Lol true. I had my share of 4 and 6 cyl cars, they make sense in many aspects but the joy is absent. I drove but didn't own a V12 merc and it was smooth as glass, not too much fun either but it puts a smile on your face when you realize steep long stretches of hills feel like flat tarmac due to the humongous torque it has at any speed.

The V8 in the defender intrigues me...

 

How long with the V8? Keeper?

 

Still have it . Got it in February. Part of buying it was I wanted a V8 before they don't make them anymore.

 

Having never owned a Land Rover before, I ordered a P400 3 years ago. I was skeptical of the reliability and if I would enjoy it for daily duties, but I thought they looked great so I gave it a shot.

To me the Defender is the perfect blend of luxury and off-road ...and to my surprise, 3 years later, I still absolutely love it. So much so, that I will probably just keep it even if I get something to replace it as my new daily driver.

As far as the engine choice ....I have some high performance cars that I enjoy on the weekends, and I have never thought that I needed the V8 in the Defender. I'm perfectly happy with the P400.

 

Yes, I would keep both. Test-drive both the Macan V6 and Defender V8.

 

I would agree 100%. I have fun performance cars for the weekend so the P400 is more than suffice for daily duties and road trips. Not to mention from a value perspective it makes a lot more sense; sure I wouldn't mind a V8 rumble but the much higher entry cost and fuel economy are detractors to me. I had a P400 already and I ordered a 26 P400.

 

Right with you both. P400 in sport mode has plenty of passing power and makes longer trips a joy. Can't find a reason to spend an extra $25K for 2 cylinders. I can make it from my house to Stowe, VT on one tank of gas with the I6 Defender with 1/4 tank to spare. Previous LR4 with a V8 would have the low fuel light on before I got to the Stowe exit ramp off 89. Also have a 26 P400 on order to replace our 2021 P400.

 

I have a 2024 Carpathian Edition and a 2019 E63 Wagon, along with other more fragile and less frequently driven sports cars which I work on more than I drive. For the past 9 years I have daily driven the 2014 and then 2019 E63 wagons, and before that, the Audi B7S4 (v8) and Volvo V70R. I have a thing for fast wagons. This past winter, as my '19 E63 was going up in milage, I realized that unless I went back to Audi, the options for twin turbo V8 wagons without a heavy and complex hybrid system were going to be non-existent in a couple years, In an effort to keep mileage and salt off the E63, I decided to go for a Defender for winter and more daily duties. I found a lightly used Carpathian edition back in March with CPO and added two additional years of coverage and have been very happy with it over the past 6 months of ownership. Below are some impressions and comparisons between the Defender and AMG as you consider your options.

The supercharged V8 is not neck-snapping fast like the AMG twin turbo, as you would probably expect from a supercharged engine vs. turbo variant; in the Defender, I find that engine profile totally fine. I do drive in dynamic mode 99% of the time, so between the more aggressive engine mapping and my heavy right foot, I get really bad gas mileage, but I smile a lot when I drive the Defender. I have added a resonated Miltek exhaust, and that has made the exhaust note pretty perfect, and well matched to the AMG performance exhaust in the E63. No drone, and can be loud when the valves are open, but modest when closed. I can't imagine daily driving the non-resonated version though.

Personally, coming from cars with either manual transmissions or paddle shift options, I appreciate the stock paddle shifting in the 525/Carpathian models, but believe with the GAP tool, you can add that option to the base P500 V8 and P400 models as well. The shifting is a lot slower than in the Merc 9 speed, but again, that suits the Defender fine in my opinion. I am currently running the 22's with stock continental all seasons, and ride quality on Maine roads is great, although my frame of reference is the 20" AMG wheels, so take that for what it's worth. I'm not an offroad guy, but planning to get a set of 20" wheels for snow tires this season and down the road will get some off-road tires for those wheels to allow for some light off-road exploring.

My main goal in getting this car was having something that was 7/10ths as fun as the E63, but with more comfort, and that I didn't get overly concerned hauling dirty kids/dogs or parking near other cars (the PPF is nice insurance). I considered the 90 Carpathian, and while the absurdity and quirkiness was appealing, I found its back seat and cargo area too small and impractical for my needs. The Defender has exceeded my expectations, and I find myself driving it more than the E63 in the summer, because it is so capable. My only gripes are the sometimes glitchy Pivi system and having already gone through two windshields due to chips and cracks.

Overall, I have no regrets getting the V8 Carpathian edition and would do it again in a second. The Octa is intriguing, but I can't justify that price premium, particularly while still owning the E63. Having had a lot of BMWs over the years, the long-term engine reliability would be a concern for me. I like having a tried-and-true v8 lump under the hood; the twin turbo BMW engine, while powerful and impressive, will certainly suffer from BMW post-warranty failures. Like the E63, I want to own this Defender for a long time - way past the warranty, so that does come into play for me.

Feel free to PM me for any specific questions you have. Good luck with your search!

 

Sounds like you need to trade your garden-variety L460 for an SVO and then get an Octa, which has the BMW motor. Life is short, right?

 

LOL...and you only live once!