What do use yours for & cutting costs...

Sorry, its another tedius thread from me...

I'm just sorta looking at the thread I put about how many miles you have on the clock and am looking at defenders for sale and many have low mileage. Obviously some folk only use them for off-roading and many on the market are fresh from councils etc so havent got many miles for that reason.

I usually do about 20k a year in miles as my folks live in Hull and my son an hours drive away. Am off back to uni in Hull for 3 months at the end of the year so that is another 200 mile a day journey 3 days a week. This would be my only car so am just checking that it would be the best move getting a Defender!

Do you guys use your Defenders for every day use or do you have seperate cars for fun and normal usage?

Also, As i would be doing a fair few miles in her, are there any ways in which you can lower fuel consumption etc?

Thanks

Ps Sorry for the post being a bit higgledy piggledy, I tend to babble

I do about 20K a year in mine and find it fine, but i get the fuel paid for for most of that and need the off-road capability (which i now use for fun a lot as well!) - if you get one with a TDi engine (post 1990 or retro fitted) you should clear 30mpg, but if all you want is a comfortable road car then you're way better off with a golf or something, as defenders aren't that!

Make sure you buy a good one first, bring someone who knows defenders with you when looking, if you buy a bad one it will be a money pit, after that do as much maintenance as possible yourself and keep on top of it (A stitch in time and all that) good luck

Thanks for that guys...

I'm not so bothered about comfort and luxury, more bothered about reliability etc so I need someone to go with me and look at some potential buys! Problem is I dont know anyone - arggghhh!!!!!:doh:

I could post links on here and you can see what you think before I go look? Teehee!

When i saw this on, I quite liked it:

Buy a used LAND ROVER DEFENDER Car - Auto Trader UK

The V reg one at the bottom...

...and these but they have 120k on the clock:

Buy a used LAND ROVER DEFENDER Car - Auto Trader UK

Both th R reg ones from Drakes on this page.

Where are all the cheaper ones!!!

if your doing tons of road miles i would buy a car mate. whats the point in dragging a defender around when you can pay half the price for a good car.

The girlfriend just bought a 1999 VW Golf GT TDI for £1950. It will return 45-55mpg and we will use it everywhere only using my defender to go abroad, offroad and for camping weekends.

The golf is renouned for being uber reliable... the defender isnt.

G

You cant pull 2 17hh horses with a golf, on a weekend we have 4 kids as well as me and the OH to drive about plus, to put it politely, they dont look as good.

Thanks for the input though

yu wana get the oss's to pull the land rover,it saves ya loads a diesel!

i use maine daily, im a uni student also.

Use it for carrying lodsa ****e around (PA's mainly) towing trailers, picking up cars for people, carrying my tools to help fix cars, and giving lifts to people. I do around 15-17K a year also.

Great fun, but don't be scared of getting your hands dirty!

jimbot90 said:

yu wana get the oss's to pull the land rover,it saves ya loads a diesel!

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Haha I recon they bloody could an all!!

On a serious note I know it may seem like an expensive option but its only like anything else in life - if you can manage to get what you want then why not!!

boydy1989 said:

i use maine daily, im a uni student also.

Use it for carrying lodsa ****e around (PA's mainly) towing trailers, picking up cars for people, carrying my tools to help fix cars, and giving lifts to people. I do around 15-17K a year also.

Great fun, but don't be scared of getting your hands dirty!

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Hehe I shovel sh*t every morning and evening and have 2 young kids - a bit of oil on my hands aint gonna break me out in a sweat!

My Espace is a bit of a workhorse for me at the moment and is great for all sorts of stuff like moving house etc and when i had a tow bar on my old car I used to travel all over with my caravan just me and the kiddy's. I imagine the Defender wil be the same except I will be able to get to work in the snow instead of getting stuck in my lil village!

I see you're in Ilkley. It may well prove useful if you nip to burley and visit Jake Wright Land Rovers. If you're heading out of Ilkley, turn right at the first roundabout into burley and they're along that road on the right. They'll be more than happy to let you take a few out for a test drive and they're not the pushy type either so they wont start trying to force you into sales. I know that he's a got a few excellent runners in at the moment which he classes as "bad examples" (purely because they have a few minor dints etc.) which might be just what you're after. Tell them Banana Man sent you!

pos said:

I see you're in Ilkley. It may well prove useful if you nip to burley and visit Jake Wright Land Rovers. If you're heading out of Ilkley, turn right at the first roundabout into burley and they're along that road on the right. They'll be more than happy to let you take a few out for a test drive and they're not the pushy type either so they wont start trying to force you into sales. I know that he's a got a few excellent runners in at the moment which he classes as "bad examples" (purely because they have a few minor dints etc.) which might be just what you're after. Tell them Banana Man sent you!

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Ok I will - I only live bordering Ben Rhydding which is next door to Burley. I will give em a ring on my way home... Will have a look on their webby too - thanks for that "bananaman" (I wont ask....)

You sound much like a very good friend of mine...

Towing with a landy is effortless normally.

Look outside of your immediate area for one too, i travelled a long way for mine! Buying private is also often a good way to get a better deal. IF, for some reason, you end up coming across this way (Wales) for one, then you will find lots of people to help you out!!

As for working on them, they are simple, everything is quite big so you get lots of space to work on stuff, and it all bolts together nice and simply.

Oh yeah, snow is no problem either.

Thanks for that, it helped a lot!

I have alreaedy started looking further afield! If only I had 6k I have found a couple of beauties! Gutted!!!

My search continues....

Neighlass said:

Ok I will - I only live bordering Ben Rhydding which is next door to Burley. I will give em a ring on my way home... Will have a look on their webby too - thanks for that "bananaman" (I wont ask....)

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It's because I drive a bright yellow 90, not anything rude! But yeah they're worth a try. His prices are high but his mechanics will always tell you what they're really worth and he'll soon start knocking money off.

ere pos, when you comin over to wales to visit us?

Neighlass said:

This would be my only car so am just checking that it would be the best move getting a Defender!

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well you said this and that your doing 20k/year and didnt mention towing. wtf did you expect me to think?

G

I use mine every day and I love it, I don't think its uncomfortable, I like the noise, and I can bully other people ont road. Not used it for towing though because I've not got the license and I haven't ridden for about 6 months (trying to get 16.3 worth of pony around was enough hastle for me, I don't know how you manage with two big bastids!)

Griffdowg said:

well you said this and that your doing 20k/year and didnt mention towing. wtf did you expect me to think?

G

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Hey chill! Wasnt having a go, just letting you know more facts

In that case you want a 110 SW 200 or 300tdi

G