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GreenMonster



Member Since: 30 Sep 2020
Location: Virginia
Posts: 77

United States 
To Pano or not to Pano
I have to finalize my order by next week and I’m agonizing over whether to get the Pano or not. Spec’ ing out an SE with a white contrast roof and thinking to not get a Pano even though I’ve had them in my cars for the last 7 years. Reasons are I never open the one I have, can’t even see it’s there since I drive with a baseball hat most of the time, less weight up high, will have a rack on most of the time, better protection in a rollover, more headroom, better temp control, and less chance of squeaks and torquing during off road jaunts like I’ve seen in other rides. Only upside of a pano is a slightly more inviting feel in the back seats (mostly dogs back there and I doubt they care), occasional views in the mountains, and maybe resale? Pano just doesn’t seem in character for a vehicle like the Defender, but then again so many SUV’s have them now they seem to be expected. Am I crazy for deleting it off my order?
Post #859215 2nd Oct 2020 2:56am
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Thon



Member Since: 22 Nov 2015
Location: Salisbury Plain
Posts: 696

United Kingdom 
We bought a small hatchback with one a couple of years ago, and it really helps making it feel more spacious inside, much less claustrophobic and passengers (our daughter) get to see more, but I'm not sure I'd bother in a Defender. The point about resale is a valid one though, if it is one of those "expected" extras.
Post #859232 2nd Oct 2020 7:36am
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zilch



Member Since: 11 Sep 2019
Location: Whitsundays & Sydney
Posts: 782

Australia 
exact reason i went SE rather than HSE was i would need a rack on the top, no point staring at a bunch of slats,
jerrry cans and storage boxes. The money i saved going with the SE without the pano went on the extra's such
as the explorer pack (minus lunchbox) and the e-diff. yet another pommie bar steward down under

MY20 110 P400 SE Defender
MY10 3.0 RR Sport
Post #859245 2nd Oct 2020 8:31am
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Tim in Scotland



Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3750

 
Also a lot depends on the climate where you live - they do make the cabin hotter in my experience, even with the roller blind closed. My last 6 cars have had one but not all have been tilting/sliding, some were the big fixed glass panel. In some cars (The Evoque especially) not having a pano roof makes the interior very dark and also in heavy rain and hailstones the noise of precipitation bouncing off the solid roof versions is very loud whereas the pano roof versions don’ t have this tinny banging of rain drops and hail. I have the Defender pano roof and like it but it does occasionally throw a wobbly and takes an age to get it to close passed ¼ open but it is really nice in our climate to open it on a sunny day. I don’t have the expedition rack on mine but I do have the crossbar system and that creates a whistling from the front crossbar when the back of the roof is tilted up, fully open there’s no wind noise at all. For those in the rear there are also the alpine windows in the roof at the back. I would imagine that having dogs in the car being able to tilt the roof open rather than opening it fully helps keep fresh air entering the cabin and removing doggy smells. 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!
Post #859250 2nd Oct 2020 8:47am
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J77



Member Since: 04 Nov 2019
Location: Fife
Posts: 3250

Scotland 
I’ve only had a pano roof on one LR, and I never really saw the fascination with it. It’s not something I’d pay extra to have, especially after paying for contrast roof.
Post #859252 2nd Oct 2020 8:55am
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Tim in Scotland



Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3750

 
The one on my car was part of the standard equipment but I doubt it was “free” as the cost to have it would be built into the price of the car. If I had gone down to SE instead I wouldn’t have specced it, purely on the price and there is no way I would buy a Land Rover with a fabric sunroof here in the UK, whether or not it is part of the spec. My 90 has a pop up type glass sunroof, I’m tempting fate here but I must be one of the few that hasn’t suffered leaks around the edge seal, it suffers really badly from condensation on the glass bit on cold frosty morning that no amount of wiping seems to be able to remove until the cabin is really warmed up. There’s nothing quite like an icy shower down the back of your neck on a cold morning every time you go over a pot hole or take a corner at speed before the car is warmed up. 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!
Post #859258 2nd Oct 2020 9:08am
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Stacey007



Member Since: 25 Sep 2015
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 3694

United Kingdom 
Is it a fixed roof or a movable one?


My wife's car has a large Pano roof and the front part either tilts up or moves back like a sunroof.

I think its completely down to you, I would have one I like the light coming into the cab (you have the option to cover it with a blind if you don't like it 'on view' all the time

Kids like it also sat in the back.

Being really sad I think on a white car the black roof looks nice also Smile
Post #859269 2nd Oct 2020 9:43am
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GreenMonster



Member Since: 30 Sep 2020
Location: Virginia
Posts: 77

United States 
Thanks for the views. Heard some squeaks from my current pano when going down a dirt road today and that pretty much made my decision to leave it out of my defender order. Plus will definitely add the adventure rack so I don’t see the point of having another 200 lbs up there just to look at some slats. At least this way I don’t have to worry about the roof squeaking two years from now.
Post #859338 2nd Oct 2020 2:57pm
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