Hi, New guy from Miami FL here …

I am cross-shopping the defender 110 w/ explorer pack, most likely x-dynamic I6 fully loaded or X

vs:

• ranger raptor
• lexus GX 550 overtrail+

I love the defender the most (pedigree, versatility and exterior / interiors are impressive) but I am a bit concerned with LR reliability since I would like to run my next vehicle for at least 10 years. For context, I am currently driving a bmw X3 i6 that has been absolutely flawless (not even a check engine, electrical issue or broken button once) for 9 1/2 years but I am moving from Miami to Tennessee and would like a tougher / more versatile vehicle. I have read the tracking issues thread and many of these entries are insane, which is making me to rethink my plans and also compelled me to ask here for your honest opinions.

About the other vehicles, The GX’s powertrain is great & bulletproof imo but I am not totally sold on its exterior/interior styles. As for the ranger raptor, I like it a lot, also has an excellent powertrain and it is considerably cheaper than other 2, but I like SUVs slightly better than trucks.

Do you have any advice for me?

If I went the defender route, what could be the wait times and dealers markup at the moment for custom orders in South Florida?

cheers,

ps: maybe one good option for extended warranty is geico mechanical breakdown, valid for 7y/72k miles and covers mostly everything for a very reasonable premium

 

l've had no issues whatsoever with my 2022 Defender, it's in use all day every day for my business.

I think that (much like the new lneos Grenadier) there were issues with the early Defenders but they've got better over time.

 

A good service manager relationship and an extended warranty would get you a long ways into that 10 year plan. Personally I've never been back to the dealer for anything since I bought mine. It's been flawless.
Lexus is nice, but has no soul. Built from a powerpoint presentation and a checklist. The Raptor is just obtuse. I'm sure there are people that like that style, it's not for me.

 

2023.5 Defender Carpathian. The only issue to date has been the rear door seal sticky issue which is currently being addressed. 16,000 miles in 5 months and it's been flawless. Rides on road and off road like a dream

 

I have an early build 2020 and it has all the suspect a pillar, both headlights, a odd coolant leak, software resets needed, etc.

everything is fine now.

There’s almost 4 years of repairs and known issues catalogued on here which is super helpful now to minimize any down time and costs.

LRs aren’t blowing up on the side of the road, so reliability in my opinion is good. After only having Toyotas for 20 years it’s been a new experience moving to LR. But I’m super happy with it and understand I’m probably spending $1-3k a year on little things to keep it 100%.

If you’re proactive and take interests in maintaining your vehicles, then LR is manageable.

If you are the type of person who only keeps up with taking it in for oil changes (or less) and never pops the hood in between…then run once the warranty is up.

 

I too came out of an I6 X3 that was absolutely bullet proof for 12 years. My advice is to get what you want, what tugs at your heart the most. Before the X3 I had a 2009 LR3 which I loved. I knew I had to have a Defender. Ordered in February '23 and it was in my garage on June 2nd. Purchased at MSRP in the Boston area. D90 P300, Tasman with white roof and Khaki leather, no sunroof, air suspension, 20" wheels, tow hitch receiver, classic mud flaps, standard LEDs and analogue gauges. As a low mileage driver, my intent is to keep the vehicle for a very long time. I know what the maintenance costs are. Any modern highly computerized vehicle comes with the risk of malfunction. So far I love the Defender, drives like a dream. Good luck!

 

You should get whatever you want the most. I wouldn't go off reliability charts. Prior to buying the Defender, I've had an Mercedes AMG E63S and a BMW X6M, both with loads of issues over the course of 3 years. I've had my Defender now for almost a year and zero issues other than an odd smell that according to my dealer is not a coolant leak.

 

is the smell rotten eggs?

 

No .. it's hard to describe. It does smell somewhat sweet/floral. But also chemical / rubbery. Dealer told me it could be burn off since the car is fairly new and I just moved to a colder climate and am using the heater for the first time. They replaced the cabin air filters after pressure testing the system.

 

oh wow, that's a new one. I've never heard of sweet/floral before in LR...rotten egg smell was usually cats overcooked or O2 sensors IIRC.