No more Land Rover Defender?

[dlundblad]

This is news to me! Very sad to see this thing go even though they are few and far between in the United States. Europe seemed loaded with them, but here I have only seen 3. Two at a car auction and 1 at the local zoo in a landscaping display.

This would be the equivalent of Jeep no longer making the Wrangler IMO.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/say-bye-land-rover-defender-bows-out-with-three-final-editions/

The retro model looks sharp btw!

 

[daves87rs]

Still cool, even now....

 

[itguy08]

That's one gorgeous vehicle. Retro done right!

 

[KzMitch]

It's what the Toyota Land Cruiser should look like.

I'd have one in my driveway if only it had Toyota reliability.

 

[QuietPortage]

That's sad. I wish they'd import them new. I would take out a loan.

 

[Oro_O]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
That's one gorgeous vehicle. Retro done right!


It's not retro. It's the real deal. They just never changed it.

 

[Olas]

They don't need to keep producing it, millions and millions are out there since the late 40s / early 50s to the extent that the market is saturated and their value drops like a stone

But they are one of the most reliable and capable off road vehicles made and an incredible workhorse. The perfect tool for the job..

 

[crazyoildude]

i had one range rover that i bought brand new and it was the absolute last one i will ever look at. This was the big one fully loaded and when i got rid of it the person that bought it got a practically new vehicle because i replaced almost everything before 60,000 miles this was a total money pit. Very nice to look at but junk! When i sold it i refused to sell it to anyone that knows nothing about cars i sold it to my brothers partner when they had the transmission shop and he loved it for about 6 months then traded it in for a Ford

 

[lars11]

yeah, but the actual Land Rover is pretty sturdy (unlike the Range Rover's extra equipment) and it has almot no equipment at all that can break. They are all diesels here, and a list of extras could be:
Heat in coupe
Snorkel
Hitches
Hydraulic winch
Flip open windshield
I'm not even sure about airbags... maybe driver.

And you can bolt things on it yoursel if you like.

But like the wrangler, it never breaks down completely and it's never quite in perfect order either. It is supposed to squeak.
It's a fast tractor and a fashion statement for farmers, rafting and hot air ballon pepole, and of course the wannabes. But if you want the function, Nissan Patrol, Toyota Landcruiser and the jeeps does it just as well with one exeption: They are too wide for really moving around woody areas.

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted By: lars11


But like the wrangler, it never breaks down completely and it's never quite in perfect order either. It is supposed to squeak.



...and leak.

This sums it up. They do require a bit of fiddling but are solid on the whole and most of the the RoW diesels LR put in them are almost bulletproof...heck even the worst of them, the 2.5TD is OK if properly maintained. The NA spec are a bit more finicky and go for silly money.

Good comparison to the Wrangler, especially the TJ. Having owned and enjoyed a TJ, they seem identical in capabilities w/ the LR being a bit more civilized on road. My 90 (they weren't called Defenders until later) actually rides well even with the stock heavy duty springs.

Sad to see them go... Good amount of them showing up in the 'States if you want something different.

 

[wings&wheels]

...and fiddling w/ them is easy. Lots of room to work, easily removable panels let you get to the drivetrain, etc. Basically a big erector set. I like them, but I'm probably biased.

 

[antiqueshell]

Originally Posted By: Or
Originally Posted By: itguy08
That's one gorgeous vehicle. Retro done right!


It's not retro. It's the real deal. They just never changed it.

And unlike its poser son, the Range Rover, the Defender is
a very durable, and reliable vehicle, and it is easy to work on and the parts are not a fortune.