buying a defender xtreme

Don't hold your breathe !!!!

Be ready to hear all the moans!! All products from that stable give grief more frequently than other makes.

Just back from a 8,500 trip in our extreme 02 year. Our second biggish trip and now having clocked up 40,000 ks. Have not had a single problem.

You can fit a huge amount of gear in the back, the comfort and ride is great, and you get to drive a truck with lots of character.

Downsides.. the turning circle is atrocious, and you get stopped everywhere by people telling you how great it looks and telling you about the LR's they used to own

You'll hear a lot of drivel about land rovers on this forum (search the archive), my best advice is to connect up with a LR club, go for a ride, talk to plenty of owners and make up your own mind.

Timothy Hyde

Defender Extreme

Glenno

We own a 2001 model, had it since new, and have had 60,000 klm of trouble free outback travel, including twice across the Simpson in the past 12 months, plus other trips.

We have modified suspension and a few other generic changes, goes like a treat.

If you are Sydney based the Land Rover Owners Club meets this Tuesday 26th at 134 Queens Road Fivedock, come along.

Land Rover owners get very tired of ignorant people who have either never owned a Land Rover or haven't done so since the Series models of the fifties, sixties and seventies, offering their opinion on the reliability or otherwise of late model Rovers. My experience is at odds with their opinions.

I purchased my Defender new in October1998 and since then has travelled 145,000km. This Defender has crossed the Simpson seven times including the Madigan Line. The Canning, Gunbarrel Hwy, Anne Beadell Hwy, Gary Highway, Gibb River Rd, Plenty Hwy, and is going back for more.

Total problems to date: 1 flat tyre, 1 broken rear spring (Lovell's), cracked fuel tank bracket, 1 rear diff seal.

I don't think that is much to complain about. Can any other make match that record.

The reasons peple buy Defenders are: Aluminium body, large cargo area with square sides, minimal easily scratched plastic panels, simple easy to repair design, retro looks, fuel ecomomy, good cabin visibility and an ability to take the rough going.

Having said that a Land Rover is an enthusiasts vehicle, it is not the sort of vehicle you can just book into the garage a couple of times a year for services. Preventative maintenance is a way of life with a Defender, you will or should get to know every nut and bolt on it. If you don't have a liking for applying plenty of TLC to your wheels, go and buy a plastic shrouded shopping trolley, there are dozens of choices out there.

I guess if you are thinking about tag-alongs, you should make sure the outfit is Rover friendly, otherwise you will be subjected to all sorts of uninformed campfire crap. By the sound of it don't go with Off Road Safaris, they have already made their mind up. Remember they have abundant Land Rover experience, a 1959 model they owned 40 years ago!!!

I have had 3 defenders since .92 and have had no major problems, worst one was a water pump bearing at 72,000 clicks. Done Simpson 3 times, Canning , Anne Beadell twice Connie Sue, Plenty, Kimberlys and numerous other fornight trips. I also put up with the uninformed rot that the great uneducated/unwashed sling at you. Now happily own an Extreme and apart from a few niggles eg. front springs sagged(steel bullbar & 10,000 lb winch) were repaced under warranty & a ABS sensor also replaced.It has the best load capacity in volume and Kilograms of any of the wagons. A real practical vehicle for those who are not yuppies and don't want an icemaker and some of the mod cons. It would be the most fuel efficient large 4X4 available as I have been away with everything from Hiluxes to Patrols and Tojos.
Read some of their fuel economies in the trip section. Probly the worst feature is the resale value if you change them over on a regualar basis as we do .

Don't you just have to love LR owners? Just have a look at the problems listed in the posts so far and still they seem to think that's OK - sagging suspension, cracked brackets and of course OIL LEAKS! Have a friend with a 98 Disco TD and his engine bay is as oily as a can of sardines - he thought it was meant to be till he saw oil less Cruiser!

I've had a Defender Td5 wagon for approx. 4 months and the only complaint I have is the sloppy way it was put together.
It's going back for the 4th time this week to have the rear section window seals replaced, an ongoing prob. This has been mostly I think because of the so called service manager at the main dealers, who advises that a prob. has been fixed when nothing has beed done!
He's now been replaced so maybe service will pick ...... fingers crossed and the attitude of them this morning was much better, and they'll supply a vehicle to cover the time it's off the road.
No other troubles with it, the gearbox is beginning to free up as changes were very tight, but 7000klms later it's much easier.
Pulls the van at 1.5 tonnes much better that the 300 Tdi Disco and it's very comfortable (after you 've been twisted to fit!) and great in the rough. Economy good too.
And the cook likes it so at least I haven't got her beating my ears to death with complaints when we're on the move.!!!!!

Thanks for the info. The more info i can get on these defenders the better.By the way i live in brizvagas(brisbane).I will be doing mostly sand driving as fraser island, moreton island,stradbroke island,cooloola coast,are all close by. Do those anti corrosion devices work ?.Checked out a price on a new defender xtreme today and i think i will be getting a second hand one ,that is if i can pick a descent one up for around $40000.

I must be dreaming. . . .. people with defenders try to praise them just to justify the big mistake they made. . . .you dont hear much praise for defenders from people that dont own one. . . .. . . .. I would not own one, I like to spend my life in a vehicle not under it. . . . ..Dont buy a defender !!

I have a 2002 Extreme which has covered 50,000km and is a brilliant vehicle. Don't know why we have all the comments about oil leaks and unreliability from the uniformed masses; I have not heard of any problems with the Td5 (including hanging around overseas forums), apart from early teething hassles with the ECU.

I understand the comment about being an enthusiasts vehicle, there are some features which a lot of people would find hard to live with, such as the lack of noise insulation and the uncomfortable back seat.

It is a vehicle for those that want simply the most capable stock 4wd on the market.

I am also constantly approached by others with positive comments and so often hear the comment "I would love one but my wife won't let me" So not a vehicle for flatheads either.

Even attracted a "nice truck!" comment from a bikini clad beauty on the beach at Coral Bay.

I don't feel the need to bag other makes because I don't suffer from feelings of inferiority. ;)

Glenno, this'll be an interesting thread. I'm considering the same move when I up-size (note, I did not say up-grade) from the Pathy. The 3 options I see are a Patrol, Cruiser 80 or 100 series or the LR.

I've had a close look at the LR and it's got a lot going for it. Unfortunately ergonomics is not one of them and I might have trouble convincing the "other driver" of its merits. One undeniable fact is that it has significantly greater luggage space behind the rear seats. The Patrols and Cruisers are really quite pathetic by comparison. This is a real consideration for family treks into the deserts where the trailer can't go. Also, there's probably no-where you can go that you wouldn't find someone who knew how to fix a Landie - can't say the same for the new model Nissans and Tojos.
Smile, you're on ExplorOz
Rohan (Sydney - on the QLD side of the Harbour Bridge)

I testdrove a second hand defender wagon 1998 model that was at a ford dealer and it had 25000kms on the clock.This was back in 1999 and they wanted $30,000 back then. Now i find that the same year defender that now has over 100,000 kms on the clock is still worth around $30,000. (in brizvagas anyway). It seems to me the dearer a new one gets is proportional to how much a second hand one goes up in price.