 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > Which would be better in the long run? |
 
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| BrickBox Member Since: 05 Oct 2021 Location: Wales Posts: 1099   
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What about a brand new imported 5 door Jimny
https://ebay.us/m/Fan4uQ 2017 5.0 V8 Supercharged RRS SVR 2008 2.4 110 Utility Station Wagon XS. |
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25th Sep 2025 8:45am |
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| DefenderCan Member Since: 25 Nov 2023 Location: Canada Posts: 45  
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To compare sub an LR for a Suzuki is like putting pineapple on pizza to me
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25th Sep 2025 9:00am |
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| Stacey007 Member Since: 25 Sep 2015 Location: Cheshire Posts: 3888 
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Hello
I have a Puma 110 TDci and have done for 10 years, I've upgraded a lot over this time and its fairly car like now for the extras... Heated seats, A/C, Cameras, Dab, Led lights, better washers, smaller steering wheel, leather etc. This was my daily for years (28 mile comute there and back on mainly A roads and B roads) Its great for this. We have also been all over the place in it, Many trips to Scotland, the NC 500, countless trips to the lakes amd even Europe. Over to Annecy a couple of times. Now we have a selection of cars, and If I'm honest if we go on a reasonable distance I take another car... If you have had one before then all good, you know what to expect, they will do 70 all day on the motorway, they are just NOT as relaxing as a modern car. The main thing also is safety. They don't have much if you end up in a roll, and I see our roads just getting busier.. I still use mine a fair bit, for the School runs, Work, building suppliers, collecting stuff and love driving it. Never left me stranded, and athough its used I do look after it. One thing I would have done 10 years ago it fit cruise control.... I use this a lot in other cars (some have the radar cruise) and do miss that. Your probably right the 'old' defender will probably not lose much compared, but they do require mainetenance to keep on top form, Rear cross member rusts, the front area round window frame. I would certainly if you can put it in a car port or garage, fit some bit that make t more comfortable and away you go... ooh and security.... 
Mine after a bath, Love the waves  and the fact you do 'drive' these and switch stuff on Ours will never go... the kids still remember all the camping trips and holiday in it, even the smell when you turn it on reminds them of places Its a keeper. Its nice to have a choice though
 Click image to enlarge |
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25th Sep 2025 10:28am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3474
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We've got a 2020 three door Jimny SZ5 and it's a fantastic little 4x4, like a smaller old type Defender really. lt's been totally reliable and is great fun to drive (l've been using it all week as my 2022 Defender broke down on Monday) But, it's just too small for my business needs. l looked at the 5-door and it's still too small. lt's also no good for towing our caravan, although it will just about do it. lt's a shame as l like the Jimny. £35,000 is quite a markup for that 5-door but it would hold its value, we paid £20,000 for ours five years ago and am currently being offered around £24,000 for it from dealers. l've just collected a 2014 110 TDCi XS Utility Wagon from a local dealer so l will run this until my 2022 Defender is repaired (no date given by LR) and then decide which one to keep. |
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27th Sep 2025 9:16am |
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| BrickBox Member Since: 05 Oct 2021 Location: Wales Posts: 1099
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 Glad you’ve pulled the trigger. Get some pictures up when you can, please 🙏 2017 5.0 V8 Supercharged RRS SVR
2008 2.4 110 Utility Station Wagon XS. |
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27th Sep 2025 10:55am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3474
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Here she is.
Click image to enlarge |
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28th Sep 2025 2:47pm |
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| Down & Dirty Member Since: 15 Sep 2023 Location: Somewhere outback Posts: 112
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Looking very
 26MY SE 90 in Woolstone green on order.
24MY HSE X-Dynamic 90 Carpathian Grey |
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28th Sep 2025 3:41pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3474
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The dealer Waxoyled it, but didn't do the best job. Fortunately l had asked for clear Waxoyl so it doesn't really matter.
As the underside is so good, l didn't want to cover it up. So far l've emptied three tins of XCP (a clear wax coating) into it, with a further two on order. All that really needs doing now is inside the windscreen frame, accessible with an extension probe. |
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29th Sep 2025 7:32pm |
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| Clemmo Member Since: 03 Aug 2012 Location: Mile Oak Posts: 1317 
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Looks lovely
I know the door hinges are “quality”…I do prefer them colour coded Sounds like you are settling into it. Clemmo |
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3rd Oct 2025 9:26pm |
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| Clemmo Member Since: 03 Aug 2012 Location: Mile Oak Posts: 1317
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I changed the bonnet badging on mine & replaced lower grille with stainless.
( it’s the badge for L663 Defender) Click image to enlarge Clemmo |
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3rd Oct 2025 9:31pm |
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| Huwcil Member Since: 08 Oct 2025 Location: Ceredigion, Wales Posts: 8
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Having lived with a Defender 110 for 22 years from 1984 onwards, I hung on to it for as long as possible in the vain hope that LR would give it a really substantial reworking, which didn’t happen until the trusty old bus was finally laid to rest. It was a farm truck and worked hard.
However, wild horses and the threat of torture would not drag me back to one of those late ’70’s dinosaurs today. I have a two year old LR90 and to say that is light years ahead of the classic ones is not going too far. Even the last ones with the 2.2 Ford engine lacked the build quality or the reliability, safety, refinement or comfort of anything half acceptable going into the second quarter of the 21st Century. Just the other week I helped to reinstall a repaired transfer box in exactly one of those, a 90 hard top, where the splines of the shaft between the main manual box and transfer box had stripped for the second time in less than 100k miles. It had also recently had both half shafts on its rear axle changed, on separate occasions, due to their splines and those of the wheel hubs also wearing and stripping. On all occasions drive was lost, totally when the transfer box drive failed but it could be driven home when the half shafts failed by engaging the diff lock and utilising front wheel drive. Let’s skirt around the nasty cramped cabin, the lack of roll over protection and the dismal crash safety performance of the things. They were great when I bought mine in the mid 1980’s but totally outclassed by year 2000. It is unfortunate that they left the update to the L663 so long but the absolutely amazing success of this new current model is testament to their late investment being right first time. As with any and every brand new design, there have been teething troubles, most markedly with the 2.0 diesel engine. If I was in a very early build L663 with the four cylinder engine, I would be a bit nervous and would try to upgrade to a 3.0 straight six diesel made after the second birthday of the model. On the other hand, plenty of them have done a fairly high mileage by now relatively trouble free and oil changes every 6000 to 10,000 miles help, rather than the frankly unsuitable 21,000 miles maximum recommended by Land Rover. Don’t let some romantic nostalgia turn your brain. he classic Land Rover Defender was and is outclassed in every way including reliability, safety and general usability by the L663. Early L663 can be spruced up and systems added to make it look like the very latest ones relatively economically using non-genuine panels, mudflaps, rear lights, spare wheel covers, side steps and extra reversing lights. All can also have adaptive cruise control added as well as a whole host of other features. They are just as DIY friendly as the Classic models and just as capable and rugged in the rough, if not more so. EDIT. I see that you have actually bought the classic and I must say, it’s a beauty. It’s your fancy so don’t take my comments above to heart, don’t look back and enjoy your ‘new’ vehicle. It’s what you really wanted and that’s the important thing. You probably won’t work it hard and will surely enjoy tinkering and pampering it. Remember that I kept my 110, one of the first with wind up windows, working hard for 22 years. Here is a picture of it just before it expired. Click image to enlarge Last edited by Huwcil on 10th Oct 2025 9:45am. Edited 1 time in total |
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9th Oct 2025 11:41pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3474
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Thanks for the comprehensive response.
l've currently got both vehicles on my drive (2022 and 2014 Defenders) and l am "evaluating" the 2014 one. I do love the old Defenders but l have to say the jury is still out. They are so different it's difficult to even compare them. Both great in different ways. lt's true that the new one is a world apart from the old model. But the old one turns every journey into an adventure. Whether this is a good or bad thing, depends on my frame of mind at the time. l also like the fact that l can work on the old one, although l have done oil changes on the new one and it's actually easier than on the old model. l've also replaced the front brake discs and that was easy as well. |
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10th Oct 2025 9:12am |
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