Friend of mine is a Land Rover tech. I would never, ever, own one out of warranty. The used prices on them reflects is. As soon as they are past warranty, they are the price of a Corolla, with good reason.
Will new Land Rover Defender hold its value?
- Thread starter avacado11
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Yup....80-90k is about the sweet sport for reliability (or decline thereof) and resale value. That said, the new ones are pretty good until then.
Yes the bolt on everything made it easy to assemble and also export in knock down kits. They were very cheap to make in their day and easy to modify, look at the santana spanish built rovers if you wanna see all the crazy stuff they did with them.
I had a first gen range rover and worked on some older series trucks. The wrangler is just a better platform because of the easy path to real axles and gigantic tires without blood sweat and tears.
Not a chance, JLR as a brand is all about having new things these things will depreciate faster than a BMW 7 Series and be less reliable. I have several friends with even newer JLR products both leased and owned. It’s shocking how many issues they have with 3 year old cars, dealer service isn’t great either, JLR doesn’t get the American flat rate model and seems to not pay much in diagnostic work so dealers just shotgun parts at complex issues and you’ve got to bring your 80,000 dollar depreciation rocket ship back and forth to the dealer a bunch. The defender re-design IMO is a clear message of where the brand wants to be and it’s far from their heritage. Look to the Bronco and the Grenadier to hold value better than these things. Andrew St Pierre White said it best when he alluded that the new defender was just a downscale replacement for the Discovery as the Discovery went up market and JLR needed something to replace it for those who didn’t want to go Velar or Disco Sport/Evoque.
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Just test drove the new Defender, pretty impressive. Even my Wife was surprised that she actually liked it. LR did an exceptionally job at ride quality, NVH and handling given the vehicle's capabilities. Also, the tech isn't overwhelming which I like; I'm a steam gauge guy. The ergonomics fit and it has the typical LR high seating and visibility. By comparison we also drove an MB GLS and felt like I was sitting in a hole with a very high hoodline.
I really like that the Defender cargo area is rubber lined and designed so that bulky cargo doesn't damage the seating area. Several of the vehicles we looked at have arm rests and cupholders protruding from the side with the 3rd or even 2nd row folded, just asking for damage.
I'm considering one. Reliability?? My previous and current RR's all had some minor issues early on, but past that they were and current one still is fine. Are they Honda/Toyotas? Heck no, but I know that.
Will they hold their value? Define hold value... I'd put them in the same value retention category as a recent Wrangler; relatively low volume sellers with a dedicated following and a corresponding flatter than average depreciation curve. The dealership also delivered two and sold one in just the time we were there, granted this area is a bit of a hotspot for them.
I really like that the Defender cargo area is rubber lined and designed so that bulky cargo doesn't damage the seating area. Several of the vehicles we looked at have arm rests and cupholders protruding from the side with the 3rd or even 2nd row folded, just asking for damage.
I'm considering one. Reliability?? My previous and current RR's all had some minor issues early on, but past that they were and current one still is fine. Are they Honda/Toyotas? Heck no, but I know that.
Will they hold their value? Define hold value... I'd put them in the same value retention category as a recent Wrangler; relatively low volume sellers with a dedicated following and a corresponding flatter than average depreciation curve. The dealership also delivered two and sold one in just the time we were there, granted this area is a bit of a hotspot for them.
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not happening. period
Low volume? Jeep sells 250k Wranglers a year and they are just about the best vehicle on earth for resale value
Compared to what id consider mass market cars, i.e..Camry ~340K/yr, etc. I actually didn't think they sold that many Wranglers, thx. Thinking the FJ Cruiser would probably be a better example for comparison, but I don't have much experience w/ those and we are starting to look for a Wrangler for the Offspring so I've looked at a lot of them as of late.
Yes Wranglers do have a great resale value, I am not sure why it is so good, and I say that as a fan, past and probably future owner.
I expect the Defender will have a better than average resale value based on niche and numbers. The rest of LR's line are very nice, especially the RR's, but not especially distinctive...nor are most other cars out there. Yet certain non exotic cars, Wrangler, S2000 and FJ are three off the top of my head and I am sure there are others, do seem to have flatter depreciation curves. I think the Def could be in that category; it is different, a 'lifestyle' brand (hate the term but appreciate the marketing and branding behind it) capable and useable. Time will tell.
All that said, of the SUV's I've looked at recently, it made me grin the most.
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Have you tried a Mercedes G wagon yet? Those also really hold their value. The GLS drops like rock just like the S class.
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Yeah, I think that's the case with most of the G SUV's actually. When I was looking at AMG's I was surprised at how much they dropped.
I am just not a fan of the new G Wagon's.....bit over the top for me.
Now a mid 80's un molested or 'improved' diesel G would fit nicely in the fleet!
Someday.pic from Hemmings
Did you drive the GLS? Curious as to your opinion. I was disappointed at the experience, the steering had almost no feel at all...like turning a rheostat. Also, the hood line is very high, I don't like the sitting in a hole feel. Don't get me wrong, very nice vehicle, but a bit numb.
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I was looking at the GLC and the GLE. The one I had some seat time in was the GLE63 AMG. It surprisingly didn't have a heated wheel, which was odd, because that's not included in the "Sport" package. I didn't find it any more upscale than the Jeep I was driving at the time, though the hand-built twin-turbo V8 definitely had some appeal! So I didn't end up pursuing it very far.
Depending on the year, I think Mercedes now has electronic steering, would explain the steering. I would think if you feel like it's in a hole, you could raise the seat unless you're real tall and hit the roof.
Heated wheel is usually an option. Lots of base model cars get sold with minimal option packages. If you load them up, you can add 10-20k to the list price. Those don't sell so the dealers don't really order too many loaded ones.
I had raised the seat, but the hoodline is high compared to the cabin, at least in comparison to my RR. The MB has more rake to the windscreen. It is not a big deal, more of a getting used to issue, but I do prefer the high seating position and visibility in some SUV's.
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The "Sport" setup, which included this wheel, was an option amusingly, the vehicle was loaded up quite well. The heated wheel was standard equipment, but deleted if you got this add-on.
At 100K, a well equipped one seems small and impractical for for the Kroger parking lot wars and soccer field mud puddles...where the vast majority of them will be spotted.
Here in the People's Republic of Virginia, we pay personal property tax on vehicles, the rate varies county by county but even the less expensive counties are 3.5% annually and the more expensive ones are 5%.
Here in the People's Republic of Virginia, we pay personal property tax on vehicles, the rate varies county by county but even the less expensive counties are 3.5% annually and the more expensive ones are 5%.
The “Land Loser” will hold its value far longer than anything else mentioned so far. Even if not up to your standardsThere isn't any "luxury class" in a Toyota SUV unless you buy a Land Loser and that is severely outdated.
A moving target.lol.....
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