Why we’re running it: Can the Land Rover Defender’s breadth of appeal really cover everything from disaster zone to congestion charge zone?
Month 3 - Month 2 - Month 1 - Specs
Life with a Defender 90: Month 3
Off-roading in Wales and 1000 miles across France - 20 April 2022
You might recall that I introduced the Defender as the car that Matt Prior built, our esteemed editor-at-large getting himself all excited speccing it to perfection and then watching in (polite, restrained) frustration as production delays meant he had another car lined up.
I didn’t, and so it was that I became the lucky custodian of one of the most in-demand cars in the country. And sure enough, in demand it has been, the aforementioned Prior not unreasonably wasting little time in securing his position at the front of the queue. First up was a trip to Wales for some off-roading.
Says Prior: “It was light stuff, but what stood out was that it just wants to make life easy for you. Whereas the Jeep Wrangler or the Ford Bronco wants to involve you in the process, the Defender just takes care of it for you. From that point of view, I think it’s one of the most relaxing cars around to drive.”
Watch-outs? Just one of note: “It’s a bit wide for some country lanes but very square and easy to place, plus you don’t have to concentrate on grip levels and so on while off-roading. In terms of a working vehicle, I suspect there are few better or more chilled. So long as nobody lets the tyres down in the night.”
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Matt Prior ran a three door Land Cruiser as a long termer a couple of years ago: I'd be very interested to hear his views comparing that with this Defender 90.
The Land Cruiser was a lot cheaper... but as a short wheelbase off-roader it is conceptually similar. I seem to remember he thought it a pretty good long distance cruiser too.
Land Rover has taken an icon, the best of its kind, a vehicle without competition. Given it a generous make over with its premium brush and created what is, without doubt the most versatile, rugged, durable and capable vehicle of its kind. Premium to its core
History is littered with models from other manufacturers that have tried and failed to compete with the Defender, the Japanese tried for decades with the Hilux, yet failed, the Americans with Jeep simply stalled, the Hun with their ridiculous G- Wagon were simply knocked clean out from the iron fist that is Defender.
It has ruled for decades and will continue for decades to come to simply be the best, British and best!
Nice car. Shame it's about as British as an Ineos Grenadier.