Land Rover Defender - Summary After 6 Months

[@rspencer280]

By far the most thorough review on the new Defender and the inherent capabilities/limitations it has.

[@dunnetw]

One of the best in-depth REAL reviews I've seen! Brilliant video, thanks a lot

[@gadgetphilosophy8290]

Dude. Best defender review ever. I’ve seen them all. This is truly outstanding rather than than the paid review bullshit. Thanks so much. You’ve alerted me to the practical pitfalls. BTW. I recently bought your do35 v3. It’s awesome.

[@gregorybraylen343]

I know it is pretty off topic but do anyone know of a good website to watch newly released series online ?

[@ansportracing]

Awesome job guys, thank you. Honest appraisal, no BS and no brand bias.

[@petermorris3665]

The genuine snorkel accessory is designed to be fitted for dusty / sandy environments. Fitting that will reduce the amount of time you have to blow out the air filter.

[@ycchung1473]

Most professional views with figures, sincere and honours ...

[@ThePopypete]

Truelly excellent report . You are VERY easy to listen to 🤗🤭 . Thanks .

[@StephenFogarty2023]

Very thorough review. 6 cylinder diesel motors arriving in Australia now. D300 is 220 kw / 650 nm A lot more grunt then the 4 cylinder diesel. LR have confirmed a 130 model. 130 will be released approx mid to late 2022. 130 model will have a (much) bigger rear cargo area.

[@offroadingfoz]

Bit same wheel base and likely same axle capacity. Why they didn’t do 130 wheelbase Ute at launch is beyond me.

[@StephenFogarty2023]

@@offroadingfoz LR did not have enough resources to do that. Thankfully LR have now realised the increasing worldwide popularity of utility vehicles. 130 utes - single & dual cab will come to market. Probably in late 2023.

[@davidmunday8820]

@@offroadingfoz So you don't think they'll have a high capacity pick up version then? I thought they might increase GVM of 130 or at least have a version with higher capacity.

[@hedydd2]

@@StephenFogarty2023 I'll only believe that when I see it. This is a monocoque design that is not conducive to being made as a pickup truck. I seriously doubt that JLR are at all interested in the utility pickup market anyhow. The Grenadier on the other hand….

[@henrylawson430]

Amazing review, love all that technical information, fascinating.

[@andrewhurstcars]

Ineos Grenadier comes out at 2,850kg on the road, even worse for towing! Check out Harry’s Garage review.

[@sanatandharma4435]

Excellent review, and something I have not really considered before as I usually stuff everything in the rear of the car as I camp rather than tow! Thank you!

[@robseeley9630]

Good review,interesting to hear tow ball can go over 150. I tow a 1600k van with 120 tow ball,so it’s perfect.There is option for the second row seats to slide forward.It’s great as can still comfortably sit in the back, but also get extra boot room.Note also your 200 series did not have 7 seats.I have owned both.Economy of landrover is amazing, 200 series as comparison is dismal and extra fuel needs to be carried.Both great cars.

[@ianbrown4242]

Agree with your concerns about the air filter screws. I have them in my Freelander 2 and they're all stripped (not by me) - had to run bolts to replace them.

[@lukebryce5097]

Great review 👍

[@jamiebaker3911]

Great review, thank you.

[@rima7523]

Excellent review , I had the same issue with Battery and I unfortunately was forced to return my Land Rover because this particuler problem

[@peterbullen3347]

Can you add any information about weight distribution on these vehicles, i.e does the self leveling suspension make any difference to the axles capacity figures?

[@Dorko85]

Love how you show the 200 boot space as a comparison. I laughed out loud to think great space, but shame the 200 has no load to carry anything 🤭🤣

[@amessad]

This is an AMAZING review..... thank you so much for your time and effort as for the car... ehmmmm no I think I will pass since there are other options especially for the usage i am considering it! ...

[@hedydd2]

The reason for the ball weight confusion is probably because in the UK and probably most of the EU, electric trailer brakes are not used and not even legal as far as I know. However brakes, which are all over-run, are mandatory for all trailers above 500kgs gross or thereabouts. LR Assist will not carry the batteries because LR Assist doesn't really exist. As with all other brand's assist or breakdown service it is contracted out to specialist recovery companies that cater for many brands and models.

[@leeloo21231234]

the intake on the LR Defender is trough that side grill and facing rear . Not much of an issue.

[@aportilla007]

In Australia, you guys still have access to the new Landcruiser 70...

[@II-yd6gx]

I really appreciate your unbiased review of what is a technically brilliant car. The weight limit issues are concerning and I think need to be addressed by the manufacturer as their options list is extensive and potentially self defeating. I notice in the comments that they’ll be offering a 6 cylinder diesel, which would be my choice. The elephant in the room is reliability and lack of dealerships in remote areas.

[@Spoons81]

I agree since reliability has always been a question in LR. I am pleasantly surprised to see, outside of a TFL video on their defender, that the car has been very reliable for the majority. Biggest issues being software related and fixed with updates. Obviously all this technology wouldn't be good in remote areas... for that reason I can't say it's a good overland vehicle in some cases. But it's an awesome SUV that has a reputation of being unreliable yet it has an 8 star on reliability from various consumer reports haha... silly. Landrovers name shames it more than anything

[@naymyomgmg5712]

thanks for the review. very informative

[@davidmunday8820]

Just to clarify Andrew, is the Tow Pro Elite wiring harness for the new Defender available directly from RedArc as "plug n play"? Thanks, David

[@davidmunday8820]

@Flash Gordon Photography Great, thanks

[@simonjuniper4003]

You guys done any electric work to the Defer..Anderson to rear for trailer etc?

[@paulaus]

I assume the rear door opening is down to the monocoque chassis and the need for that panel to add to body rigidity.

[@justinhogan-doran7266]

No bull bar?

[@robu4990]

This is great, thanks Cruisemaster! Info of this quality is either very difficult to find, or you end up learning it the hard way. It has been screenshotted and added to the spreadsheet as it's either a Defender or Y62 with 4095kg GVM upgrade for me. I'd be interested to see what the weights would do if you could raise the rear suspension 10mm and drop the front 10mm as it might shunt a reasonable amount back to the front axle. Of course the wheel alignments would suffer but that's another story... I'm not confident but am hoping you guys bought a 7 seat P300 with alloys as it would have the least weight over the rear axle (no MHEV batteries, PSU's, etc) and 1900kg axle capacity. If you removed the 3rd row seats and moved the spare wheel to the trailer or front of the roof you could end up with up to an extra 140kg over the rear axle to play with. BTW, very happy with the DO35 and air suspension on my Drifta DOT WUHT!

[@ltruskinger]

Unfortunately you can’t appreciably move weight balance F-R or L-R by changing ride heights. You can only balance diagonals.

[@markcottierkw950]

I Absolutly love the Land Rover!!! But,,, It really sux that parts are scarce in country and outback of Aus and the fact you can't even use a standard battrey,, how can you even consider going off road? What happens if something happens when you're out bush?? Was actually considering getting one, but you've raised a number of excellent points!

[@andrewhurstcars]

Gvm in the U.K. is 3,500kg

[@duckbow]

Thanks for the review. Curious why you didn’t just go with the bigger P400 engine if tow capacity was your goal?

[@beaviccoon470]

Maybe because you can't get the p400 with steel wheels but they probably could get the 3l 6 cylinder engine but that probably wasn't available at the time of purchase

[@audionut9974]

All you need is the p300 it will put tow a land cruiser

[@ltruskinger]

I believe they bought this when it was first released in Australia and there was no mention of the 6cyl motors then

[@audionut9974]

@@ltruskinger petrol is the better option anyway

[@beaviccoon470]

@@audionut9974 I mean it's a matter of opinion really.

[@bactolaboratoriesptyltd6945]

Thanks for the great Defender videos Andrew. Just wondering what wiring loom did you use to plug the Redarc Tow Pro to the Defender? Was it from Land Rover or one of the Redarc wiring harnesses & do you know which one?

[@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY]

It was a Redarc wiring harness, they should be able to point you in the direction of the right one to use.

[@bactolaboratoriesptyltd6945]

@@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY Thank you for your reply, I contacted Redarc and they said it could have been any of these codes and they suggested I ask Cruismaster which one they used: TPH-005: suits FORD/LINCOLN TPH-006: suits FORD/LINCOLN TPH-007: suits FORD/LINCOLN

[@andrewliu8906]

Bit of a shame it won't make into R.A.T series. I was sorting hoping to see you guys put it into some real tests...

[@XtremeCoke]

Here in UK the brochure(WLTP figures) shows that D250/D300/P400 payload is up to 800kg. While the GVW is higher on the Diessel variants but Petrol P400 seems to have a 19kg advantage. FYI, if you compare the Discovery & Defender brochure, they said 350kg nose weight on Discovery but 100kg on Defender - This echos what you have been told. Land Rover has made information more confusing than it needs to be. Guess P400 is the choice of maximizing its potential at a higher running cost.

[@ianbailey2424]

Great Video, just wondering why wheels and tyres count as they are unsprung weight , and don't load up suspension ?

[@jdenmark1287]

It’s stopping abilities that matter so overall weight is an issue.

[@hedydd2]

Most people just ignore the payload limit of the vehicle when towing 3.3 tons, legal or not. That's the reality. I regularly tow 3.5 tons and often more, in the form of a 14ft by 6'6" IW livestock trailer with four big beasts moving around inside. Say up to 700kgs each [but they vary from 550 to 750 and we try to limit it to three if all are known to approach 750kgs, which still makes 3.5 tons] for 2.8 tons plus the 1.2 tons of tare if needs must. Three of us in the cab and 500kgs in the bed of the ute, which helps stability and traction very much. Its not at all unusual in rural UK and the legal limits are the same as Australia.

[@przemeknosecki82]

Dawaj kierownicę na prawidłową stronę!

[@Wilbargosh]

Great info. You have just proven that the new defender is not the optimal touring and towing vehicle for Australian conditions. Perhaps we need to travel with less crap!

[@bluepaul196245]

I see you've bought into the "australian conditions'' con.

[@Wilbargosh]

@@bluepaul196245 No. I decided to buy a Dmax LSM with Pedders GVM preregistration upgrade to 3.45t. Now I can legally install a Norweld touring canopy with all my gear and not be overweight. You cant do that with a new defender.

[@bluepaul196245]

@@Wilbargosh australian conditions you said. What, like Australia is the only country in the world with extreme heat, dry & dusty conditions ?all of which any 4x4 car maker will do in this day & year.

[@Wilbargosh]

@@bluepaul196245 Bee in your bonnet! I meant towing conditions around Australian regulations were by the towball weight plus load will exceed the GVM and GCM, but the Defender can’t be modified to legally increase its GVM with a state or federal compliance plate. Therefore you need to tour with a smaller trailer and less luggage. That’s as clear English as I can put it without wasting more of you time!

[@michaelguerin56]

Good video. Those air box screws are a ridiculous solution.

[@philhealey449]

Teased out loads of real world matters in this review ! One question, old defender has an excellent bonnet stay with some locking discs that stop the bonnet being blown upwards ( much better than G Wagen). Does this model only have the gas struts to fight the inevitable stormy winds slamming it on your head when you have the lid up in the wilds?

[@bluepaul196245]

Seriously, when was the last time you saw/heard of a bonnet coming up whilst driving??

[@martintongper6703]

❤❤❤

[@Coordinator61]

Software updates over the air, right. There you are in the bush.

[@AnthonyAAckah]

Is the defender actually bigger than a Land Cruiser?

[@beaviccoon470]

Well the rumoured defender 130 probably will be.

[@pedrotheswift5937]

Maximum 10%,, Maximum... You hang 350KG's off a towball at your own peril... At least the Defender towball is very close to the rear axle... I had a Valiant Regal wagon once and that tow ball must have been 4 feet behind the axle :)

[@SemDeVos-i4x]

The 150kg ballweight is for the EU! ;)

[@beaviccoon470]

Ye the detachable towbar and the deployable towbar have a ballweight of 150kg max but the height adjustable towbar has a max ballweight of 350kg.

[@ronbrooks6547]

White steel wheels are the Worst rims for this Vehicle. Maybe it's better for off road.

[@livingtotravel4290]

Thanks for the honest review video. We were looking at changing our RR sport to a Defender. Definitely won’t be now. We have no issues towing a 3000 kg van with the sport. Think we will hang on to it.

[@nicholaswirth1011]

what sport are you sporting? We towed a 2.8t hybrid 2 years ago with our sdv6 disco and passing road trains at 160 wasnt an issue. stable and plenty of power.

[@livingtotravel4290]

@@nicholaswirth1011 we have a 2016 TDV6 - been towing a Jayco but soon to tow a BlueSky 21.6ft. Never had an issue with the Jayco. Great mileage and a breeze to tow. Were looking at the Defender but this review has changed our mind.

[@nicholaswirth1011]

@@livingtotravel4290 the defender he has is a 2L get the D300 and you won't have any issues towing at all. The tdv6 is the same engine and tune in pretty sure

[@ajrinc7280]

@@nicholaswirth1011 the new diesel in the Defender is completely different. The Tdv6 are known to be pretty weak and snap crankshafts. The Defender now has Inline 6 engines, the D300 is a bit of a beast in the New Defender. The other LR products are switching to the inline sixes too. The big Range Rover is replacing the TDV8 with the D350 which is the same as the D300 in the New Def just in a higher state of tune.

[@jmoranretana]

Brilliant review. It seems to me the Land Cruiser is better car (easier to fit accesories, more service centers, more parts available), the interior is dated but for a company like Toyota it should be easier to adjust than the mechanics. I do believe the next Defender iteration (in 3 years maybe) will be a much better car.

[@Cooliemasteroz]

If it was reliable it would be highly desirable.

[@arkos55]

Pretty much every truck loaded up with RTT and every doodad from the overlanding store is over weight. Doesn’t mean it’s smart, but it is what people do. Max towing ratings are a joke for every single truck on the market because they assume you carry nothing else. At least the Defender has a bit of extra room. Nobody should ever be towing above 80% of max tow rating anyway. Just doesn’t leave enough room for anything else. That said, I know you’re supposed to count tires, but unweighted vs weighted should be counted differently. I wouldn’t worry too much about heavier tires and wheels except for the spare which is carried.

[@iVisual.sambonkowski]

for Australians, which are known to buy a car then modify/rebuild 99.99% of it with parts from the nearest shop down the road, please dont buy this car. its not for you. its sophisticated and FULL of computers that are ALL design to work together. Please Move along to a more DIY car kits where you buy a basic shell and then add all the crap you can find, and a special stubby holder. you beauty

[@tasarcheryworkshop4283]

If you do a GVM increase then you probably dont have a warranty

[@ltruskinger]

GVM upgrades do not void warranty. Portions of it transfer to the aftermarket supplier just like any other accessory. The bigger issue is in Australia GVM upgrades are not permitted on monocoque chassis

[@D13-r9w]

Couple of issues with this review. The premise that people will add all that crap and overland it is wrong, 99% of people won’t do that. So under normal use there’s zero issues with GVM. Secondly the towing issue is a non issue, to all the people sating they won’t buy one you need to listen to the review properly. Again, in 99% of circumstances it wont be an issue. Thirdly the towball weight, to me and people I know, it’s clear the weight is 350kg, no idea why this chap needed clarification but I have no issue with it taking two weeks for someone to explain to him his assumptions were wrong, it must’ve been frustrating to JLR. Try getting the MD of Toyota on the phone! Finally a general observation, he makes numerous assumptions of failure points which are just assumptions and he seems very nitpicky, typical pom. The airpox issue, jeez dude lighten up, if you’re that concerned don’t go off road!

[@davidmunday8820]

@@landrover1155 I think the review was fair if a little pedantic at times. I've owned Discovery 3 and 4 over 12 years and towed off-road 1800kg camper over many remote and challenging tracks through, SA, NT & Victoria. I also have on order a new Defender D300 SE with numerous accessories including bull bar and winch, snorkel side steps, roof rack, and ladder arriving next month. I found the review helpful but not alarming as I won't have quite same GVM issue given my towball weight will be around 190kg and I'm not fitting a drawer system this time. However it's clearly very easy to overload these vehicles with numerous accessories fitted as it is with any new 4WD. The review simply highlights this problem. I agree there are better options than Defender for towing very large vans. The Range Rover Sport may not have as many accessories but I'd still get the rear axle weighed with 3T van on back and check! I bet it's close to axle limit. I wouldn't assume a RRS is better tow vehicle. In my 12 years of Land Rover Discovery ownership the starting batteries have always needed careful monitoring and regular charging (monthly)- I've run Dual battery system in both Discoveries and Victron battery monitor in the D4 to keep eye on starting battery. So it's not a new model problem and I'm not surprised although a bit disappointed it's still an issue for the new Defender. As usual I will be carefully monitoring the new battery. I also agree the airbox design is annoying with some 8 screws to undo/retighten.It is however well sealed. In my D3 I did over tighten the screws and needed a new bottom half airbox replaced under warranty. Thereafter I was very careful tightening the screws and in last 10 yrs have had no issue regularly checking the air filter on trips away. I would also reassure new potential owners the snorkel (Raised Air Intake) with rear facing inlet is remarkably effective at keeping dust out- My D3 had the OEM snorkel and the D4 has a Safari (forward facing) one. The D3 snorkel was much more effective. I have the OEM snorkel fitted on my new Defender so will be interested to see how effective it is - going to Cape York in July with new camper!

[@reviewerbibhuti5100]

@@davidmunday8820 I always try tell people that Land Rover need proper care and maintenance but always complaining I think they use non luxury cars then they purchase first time so they have not luxury of luxury car

[@ltruskinger]

Bangs on about assumptions then assumes 99% of people won’t do x, y, z. It is very clearly stated this review is for people who actually want to use the car the way it was advertised- to go off road and tow. If you want to use it as a black top warrior then you’re watching to wrong video

[@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY]

Hi there, we tried to make it as clear as possible that this series was based on our opinions of this vehicle for the purpose of how we use our vehicles. This vehicle was originally purchased to join our Remote Area Testing fleet that does regular testing trips of our trailer components through the toughest roads in Australia. The potential "failure points" we highlighted were based on our 10+ years of real world outback travel experience. But if its not for you thats ok. If you are interested in seeing where we take our vehicles maybe check out some of our R.A.T. Run content. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3m3k2R-r8iUn7M

[@tolitsdterrible4785]

If I were Land Rover I would fire the head of that Department responsible for the software and electronics.

[@hedydd2]

The idiot that decided that a screw on lid to the air cleaner needs a good kick to his backside. What a stupid design. As for the software, you should expect a half arsed bug-ridden system from JLR which may or may not be sorted eventually by software updates.

[@lorddavid5995]

It’s just not reliable enough I will stick with my old Defender for a few more years until the new one is fully sorted

[@bluepaul196245]

so you obviously don't own a new defender to make that comment, just a jealous "i want one really "

[@brianjones1151]

Electronic Nightmare !! No thanks !!

[@asc968ccc8]

I bought one new 6 months ago. Sold it already, couldn’t handle all the tech issues. 💸🖕🏼💩

[@billybob1511]

Bulldust. What were the issues?

[@Coordinator61]

6 months is nothing, look at it after 150000 km plus and 5-6 years of hard work.

[@tasarcheryworkshop4283]

Lets ask Toyota

[@ktpinnacle]

They'll want you to pay 2021 bucks for their (reliable) 2010 tech.

[@midlandgeordie]

Don’t think it was ever intended/designed to tow such heavy loads

[@colinkey7094]

Stop waving your hands about - it is like using semaphor; very distracting.

[@arielle_australia]

This review is deeply flawed. It uses a straw man argument to prove its point (although it acknowledges doing so). Who would buy a 4-cyl Defender to tow a 3.5T van? The 6-cyl, 7-seat variant has 3280kg GVM vs the 4-cyl's 3150kg. If they used the 6-cyl for their review, and deleted the steel wheels, they'd have 200kg payload left over AFTER attaching a 350kg TBM AND loading the car with all the people + gear that they listed. Coverage of rear axle capacity issue is more accurate, though again - the 7-seat variant has a 1900kg rear axle capacity vs the reviewed car's 1800. Most LR owners two need to tow a van with a 350kg TBM spec the 7 seats and remove them, thus gaining 100kg extra rear axle capacity and not paying the weight penalty. Certainly not ideal, but neither is spending $20K-$40K on a GVM upgrade. Judging by the above and the plate "NEW 110", I'm curious to understand where and why Cruismaster got this specific vehicle? Was it promo launch stock, sold off at a great price? Was it part of a deal that you had with JLR?

[@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY]

Hi Steven, appreciate your feedback. We hope its clear by the video title and time of release that it is clear that this is based our our experience over 6 months and is a reflection on the vehicle we had and not future models. This was one of the first Defenders to land in Australia, well before the additions to the range with 2021 models which included the 6-cyl. This vehicle and the content created on the vehicle was in no way a colaboration with Land Rover and the vehicle was purchased from a dealership just like anyone else. The reason for the "NEW 110" plates was strictly due to the businesses excitement for a revamped Defender! If your unaware of the connection Arthur Goddard is the grandfather of the videos host Andrew. Arthur Goddard, was one of the original engineers for the original Land Rover project all those years ago. So you could image Andrew and the Goddard family are particularly passionate about Land Rover and were particularly hopeful for this revamp. We approached this project based on the specs provided at time of launch, that this was an off road vehicle capable of 3.5T towing. As specialists in the towing industry this is obviously where we focus our content. Im sure there is newer content out there now covering the newer models which may be more relevant to your interests in the current models.

[@arielle_australia]

@@CRUISEMASTERCOUNTRY Hi Guys, thanks for responding. I came across your review through a link posted on a Zone RV Owners FB group. The context of that post was “the Defender isn’t a great tow vehicle - here’s proof”. As I’m sure you know, a lot of people who are about to purchase a caravan spend a lot of time researching vehicle options, so we need to make sure that we provide them with the right context and nuance. To be fair, your review certainly mentioned that your car was bottom spec, but it did so very, very briefly - and without pointing out that 6-cyl options, which were already available when the review was published, would pass your test with flying colours. In that sense, I’m concerned that a lot of people who miss this nuance will disqualify the Defender as a valid towing option, instead of realising that only the 4-cyl needs to be disqualified. You’ll see this trend present in the comments below this post, too - people are viewing this as a review of “The Defender”, rather than the least capable and probably least popular model in the range. My point is that nuance matters, and perhaps this can be explored in a sequel review where you put a 6-cyl Defender through its paces. The angle could be be fun too, in a very Rocky way - something like “Did we underestimate the Defender?”

[@speedpursuer8831]

Do you think P400 7-seat variant can carry 4 adults + 2 kids (325kg in total) while towing a travel trailer with max 350kg TBM? Will it exceed the GVWR or GAWR(rear)?

[@SteveM1969]

Sorry buddy but it’s junk

[@SteelyDavey]

Land Rover might be better pulling out of Australia, I think the only reason they are still there is to save face.

[@peopleschamp7258]

I heard every car company is leaving Australia. I heard it from a friend of a friend of a friend.

[@guya417]

Not something to count on... unreliable 🙃

[@bluepaul196245]

Which model new defender do you own to make that statement Toyota boy?

[@sn00pgreen]

so many niggley things on what looks a fantastic vehicle, i mean a back door that won't open without power!! if that's progress then I think I'll pass on that one

[@chrispnw2547]

It just demonstrates Land Rover (despite all the press photos of overlanding) did not invest a ton of R&D into ensuring the vehicle was 'overland-friendly'. If Land Rover was serious about defending (pun intended) the pedigree of the Defender, an Overlanding specification would have been created for those who intend to use the vehicle as Defenders of the past were used. There is still time within the lifecycle if the new Defender to make improvements / adjustments.