Clemmo wrote:

How do you get on with the switch gear?
The overheads in particular?

BrickBox wrote:

... It’s a Defender with more safety etc in my eyes.

blackwolf wrote:

Click image to enlarge

Another one joins the fold....

I picked this up just after Easter, it's a MY24 Trialmaster with the petrol engine (yes, petrol after all I said about it in the other thread ), and I have to say that after years of driving Defenders on a daily basis and for very high mileages it is a revelation.

Overall I have been very impressed so far, it is a wonderful place to be.

Initial observations:

- (Classic) Defender drivers don't wave to Grenadier drivers
- Grenadier drivers do wave to each other
- It is thirstier than the Defender (but it is an petrol automatic, so this is to be expected) but the fuel is cheaper
- The left leg thing really isn't an issue at all, at least not for me
- The second row seating is more spacious and infinitely more comfortable than in a double-cab Puma
- It appears to be very well engineered and very well assembled, a huge contrast to a Puma Defender
- It hasn't (yet) leaked any oil on to the ground, nor water into the interior

Being a MY24 vehicle it has minimal and very unintrusive driver assistance (a big plus in my view, and one of the reasons I chose this one). Since it is a Trialmaster it has the front and rear difflocks, second battery and full auxiliary wiring. It also has a full leather interior (with the most comfortable seats I have sat in anywhere, and not just in a vehicle) and the twin "Alpine windows" which would be sunroofs in normal parlance.

The only oddities I have encountered to date both concern the audio, namely it is not possible to turn the radio off completely (at least not without turning off half the dash board) which I find odd, although it seems to be normal on modern cars - if you don't want the radio you just have to turn the volume down completely. Additionally I haven't yet been able to make it play mp3 tracks from a USB in a particular and repeatable order, it is even more peculiar in this respect than most other Android-based systems (a USB stick which behaves perfectly predictably in the Defender is not remotely predictable in the Grenadier). Both these oddities are minor and more puzzles than problems.

Very nice.

I admit, I went and drove them again, this time at Biscester Motion a couple of weeks ago. Previously I'd driven the diesel on road, this time it was the petrol. And I was won over. I'd go for either really, but the petrol, despite being used for demo drives was returning over 20mpg. Which is more than good enough in my opinoin.

They had a diesel for the off road course, which was just under 20mpg.

They really are the definition of my ideal vehicle. They is only one issue..... I can't afford one

Hoping they'll drop another £10k really, either that or I need to come into some money.

Hope you enjoy yours, it looks great.

Clemmo wrote:

Blackwolf...

How do you get on with the switch gear?
The overheads in particular?

Ive looked..a lot..just cant quite get my head around it yet

Clemmo

diesel_jim wrote:

Nice. very nice.

Just needs a Husky and some 255 MT's

In due course one of the new Red Winches mounts may appear on the front, incorporating a receiver hitch. I've already put together a demountable rear winch, it would have been rude not to since the vehicle is prewired for one! .

The BFG KO3s were factory fit, one day they may become KM3s or similar, they're fine for now.