Land Rover Defender 90 - After 6 months is it staying ?

Summary

In this video, the host reflects on his 6-month experience with the Land Rover Defender 90 75th Anniversary Edition. He discusses the vehicle's standout features, including its powerful diesel engine and Adventure Pack, while also addressing minor issues like cleaning challenges and limited rear door access. Despite some drawbacks, he remains a fan, highlighting the Defender's reliability and comfort on long journeys. The host also notes the car's current market value, making it an increasingly attractive option.

Takeaways

• 🚗 The Land Rover Defender 90 75th Anniversary Edition has been a beloved car for the owner after 6 months of use.
• 🌟 The standout feature of the car is its D300 straight 6 3L turbocharged Diesel engine, which is described as silky smooth and powerful.
• 🎨 The Grasmere green metallic paint and color-coded wheels are a point of debate, but the owner loves the car's appearance.
• 🧼 Cleaning the car, especially the pan roof, can be challenging due to its size.
• 🏞️ The Adventure Pack, including the roof rack and side appendages, is loved for its aesthetics but noted for creating road noise.
• 🚪 The lack of rear doors on the 90 model has become a point of inconvenience for the owner over time.
• 📦 Despite having less boot space compared to the 110 or 130 models, the 90's boot space has been sufficient for the owner's needs.
• 🚙 The car's height and width can pose challenges when entering underground car parks or fitting into standard parking spaces.
• 🛣️ The Defender offers a comfortable and secure driving experience, even on bad road conditions.
• 🌐 The start-stop function can be aggressive, and the car can be loud at highway speeds, especially with the roof rack installed.
• 💰 The car has remained reliable with no mechanical issues, and the market has made it more affordable over time.

Q & A

How long has the presenter had the Land Rover Defender 90 75th anniversary edition?

The presenter has had the Land Rover Defender 90 75th anniversary edition for 6 months.

What is the presenter's opinion on the car's exterior design?

The presenter absolutely loves the exterior design of the car, particularly the Grasmere green metallic paint and the color-coded wheels.

What engine does the Land Rover Defender 90 have?

The Land Rover Defender 90 is equipped with a D300 straight 6 3L turbocharged Diesel engine with 300 horsepower.

What is the presenter's view on diesel engines in the context of this car?

The presenter loves the diesel engine, praising its smoothness, power, and performance, despite acknowledging that diesels are not as popular as they once were.

What is the Adventure Pack and why does the presenter like it?

The Adventure Pack includes a roof rack, gear carrier, and ladder. The presenter likes it because it enhances the car's appearance, making it look more extreme and cool.

Why does the presenter consider side steps a must-have for the Defender 90?

The presenter considers side steps essential because they make ingress and egress easier due to the car's height and contribute to the car's overall aesthetic.

What is the impact of the car's height on its usability?

The car's height can be a problem when entering underground car parks with height restrictions, as the car is just over 1.93 meters tall with the roof rack.

Why does the presenter sometimes wish for a set of rear doors on the Defender 90?

The presenter wishes for rear doors because accessing the back seats is cumbersome, requiring the front seat to be moved forward and then climbing into the back.

How does the car perform in terms of fuel efficiency?

The car's fuel efficiency is around 26 miles to the gallon, which the presenter considers reasonable given that much of the driving has been short journeys where diesels are less efficient.

What are the presenter's thoughts on the car's driving dynamics?

The presenter loves driving the Defender 90, finding it secure, comfortable, and capable on both short and long journeys, especially given the current poor road conditions in the UK.

What minor issues has the presenter experienced with the car?

The presenter has experienced a slightly aggressive start-stop function, wind noise at motorway speeds, and a slow puncture, but no major mechanical issues.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Initial Impressions and Love for the Defender 90

The speaker begins by expressing their enduring love for the Land Rover Defender 90, 975th anniversary edition, after using it for six months. They recount their initial excitement upon receiving the car and their positive experience from a previous long-term test drive in a Defender 110. The speaker emphasizes the car's visual appeal, engine performance, and the Adventure Pack, which includes a roof rack and side appendages. They also mention the car's size, which makes cleaning and parking a bit challenging, but overall, they adore the car's looks and features.

05:00

🛣️ The Importance of Side Steps and Practicality Concerns

The speaker discusses the necessity of side steps for ease of entry and exit, especially with the car's height. They also touch upon the Adventure Pack's impact on the car's height and the subsequent challenges with entering underground car parks due to height restrictions. The speaker highlights the maneuverability of the Defender 90 compared to its longer siblings, the 110 and 130, but notes the need for larger parking spaces due to its width. They also express surprise at the number of instances where they wished for rear doors on the three-door 90, despite initially believing it would be sufficient for their needs.

10:03

🐾 Boot Space and Pet Compatibility

The speaker praises the boot space of the Defender 90, noting that despite its smaller size compared to the 110 or 130, it has been adequate for their needs, particularly for their dogs. They mention the ease of expanding the space by folding down the rear seats. The speaker also shares their positive experience driving the Defender, highlighting its robustness, comfort, and capability in various road conditions, including poor UK road conditions with many potholes and floods.

15:05

🚦 Start-Stop Annoyances and Diesel Efficiency

The speaker addresses minor annoyances with the car, such as the aggressive start-stop system that requires a significant throttle input to reengage, which they find bothersome in slow-moving traffic. They also comment on the wind noise created by the roof rack and side appendages at higher speeds, which they do not mind but acknowledge could be an issue for some. The speaker discusses the car's diesel engine, its efficiency, and their surprise at the low consumption of AdBlue, an additive required for emissions compliance. They conclude by reiterating their love for the car, despite a few minor issues, and mention the car's reliability, having had no mechanical problems during their six-month ownership.

Keywords

💡Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender is a British four-wheel drive off-road vehicle, known for its ruggedness and utility. In the video, the presenter discusses their experience with the Defender 90, a specific model variant, highlighting its features and performance over a six-month period.

💡90th Anniversary Edition

This refers to a special edition of the Land Rover Defender, celebrating the 90th anniversary of the brand. The video mentions this edition as the car being reviewed, which comes with unique features and possibly exclusive cosmetic enhancements.

💡Diesel Engine

A diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine that uses diesel fuel. The video talks positively about the Defender's D300 straight-six 3L turbocharged diesel engine, praising its smooth operation, power, and efficiency.

💡Adventure Pack

The Adventure Pack refers to a set of optional accessories designed to enhance the off-road capability and appearance of the vehicle. The script mentions the Adventure Pack in the context of the roof rack, gear carrier, and ladder, which the presenter appreciates for their aesthetic and functional value.

💡Side Steps

Side steps are exterior additions to vehicles that provide a step for easier entry and exit. The video emphasizes the necessity of side steps on the Defender due to its height, making them a practical feature for accessibility.

💡Efficiency

In the context of the video, efficiency refers to the car's fuel economy and performance. The presenter discusses the Defender's efficiency, noting that while diesel engines may not be the most efficient for short journeys, they perform well over longer distances.

💡Rear Seat Access

Rear seat access pertains to the ease of getting into the back seats of the vehicle. The script describes the process of accessing the rear seats in the Defender 90 as somewhat cumbersome due to the lack of rear doors, which was a surprising inconvenience for the presenter.

💡Boot Space

Boot space refers to the storage capacity at the rear of the vehicle. The video script mentions that despite being smaller compared to other variants, the Defender 90's boot space has been sufficient for the presenter's needs, except when needing to accommodate both dogs and suitcases.

💡Start-Stop Function

The start-stop function is a fuel-saving technology that automatically turns off the engine when the vehicle is idle, such as at a traffic light. The presenter finds this feature aggressive in the Defender, as it requires a significant throttle input to restart, which can be bothersome in certain driving conditions.

💡AdBlue

AdBlue is a brand of diesel exhaust fluid used in diesel vehicles to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The script mentions the presenter's experience with AdBlue in the Defender, noting that it doesn't seem to consume it as frequently as other diesel vehicles they've driven.

💡Reliability

Reliability, in this context, refers to the dependability and consistency of the vehicle's performance over time. The video script addresses common concerns about Land Rover's reliability but counters it with the presenter's positive experience of having no mechanical issues with the Defender over six months.

Highlights

The host expresses continued love for the Land Rover Defender 90 75th anniversary edition after 6 months of ownership.

The car's Grasmere green metallic paint and color-coded wheels are a point of debate, but the host personally loves the car's appearance.

The D300 straight 6 3L turbocharged Diesel engine is praised for its smoothness and performance.

The car's height of 1 M 93 (6'3) without the roof rack is noted, which can be a consideration for underground car parks.

The Adventure Pack, including the roof rack and side appendages, is loved for its aesthetics but noted for creating road noise.

Fixed side steps are deemed a necessity for easier ingress and egress due to the car's height.

The car's width and height can be challenging in tight parking spaces or underground car parks.

The three-door configuration is initially seen as suitable, but over time, the lack of rear doors becomes inconvenient.

Boot space is adequate for most needs, but rear seat access is compromised, making it difficult to load items when the rear seats are in use.

The car's driving dynamics are praised, offering a comfortable and secure driving experience, even on poor road conditions.

The diesel engine's efficiency is discussed, with the car achieving just under 26 miles to the gallon.

The start-stop function is criticized for being too aggressive, sometimes prompting the driver to turn it off.

Wind noise from the roof rack and side appendages is noticeable at higher speeds, particularly on the motorway.

The car's use of AdBlue is less frequent compared to other diesels, which is seen as a positive.

The car's price has become more affordable, with similar models now available for less than £70,000.

The host has had no mechanical problems with the car, contrary to common concerns about Land Rover reliability.

The host is excited about the upcoming replacement car for the Defender in the next few weeks.

Transcripts

hey guys and welcome to peted it is now

6 months since I took delivery of my

handy group long ter behind me the Epic

Land Rover Defender

975th anniversary edition I've already

done an update after 3 months but the

big question is after 6 months do I

still love it will it be staying or are

there things I've discovered that maybe

mean that's not the

case

[Music]

now if you've been following my journey

with this car I don't think it's a

massive secret that I absolutely adore

this car I've had some great cars from

hendy as long term as since I've been

working with them but when I got the

email to say I was going to get one of

these I was really really excited and so

was Tracy we actually spent time with

one of these about a year ago we took a

Defender 110 plug-in hybrid all the way

down to the south of France and then

back up through the Alps and I just fell

in love with the format of car but I was

intrigued to try out the 90 the shorter

wheelbase version so to be able to spend

so much time and do so many miles in

this car over the last 6 months has been

invaluable I think in my last update I

pretty much said this is the perfect car

for myself and Tracy for our lifestyle

the big question is is that still the

case

one of the really great things about

having long-term cars and by mean

long-term I mean more than a week or a

month or even three months to spend six

months with a car as your daily vehicle

you really do discover everything some

things take time to come out from behind

the woodwork some things take time to

present themselves first up just in

terms of what this car looks like it

gets so many uh comments and people

coming up and talking about it I know

the Grasmere green metallic paint and

the colorcoded wheels are a point of

debate personally I absolutely love the

way this car looks I wouldn't change it

at all maybe maybe um sort of dechroming

some of the the matte silver bits on the

front just would make it look a little

bit more mean but that's being super

picky I absolutely adore the way this

car looks so in this video I'm going to

give you the big positives the things

that I Absol Ely love about the car but

also some of the things that we've

discovered that that we're not so keen

on because there are some it's not just

all you know the best car in the world

wo look at me there are some things that

we've discovered and and we would like

to to kind of let you

know now then the first standout feature

of this car is under the Bonnet this

engine so this is the

D300 straight 6 3 l turbocharged Diesel

with 300 horsepower bucket loads of

torque it is Silky Smooth it's such a

beautiful engine and I know diesels

aren't cool anymore but actually with

the right particulate filters these are

still clean engines I did a video on why

we demonize diesels but this is the

standout feature of this car it gives

such a beautiful drive lots of power

lots of performance this car is way

quicker than you think it would be and

it's just so smooth and quiet and

effortless I haven't had the opportunity

to tow with this vehicle but I'm pretty

sure it would be amazing at that as well

so yeah first thing I absolutely adore

about this car is the fact it's a diesel

so I'm going to try and balance good

bits with interesting things we found

out why am I standing on the rear wheel

I hear you ask well this is pretty much

the only way you're going to get to to

clean the pan roof there is a ladder on

the other side which helps on that side

but this is a big car one thing I've

noticed is cleaning it and I did give it

a wash yesterday but we've had huge

amounts of floods near here loads of mud

and winter Grime on the roads and That's

Why th of the engine bay was horribly

dirty but it is a big old thing to keep

clean and if you I'm 6'3 and I struggle

so anyone shorter than me it's just

something to bear in mind next up

reasons I love this car have I mentioned

already how good I think it looks but

the bit I wanted to talk about was the

Adventure Pack so the roof rack the gear

carrier on the side and the ladder on

the other side this is a real bone of

contention clearly through the comments

I've had over the time I've had this

vehicle some of you are fans and some of

you really really are not and there's

very little in between personally I am a

huge fan I just I actually think that a

Defender without that that looks a bit

naked and a bit bare and I think the 90

because it's a shorter chunkier format

especially with the the appendages on

the side it just makes it look like a

more extreme cool vehicle and I

absolutely adore it when we go out

driving however we do need to have a

chat about any road noise that those

things create but I think from a looks

point of view

[Applause]

Mega

okay next thing when you're specking

your Defender we could debate whether

you go for the gear carrier ladder and

roof rack but one thing you absolutely

must go for are side steps now this

car's got the fixed side steps

interestingly the 11 I had last year had

the Deployable side steps which are

really cool they kind of tuck away and

just deploy when you open the door but

they really are something you need just

to make Ingress and egress easier I

think if they weren't there just getting

in and out of this car would be much

much more difficult I also think they

look really cool as well and coupled

with the Adventure Pack just set the car

off really nicely but side steps

absolute

must now I know I've just waxed lyrical

about the Adventure Pack the big roof

rack and everything however and it is a

big however something to bear in mind

that makes this vehicle quite tall

without it it's 1 M 93 or 6'3 tall and

that is something to bear in mind when

you need to go into an underground car

park something that we found out

literally just a couple of weeks ago we

were staying in London just before

Christmas and the hotel's car park had a

height limit at 1 M 95 and so it would

wouldn't go in there so then you've got

to then try and find somewhere that is

appropriate I'm not quite sure what the

height is with the roof rack but I'm

guessing just over 2 m you can drop the

car into an access mode which drops the

suspension down matt makes getting in

and out out of it much much easier but

there are some car pox where you just

need to be wary and that's a problem

that you would get with any really big

SUV I remember when we had our Discovery

3 I got caught out a couple of times

with that so something to bear in mind

it is quite tall it's also quite wide

now it will fit in a standard car park

space but it's just again something to

bear in mind having enough room to open

the doors and so on with it being the

shorter wheelbase Defender it's

maneuvering around car poox is way way

easier than the 110 or the 130 and it's

not that tricky but you just need to

make sure that you look for the bigger

car park spaces again that is an issue

with any big SUV um but yeah it is a

little bit wide and a little bit tall I

still love it

though now at collection day I talked

about the fact that this is a three-o

short wheelbase car and said that for

our lifestyle that was fine we didn't

need five doors we didn't need the rear

doors we could live with it and the

really interesting thing the longer

we've had the car the more instances

we've had where actually we've thought

God I wish we had a set of rear doors

because if you do want to get in the

back you open the door obviously you

then got a little button on the side of

the seat that you press and the seat

comes forward on an electric motor which

takes quite a long

time and then you flip the seat forward

and you clamber in the

back now when you're in the back there's

loads and loads of space but just

getting in and out is a bit of a pain

getting out especially takes a little

bit of technique side steps very useful

for this as well and

that that was a surprise to both of us I

think

much as we love the format of the 90 I

think on a day-to-day basis even if we

don't have people in the back as

passengers that often but just if you're

going shopping and we've got I know the

dogs are in the boot and we need to put

some shopping in the back or you've got

suitcases you need to Chuck in the back

it just becomes a bit more of a pain

only having three doors and that that

surprised us cuz we honestly thought

this was the perfect format but the

longer we've lived with the car the more

we've yearned for extra set of doors

it's a shame you can't get five doors

but with the short wheelbase cuz that

would be

perfect okay last up before we go out

for a drive is how have we got on with

boot space I've just talked about how

compromised the 90 is with the rear seat

access but it's also got a much smaller

boot than a 110 or a

130 but actually we found it to be

pretty much for most of the things we

need just fine and the most important

thing

is plenty of space for the

pups so these guys I mean we don't have

big dogs they fit in here perfectly it

is pretty small but if we need more

space we just drop this seat down and

use the back seats the biggest challenge

normally comes when we've got the dogs

in the back and we've got suitcases if

we're going away they need to go in the

back seats and I refer back to my

discussion we've just had about rear

seat access whereas if you had a big

boot that wouldn't be so much of a

problem but this for for for our life

with these two it's been absolutely

brilliant we love this car don't we so I

reckon we go out for a drive and talk to

you about the driving dynamics of the

car and also just a few of the things we

found out about doing long Journeys in

the car you to all right say hello to

the pedlers

no so out driving in the defender

I love driving this

car first up it gives you a sense of

security it's so

robust but it's also so comfortable and

it's not the kind of car you would

immediately think I know I'm going to do

a massively long journey in that and

it'll be amazing but it really is you

can do 2 3 4 hours in this car get out

the other end and feel fresh as a daisy

it's just such a nice place to be on a

journey short war

long and I have to say at the moment in

the UK our road conditions are so bad

there are so many

potholes um we've had a lot of heavy

rain lots of flooding lots of standing

water and this car just well as you'd

imagine it's built for off-road and that

comes quite handy when you're driving

onroad in the UK at the moment it really

has been a car that just hasn't been a

problem when you when you come around a

corner there's a A big flood or you hit

a pothole you don't panic like you might

do in a more sport oriented car with

lowprofile

tires and really expensive diamond cat

Alloys this thing just just munches it

and I think for me that's what makes it

such a great car to live with so to

drive it's an absolute pleasure I've

mentioned about the diesel engine just

being smooth and

Powerful that delivers a really great

Drive it's not the best car dynamically

obviously you're not going to go down a

B- Road for a blast on a Sunday morning

but it's a very very capable car it

dispatches miles brilliantly now in

terms of our long-term trip since we've

had the

car we're looking at just under 26 mil

to the gallon which I know doesn't sound

great however quite a lot of that has

been very short Journeys and one of the

challenges with the diesel is really you

want to be getting the car up to

temperature and that's when they become

more efficient they're not the best cars

on short Journeys I remember when we had

our Range Rover Sport one of the reasons

we actually got rid of that was it was

just killing us on lots of short

Journeys so that is the downside of the

diesel and maybe where actually the

plug-in hybrid variant of the defender

might be a better car to have because

the shorter Journeys we could either do

on pure EV or in hybrid running um

problem with the plug-in hybrid is on a

longer Journey it then struggles because

the battery pack isn't that big um and

you have to really manage the battery

quite well so yeah efficiency wise um I

think it's it's done it's done really

really

well and then the last thing big pothole

just there come down this road on

purpose because it's normally flooded

and it's normally full of massive

potholes one of the the final things

that I love about the drive of this car

or security is is an intangible thing

but it's that when Tracy is on her own

in this car when the weather's bad or

when it's dark or when it's cold or when

it's icy I don't worry about her I

almost feel like the car's looking after

her that she's going to be okay and that

that's a really great feeling to have

about a car I just feel this car is a

safe comforting secure place to do a

journey whatever the weather whatever

the road condition

I knew it there we go it's not really a

flood anymore this road was closed I

think a couple of weeks ago but yeah you

can just smash through floods don't

worry about potholes

[Music]

awesome

now there's one of the little things

that is annoying the start stop function

on this car is quite an aggressive one

so you come up to a stop and and the

engine cuts out but then you have to

give the throttle quite a squeeze to

fire the engine back up again and in

creeping traffic in town driving

sometimes I just think it's a little bit

too much and and I actually find myself

turning start stop off which I don't do

very often at all um so start stop is is

just a little bit too much um while

we're at um sort of you know National 60

speed the roof rack and side appendages

do make make quite a bit of wind noise I

don't personally mind it it's worse on a

Motorway clearly the faster you go the

louder it gets but I can imagine that

would be too much for some people I get

comments in videos sometimes people

asking what the tire noise is like or

what the wind noise is like or

commenting they say you know they can

hear it's too loud the the tire noise

we've got just Road or or more kind of

um if you like off-road oriented road

tires they're not full-blown mud or

off-road tires the tire noise isn't too

bad even though the tires have got lots

of tread on

them uh and the wind noise at Motorway

cruising speeds it is quite a loud car

inside and then the last thing I've

noticed um is it's a diesel which I've

mentioned already a number of times I

love the whole diesel thing and one of

the ways we now get diesels to be um

emissions compliant and particulate

compliant is we use add blue as an

additive in the car and next to the fuel

filler cap there's a little blue filler

cap where you put your ad blue in now I

haven't ran many cars with ad blue I had

the msrt Ford Ranger for 6 months and

that thing was addicted to ad blue I was

putting it in all the time this one I've

actually been a bit worried that it

might might be broken because it just

doesn't seem to use it at all um I

actually got given a massive great big

um container of AD Blue by one of my

neighbors who didn't have a diesel car

anymore and and I still I've still got

some left so that's quite a bonus but it

doesn't seem to use ad blue as much as

some other diesels that I have driven so

yeah there you go I tried to be as

balanced and as Fair as possible with

that one clearly the do I love the car

I'm on that side of the argument way

more than the things that annoy me would

prevent me from from buying one I would

if I was to buy one I think 110 would

probably be an option the other thing

that would have prevented me from buying

one when we first got the car was priced

these new were about

£86,000 the 75th Anniversary Edition is

effectively an HSE spec so it comes

fully loaded it's got all the toys but

the really interesting thing is there's

been a bit of a balancing of the car

market recently and I was on autot

Trader this morning and for a car of

this age and this mileage you can get

into one of these now for less than

70,000 quid 68 69,000 quid and that's

the 75th Anniversary one I'm sure if you

went for just an hsse trim uh and that

would allow you to get a different color

for those of you who don't like Grasmere

green they are starting to become a more

affordable option and I think that makes

them really really interesting so yeah

you never know there may well be a

defender in our lives at some point in

the future but this car goes back in a

few weeks time I don't know at the time

of filming this I don't know what its

replacement is going to be but I'm very

very excited to find out what it is but

I have loved my time with the defender

and last thing I should probably mention

I've had absolutely no mechanical

problems with this car at all um there

is a slight squeak in the rear seat

that's just because when the last time I

put it down after having it folded flat

I don't think I've quite clipped it in

properly and I've had a slow puncture

which was fixed by my made to southorn

tires it was just a small screw through

the middle of the tread pattern which

was easily fixable that's the only

issues I've had with the car and many

people have said oh yeah but the

reliability of Land Rover Is Not Great

be careful they break down all the time

you'll know your dealer intimately it's

not been the case in the 6 months I've

had this car it's been faultless and

also the Land Rovers I've had in the

past have been the same way but guys I

would love to know your final thoughts

of the defender 9070 anniversary edition

put it in the comments below um but I

hope you enjoyed that if you did give me

a thumbs up comments below are always

welcome and if you haven't done so

already please subscribe to peted for

plenty more content to come and I'll see

you on the next film there will be an

update of what's going to replace this

coming to the channel soon so stay tuned

but for now you take care guys drive

safe

a