New Defenders starting to show up at dealers

LR Max

Well-known member
I was over that way and so I looked at one.

Driving the I-6 defender, holy smokes. Insane instant power. Feel, ride, handling are all unbelievable. Super smooth. Interior is dead quiet. Feels big but is quite nimble. Low range 1st gear is pretty good crawling and you can definitely tell when you raise the suspension it feels A LOT taller than a LR3/LR4.

My main issue is how they've been specified and price. $78k for a car with that interior does not compute. Sure its rugged and utilitarian. Fine but not worth it. Also I asked about defenders with the rear locker and those seem few and far between. Same with a tow hitch. Talked to one guy who got a "deal" on installing a tow hitch on his new defender...it was 4 figures. So yeah, no. Not paying stupid money for a trailer hitch.

Off road it'll feel like all the other big SUVs. When it starts sliding sideways it feels like the ship is sinking...

They keep saying that the defender has "two stage air shocks" which is a great idea. But I looked under the L405, the shocks seem exactly the same. So I guess the question is: Does the D5 and L405 and 2nd Gen RRS also have two stage? If so then I'd walk right past the new defender for a used L405...that has all the 4x4 goodies on it stock and many with trailer hitches.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
I finally saw one today. I didn’t get out and look closely, didn’t have time. But I chatted real quick with the owner. He said that he bought it sight unseen, and was more than happy with it. Instantly did the upgrades, and will be wheeling with it this afternoon.

I have yet to get a personal look at the front end. I may not want to. But I have always liked what I was seeing from the rear quarters, and seeing it in person confirms this.

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Adam

Well-known member
Rumors are that a diesel has been spotted testing in the US. If so, it'd make a worth replacement for my Diesel Disco V in a few years.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
It does not compute. Syntax error. Why a company would knowingly continue with a bad product.
 

acheck

Well-known member
I'm hearing that sales are not great and dealers discounting them quite a bit to sell. One offered to me well under sticker last week.
 

mgreenspan

Founding Member
I'm hearing that sales are not great and dealers discounting them quite a bit to sell. One offered to me well under sticker last week.
Really? From first ones on the lot marked up to below sticker in less than a year. Impressive timeline.
 

Red90

Well-known member
Only 4 months. It would not surprise me if sales end up being poor. Outside of Land Rover forums, I've not heard anyone speak of this vehicle. It will attract the people that wanted a new Disco, but hated the D5. Even those people will be put off by losing half of the cargo space.

If I read right Euro sales were ~1300 per month June and July and then dropped to 600 in August. Not a great showing for a new vehicle.
 

Z.G

Well-known member
Im not sure Im a LR purist, but I'd have a new Defender before a new D5, and I'd have a new Bronco before a new Defender.
 

donb

Well-known member
Only 4 months. It would not surprise me if sales end up being poor. Outside of Land Rover forums, I've not heard anyone speak of this vehicle. It will attract the people that wanted a new Disco, but hated the D5. Even those people will be put off by losing half of the cargo space.

If I read right Euro sales were ~1300 per month June and July and then dropped to 600 in August. Not a great showing for a new vehicle.

I'm not sure I'm a LR purist, but I'd have a new Defender before a new D5, and I'd have a new Bronco before a new Defender.

Talking with friends and family members (I have an 18 and 21 year old to get a gauge on what that age group thinks) it seems the new Defender is neat but not really striking any "I/we should get one" phrases. The Bronco on the other hand is something my daughter wants, my brother in law has a deposit on and another friend is driving one less car until he gets his Bronco. All 3 of them really like the LR brand.

Sean Holman had a good review on the new Defender and mimics what a lot of us have said in that it should have been a Disco replacement:

It starts around 1:45 and goes for about 10 minutes. It's interesting about his thoughts as he comes more from a general off road/truck background.
 

LR Max

Well-known member
I'm hearing that sales are not great and dealers discounting them quite a bit to sell. One offered to me well under sticker last week.

I agree. Seems like I'm seeing a lot of new Defenders at dealers (been to LR Charlotte and LR Buckhead) not moving.

We might have another Jeep Gladiator on our hands.

All 7,000 people who wanted one, bought it.
 

acheck

Well-known member
This one was recently for sale at the local Toyota dealer, has since been sold. 2300 miles and already traded in.
 

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RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Yep. We might be seeing a pattern of these showing up at independent dealerships. Especially the overpriced "First Edition" vehicles.

It's amazing that people are buying an $80k+ vehicle when a bit of research would give you the exact same thing for $20k less if you just order properly, or wait for 6 months.

Personally, I still can't like the front end. But overall I like the vehicle as long as I keep some hope that it will have some reliability, and that they will update it in the long term to be more Defender-ish in that front end. But I've already moved on to G-Wagen for my "modern" daily. My Land Rover love all goes to my Series now.
 

rocky

NAS-ROW Addict
Just saw my first one on the road. White with white handbag on the side. That’s a very white white. I hope to god it sells for LR. They need the cash.
 

erover82

Well-known member
Just saw my first one on the road. White with white handbag on the side. That’s a very white white. I hope to god it sells for LR. They need the cash.

What do they produce that the world needs more of? What would we lose? An array of crossovers easily replaced by the competition? LR should have died in 1996 and left us with with a legacy untainted by Kardashians, rappers, and Freelanders.
 
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