1941, a captured Bantam GP (or Willys MB) was sent to Japan for assessment and testing. Japanese military authorities subsequently requested that Toyota produce a similar vehicle. Absolutely nothing to do with anybody's Great British Grandad other than coincidentally Land Rover came to being from that same Bantam GP. Oh, hi from Au. 👋
Best 4x4 by far? Not even close. Toyota Land Cruiser every time. Jaguar Land Rover is all junk !!! Toyota don’t let you down I was let down many times during my 12 year Land Rover ownership. Worst experience I could possibly conceive. Toyota don’t let you down when you need them most.
I absolutely love my 90 .... it's 1988 in vintage, put a 300 tdi engine in R380 gear box , transfer box & rear axel of a discovery in mine . Have it 17years it's a part of my soul
This brought a smile to my face. I absolutely love these! My granddad had one of these. Which he passed down to my brother, since then. He sadly left us. In 2021. Right in the middle of the pandemic. So every time I see one. I instantly smile.
all heater controls should be like that - not a stupid menu on a daft screen that distracts you for 90 seconds just to take 2 degree's off the cabin heater
Very few cars have touchscreen heater controls and those that did are moving back to knobs because what you said is true. With the exception of some EVs but they're a whole other level of stupid.
Write a letter to the car factories.
@@monzarace Or simply do not buy cars you don't agree with. Voting with your money is far more effective than any penmanship.
Who in the world would part from their hard earned money to buy one of these noisey, slow, oil dripping square bricks that have bad habit of leaking when raining.and a handful to drive on the road.
Me,I cant work out why I love these bloody things so much, Im onto my 3rd Defender ,a 2012 Puma 3 door 110.It is so versitile and attracts alot of attention everywhere I go.
I was parked at a beach in beautiful Western Australia the other day
and a bloke wanted to buy my Defender on the spot for good money but I had to turn him down as Ive only just bought it.
Great coversation though and made my day❤❤❤❤.
They are a cult classic. Being a bit out of ones mind helps.
Daily drive a 2008 Defender 90 just like this in grey, never fails to put a smile on my face.
Me too. Used every day. Take my spaniel over Salisbury plain twice a day 2008 Stornoway grey.
@ mines Stornaway grey also 😂
Always wanted one, prices are astronomical now though for nice ones like this.. Nice review Matt
I was looking at Defenders on Auto Trader a few weeks ago and was gobsmacked by the prices. Older ones and newer ones alike are all expensive. I would love one as a kind of fun, novelty second car but for the prices they go for there are way better options for the fun/novelty role.
Such an iconic car! Proper off roader and a pure driving experience. Another great review Matt, keep them coming.
just got to love a Landie - my experience is a Series 3, so that dash looks so luxurious with a radio, air vents - let alone electric windows!
These were the full size Tonka toy (before Tonka toys may have been available). Agricultural yes, creature comforts no but stacks of fun and versatility. These are so much better than the replacement version in my humble opinion. These cars have that something that most cars released in the last decade or so have lost and that is 'Character', I love them.
Analogue in the extreme. Perfect. I learnt to drive in a very well used early sixties model. It nearly had three gears and, almost, brakes. My god father who owned the thing told me it was the best car to learn in. "If you can drive this ol' heap, you'll be able to drive any thing boy". Still miss you Ron.
I have a 1966.
Analogue? Yup!
Noisy, leaky, slow, not comfortable, vague steering, questionable brakes;
Perfect!👍Most fun you can have driving!
You rounded it off with the perfect summation Furious.
The Real Defender.
I can confirm that a 1994 300 Tdi 90 will do an indicated 94. 😯
A great In depth review Matt, I would rather have this over the new Defender.
Me too, love this but the new one is too sterile
For the farm well yes of course.
Very Nice! I ran a Pre-Defender 110 from 1986 until 2008, covering 96,000 miles, before it finally suffered terminal chassis rot. I will re-chassis it one day. Mine is a 2.5 litre petrol, did 66 mph flat out, and about 13 mpg. It came with a paddling pool in the passenger footwell as standard. I also recall that on cold mornings the plastic bush inside the gear knob would shrink, causing it to part from the gearstick unexpectedly. This led to me punching my passanger in the face when selecting second gear. Ah! Happy days
When I worked for BT we had one of these in my team. Bright yellow of course, it was meant to be used to get into difficult terrain. I loved to drive it, but the steering was very vague on tarmac. Scary but nice.
Judging by the squeak, that clutch might be a bit heavier than it should be. The mechanism does like a drop of oil sometimes. Personally I'm a fan of the Td5 era for the sound and the old dash with bulkhead vents. You could still get all of the 'luxuries' that this later model has, on the XS trim, which is why I chose mine.
Td5 for the win! To many failures with the transit engine.
@@B_Road_Machines 2.2 version, yeah. 2.4 was a solid motor with better reliability.
The Td5 wasn't smelling of roses, the 10p versions (1998-2001) suffered from cracked cylinder heads and duff oil.pumps. And oil in the ECU wiring loom, was a common fault right across production years. Some suffered from failed Fuel Pressure Regulators (FPR) too, were diesel would run down the side of the engine block caused by a blocked filter and would blow its gasket.
Me to, I have the TD5 110 XS sw which I think is the best of all, the wife ha sthe 2016 tdci 90 which, hmm, much quieter, nippier, hate driving it. besides the 110 is a far better tow car.
Hi Matt, great review. Had loads of defenders over the years. When I had one I hated it when I didn’t have one I was desperate to get another, go figure! I saw you in Wagamamas at Christmas, didn’t come and say hello as you were having family time.
Always the way with a love hate relationship! Always happy to say a hello when out and about, unless the teenager is being grumpy!
I think they’re great - real icons. A friend of mine has an ancient 90 pickup on his farm which he swears by. Apparently his favourite Land Rover though was a pre-Defender County LWB. I’d love to have a go in one - but, I’ve never understood why people buy and use them as everyday road cars - the driving position alone looks like hard work for a long road trip. But, off-road - there can’t be much that these can’t get through.
You have understood it correctly. They are great on the farm and hopeless on the road.
My previous Defender, a Td5, had exactly the same squeek in the clutch pedal.... 😃
You pay extra for that
I totally agree with you on the defender, I drive a 2002 110 around Scotland and up and down the M6/M5 2 years ago.
Still recovering 😂😂😂
Good mix of content on the channel 👍👍👍
What!😳
Dylan went electric!?!?😱🎸
Why wasn’t I notified of these thing???
Old Landys quickly become a beloved family pet. Mine however leaves a bigger spot on the carpet.🤦🏼♂️
Cheers!
Another great video has always Matt and family 👍
Thanks 👍
Hubnut tests a Dacia Spring EV and you test this LR, I wonder which will have the highest value in ten years time?😂
By 2035 only the absurdly wealthy will be able to afford the diesel and the road tax so no doubt old Land Rovers will still be overpriced, like old minis, they were uncomfortable rot-boxes when new and they still are, but people pay for the image, not the practicality! A 2015 Sandero today could still be worth £4K, not bad as they were less than ten grand new compared to £28K for the Defender 🙂.
Given the bonkers WEF twats you lot keep voting for you may not be able to drive either of them in ten years time.
@@conradharcourt8263 My 1968 Mini has done me quite nicely for almost 28 years, not rotten at all, nice comfy adjustable suspension, waxed all the cavities when I rebuilt it, 1380 engine goes quite well, 40-45mpg on a run depending on level of daftness. I bet its still doing its thing even after the Dacia is dead and buried, not bad when I only paid £500 plus about three grand on restoration costs. Unless the 10k Dacia was bought cash it would have been 12k plus but people forget about interest when they talk about depreciating assets.
@rickbaines8262 Glad to hear from you. True, Minis have an enthusiastic following and they were fun to play with, but personally I found them unbearable on a longish journey. A few survive of course but most of them were gone by the time they were ten years old. I have no particular interest in Dacias, I never even driven one, but I guess that like all modern cars they already have the rustproofing that had to be added to an old Mini. They certainly have more ground clearance; I remember grounding a mini in a pothole forty years ago, I dread to think how they suffer on today's roads.
Incidentally, although many people borrow to buy new or used cars, when calculating depreciation the actual cost to any individual purchaser is not relevant as the loan cost cannot of course be included in the asset value 😊.
I bet hubnut ❤
Ran a series 3 during the '90's for personal use which was crude but fun. For work had to be able to go anywhere, anytime at night so company provided 110 van body again through the '90's which was a lovely vehicle, this was eventually replaced with a Toyota Hilux single cab again a nice vehicle but I missed the Landrovers. The one you tested looks superb and a long way from the company ones I drove. Would snap that up given the chance and that colour suits it well. Great review.
I have had loads of Landrovers, I used to daily drive a 1967 Series 2 109.... Bumps were fun and the steering was vague but great fun 🤣
1972 Series 3 109 for me. Absolutely about the vague steering, and incredibly heavy steering too with no power assist and a heavy 6 cylinder engine. Had to watch your elbow on the window channel when heaving the steering wheel around in reverse - that hurt!! Loved it though!
Only car I've driven where I literally didn't have to think or worry about speed limits, as it basically felt unsafe once you were going any faster than the limit in 30s or 40s, and once you were in a 60 or 70 it didn't go that fast anyway!
My brother once owned one.
I'm not sure that they new one will ever be able to have a hovercraft conversion like the classic Land Rover once did.
Great review Matt. I did a lot of my early driving on my dad's farm series 3 88 hard-top. This looks luxurious compared to that.
Favourite comment - "I really like this shade of blue" - I wish I could have seen what it was!
Look in the door jams, it’s sparkling in there 😅
Good to see your enthusiasm for these. I like my creature comforts. Enuff said. Later
My fave was always the plain old 2.5 Tdi.
Thanks for the review.. Im planning on buying a later one this year..
Hope you find a good one!
Good video. I like it's no frills built for a specific purpose of go anywhere and tow trailers plus it's clever design features which is so Land Rover. Has got great street presence on the road.
It's natural tenancy for wandering all over the road gives it presence alright.
Ha ha ye I'm sure. There is a trend though here in Dublin for Yuppies etc. to drive these similar to the 90 in the video and also the 110, around town, they are factory spec and cleaned and polished to the nines. They will never see a minute off road ha ha.
They roll badly, they're noisy, they handle about as good as an elephant on ice skates, steering is hard work but if you drive it carefully and considerately it is perfectly safe and by dog it brings a smile to my face to drive it, maintenance is simple and parts are plentiful and reasonably cheap. It has the soul and charm that the new Slovakian made, chunk of unreliable electronic filled Chelsea Tractor will never have.
I quit a job because my Defender fanboy boss forced us to drive these hateful things for work. He however had a Range Rover, what a twat.
@@AnyoneSeenMikeHuntI get you, my boss has a defender, I have a wrangler, he wishes he bought a wrangler so badly. We've been driving these and towing boats for years so we know what we're talking about. I learned to drive in a defender in 1996, I kind of like them as it's nostalgic for me, but that's as far as I'd go with the LR.
Looks like you're having some fun with this one and living up to the name of the channel. Have you by any chance driven the all new Defender in your work?
Not yet, Im still trying to persuade LR to loan me one
I've got a low mileage Freelander 1 pre facelift 3dr td4 in ES Spec and I love it, flawed in so many ways but always brings a smile to my face when driving, so much character and gets more comments as praise on petrol station forecourts than cars ten times it's value I've owned in the past 😂 saying that I have a few cars and I'd say the Freelander and the Citroen C3 Pluriel when in full spider mode get the most comments, I'm not totally bonkers though I run A Mercades w212 E350 as a daily driver😂 ❤
The vent you mentioned on top of the wings is the intake for the heater blower, not the air intake for the engine. A snorkel would be fitted to the vertical vent on he side where you were standing.
Love these, my uncle had one until his passing last year 😢
A man with great taste
My all time favorite car which I can't afford in any way, in Greece where I live... The Defender prices have gone up through the roof ...
The battery is under the passenger seat and the fuse box is under the driver, not something you would really want to immerse by pushing the wading limit height. Handling in the dry is quite good, depending how brave you are. When it is wet or damp, you really have to take it easy otherwise it will spoil your whole day, no sudden changes of direction. Just an amazing machine though, owned mine for 9 years, still worth what I paid for it!
You just described my Case tractor.
My dad had 3 of them and I loved to drive them too
Landys teach you how to drive ! A bit of sound proofing suspension spring upgrade (alive tuning do them) and a remap is all that’s needed to make massive improvements. Best cars ever in my opinion 😊
The original 1948 ones are noticeable by the headlights behind the grill, the aluminium bulkhead and trapezoidal doors to fit in the 86" wheelbase, same length as the Willys Jeep, the 87" had a steel, very susceptible to corrosion bulkhead and rectangular doors. That defender the height of luxury to a series 2 or even a 3. LR could have continued them if sold as a commercial vehicle but that might have damaged sales, the copies that are available now and as good are sold as such to get around the regs. for cars. My last Landy was an ex MOD 2a 109 Station Wagon that had 24 V electrics as a former Radio Communication vehicle, the radios were 96 V. I had to buy second hand rear seats to fit in it. the interior front was series 3 a crossover vehicle as had the 2a wings and grill, It had a rear PTO to drive other equipment which I used for my driven LR ammunition trailer that The MOD had built mainly for the 110 FWC. The MOD have put out a design request for a replacement of similar design and variations for their thousands of defenders and series 3's which will be in Govt. Surplus Auctions over the next few years, so plenty going cheap hopefully.
Yipee I'm here again and really loving it
Dude, nice review but you were right next to the engine intake vent (where a snorkel would fit). It’s that odd shaped vent on the off-side front wing. The other side is the intake for yer heater matrix.
are you sure? the one I was looking at online had the snorkel on the passenger side
I have driven tractors that are more comfortable than an old Defender. They look cool tho.
Beautiful..Bravissimo! VIVA LAND ROVER!!!!!
Darn! I posted my comment about 200 Defenders one day too early! What a coincidence! 😁👍
I did some offroad training in one and they are quite amazing. They look really cool and are quite customizable too. Would I want one as a daily driver? Definitely not.
Glorious!
That squeaky clutch is familiar! 😂
I actually like the simplicity of this Land Rover Defender 90 but safety caught up with the old school design which was around for over 60 years l think it's the longest run of any vehicle in the actual design that was tweaked but kept a lot of the design elements of the original Land Rover which makes them absolutely cool also a nice touch exposed screw heads and the simple dash board and the fact that you have to concentrate on driving the Land Rover and a six speed manual gearbox about the only sporty part about the Land Rover
Love these proper motors
I just searched ''2.2 TDCi Duratorq problems'' and this came back.... Piston rings and cylinder bores wearing out, Internal components within the engine braking, Oil deprivation, Engine Overheating, Over Fuelling Injectors, Timing Related Problems, Excessive emission of black smoke, Starter motor problems, Blocked vaporizers, Oil pump failure.... the list goes on. The 2.2 wasn't Ford's finest hour.
Having owned a land rover 90 back in the 90s and a unimog u900 the unimog is the real best 4x4 by far
Love a good old Landy
The brand - British Aerospace took control of Rover (thanks Maggie), and the Disco might have been called the Higland Rover instead but some v small scale maker had and used that name. After all, late 50s there was going to be a Road Rover.
"Iconic anachronism" summed up the Land Rover perfectly. So flawed, yet so perfect. The rocketing LR prices and so so sales of the Grenadier (hampered by the popularity of the new Defender) show how 'right' the Land Rover is. I like comfortable cars, but I'd have a Land Rover if I could afford one!
7:58 There are upgrade kits that will help with the clutch heaviness so help is available in that department!! 😂😂
I’ve always wanted a SWB Land Rover since being a kid in the 1970s.
Pity these old Defenders are so expensive - and sought after and stolen - to make it worth me buying 😢
Even here in Au plonkers ask stupid money for them. No idea why as we have far far better options for far far less money. Must be a fanboy thing.
That one doesn't have aircon, right? It has a flat grille
I wasn’t sure-the dials had lights but it wasn’t clear
I'm looking out of the window at mine.
I'm not selling it.
Regret getting rid of my Defender 90 TDI due to ULEZ 😢
The best 4x4 is the one that tows the land rover home 😂
Still love 'em though - even if they are a world of pain!
I want one. In blue. ❤😊
Did u use the tea shelf?
only briefly
You should do a review of my 1995 defender 90. Spoiler alert: no cup holders 😁😬
How do you cope?!?
Vauxhall Monterey Review?
Actually Wolf Steels look good on those
'89 montego window switches
Is that a good or bad thing?
How's your friend getting on with his 1K land rover?
Its still putting in the miles but the air suspension is flat now
Always the 'best' 4x4
I have to say as someone who has had vast experience over a few decades with 110s the Jeep Wrangler is head and shoulders above the Defender. My dad had a 1986 LR 110 which i grew up with, he had a 1998 Defender for several years, both of which i drove on a daily basis. My boss now has a 2011 Defender 110, which i drive all the time and have done for years. I own a 2008 Wrangler and the difference is unbelievable. The wrangler is just as good off road, far more reliable, far better to drive, far faster/more economical, strangers also love the wrangler. My boss says all the time that he wishes he bought a Wrangler.
I like Defenders, but only in a nostalgic kind of way. If you want a Defender type 4x4 for gods sake get a Wrangler, don't be a sheep just for the sake of the Defender name, they really really aren't as good as you'd love to imagine.
What you’ve managed to do with this comment is to put two vehicles in completely different categories! The Wrangler is more like an older Discovery so compare it to that. The defender is classless and nothing really compares to it because of what it is, slow, noisy and uncomfortable and most owners understand this and don’t expect anything other than that..
I want it ❤
If you have both a lot of spare coin and a mild head injury you can have it.
I’d love another classic Defender, but I live between Bath & Bristol so ends up falling foul of the stupid LEZ’s.
I had a 92 Defender 110 with the 200tdi.
A New Defender is too expensive and the Ingenium engine with all its expensive faults makes it a no-no.
You are OK in Bath as long as it isn't registered as a commercial. In Bristol you need it to be over 40yrs old and you will be exempt. Or just use the wife's car for going into the centre, like I do 😂
After WW2 these things filled a void and became an icon. They infiltrated many parts of the world with the exception of America because they had their Jeeps. Unfortunately they had reliability issues which Toyota overcame with their Land Cruiser which replaced many Defenders. Think they ruined the Defender concept from the Series 1 as it grew in size it became a very different vehicle while trying to maintain the same image.
Interesting, I could have sworn my great uncle had an automatic Land Rover for use on the farm, he lost most of his left foot in the army in Malaya and couldn’t use a clutch m. I need to ask the family
At one point they had V8s with auto
'Vera' drives an auto.
Ride, roadholding and handling...
It rides, sort of holds the road and has plenty of handles.
The best Defender is the one with a 300TDI engine in, these 2.2 Ford transit Engines are the worst engine they ever fitted, all to do with trying to be green hence they stoped making them and brought out the new shape one which is not really a Defender any more, find an older one with a Galvanised chassis fitted and you will have a landrover for life.
US military were gobsmacked by the capabilities of the LR, they had nothing that could match it including the humvee!
Where on earth did you read that?
Did not, Army colleague was demonstrating LR on an exercise in 1980s with US army guys in the back saying WTF this thing is unreal! @@SoWereDoingWhatNow
@@davidfromborneo259 Ahhh.. a couple of grunts in the back of an LR constitutes the 'US military'. They were so impressed they completely ignored it. Even the convict Australians stopped using the hateful thing 30 years ago. Righto. Carry on...
Basically a modern Isuzu trooper.
I wouldnt say modern!
Never understood the appeal. But to each their own. :)
It's a cult thing. Like Scientology.
no 200 and 300 tdi were the best, less to go wrong no electronics
Like horse and carts.
So many reinforced misconceptions. Yes the steering is heavy compared to a car, but self centering, seriously? It has permanent 4x4 and as such the torque self centres quickly (unlike the Grenadier), there must be something wrong with that one. The ride, well for some strange reason everyone tests a 90, indeed they are horrible choppy things, the 110 is much better generally, especially for towing. The gearbox, well I confess while the 6th gear is nice but I HATE the clicky ford ranger gearbox in my wifes similar 2016 tdci 90, you just cant do slick 2 finger gear changes like my R380 in the td5 110. I also find that while the 2.2 is a fiesty engine you have to stir the gearbox, which leads to the paranoia of the gearbox/transfer box coupling failing once again. My TD5 with only a stage 1 remap pulls from 30 to 90 in 5th gear (top gear) happily, in fact for most of the route you were driving and stiring the box in the smoother 5cyl I would hardly change gear!
Your knowledge of air intakes and elecricales is poor too, the vent on the wing top is the cabin air intake, the one on the side by the drivers door is the engine air intake where the snorkel fits. As for the critical electronics, the ECUs are under the drivers seat, but yes I have had water halfway up the seatbox of the TD5 to the alarm of the dog who was sittin on the rear floor at the time. Visibility, yes the tdci dash is worse that the TD5 and the bonnet bulge obscures the n/s front corner. but on the bright side you dont have these huge door pillars of modern cars that obstruct a huge peripheral view when approaching junctions!
Noise levels in a tdci, hah! try the TD5, both ours are the top spec XS spec with 10 years between, you can listen to the radio on level 3 in the 90 at 80mph and talk to you partner, the 110 I confess the radio needs to be at 90% volume, and raised voices for communication at the same speed. The Defenders are no modern armchair with wheels, but I can sit quite happily in there for 4+ hours towing either the caravan or a 3.5t trailer.
Yes I do also have a daily car for commuting, it has criuse control, climate control, its quiet does double the mpg, but its OK. Getting into a landy however always puts a smile on my face. I confess too to owing the 80 in my avatar and an S3 88 so maybe a wee bit biased, after all Ive only been owning and driving landies for 35 years.
PS, the wifes 90 when we drove it off the forcourte on 1st March 2016 was the only car I have bought new that went UP in value from the proce payed by £5k AND is still worth as much as we payed for it with 70K on the clock! Indeed all four of my landeies from the 1952 80" on are worth significantly more than I paid for them including the 110
Bacon 🥓
Then came the toyota land cruiser the end
I don't think the Defender is the best 4x4. Up there, but there some Japanese alternatives that add reliability to the recipe.
2.2 might as well be made from cheese. Dodgy DPFs and injectors and unpredictable Turbochargers. 2.4 motor was a lot more reliable.
I personally, like the illegitimate children of the LR. The Toyota Land Cruiser, and the Toyota Hi-Lux. The Land Cruiser are nearly unstoppable in rough terrain, And ask an Aussie about the Hi -Lux Land Rover was their unofficial Grandad . Cheers
In 1941, the Japanese government asked Toyota to develop a light truck for the military. After the Empire of Japan occupied the Philippines, during 1941, a captured Bantam GP (or Willys MB) was sent to Japan for assessment and testing. Japanese military authorities subsequently requested that Toyota produce a similar vehicle. Absolutely nothing to do with anybody's Great British Grandad other than coincidentally Land Rover came to being from that same Bantam GP. Oh, hi from Au. 👋
I'd rather walk.
Yup, better for your back and sanity. However being an LR there will still be plenty of walking to be had if you take it too far from home.
NOT the most reliable, then you need a Toyota Landcruiser !
I prefer a 110
I prefer a car that is not hateful.
As they say if you want to go 4wding get a Landrover.. If you want to come home get a Land cruiser......
20mpg seems a bit appalling for a modern diesel engine.
Old hateful engine in a heavy car with the aerodynamics of a garden shed... 20mpg isn't terrible. Glad I'm not the one filling it up.
So fits the Land Rover perfectly! A bit appalling in so many ways, but somehow very loveable all the same!
It never was the best.. It is just a copy of WW2 surplus Jeep..
inspired by and improved upon
@@furiousdriving Literally the guy behind the Land Rover had a Surplus Jeep to do his farm work and made one himself so he got two..
@@furiousdriving Improved in as much as they put a roof on it. 😁
The Puma engine is not suitable for the Defender, I had three engines all bad.
That engine wasn't Ford's finest hour.
Best 4x4 by far? Not even close. Toyota Land Cruiser every time. Jaguar Land Rover is all junk !!! Toyota don’t let you down I was let down many times during my 12 year Land Rover ownership. Worst experience I could possibly conceive. Toyota don’t let you down when you need them most.
23:12 honk! honk!