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Shiftingsideways

Member Since: 09 Oct 2018
Location: Essex
Posts: 8

2009 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 CSW Stornoway Grey

JLR Extended test drive

Just had the D240 S for an extended test drive this morning and we loved it. I signed up as soon as I saw the JLR promotion and was contacted by my local dealer to confirm details and arrange insurance, they have had quite a few no shows. On the day I was asked if I would like them to provide some figures and I politely said not at this time and that was the only talk about sales before and after.

I had a choice of the D240 or P300 and then signed the insurance form, £500 excess. The salesman asked me if I wanted him to show me how it all worked or if I just wanted to take it and work it out for myself, I asked some basic questions about the handbrake and was then on my way. By now 20mins or so of my 3 hrs were used up but I returned it early so it didn't really matter. The car had over half a tank of fuel but not the disposable seat covers and didn't looked like it had been disinfected inside as per their own website but we would have wiped down all the touch points anyway.

I'm coming from a 2009 CSW 90 and then a Gen 4 Jimny which I've had for nearly a year and never driven a car with air suspension. We still get a fair bit of interest in the Jimny but there was far more gawping at this beast, black with the Explorer Pack. Got to say that the cabin was very well insulated from sound even over nasty concrete sections of the A12 but we could hear the wind noise made by the rack and wouldn't have one unless absolutely going to be used a lot and i also thought that the box on the side obscured my view considerably.

The engine and gearbox did what was needed without fuss and again sound insulation mean't that not much of the engine was heard however I did find that there was a slight lag from standstill pulling out at a junction and then a surge forward because I'd pressed harder but I put that down to my inexperience with this machine and something an owner would learn. Indicated mpg was 27.2 when we picked it up and was 28.0 when we returned it after a variety of driving styles.

I found the drivers seat really comfortable(5' 11" and a wide load!) and was able to have my legs wide open when on the cruise control but my wife did comment that she could do with more of a shaped seat for her(slim 5' 6"), space in the back was more than enough for anyone over 6' and then we opened up the back door and was truly amazed at how much space there was available, the car didn't feel that big to drive.

Tech was there but it didn't feel too much and was accessible from buttons, I personally loved the white/grey/black satnav screen but did sometimes have trouble quickly attaining the speed I was going but this would again come with time. The S spec seemed to offer everything we would want except perhaps adaptive cruise control and the camera rearview mirror, it is really hard to see a small car that is close as the spare wheel obscures a lot. The 360 camera is a great thing to show someone but I'm not sure how much it would be used day to day.

Road manners were more than acceptable, there's a wafting experience which doesn't induce sickness, some roll in corners but its a big, tall and heavy car. On the motorway it was faultless, plenty of power to keep with the flow, low road noise from the worst of roads around here, very stable at speeds around 70 and beyond.

I returned it early to the dealership as we had gone through all of our test scenarios and it had passed and he presented a plastic bag for the keys to be put in, asked how it had been and that was it, i was away in the Jimny within minutes, thats the shortest I have ever spent in a dealership!

We currently have a 2018 Golf GTI and the 2019 Jimny and we are just retired, very late 50's and probably only need 1 car. Pre CV we had planned to see more of the UK by car and that is still the plan and I can see how this car would be a great place to do it from but can’t help wondering how it compares to a D4 or 5, RRS and Disco Sport or even the new Wrangler JLU!

We loved it and will be buying one when the pension allows us to.

The JLR promotion is ongoing to the end of August and I urge anyone with the time etc. to try one out, you might be surprised.

Andrew

10th Aug 2020 1:48pm

RRUK
Site Supporter

Member Since: 31 Mar 2010
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 2017

Thanks for taking the time to write all that up, most useful. I have my drive this weekend too. 2016 D4 HSE

1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF

1982 Series 3 SWB Petrol

12th Aug 2020 9:01am

Smilesapart

Member Since: 28 Sep 2013
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 735

I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Fingers crossed you’re able to get one very soon. Sold the Puma Defender and bought a brand new Pangea Green 2020 Defender D240 S with a few factory extras!

12th Aug 2020 9:18am

Shiftingsideways

Member Since: 09 Oct 2018
Location: Essex
Posts: 8

Cheers, with the way the Jimny prices are going I’ll be able to just swap it for one soon!!

As take up of the test drive offer has been low we are going to book the missus in for one as well as she has rather fallen for it, not something she has ever done that I can remember, including me.

Andrew

12th Aug 2020 9:57am

markb110

Member Since: 22 May 2010
Location: Guildford
Posts: 2526

Just been inspired by your post and have just booked the test drive for the missus and I.

Just need to start a collection for the tip run of all the things that won’t fit into the 90 and won’t dare put into the back of the wife’s Velar........well a test is a test is a test.....

At least with Covid I won’t lose an hour driving away and back to the dealership through the normal Guildford weekend traffic..

12th Aug 2020 12:07pm

Tim in Scotland

Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3753

I would suggest that if test drives aren’t being taken up then you try asking for 6 hours or even a weekend test. When I test drove the Countryman PHEV it was supposed to be a two day test drive and I was able to have it for 4 days! It sold the car to me. The local Jaguar dealer would give me an accompanied 20 minutes in their iPace, however they did later invite me for a track and offroad day in one 3 months later (after I had purchased the Countryman), two circumstances I doubt any iPace owner would ever use their car for. The iPace was almost twice the price of the Mini and wasn’t exactly rushing off showroom floors at the time Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!

12th Aug 2020 12:31pm

adafish

Member Since: 30 Mar 2009
Location: atherstone
Posts: 1376

1984 Defender 110 300 Tdi DCPU Stornoway Grey

got mine next Friday Putting Dreams on Drives at JLR Solihull..

15th Aug 2020 1:15am

muddypaws

Member Since: 22 Jan 2013
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 122

2009 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black

Mine was yesterday.
Enjoyable, but I found the surge thing on the throttle very disconcerting.
My drive is uneven & cobbled. Crawling up it on low throttle, I stopped on a large cobble & the slight increase in throttle pressure to start again had me shooting forwards alarmingly.
Maybe with time I'd get used to it but it really put me off.
Overall, the vehicle felt very capable, quiet & reminded me of my previous Discovery 3 but its not for me, esp at £65K for the version I drove!

- oh & they get muddy too

Click image to enlarge Richard

Defender 90 SVX

15th Aug 2020 7:24am

seriesonenut

Member Since: 19 Nov 2014
Location: Essex
Posts: 1205

I had no idea this was on offer until I read it here. Mines booked for a couple of weeks. Thanks for the tip off

2010 XS USW
1957 Series One 88 diesel
1958 Series One 88 4x2

15th Aug 2020 8:32am

Tim in Scotland

Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3753

If I were in charge at LR Public Relations or Marketing/Sales I would have mailshotted every registered Land Rover Series and Defender keeper on the DVLA database and invited them to either an LRE full day or a full day on road width a new Defender. I know there are lots of people who consider that the new one should have been strangled at birth but no harm in inviting them to have a half day or a full day test drive to see what they might be missing, they don’t have to take up the offer.
To be honest a 3 hour drive isn’t a great deal of use to a potential buyer, a whole day is a bit outside the normal and JLR has an uphill climb convincing people just how capable the car is on and off road. Last Sunday I drove mine at “keeping up with the flow” speeds for 90 minutes on the M74, it was extremely quiet even on knobbly AT tyres, very comfortable and managed to achieve in excess of 31mpg at those speeds. I wouldn’t have dreamed of driving at those speeds in my TDi300, it would have been just to much torture and unsafe. Also have to mention the deep freezing a.c. In the new one, it is very efficient at cooling down the interior, as good as the HVAC system in the L322 FFRR was Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!

15th Aug 2020 8:38am

J77

Member Since: 04 Nov 2019
Location: Fife
Posts: 3259

For some reason dealers don’t seem to be advertising the test drives, again I read it on here somewhere, my dealer has yet to inform me of extended test drives. Now I notice as soon as you go on the LR website the 3hr test drive offer pops up.

15th Aug 2020 9:51am

discomog

Member Since: 09 May 2015
Location: Notts/Lincs Border
Posts: 2496

2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Santorini Black

I've purchased a total of two Defenders, a D3, a D4 and a DS in the past 15 years, all from the same dealer who also services my two current JLR vehicles. No one at the dealer has contacted me to ask me if I'm interested in trying out a new Defender. As mentioned above JLR are definitely missing a trick by not encouraging more JLR owners, past and present to test drive their latest "icon". Defender 90XS SW
Mini Countryman Cooper S
Morgan Plus 8

15th Aug 2020 10:05am

Pedro924

Member Since: 15 Dec 2018
Location: Swindon
Posts: 5

I think that under GDPR they have to have a positive opt-in for marketing communications otherwise, if they contact you, they are breaking the law.

15th Aug 2020 10:21am

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16931

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

They've never held back from sending me marketing rubbish in the past, including bumph about the new Defender, but nothing for months and nothing about test drives. The last mailshot was one inviting me to make an appointment to see a preproduction vehicle at my local dealer when the tour was on before they were generally on sale, nothing since.

Perhaps they monitor this forum and have correctly measured my interest!

15th Aug 2020 10:30am

AMBxx

Member Since: 24 Jul 2016
Location: York
Posts: 994

2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Orkney Grey

There's a full page advert in The Times today.

15th Aug 2020 11:00am

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