Thinking about buying a used 2023 Defender 90s 4 cylinder but I live about a hour and a half away from the nearest dealership. Is that a bad idea? Anything else I should know? Thank you for the help

 

Anything under 2 years old is most likely not even a lease turn-in so I'd be asking why and/or what the backstory is to it. Better yet to cut through the potential BS if you can afford a 2023 buy new,

 

I'd pursue a 2024 just for the folding bottom to the back seats.

 

I really can’t afford a new one unfortunately but this one has only 7’000 miles and a clean carfax 🤷‍♂️ maybe I should stick with my Jeep

 

I've heard of a few people at my dealership that bought a 90 but decided it was too small and traded up to a 110. I'd be more concerned about the fact that you're 1.5 hours away from a dealership in case you need service.

 

Very good points. I was one who regretted not getting the 110, my youngest son had to get into the back of my 90 repeatedly on weekends and it was very awkward to get back there. Gets old quick, even though once you're back there it's quite roomy but the trouble is you're essentially climbing through a 'porthole' to get in there. Not good IMO, but, for the right person who has a third passenger very rarely it's going to be fine. I kicked around the idea of trading it for a 110 but too many things kept going wrong with it so I eventually lost my zeal for that idea.

The dealership distance I agree 100% there too. Not even an option for me if I were that far away. I was about a 25 minute drive and it still got old really quick. I can't imagine being a 90 minute drive one way, then needing a loaner while they wait for parts to come in etc. Wouldn't consider buying one of these at all being that far away.. really anything that far away is a deterrent for me but most definitely not this vehicle.

 

Love my D90

 

I have a 2023 D90x and a D110x and live about 1:45 hr from dealer. Dealer has free removal to shop if necessary. So far absolutely no issue. I enjoy the D90 more when I drive alone on errands, bumping around, etc. In a family situation the D110 is more convenient. You’ll enjoy the 90.

 

I have a 2-door 2014 Jeep and a D110. I’ve had the back seat removed (and sold) from my Jeep since the 2nd day of ownership. The D90 is a better climb-in back there than the Wrangler, and a much better place to be once you’re there, but it’s still a pain. I’m going to assume that your question, though, isn’t about the “90” part of the LR you’re considering, but about the Land Rover part.

I’m fortunate to have a dealer who’s only a long walk away from my house. I’ve had my truck 3 years/39,000 miles next month, and I’ve been back to the dealer 3 times, all for cracked windshield replacement. What maintenance that I haven’t done myself I’ve taken to an Indy who’s about the same distance (in a different direction) as the dealer.

Having owned the Jeep 10 years this month I can say I probably had 10 times as much trouble out of it in the first 3 years as the LR, including a complete new engine at 15,000 miles. Actually, mathematically I had an infinite amount more trouble with the Jeep, since the LR has given me zero trouble that was its fault (the 3 windshields were all from things hitting it, including a large tree branch while parked).

I know this is a bit of a statistical anomaly, but there you go.

 

I have been driving a 2022 d90 4 cylinder since new and have put 82,000 mi on it. I believe it is the most reliable new Defender version you can get. As we do with our stage builds, get as few extra options from the manufacturer as possible. This mitigates the need to go to the dealership as much as possible. My 90 is a base model on coil springs. I have only visited the dealership one time, and that was in Texas because I broke an axle off-road. And that was my fault. And I had to pay out of pocket. I had a belt tensioner start to make noise, but I decided to pay and replace that. I have a dealership very close to me, but it does not have a great reputation and I prefer to support independent shops like mine Even if there is new vehicle warranty. I would find out if you have a good independent near you that would be willing to work on your vehicle if need be. I do a lot of preventative maintenance including items that are claimed to be lifetime fluid services. I believe that preventative maintenance will minimize the likelihood of failures. I know there will be people that disagree with how I spec my vehicles, but I have proven that this recipe makes sense to a lot of folks who want a new Defender, but want to minimize the potential for failure.