The Land Rover Defender

If you can remember the first Land Rover released 60 years ago that was used extensively as a utility vehicle, then you might want to take a good look at a Land Rover Defender. Using the same proven chassis and live axles, the Land Rover Defender is the closest thing to the original or the 1940's. Available in a short version called the Land Rover 90 or a longer wagon version, the Defender 110, this is a true off road SUV.

Under the hood it has a 2.4 liter turbo diesel engine which provides adequate power. With a 6 speed transmission, it has enough get up and go to drive on the highway, but you're not going to be winning any races. It's adequate, but certainly not fast. If you need to pull a trailer or a boat for a weekend camping trip though, the Land Rover Defender will do the job well.

The interior of the Defender is certainly not flashy, but it does the job. Elbow and leg room leave a little to be desired, so hopefully you're not taking a long trip. As for cargo room, there's enough for a few suitcases, but that's about it. The wheel wells seem to take up quite a bit of that precious cargo space. Some of the more interesting features include a waterproof sound system and a removable soft top on the Defender 90.

When you talk about Land Rover and reliability, often they you will encounter some negative comments. Keep in mind that these vehicles are off road vehicles and tend to be used in very harsh situations. Let's face it, when driven hard, parts are going to fail after a while. This is expected and should not be viewed as a fault in the manufacturing process. The Land Rover Defender is rugged and reliable and can go just about anywhere you want it to go. It's at home on the back roads and muddy trails, but can also be driven on the highways. If you plan to do most of your driving on the highway, you might want to consider another Land Rover model like the Freelander or Discovery. The Land Rover Defender is ready for off road driving right from the factory without the need to do any modifications. There's plenty of ground clearance and the low range gearbox can get you out of some pretty difficult situations.

The Land Rover Defender is a relatively easy vehicle to fix if you're the handy type and parts are not always that expensive, especially when purchased online. It's not often that a vehicle comes from the factory properly equipped for off-roading, but the Defender lives up to the Land Rover durability and reputation for off-roading. You can save the money that you would normally need to spend on equipping the vehicle to go offroading and add a few cosmetic accessories or useful accessories like a winch, roof rack or extra lights.

Overall the Land Rover Defender is one vehicle that has proven itself as one of the most capable off-road vehicles available on the market today at an affordable price. On the city street and highways, it's adequate for most drivers and will certainly turn heads everywhere you go with its unique, retro styling.

Land Rover : Defender 1984 Land Rover 90 Hard Top, 200 TDI Diesel - 5 Speed