 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > Which would be better in the long run? |
 
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3765   
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They are very different vehicles to drive and to live with. I can’t recall, have you had an old defender before? If you’re thinking purely about holding value, then I imagine the old will likely depreciate less
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2nd Sep 2025 6:46am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3355
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l've had TD5's but never a TDCi.
lt was more the kind of repair costs as the vehicle gets older. |
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2nd Sep 2025 7:56am |
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| BrickBox Member Since: 05 Oct 2021 Location: Wales Posts: 1046  
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I find a TDCi easy to live with: Seats/Heaters/6 speed box makes it comfortable enough.
A 110 is much more useful than a 90 IMO. Longevity the old one wins. 2017 L494 Range Rover Sport SVR 2008 2.4 110 Utility Station Wagon XS. |
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2nd Sep 2025 8:14am |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1317  
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The 2022 90 is nothing special and won't be for many years to come if ever. It's a consumer product designed to be obsolete sooner rather than later. The 2015 110 can be kept for a long time and will probably not drop that much in value (compared to the 90). There is only a finite number of classic defenders out there.
But you need to buy into the classic defender ownership or you will be forever disappointed. Also for the 110 to last you need a garage and probably another car on the side (depending on your transport needs) They are two completely different cars and use cases. |
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2nd Sep 2025 8:27am |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3355
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lf l bought one it would be my daily driver, 8-10,000 miles per year. But l do look after my vehicles.
We have another vehicle for private use but l spend effectively all day every day in and out of my business vehicle. At the weekend it sits on the drive and we use the Suzuki. |
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2nd Sep 2025 5:52pm |
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| BrickBox Member Since: 05 Oct 2021 Location: Wales Posts: 1046
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Similar mileage to me and I enjoy every mile. 2017 L494 Range Rover Sport SVR
2008 2.4 110 Utility Station Wagon XS. |
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2nd Sep 2025 7:00pm |
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| Co1 Member Since: 19 Aug 2018 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 3765
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I used to do that sort of mileage in my Puma 90. Was a pleasure to drive, I do miss it, but I don’t miss the maintenance!
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2nd Sep 2025 8:09pm |
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| H1Tad Member Since: 20 Jul 2024 Location: Maine Posts: 165 
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Guess I'll be the counterpoint here.
I always thought of getting a classic Defender. Over here they are very, very rare. You don't see them often and the NAS Defenders (94-97 were the only years they sold them here) are extremely rare. When we visited Iceland this past July, I rented a 2015 Defender for our trip. That cured me of any desire to want one. Ever. It was a pain box. I don't fit in them, my legs are too long and my left leg (left hand drive market in Iceland) would not fit under the steering wheel completely which made operating the clutch a very difficult maneuver. Especially around traffic circles where I also had to operate the turn signals, steer, and shift all at once. Speaking of steering - its horrible. I've never ever driven a vehicle that requires so much input in order to just maintain a straight track on the road. After 2 hours of highway driving, I was thoroughly exhausted just from maintaining a steady course. Likewise along the shifting lines - every time I wasn't 100% perfect with my clutch engagement - it felt that there was an angry donkey kicking the rear bumper when the clutch was let out. This was in addition to other things that were just lackluster, like the HVAC that couldn't keep the windows from fogging up when it was humid, and windshield wipers that were, well... they were there. We won't mention NVH. I get it that the truck I experienced was a rental and lives a tough life on Iceland driving on roads that aren't even what I would consider "serviceable" but the vehicle was well maintained and when I had a chance to look at the underside, it was clear to me that it was routinely serviced with paint marker marks on bolt heads to indicate torqued fasteners. Indeed despite driving it at high speed over rutted and washboard roads and even through a few rivers, we didn't have a single issue with it not starting, breaking down, or even throwing a CEL. Offroad it did well enough - until we came to a black sand beach and it just sank. Took a shovel and 4 grown adults pushing on the back to get it out. I get the allure of the classic Defender. Its like the baby version of my H1 - except I'd rather do 1,000,000 miles in that H1 than do another 50 in that painbox Defender. It did look cool in photographs, and people will always want the classic Defenders - so perhaps the question you need to ask yourself is whether you want a daily driver that functions well offroad, even better on road, or you want a vehicle that will have future classic value sooner.  Click image to enlarge Personally speaking, if you're going to own a car to drive around in and ... use .... as a car - it doesn't make sense to buy it as an investment. If you're going to buy a car and stick it under a cover in a barn until one day the wife forces you to sell it, then the Classic might be the way to go. 2022 Defender 110 SE P400 Tasman Blue Expedition and Cold weather package 2003 Hummer H1 P400 Firehouse Red 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser |
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2nd Sep 2025 9:23pm |
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| Landy240 Member Since: 22 Jul 2024 Location: Merseyside Posts: 32
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I think I've seen a similar post from you before on this. You're obviously considering it a fair bit so perhaps that is a sign you should go for it..
Personally, long term residuals would not drive my decision. I suspect there is unlikely to be a huge difference anyway. Judging by autotrader the 25y.o 110 with 125k miles will be worth around £15K (or the equivalent). Will you win or lose keeping the 90? Hard to say - but 10 years is a long time to spend with the wrong car for a relatively small amount of money. I would keep the new one (otherwise I would have bought an old one in the first place). If I needed more space and funds allowed I would swap for a bigger one. If I needed more space and funds didn't allow - that's when I would look at different options. |
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3rd Sep 2025 10:45am |
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| peanutbob Member Since: 12 Feb 2009 Location: UK Posts: 340
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I have had a lot of pumas and TD5s both short and long wheelbase. Currently have 2 Pumas hard tops and I love them! Also I am on my 2nd 110 L663 with another due soon.
I do about 20k miles a year with the Pumas doing about 12k a year mainly around b roads lanes etc. but I wouldn’t want to do long distance in them which is where the new Defender comes in. The classic defenders have so much character and ok things do go wrong with them but that’s just part of life with them. They don’t depreciate in value so long as you keep on top of the jobs whereas the new Defender is dropping like a stone in value. This cost me fully loaded 2.5 hrs ago £87k and now with 20k miles I doubt I’ll get £55k in p/ex. The next one is going to cost less as I’ve knocked off some fripperies. I couldn’t be without a classic defender - it seems to be part of my dna and they are the cheapest vehicles to run I’ve ever had with the non depreciation, tyres that last forever and lowish insurance. In fact I’ve made a slender profit on several I have owned in the past. Of the two I own, one will make a profit for sure in the unlikely event I ever sell it. The other will return the same as I paid for it four years ago….if I ever sell it! To answer the question, from my perspective, it’s good to have another vehicle for a comfort break…(!) that’s what I call it… and then it’s great to get back in the classic defender esp when the weather is filthy and so are the dogs! It doesn’t matter. But I wouldn’t want to have just the puma and nothing else otherwise I’d start to think it was a pain. |
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3rd Sep 2025 11:10am |
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| XplusYplusZ Member Since: 16 Aug 2021 Location: UK Posts: 548 |
What's the use-case? How do you use the def on a daily basis?
If it's comfort and kids and commutes, long driving holidays, more road-bound with offroad jaunts.. the new one is surely the better vehicle. Run costs will be a bit more painful, but probably less so than the whinging from the back in a slow old one. If it's for site visits, greenlanes, fields, bales in the boot, muck and snow, and you've got a comfy saloon for the school run, then an agricultural tool is probably a better fit.. An old defender for the romance, or hilux/navara for actually carrying sheep. |
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3rd Sep 2025 11:14am |
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| Munchie Member Since: 31 Oct 2024 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 67
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Ongoing maintenance on the classic 90 (especially rust) will help offset any depreciation your 2022 car will suffer. I had a classic XS SW 90 and it was iconic, but practically it jolts over bumps, the hand brake burns your hands in winters as its close to floor vent when the heating is on.
We didnt lose any money in our ownership and if we had kept it for a few years it would have appreciated in value but the reason i sold is what seeing one of similar age (2015 plate, ours was a 2016) where the rear beam was rusting like a sunken ship! |
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3rd Sep 2025 1:23pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3355
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These are all valid points.
My business is domestic appliance repair and l spend my days travelling between customers. We also tow our caravan with it. l love the new one but since selling my 110 TD5 three years ago l have "stalked" old Defenders l've probably been to view 30 in total. Last weekend l went to Sheffield to look at one, a round trip of a couple of hours. l am not sure it's "rose tinted spectacles" as l sold my old one because l wanted a vehicle that l could drive daily without it giving me any grief. lt's a difficult question to answer. l've seen a fabulous 24,000 mile 110 XS Puma SW today and if l swapped my 2022 Defender for it, there would be no going back. l would have to hope that the "love" came back!! |
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3rd Sep 2025 8:41pm |
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| peanutbob Member Since: 12 Feb 2009 Location: UK Posts: 340
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In that case , I wouldn’t do what you are contemplating imo. I.e swapping a 2022 defender valued at circa 40k for a 110 Defender puma at similar money with 24k miles. You will lose money on the puma at that price level.
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3rd Sep 2025 8:57pm |
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