BBC News - Owners lament loss of Land Rover Defender

 

The problem is they're lamenting the pre-td5 defender from ages ago. They say "It's the vehicle that can be patched up 'with string'," and that's simply not true of the current model and hasn't been for a long time. Also, they describe it as a big "meccano set." Again, that's describing Defenders/90's/110's from the 80's and earlier 90's but not for more than 15 years.

Anyone who really appreciates the virtues that are lauded in the Defender would prefer a 20 year old example to the current ones which have none of the original virtues save for the looks, which actually aren't that good compared to the Series, and you still get useless 2nd row seats, short windows, poor rear visibility, a lame cargo door, lousy door seals, poor acoustics and bad insulation. All of those problems can be solved without wiz-bang electronic complexity. But the current Defender is not just lacking simplicity. It's lacking.

 

I actually preferred the 30 year old model, there is nothing on it that is smarter than me.

 

Unfortunately in Europe, and the UK in particular, the diesel Landrover Defender and Series has been the workhorse of farmers and landowners for decades. I haven't a clue about what they are dreaming of in stopping the production but there are only the Japanese pickup trucks that can replace it and some are too 'plush' inside for farmers etc. The 80's and 90's were they hay day for the Defender and the early turbo and non turbo were the workhorses back then even the army and police used them. There is a new Landrover replacement I've seen pictures of which looks like a Skoda Yeti.

Résultats Google Recherche d'images correspondant à http://motoring.onthewight.com/files/2011/09/All-New_Defender_Concept.jpg

Résultats Google Recherche d'images correspondant à http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Skoda-Yeti-exterior-front.jpg

Hmmm a tad woosie eh.

 

A tad woosie.... It looks like a Honda crv

 

Ever noticed how a freelander looks kind of like a crv? The freelander was originally a joint project between Honda and land rover. They both bailed at some point, but I guess the looks stuck.

 

interesting...now that you mention it, yes. I was parked next to one yesterday. I mistakenly thought it was a honda. that is prolly why the crv reference was on my mind.