 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > Defender D350 (MY26) |
 
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3849  
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Like others I cannot get my head around the prices...not just Defenders.. all new cars !!
I have been on the configurater a few times and the 110 with the options I would like is North of £80K It just seems far too much for what it is and I guess what it will lose... A Porsche hybrid Caynee? was similar and the spec I had not going to lie looked way more car. I Have the old shape defedner still and then bought a second hand FFRR as well, as I was unsure on the new Defender. The FFRR each time we went to look at Defenders was so much nicer inside yet half the value? I can get 40mpg out of it on almost any run also... so I still look but have not committed. I guess most people buy cars now on a monthly basis, so the cost / depreciation doesn't matter. What can I get for £900 a month say.... a desent mortage in my day !! Its odd as I see vechicles outside houses with combine price of say £150K and the house is not worth much more... the modern way I guess spend what you have and don't worry about tommorow 
Anyway, we keep discussing it with the 'family' and I think the hybrid FFRR will suit us better, its 60 mile range is very useful as we have a fair bit of solar(wife has a P300e evoke and its great hardly ever put fuel in it) so we get the luxury of the FF with all the toys mainly as standard. I've seen these for late £70K's with 30,000 or less (this would have been £110K new. Some dealers offering 2 year warranty. I've still got my 'old' defender and the series to keep me entertained |
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10th Jul 2025 9:12am |
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| Eric Caterpillar Member Since: 17 Jun 2024 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 80 
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For what's it worth, my 2pence view.
I bought my D350 last year with a view to keep it till 2035, bought the servicing pack, planning on changing oil every other year and when the time comes will buy the extended warranty. That's provided nothing major goes wrong. As for driving it, it is my first taller, 4x4 type of a car and I'm really liking the experience. It is very comfortable, quiet ish up to 75mph, the diesel engine is inoffensive, but offers a lot of torque and revs out freely. Every drive is an experience. And the MY25 doesn't come with this intrusive "driver eye monitoring cameras". Now the dreadful issue of how expensive new cars are, I probably couldn't/wouldn't buy a new Defender at these prices. But as I'm planning to keep mine for 10 years the depreciation is not really an issue (at this moment). |
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10th Jul 2025 9:20am |
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| Crazymind Member Since: 11 Jun 2024 Location: Glasgow Posts: 288
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You’ll want to figure out what you really need and what you’re after. New cars are pricey — almost like having a mortgage — so whether it’s for fun or necessity, it’s going to cost.
The Defender isn’t just about the looks — if you use it properly, it’s a tough, capable machine that can handle serious work. Sure, many people just get one for the school run, which is a shame because the name and badge sometimes make people think the driver’s a show-off or worse! Used as intended, though, it’s a joy: it tows like a dream, stays comfy on long trips, and even fully loaded, you can get 600 miles on a tank at 70–80 mph. The off-road tyre noise is barely noticeable, the cabin is quiet, and the air suspension is really smooth — maybe not quite Range Rover level, but way better than any other true off-roader out there. The engine and gearbox are a great match — the six-cylinder has loads of torque and first gear makes towing effortless without needing low range. It’s expensive, but honestly, it’s worth it — except for the software updates, which Land Rover charges for as if they were hardware upgrades. If you start with a basic S trim and add software later, you can spec one nicely for around £66–67k, plus about £500 for upgrades afterward. Hope that helps! |
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10th Jul 2025 9:43am |
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| LandyMax Member Since: 10 Jan 2024 Location: Worcester Posts: 17 
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I'm on my second Defender, a D300 90 HT and have had no reliability issues with either. A few niggly noises but nothing compared to my 1968 2a. My current one is just over 12 months old and has done 30,000 miles. It's used extensively for towing, does a lot of motorway miles, took my daughter and I to Switzerland Skiing and gets used on Midland Rover Owners Club TYRO trials and it takes it all in it's stride.
I used my sisters Disco 4 a couple of weeks ago and found the handling was a very woolly and it seemed to have a lot less power. When she brought the Defender back she told me she loved driving it and that she enjoyed it better than her Disco 4 and D300 Velar. I do think however that the Disco 5 I had before it was more practical, comfier to drive, quieter at motorway speeds and a lot more economical. It was also super reliable. It just didn't look as cool as the Defender. As to costs, I'd suggest that 90% of cars are on finance or lease deals these days which has pushed the cost of all of them through the roof. |
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10th Jul 2025 9:52am |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3725 
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Borrowed a friends and it is agricultural at best on the road, and the fuel economy makes my D250 feel like a Prius!! I don’t know about parts in general, but the roof rack was 2.5k, making LR the cheap choice!! |
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11th Jul 2025 6:53am |
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| Skully Member Since: 10 Jun 2022 Location: uk Posts: 10 |
Thanks for the comparison, to be fair, every sensible bone in my body says "keep the Disco" but there's the annoying "but look at the new shiny toy" itch... |
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13th Jul 2025 5:04pm |
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| Skully Member Since: 10 Jun 2022 Location: uk Posts: 10 |
Thanks all!
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13th Jul 2025 5:10pm |
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| CincyRovers1 Member Since: 30 Nov 2023 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 134 
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If you're planning on keeping it that long, for the love of all things holy DO NOT change your oil every other year. Here in the US, the LR4 (D4) was sold with the NA version of the 5.0 V8, then the facelift got the supercharged V6. JLR recommended the oil be changed every 15k miles. Those who followed that interval were needing new timing chains between 70k-100k miles, at an average cost of about $8k for the repair. This goes for all of the early 5.0 engines regardless whether its in the LR4/D4; RR; RRS; XF; XK; and XJ, although they updated the chain guides in mid-2012, they still can go bad. The supercharged V6 are just as bad. Everyone on the forums who have changed their oil between 5k-7500k miles haven't had any timing chain problems. I had a 5.0 LR4 for ten years. bought it new in 2010, sold it in early 2021 with 95k miles, and no timing chain issues whatsoever, as I changed the oil every 5k. I also had a 2017 Discovery 5 with the supercharged V6 and did frequent oil changes and never had a problem. I've been doing a 5k interval on my Defender and many others are recommending going a maximum of 10k intervals. It just isn't worth it to wait that long and risk some catastrophic failure with the VVT or something else - better to be safe than sorry. 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏𝟎 𝐒 𝐏𝟑𝟎𝟎 (Pangea Green over Acorn/Lunar) 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒 (Dolomite Silver over Black/Bordeaux Red) 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐮𝐱𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝟔 (Aintree Green over Vintage Tan/Ebony) - Gone 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟏 𝐋𝐑𝟒 𝐇𝐒𝐄 𝟓.𝟎 (Ipanema Sand over Almond/Arabica) - Gone |
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14th Jul 2025 4:44pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3236
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As above.
l change the oil in mine every 6,000 miles. lt's cheaper than an engine and can't do any harm. |
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14th Jul 2025 4:55pm |
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| Eric Caterpillar Member Since: 17 Jun 2024 Location: West of Scotland Posts: 80
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Perhaps I wasn't clear enough, what I meant was since I have bought a service pack for my Defender as I'm planning to keep it for 10 years, I will be changing the oil and filters every year the car doesn't get the inclusive service. So if the first service if scheduled in 2026, I'll be changing the oil in August 2025, then again in 2027, etc regardless of any "manufacturer approved schedule".
Whilst I appreciate there are some people who have never had issues when sticking to an approved interval, I'm happy to pay extra and get the oil change done every 7-8k miles. |
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14th Jul 2025 6:19pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3236
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lt's probably the easiest vehicle to change the oil and filter, that l've ever owned.
lf you use a suction device to remove the old oil. |
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14th Jul 2025 7:41pm |
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| Crazymind Member Since: 11 Jun 2024 Location: Glasgow Posts: 288
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I have removed the aluminum under tray, cut a small opening to facilitate oil chamges without removing everything…
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15th Jul 2025 9:58am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3236
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Take care when removing the sump plug, as the oil comes out horizontally with some force, and will likely miss the container you put underneath.
ln doing so it will cover your arm with oil. |
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15th Jul 2025 5:01pm |
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| Crazymind Member Since: 11 Jun 2024 Location: Glasgow Posts: 288
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All sorted with a fumoto drain valve. Oil change has become a 10 minute job. Don’t even need ramps.
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15th Jul 2025 6:49pm |
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