New Land Rover Defender 90 Hardtop 12 month review. Is it a true farmer's car?

The new Defender 90 Hardtop arrived with me a year ago on long-term loan from Land Rover and I was keen to find out how I'd get on using it as my daily car on the farm. With over 10,000 miles now covered, in this video I reveal both the good and the bad bits to running a new Defender as your daily transport on the farm.

[@yourtubisfilled7164]

This is without any doubt the most informative kind of review you can make. A full year of real use brings every issue to the front. Thanks Harry.

[@markbullock1931]

Yeah the New Defender is brilliant so much better than a real one..

[@janebaldwin8040]

This isnt what most real farmers can afford.Elitiste bollocks.

[@oldcargeezer]

They certainly seem to be able to afford them round here.

[@rogerpritchard]

Beautiful land rover. But as a real farmer in Thailand I would recommend an Isuzu or Toyota pickup. They do a good job here in our rice fields.

[@rjdavis7503]

Nope, Ford or Land Rover.

[@ady1397]

I'm astonished at it's 2nd hand value. It is , no doubt, a good vehicle but nearly £10k more than it was new with 10k miles. It would be a great farm vehicle at around £35k.You'd need to be deranged to pay over £60k for that!"

[@Davidrobertwhittaker]

Amazing isn’t it; I have a 110 plug-in hybrid which came in at under £70k when it was delivered at Christmas, and dealer offered me £85k for it at 10,000 miles… If Land Rover could just build more of them they’ll be able to start offering cheaper ones again hopefully

[@Stu_2112]

That is utterly insane. The world's gone mad. That said, I'd take that offer, but something else to drive for 18 months and then buy a new Defender and pocket £15k 😁

[@Davidrobertwhittaker]

@@Stu_2112 yeah tempting but the problem is anything I bought for the short-term would probably lose a lot of value as prices come back to Earth, and now the new price for the same car (which I’m very happy with) has gone up by £8-10k anyway, so would have to pay a lot more to get back to where I am now

[@richardburns5925]

I'm not, not at all. It's a chip off the old block. Just goes up in value. Modern Defender with heritage from 1948. Unstoppable. They can't build them fast enough. It's these or a G Wagon, do you want to look cool pulling a horse box across a field at Chatsworth or look like a gangster in a G Wagon?

[@gulag8735]

You aren't getting "more". Your money is buying less or another way of looking at it is, your money has depreciated in buying power.

[@samclarke3885]

Great round up Harry. Agree completely, I don’t thinks it’s a farmers vehicle anymore simple as that .

[@tonyedgecombe6631]

I don't know why you would buy it otherwise though. It doesn't seem to be a status symbol in the way a Range Rover is.

[@jonh9561]

Agreed and I would add that I think they made a mistake in calling it a Defender because it is not, it's something different and should have been renamed.

[@jamesmoore5591]

Look at it as the true successor to the disco 4

[@csmithy3057]

@Sam Clarke Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@alexanderkempf9828]

It's also the ugliest SUV ever invented

[@tiguanman1170]

This why Harry gets one of these long-term because the feedback is honest and detailed. Some reviewers have to almost grovel in case a manufacturer ceases lending them cars for creating video. Land Rover needs Harry more than he needs them. His reviews create sales.

[@RobG001]

Helps that he is or was at least, on the pay role helping to develop LR products. Not sure if he still is or not. Regardless he tells it as it is. Other reviewers give their opinion after half a day or so with a vehicle where as Harry has usual bought one or other model with his own cash at some point, thanks to being a successful business man.

[@jazzjokesjalopies]

Excellent point.

[@mikeymike9118]

Harry, Was that a Lotus Espada in that transporter? Cheers

[@maximumpat1]

Fascinating review. I had the same door chattering on a 2010 BMW 330D Touring that I bought at 20,000 miles. The dealer changed the door seals to no avail. Back and forth for a year. Actually ruined the buying experience for me. As a last ditch attempt to fix it I went to another main dealer who drove it 10 feet and said: "door tape mod". A strip of posh sellotape between the door metal and the rubber seal. Shut it up completely and is still quiet 145,000 miles later. Weird.

[@chrisblatherwick7846]

i must admit ..harry can explain anything in a real world review ..even down to how a combine works love the way he explains things so simply

[@jimskirtt5717]

Is that 'Telegram me' genuine? I have one, too.

[@lesbrook]

I had an Octavia back in 2002 that had "chattering" door rubbers. SIlcone spray silenced them.

[@risby1930]

The same thing is happening over here in the US on our everyday pickup trucks, when you try to use them as trucks. Fancy interiors, over stressed engines, smaller bed lengths. You have to order a "work" truck to try and get something basic. Really enjoy your channels.

[@fubar12345]

Pickup market is the same in the UK, it's all double cabs. Trying to find a regular single cab pickup for work is amazingly difficult.

[@Jin-Ro]

@@fubar12345 Just buy the Commercial model. Usually come in any colour you like as long as it's white.

[@CharlesRevis1]

its all a tax thing, theyre being bought as even their luxury offerings in trucks is cheaper than luxury suvs for people who have a business etc.. thats why prices and comfort are going up so much. The buyers who give them the most profit are the ones that the trucks are designed for

[@rich7447]

Half ton pickups are not really worth buying as a work vehicle. Once you get up to a 3/4 ton or higher the over stressed engines and short bed lengths go away.

[@casto-]

I reckon that’s probably the best all round review I’ve seen. I’ve always had 110s (hardtop, tipper and now hicap) so I’d expect I’d be the market the new defender would be aimed at but they seemed to have missed the problems on the old trucks but thrown technology in 🤷‍♂ don’t get me wrong, the comfort and technology you can’t knock. Then the price 🤦‍♂ and the ridiculous price for some of the extras.I’m sad to say, I think my TD5 will be my last Land Rover I own.

[@tomcardale5596]

The narrow rear door has been an issue for decades and yet it's still too narrow to fit things in!

[@casto-]

@@tomcardale5596 your right, plus the lights were never great as standard, never really got decent mpg (mine does about 18mpg with 3.5t on)but granted the new one does better on motorways etc etc🤷‍♂

[@tomcardale5596]

@@casto- I've upgraded the wiring on mine (2011)and fitted the clear headlamps and with those done I think the light output is pretty good. Of all the cars I've driven recently they're my favourites. But it's a bit silly you had to do the work to fix the bad build! Mine isn't too bad on motorways, I get about 33mpg at 65mph with a moderate load and no trailer. I do a fair amount of motorway, 700 miles a week is pretty common. It's a bajillion times more comfortable than truck cabs I've driven!

[@benjaminbenson8714]

I've always run land rovers but just bought a D Max and I'm never going back. The rattly door at that price just isn't good enough.

[@matthewmcneill216]

@@ianworley8169 I thought he had been given it to demo? He’s an experienced automotive hack and JLR connections - so cheap advertising considering his standing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wouldn’t have got discount to keep it, but he’s used the market value to the public to be realistic.

[@ed_nava1595]

I had no idea that the base Defender came standard with coil suspension. Its a huge bonus for me and I would go with this configuration without any doubt.

[@colechapman6976]

A proper Defender owner. I like that he doesn't wash the car, and uses it on a farm. It's what you're supposed to do with a Defender! The Defender is both utilitarian and posh, much like a Barbour jacket or Le Chameau boots

[@stamford70]

A really really great review Harry! Thanks for explaining in depth all the positive and negative points. I cant believe how it's gone up in price so much - Wow!

[@phil2003ashleigh]

It’s price has increased so a drug dealer or his bint can buy it and modify it: simple

[@stamford70]

@@phil2003ashleigh 😂😂

[@iannater7072]

There were a few things here that I wanted to clarify just incase people were interested. The coil suspension is at the normal ride height of around 8inch that the air suspension rides at. When air is lifted to offroad height its 11 inch. On the mirror- This is true to a certain extent but have you lowered the picture using the settings? You can drop the view down a bit and it was a big help for vision. When you spoke about the bash plate - It looks like you have the special protection system (which I love) but this raises the front bumper by a tiny bit on each side, adds the two tone brush guard, and the skid plate. So more for your money than just paying for the skid plate. Rear door - If you open the rear door to a certain point it will stay open (even on incline) however, it def will close once you start driving as you said.

[@kylehendrix3531]

I have both a coil sprung 110 and a air suspension 110. It's pretty clear when the air suspension is in normal height the coil sprung model sits a bit higher. It's also true the off road height with the air suspension is still higher than than coil sprung model . The coil sprung model is somewhere in between normal and off road height. At least that's true for mine. Maybe it's different in other places.

[@Inracing11]

@@kylehendrix3531 ya I just went to look it up because I remember it being close. The air 110 sits at 8.5 normally and the coil 110 is at 8.6 so barely different. The coil 90 sits at 8.9 though which it's interesting it's that different. Either way it's tenths different and not at the "off-road" height of the air which is 11.6

[@oldcargeezer]

@@kylehendrix3531 How do they compare in road driving, as in, is the air suspension worth the extra for a vehicle like mine that gets mostly road use?

[@s.kxx1956]

Its alright but just too expensive for a “farm” vehicle given the short comings and the alternative pick ups are much more appealing in price

[@hedydd2]

Had a good look at the current [new] Ford Ranger yesterday at a main dealer. A far more practical farm vehicle than the 90, but it is also far bigger than even the 110 commercial. Over 200hp with a 10 speed automatic, comfortable for five passengers plus a large cargo area and tows 3.5 tons while costing about £10k less, depending on model. The size frightens some people off and used as a van, with load-bed hard top, access to goods is awkward, but a good gaff [like a shepherds crook] helps a lot to fetch things that are forwards without having to climb over the tailgate and into the bed.

[@PillSharks]

@@hedydd2 we have 4 trucks we use for towing ships mooring ropes and wires which take the trucks past the recommended weights! 2 old TD5 defender and a 2013 tdci defender… they have done our company proud with very little going wrong and one having a very hard life on a scrap berth! 2 years ago we took on Ford ranger, mainly for a bit more comfort. In that short time it’s had 2 new shocks on the front which started leaking just after warranty, a problem with the add blue pump and most recent was the DPF… our oldest landy is a 1999 ex army Falklands vehicle which had a hard life before we took it on and now gets treated hard with us! The Ford Ranger has had more money spent on it over the last 2 years that both the older land rovers have in nearly 2 decades of us owning them… the ranger isn’t a bad truck and is comfortable and hasn’t let us down but it has cost us a few pounds! it’s a difficult choice now for many customers who have stuck my Land Rover because they don’t make anything which would work for us so we will probably just keep the old Land Rover running and maybe get another Ranger one day!

[@andybrown205]

My local garage has a second hand one on the forecourt for.... £109k. Now, obviously that's not farmer's spec, but Jesus - I had a literal double-take at it. Some people are insane.

[@s.kxx1956]

@@andybrown205 i think for 109k id have a nice spec range rover with proper comfort and refinement, farm vehicle aside.

[@ronmccullock1407]

I agree

[@hedydd2]

The Ineos Grenadier four door four seat ‘van’ costs £49k + VAT including a vast range of options, so is far better value for money. As a two seater van it is very significantly cheaper and has the same power and similar torque from a detuned BMW straight six diesel. It may not achieve the Land Rover’s fuel economy but should surely hold its value as well and be more suitable for a work-oriented life.

[@andrewjones-productions]

...yes, but where are they? I thought that the first deliveries were happening in July of this year. I had a search on KZbin for any user reviews last week and all I got back, even after playing around with the KZbin filters, was Ineos' own PVs. They may be good on the spec sheet and what we have seen thus far in the promotional videos seems to back that up, but unless they are in the hands of customers, they may as well be a fantasy. Lle ddiawl mae nhw?/Where the hell are they?

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

@@andrewjones-productions my thoughts exactly, if it wasn’t for people who are obviously being paid to put comments on Land Rover videos about how wonderful the grenadier is I think most people would have forgotten all about it. Not only does it look like a Chinese knock off from Wish but delivery times seem to be very Wish like as well. Just build the bloody thing already.

[@hedydd2]

@@andrewjones-productions Good point. They are very late starting retail production. My order was scheduled for June next year on their web site but their dealer contacted me last week, for the first time, saying that it was due to be built mid November. I’ll believe it when I see it. In the meantime they can’t even arrange for me to see one in the metal. Was due to attend event Tuesday but the idiots have cancelled it due to someone’s death. Its quite possible that I won’t like the vehicle or the dealer as of yet. I remain hopeful and have no choice other than to be patient or buy a Ford Ranger.

[@hughmarcus1]

Very much an unknown quantity & they're still trying to find dealerships for them. It could easily bomb yet.

[@Ardventures]

My 90 commercial 250D 46k plus VAT Overlanding in the Pyrenees and Morocco

[@phils2180]

Good as the new Defender undoubtedly is off road I get the impression that a major part of the design brief was good on road manners and comfort rather than a commercial, working vehicle practicality, hence the shortcomings in the base version. As Harry said, VERY expensive for a farm runabout especially when compared to competitor offerings but with waiting lists as long as they are I guess JLR aren't really bothered!

[@oldcargeezer]

Not so expensive after you've reclaimed the tax and VAT as a Commercial Vehicle Also you don't pay the high initial road tax, and BIK is only £700 per year.

[@Adam-xc4wk]

Harry is the only individual walking on our planet who has ever thought even for a nanosecond that a modern Land Rover could be a farm vehicle LOL

[@masaukochitsamba7808]

I agree with you. I may be wrong but the number of farmers in the developed world is reducing thus car makers are drifting away from servicing that market, a market which is in decline. The new Land Rover Defender is not designed for farmers and other rural work, it is designed for the urban dweller. I.e Suburban mothers who have to drive their toddler to school or the accountant who wants something fancy to drive to work. Farmers are reducing and you do not build something for a market in decline.

[@jackwood2328]

He doesn't really think that. He's just tarting about. Like a tart.

[@mikeymike9118]

Brilliant 😂

[@benbirch2393]

Rich family, rich tastes

[@enchantedforestminigolf647]

Refinement dahling

[@dennisharvey4499]

This is a proper car review: well done Harry.

[@venom5809]

As someone who hated the new Defender when I first saw it, I absolutely love it now. I think I might actually pick one over a Range Rover.

[@peterdurnien9084]

A great review, pointed out all the good and bad bits about using it and its comfort.

[@ljd8520]

I've driven my new 110 to Konstanz and back in Germany. D250S very happy indeed. Very refined.

[@mz2288]

Love the review, very straight up. Here in mainland Europe these cars easily hit 100k upwards and they don’t look much different to the one you tested. But 60k for rattling doors as standard option seems like a big miss to me, would drive me crazy in the long run. On the other hand an X3 would not have climbed that hill of yours - so you got the real thing and it looks good too.

[@oldcargeezer]

No rattling doors on mine

[@jamesbeech8643]

All you have to do is put silicone gel on the rubber seals to stop the chatter!

[@nickpage2949]

Excellent review. My friends wife got clipped by a spirited driver entering the motorway in her Evoke. She hit the central barrier and ended on the hard shoulder with much bruising. Not unnaturally she suffered a loss of confidence and the only car she felt safe in was a Defender. She loves it.

[@PhilbyFavourites]

Back in the day (five years ago) she would have bought an XC90. She follows the herd like the rest of them….

[@yebo56]

And everyone else suffers

[@nickpage2949]

@@yebo56 she is a very considerate driver.

[@fatfreddyscoat7564]

Sounds like she used that accident as an opportunity to get out of the evoque imho

[@nickpage2949]

@@fatfreddyscoat7564 It was a write off. I understand they have a problem with the floor buckling?

[@ckm-mkc]

I have an F-Pace with the 4 cylinder diesel Ingenium - the start stop combined with 20k mile oil changes destroyed the turbo at 52k miles. The entire system from the manifold to the tailpipe was replaced under warranty. If you own a diesel, do yourself a favor and change the oil every 5k and disable the start/stop - there is a module in the rear you can unplug that monitors battery voltage....

[@PhilbyFavourites]

Better still… don’t buy a diesel!

[@rich7447]

The start/stop feature isn't something that comes on diesels in the US. The EPA makes it difficult for manufacturers to offer the small diesels (regulations are different for anything under 8,501 lb GVWR) so most vehicles with a diesel are for work/towing. Oil change intervals in my 6.7L Cummins were 5,000 miles for conventional oil during break in (first 100,000 miles) and then you could switch to synthetic and increase the interval to 10,000 miles.

[@rich7447]

@@PhilbyFavourites If you are towing long distances or heavier trailers a diesel makes a lot of sense. My smallest trailer is rated at 14,000 lbs (30' enclosed conventional hitch car hauler) and I could pull it with a gasoline powered truck, but it wouldn't be ideal and fuel mileage would be terrible. My larger trailer is a 48' flatbed gooseneck rated at 26,000 lbs. The diesel is much better for that.

[@jameskassolos4652]

Harry??? you just commented on the usability, the ride comfort, the off road capability and the connectivity and how wonderful it is for long journeys to the point where it became the vehicle of preference but you don't want to pay for any of it. I believe that to be a slap in the face for the twenty two thousand people and seventy years of off road experience that went into the development of this amazing machine. its no wonder the world is producing shit, at the end of the day you get what you pay for.

[@karlg5680]

When I saw the new defender first released, I instantly had a feeling it wasn't really aimed at the practical market but as a town run about vehicle. It seems more designed for those that want to be seen as country folk and want to go off road but in town/city comfort! It feels a step back to me, the older models seem like they can take a beating but not cost an arm and leg if it needs repairing. I have to wonder though, for the practical sense of space, why don't you use a pickup? I have a double cab that has plenty of room for all my tools and equipment (I do gardening and land management, so chainsaws, brush cutters, mower, strimmers, spades, forks, toolboxes etc) and get my kids around. Obviously the single cab would give you so much more space. Just curious to your thinking in that regard. Keep up the good content. I've lived in a farming community nearly all my life but the farmers I know don't go into the details you do. It's always nice to learn more.

[@vincentouwehand828]

Big issue with headlights, most dealers and garages will set the lights at -2 instead of thinking and looking at the light height and choosing for -0.5 or -1 depending on height. -2 is even too much for most commercial vans. With that setting you will get something like 30-50m light in front of a car with a huge bonnet height, resulting in you not being able to see the road at all. It is a mechanic error that all mechanics seem to make (and it pisses me off as the math is kindergarden simple)

[@hedydd2]

I believe that the third seat comes in a pack with the rear roof camera. If it is not available today in a pack, it could be linked with the limited visibility on near cars and objects as mentioned in the video. EDIT… Just checked and I’m right. £1250 extra as a pack. The standard rear view mirror just doesn’t work with the middle seat backrest upright. It blocks the view almost completely, hence the necessity of the camera as a pack item.

[@Henning_]

You’re not completely correct. The third seat isn’t available on the base Defender hardtop anymore according to the Land Rover configurator, as you can’t specify the digital rearview mirror with the base spec

[@hedydd2]

@@Henning_ Yes, the on line configuration only lets you have the pack on SE and HSE versions. I wonder whether the dealer could specify it on base models? They sometimes have more flexible options than us mortals.

[@johnlatchford9425]

Maybe true, but the positioning of the camera on this model makes it useless.

[@neptuneblood6916]

l love watching land rover and range rover videos, it make me realise how lucky I am owning a Toyota

[@ewanstewart8011]

Wow that’s an extraordinary price for a farm runaround and there’s a lot of them on the road with huge specs from the factory 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@jimskirtt5717]

There's an awful lot of people around with money, despite what you hear. Personally, I would never have one even if they were a sensible price, but each to their own.

[@ewanstewart8011]

@@jimskirtt5717 they look good but I suspect they will need upgrades or remodelled to keep the sales coming 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@jimskirtt5717]

@@ewanstewart8011 Will it be enough to save JLR? They are just about to record their fifth year of heavy losses - some £6 billion in total. Obviously they can't just carry on recording massive losses.

[@anonanon7497]

They're bought on the never never.

[@jimskirtt5717]

@@anonanon7497 Yes, a lot of cars are leased, but the Defender lease cost is pretty silly. My house has a speed bump right outside. We figured some years ago which the lease cars are when they fly over it! They bottom out with a horrible scraping noise.

[@db110lwb]

My highlight of this summer was when as a passenger on the m5, I saw a swb new defender towing a car trailer. What a good choice I thought, that is exactly what Harry would have spec'd, much to my excitement it was Harry! Year made, top choice, love the car and bike choices.

[@rich7447]

Not a good choice for a tow vehicle at all. The wheelbase is too short and the vehicle is under powered.

[@johnreilly1425]

The perfect farm vehicle! It looks great in that colour with the steel wheels.

[@csmithy3057]

@John Reilly Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@BobSmith-wc4hr]

Once had a farmer tell me why he bought a G300 professional after having driven defenders most of his life. He said that although the G was twice the price, it would last 3 times as long and had, in the 8 years since he had bought it, caused him absolutely zero headaches.

[@brianovington]

Mercedes g wagon?

[@devonbikefilms]

Land Rover sold their soul for the lifestyle market, with success to be fair, but if you want a decent farm wagon, there’s far more pragmatic choices from the pickups available.

[@guinnessharvey4476]

That middle seat arm rest thing is fab. Inspired idea!:)

[@greyknightsrealm8251]

Great review Harry. As a farmer's son, literally no farmer I know would buy this for use as a farm vehicle. They all have old Hilux's etc. This is a Chelsea tractor, nothing more. No normal farmer could afford this. To be honest it makes me suck the air through my teeth just seeing the state of this after 12 months on a farm - it just isn't built as a utility vehicle (not what I'd consider utility anyway) and the rear load space just looks so impractical - the opening is tiny!

[@GregsMowing]

Be great to see you do this sort of review in the new Ford Ranger and in the Ineos Grenadier. Great content Harry.

[@DavidBrown-bs7gg]

I think Harry has a relationship with Jaguar LandRover so not sure he can

[@GregsMowing]

@@DavidBrown-bs7ggended years ago

[@brucebello2049]

Great review Harry, very informative and a great example of how a vehicle should be reviewed, cheers

[@nestorbarreto4169]

What a gem! This is truly a phenomenally objective hands-on review that extensively covers all the nooks and bolts of this true work horse. Land Rover Research and Development would be well served by watching this in-depth analysis to make this 4x4 utility vehicle even better. Thanks Harry!

[@dogpaw775]

thought the height would be a bonus for a farmer, never met one yet who isn't looking over a hedgerow to see what their neighbour's up to and usually without stopping, eh, Richard ! fuel consumption sounds impressive. Off road climbing ability on those tyres quite amazing. But..... not a word about the 45' side valve seen at the end, now that would be a vid I'd love to see.

[@andrewmitchell6351]

Hey dog paw - go to Harry's other channel (Harry's Garage) ... there's a good review on it if you go back a few years 😀

[@gerrymccarthy9568]

Thanks for the video Harry. My issue is the same as yours, PRICE! Where I live the Defender commercial 110, with air suspension and a few options is near the price I payed in May for my wife’s BMW Sport X5, 45e, with a decent spec. Crazy! I’m sticking to my current combo: VW Amarok 3l and my JEEP Wrangler JK, SWB, 2.8TD.

[@jonathancollard3710]

As a replacement look at the Discovery 5 commercial. Into 4th year of ownership and mine it has been faultless. Much bigger rear space, 2 extra rear door access with underneath gun locker and better upper hinged back door. Has plentiful space in back for logs, livestock feed etc, but with Range Rover luxury up front. Mine is 306ps with effortless cruising with decent mpg. Same “always looks great even when dirty paint”, headlights are brilliant as too stereo system. Even the 21’ black alloy wheels are still looking great. Happy with building materials in rear or at Ascot… great car that I will keep for 14 years just like my older Disco 2.

[@juancornetto8243]

They're 90k now

[@frankbumstead3838]

I live in the Farming Community. The perfect vehicle for Farmers would be an Ex Military Landrover Discovery at £27,000 with Milage of 83,000 no carpets, nothing to break, fantastic.

[@Fanakapan222]

Based on the assumption that not all 'Farmers' have become clones of Brian Aldridge ? Lets hope its not a false assumption :)

[@csmithy3057]

@Frank Bumstead Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@stephenoverstreet9898]

Harry, I’ve occasionally thought about replacing my 2010 L322 with a new Defender. I still may at some point. But, I love the ride and the comfort of my old Rangie. It has most of the things I want as a daily driver, and all of the off-road capability I will ever need on my land. Thank you for remembering the update on this great car. Would you ever consider doing a comparison on the new Defender vs your L322?

[@tastybrownie7448]

Reliability issues?

[@robinbailey5399]

Well Done Harry! One Hell of a review as always and much appreciated. I nearly fell of my seat when you stated the 'Option to Buy' price...... Ouch! My favourite line in the review?........ "The Dogs are going to love that to chew on!" 😊

[@roscoejones4515]

Ford used to offer a '2-way' tailgate for their station wagons that would open sideways like a door or down like a pickup truck, which would be perfect for this application. 👍

[@bushmanPMRR]

22:03 a HD WLA on knobblies and covered in mud and a S1 as a backdrop! That's all but downright perfection in that frame, I could stare at it all day!

[@gazfish]

The mirror rear view camera is nuts, especially when it has the tow bar camera that could be used as well.

[@ljd8520]

I didn't bother speccing that rear cam its a gimmick in my opinion, Mirror works perfectly !

[@csmithy3057]

@Gary Fishman Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@charlesbryant5649]

All the years and all the technology and still the Series One does the job. You can load it up drive it round all sorts of places and hose it out at the end of the day. It is great to have improvements; but at a cost financially and practically. I have used my Series One daily for 45 years, thousands of miles, consistently, reliably and usefully. Your final comment says it all! I think Land-Rover have missed the point and farmers will buy pickups.

[@cotswoldphotographers]

Chuffed to bits with my D250 XS and silicone spray sorts those pesky door rubbers out with a quick wipe down every 3 months or so 👍👍

[@kavinskysmith4094]

kinda sounds like the clarkson ferrari where they wanted him to put KY Gel around the targa to keep it from rattling, as I guess things havent changed that much lol

[@brianmoran.]

Brilliant review, honest, and straight up.

[@chrisaris8756]

Great review. Be interested to see a similar review of an F Pace on the garage channel. I have a P 400 and had a D300 before that. The 3 litre diesel was a peach even in its more highly tuned 300bhp form. Swapped for the 400 petrol because I do a lot of short journeys. I find a lot of the positives you say apply to the Jag too. That mild hybrid system is brilliant especially the stop/start - something I normally turn off. Mine has had some psychological problems following self generated computer updates, but the dealer has been very responsive. A really good car - why don’t more people buy them instead of German cars????

[@vinto34]

Just bought the 3 litre diesel 110 inline 6. Same colour as this..impressed with how nice it drives.

[@hedydd2]

Those prices include VAT of course and almost all farmers will be able to reclaim the 20% VAT on commercial vehicles such as this.

[@baronvonhoughton]

Like Harry explicitly mentioned.

[@hedydd2]

@@baronvonhoughton Yes, much later on in the video. Not when he was explaining the list price and its increase.

[@johnbrown3951]

What a car that is I did the Scottish Land Rover Experience afternoon session a tour of the Atholl Estate in the LWB in the snow in January up to 1200 Meters and it didn't slip a tyre anywhere but to be fair my Father in Law was in the Range Rover not Sport and it also matched our car. I very nearly bought my perfect one in that colour with roof rack side box ladder and snorkel but while we were looking over it and chatting to the salesman the couple who arrived after us just purchased it. In the end we bought an E Pace then took up fishing again and the Defender would have been useful but the rod rack looks good on the Black Jag. No regrets, no really!!!!

[@csmithy3057]

@John Brown Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@AdamCowming]

I used to work at JLR as a door setter. You mentioned the doors ALL models had issues with the left hand side. We had to refine the doors if they didn't close properly which mostly they didn't straight way. Apparently it's been an issue for many years though out their ranges because of the body geometry.

[@csmithy3057]

@Adam Cowming Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@DarkeEcosse555]

Very distinctive colour and looked great for towing the car trailer when I passed you on the M6 two weeks ago! Off to see Mr Tyrrell I guess! I was in the Exige and on my way back from a Harry inspired Alps trip - the Col de l'Iseran is a must do next time you visit! 👍

[@chasthechippie]

To sum up for a farmer that vehicle is neither use nor ornament. We ran Defender Utilities for years did what it said on the tin....now run Disco 4 commercials which will do anything you ask of it at a fraction of the cost of one of those. If Harry Metcalf the farmer cannot afford a Defender, then no farmer can.

[@lloydbrock2711]

As soon as you mentioned the noise of the door rubbers I couldn't stop hearing them!

[@andrewnorris5415]

I can see many of these cars starting life in Chelsea and ending up as farmer's cars. The off-road ability is amazing as is the base engine. Just a shame about the small loading hatch. But still.

[@jonrouse4987]

Thank you, Sir Harry! Very informative review. I’m in the States and am thinking about a D90 as a replacement for my Jeep Wrangler…you’ve convinced me to look a bit further. Cheers!

[@csmithy3057]

@John Rouse Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@williamdrijver4141]

That 12 month waiting list might do good things for the INEOS Grenadier.

[@markjohnson8352]

Thorough and honest. Thank you, Harry.

[@csmithy3057]

@Mark Johnson Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@CARLOS62B]

Great review Harry ... as a none driver I always enjoyed traveling in my Brother-in-laws Disco .. even when we were working at rallies .. but sadly it suffered an electrical failure at a rally and got burnt to nothing a few years ago. I always smile when I see the new Defender because it reminds me of a ginat Tonka toy .. but the design is growing on me. How about doing a review of your conbine as I would be really interested to learn about the price of running one and what all the parts cost.

[@rmzk1783]

This looks strikingly similar to the 7 seat Discovery and only slightly cheaper. If it is meant to compete with the Japanese and German Pickups then they better think again. The old version without the mod cons used to last ages, I doubt this would go beyond 10 years of rough use without falling apart.

[@philhawley1219]

A thorough review of the Defender.Looks like a useful vehicle. However I shall not buy one,£60K is a trifle dear. I'll stick with my 26 year old Discovery which cost me an initial outlay of just £600 about ten years ago. Not fast , but she is still a solid trouble free example of what a proper Land Rover is. Regularly used for farm and forestry work I can't think of anything that provides the same value for money. These imported pick ups are too soft and flabby,too long , too wide and generally an unpleasant vehicle off road.

[@matthewjames4268]

my 80 series landcruiser is solid axled with springs on 35" tires and is a smooth ride. While I'm a fan of Landrovers styling I can't bring myself to buy one after driving Toyotas for 20 years with 0 issues.

[@iconicon5642]

The problem with modern LED headlights on SUV's is that they are blinding as you approach from the other way.

[@JC-xw7ml]

I’ve got the 110, I’ve used it as a van for 2 years and 25000 miles, squeezing all my tools and materials in the back can be a bit tricky, and yes certain things are too plush for a work vehicle, but the comfort and drive of it is unparalleled to any other similar vehicle. A van in the week, and a comfortable refined car the wk ends (if you keep the inside clean) saved a fortune not having a separate transit (£35000!) Oh, and never had an issue with it, best vehicle I’ve ever had.

[@fenflyer]

Good review almost same conclusion I came to when returning a leased new Defender few months ago, last 10 years I have had 3x L322 TDV8' s as working tow vehicles and early TD6 L322 ( not good ) ,but unlike You I always seem to be returning to my old P38 for difficult heavy towing ? As an old P38 has everything a new air suspension Defender gives with amazing go anywhere towing and extremely comfortable long distance mile crunching ability an old P38 is better off road towing car than L322, an L322 always seems to get stuck towing in fields . An old P38 just tows as well as a new Defender at a fraction of the price 🇬🇧

[@rich7447]

If you are using a P38 for heavy towing I'm not really sure what your definition of heavy towing is. The maximum tow ball weight spec is only 150 kg. That would make 1500 kg the maximum that you can tow with any kind of stability (ie: 10% of trailer weight on the ball).

[@fenflyer]

@@rich7447 8000 Ibs

[@richardmahoney9415]

Even a base model Land Rover u make a interesting and cool review love the garage channel and even tho I live in Detroit in the USA I love your farming channel

[@naturshoot8448]

I think the Defender is a great vehicle, but I think the 12 month wait is more to do Land Rover's inability to build anything. I've had a D5 on order since April '21 and I'm pretty sure that's got nothing to do with demand. The 'stunts' LR are playing (and their dealers) frankly beggar belief, they really, really do not care, and is backed up by their 'offer' to sell you the car not at the list price it was ordered at, but at the stupid inflated 2nd hand price that's largely their own fault. When did they turn into a company that would take every opportunity for short term gain? For all the positive press they'll get from you their decision is frankly crazy IMO.

[@dennisharvey4499]

I understand that there is a worldwide shortage of parts to build any new car. New cars have a lot of new technology and it is that which is in short supply.

[@smorris12]

"When did they turn into a company that would take every opportunity for short term gain?" Having run Jags and Discos I've always suspected that their mindset has been "If we make this badly enough and it breaks then the customer will *have* to come back to us and buy a new one. Instead of thinking they'll sell up and go elsewhere.

[@Humancbr]

@@smorris12 As someone who used to have sell these things, you couldn’t have summed it up better. The arrogance of JLR is quite frankly mind-bending.

[@ewancook]

Silicone chip shortages are very real at the moment. They’ve got the car but not the chip to put in them, like Tesla. You unfortunately ordered just at the wrong time, although the shortages are supposed to be improving now. If you’ve tried to buy a GPU during Covid you’ll know this silicone shortage has affected any product with chips in.

[@terryatkinson899]

I'll never have the money to buy one of these but if I did I would buy a hilux or land cruiser.

[@ikkeennietjij]

This is really great to see! I just love to see someone that use a car for what it is meant for. To use it like a tractor instead of a show piece!!

[@WizzardPrang]

Great honest review, Harry. I've had mine for nearly 2 years now and I've no complaints. I wonder if you'd have been better off with the 110 in "civilian spec" - best of both worlds being able to drop the rear seats?

[@csmithy3057]

@Steve Bryant Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@ReddPepperVoiceActor]

Not for me Harry. A Ford pickup is my choice but was curious to watch your review as you always go into the nitty gritty details 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽. And as for you claiming to have never washed the Defender's exterior for the whole year since you've had it, then showing us the state of the clogged front grill , filthy vents and headlights (3 minutes 50 in) after enjoying it in an off road event, tells me someone else is cleaning it on the quiet for you 😂. It's definitely not made for good old rough and tumble practical work. IMHO. Most engaging review. Thank you for your efforts. 🥂

[@antonoat]

Great stuff Harry, that was a success then! I wonder if you’d be equally impressed with the Ineos Grenadier ?

[@MOSSFEEN]

Oh Harry wouldnt go near one of them as its NOT British

[@hughmarcus1]

He'd then go from a great engine to an engine designed for a car, that will frankly not stand the test of time in a workhorse 4x4. If you think the new Defender is overpriced the Grander is definitely £10-15k over priced.

[@evanjones2539]

​@@MOSSFEEN AFAIK.... It's made in Slovakia..!

[@anonanon7497]

Paid advert.

[@peopleschamp7258]

@@hughmarcus1 lot of misconceptions in your comment. The B58 was designed for all of their cars and SUV. It has ability to he tuned to run up to 1000hp with minimal changes. The point the engine has been around 5 years and it has been designed to be a workhorse no matter the style of use

[@IllHaveAnother37]

I agree about the headlights. Just had one replaced after 25,000 on mine. Took almost 2 months to get in. Still cannot get it aligned correctly. Saw a 2-door this weekend in Orlando. Driver side lamp out. Felt his pain.

[@pedrotheswift5937]

as always a great video Harry!.. might the problem have been a short wheelbase rather than the overhang?

[@rjnation5042]

I agree with you about the old Defender, as covid hit I started building one by the time lockdowns ended I had agreed to sell it without even picking it up, glad I got my money back on it too, Rj in Oz

[@greenzero3389]

What will LR think of you returning their brand new loner to them in that condition? Heck when I have one for a day they go over it like it's their first born. Will they invoice you for repairs ?

[@garyhilton6042]

Great review and overall vid, totally agree We've had a commercial for 2 years and I also have a 'REAL' 90. So impressed by the new defender, towing its effortless so much torque from the D200, I agree the steering feels vague by comparison and aye its expensive. Just traded ours and basically got what we paid for it 2.5 years ago which is insane. #

[@jonathanhowson6420]

No its not. Most farmers will go for a toyota hilux or something similar. They want a vehicle that works and is reliable. An electronic parking brake and air suspension has no place in a practical work environment. They are upper middle class family cars.

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

Every HGV has air suspension, seems to work just fine for them in a practical work environment, most new HGVs also now have electronic hand brakes, work just fine.

[@hughmarcus1]

@@Jabber-ig3iw Not to mention, superior for towing

[@jonathanhowson6420]

@@Jabber-ig3iw air suspension is a lot less reliable and a lot more expensive to fix than coils. After owning discoverys 1-4s I can say this with absolute confidence. And electronic parking brakes are fine, until they arnt, and then they are an unnecessary pain in the arse and £1500 to fix. They have failed multiple times on our D3 & 4 and are a weel known issue with land rovers. Every 5 years you are ripping apart the centre console to yank the release cable. When it comes to work vehicles, simple is better. Land Rover dont make work vehicles anymore. They make family people carriers designed to be on the road. In 2016 land rover killed the defender and the discovery. If they had put a discovery badge on the new pretender then it would make a lot more sense.

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Yep

[@wayne3078]

Great to see it been used in its natural habitat

[@gearoidol]

Firstly great review and fantastic channel.Have my 110 ht a year now and find it exceptional ,delighted to hear you mention the noisy door rubbers ,gummi fledge dressing helps alot , it is full of computer parts all week for my company and used fishing or transporting home a sika stag at the weekend ... Tried ordering another for next year but now missing the digital dash and larger display so have to wait until available again.I'm wondering if your particular lights were faulty as I find them very good , easily on par with our RR Velar .

[@hedydd2]

The back is not really suitable for carrying animals, live or dead. The soft furnishing at the side is chewable and the underfloor compartment is almost certain to fill up with body fluids. As Harry said, it hasn’t been very well thought out. By the way, the latch that holds the floor lid in place is almost certainly identical to the ones securing my bunded fuel station security doors closed.

[@gearoidol]

@@hedydd2 hi Huw, we use a deer tray ,more to save contamination of the carcass than protecting ones soft furnishings,works a treat !

[@hedydd2]

@@gearoidol At least the carcass should not chew the soft furnishings, although it might get c covered in snot and/or blood. must be small deer to fit in the tiny back of a Defender90.

[@gearoidol]

@@hedydd2 never tried getting one into a 90

[@nohedes]

I carry a very much alive dog in my 110 all the time not a HT so there are no soft furnishings in the load bay. Hope this helps!

[@ianmichaelbryant2643]

harry's review honest and excellent as always ... just one note regarding the jittery ride when towing, this is almost certainly due height of the hitch causing an instant battle with the tri-axle trailer putting tremedous stress on the rear springs .... note the still of Harry's Range Rover towing the same trailer with the much lower hitch with trailer and towing vehicle perfectly level...

[@andyjones8448]

I see a lot around but I don't buy into it for farm use. I think they are more an exercise in image than practicality.

[@andrewpass3721]

had my 110 for over 18 months now use it for work (forestry) and around our farm , its belting and it gets worked , best motor iv ever had very practical a lot more then any pickup iv ever had and iv had a few , yep its a bit flash but i dont care to be honest

[@andyjones8448]

@@andrewpass3721 I don't doubt that it will do work but with a price approaching £60k and with no more space than a Ford Focus with the back seat folder I struggle to see it as particular value at the price point. Thought the residuals may make the lease costs reasonable you're really going to suffer if you hand it back dinged and scratched and dirty after three years of farm use. Its very expensive for a runaround with a chainsaw vehicle.

[@andrewpass3721]

@@andyjones8448 I do see your point bud , I got my 110 just before the price went mental and got the vat back on it so was good for me , the towing capacity of the thing is way above the ranger wild tracks we had plus it’s ruggedness and it’s comfort blows any pickup out there into the wind , plus it’s easy to clean out no crap in the carpets because it’s all plastic and easily cleaned , but yep see your point with the price of them , I got rid of a pickup and a car for mine because it will do both jobs no bother though

[@andyjones8448]

@@andrewpass3721 well yes, I can see that if it's a one vehicle that can replace two then it works well. The low pound will mean global exports will go bonkers and keep used prices sky high for a good while yet. Glad for JLR as the J bit is struggling.

[@hedydd2]

@@andyjones8448 It’s built on the continent and just about the only major component that benefits from a low Pound is the engine that is British built. Trouble is, it has to be reimported into the Uk in fully built vehicles.

[@davidfarrish3768]

Harry. We had the same situation with our 2018 Cadillac XT5 at the end of the lease. It only had 36000km and the buyout was $24000C and the wholesale price was $33000 and retail $36 to 38000. Needless to say we bought to car. Crazy prices everywhere. Great video

[@haydne]

Great review, good car but far too expensive. I would get a pickup truck, hilux or dmax if I had a farm, which I don't, lol!

[@rich7447]

The smaller farm truck market here in Maryland is dominated by F350s and F450s with a lot of hay transportation being done with semi trucks. I can't think of a time when I saw a mid-size pickup being used for anything work related.

[@lennartcali4863]

Best Defender 90 hard top review on youtube

[@jpg6482]

I have a 110 and grew up on a farm. It’s no way a farm vehicle it’s a replacement for the old discovery. Great for occasional farm use though and pulling a trailer / family trips etc. not a day to day farm vehicle though / that’s a hilux or Similar

[@hedydd2]

Plenty of farmers have used LR90 hard tops over the years and are apparently happy even though they have always had a very very limited carrying capacity. I’ve always preferred the long wheelbase myself, particularly the HiCapacity pickup where a 600kg tote bag or a 1000 litre IBC or a big round bale would easily sit. The carrying capacity is surely important to most commercial users and that’s where a 110 to 140” wheelbase pickup truck scores, even with a four door cab.

[@jpg6482]

@@hedydd2 agree / that’s what we used prior to moving to a Hilux - high cap 110 defender pickup. That was a hardy farm defender!

[@PHILCHUDS]

@@jpg6482 Back in the early 80's Subaru pick ups were all the rage in Devon !

[@hedydd2]

@@jpg6482 I ran a hi-cap pickup naturally aspirated 2.5 110 for all of 22 years of really hard driving. You couldn’t but drive it hard with only 67hp to pull itself and, often, 3.5 tons towed behind. It basically wore out in the end and a broken piston sealed its fate. Every part of it was getting to end of life, apart from the chassis and bodywork which were good.

[@hedydd2]

@@PHILCHUDS I had one of those for a while. Nearly killed my father when an exhaust gasket failed and gave him carbon monoxide poisoning. It liked a drink and its brakes were completely unbalanced when new. The dealer wasn’t interested until I rang them up in a temper one day after the back brakes locked and nearly had me in a hedge. I threatened to report them to VOSA or DOT and to Subaru head office that minute if they didn’t get it sorted. They were out collecting it within an hour. They had all the parts in stock and had been paid to do a recall but they just pocketed the money and sat on it. They were more afraid of International Motors and Subaru finding out their dishonesty than of official government authorities. The idiots would have lost the franchise for sure.

[@rogerwatt8491]

Very interesting video, Harry. I'm a refugee from Harry's Garage and what you said about the car's useless headlights resonated with me as the high beam on my (now one year old) Subaru Crosstrek is also hardly distinguishable from low beam . . . indeed, it's actually worse as you lose light on the foreground because the fog lamps automatically go off when high beam is selected. Very frustrating as, when you're out of town here in British Columbia, it's pitch black and you really need good headlights.

[@notafanatic]

most farmers I know are rolling around in hiluxes or landcruisers, the only defenders I see are doing the school run.

[@MrBottomrung]

Snob value vanity vehicle!

[@Valisk]

@@MrBottomrung Aww! Point on the dolly where the naughty Land Rover touched you.

[@MrBottomrung]

@@Valisk snob value vanity vehicle driven and loved by snobs. Don’t feel alone there are plenty of you out there.

[@Valisk]

@@MrBottomrung Delicious! **chef's kiss** 🤣

[@MrBottomrung]

@@Valisk as long as you are happy little lad.

[@damienmills293]

Harry, chunky off road tires on the vast majority of SUV's are a fashion choice. I've run a LandCruiser and a Pajero (Shogun) for nearly 20 years all up. Been in all sorts of terrain including sand, rocks, flooded rivers serious Aussies outback tracks and have always had All Terrain tyres. I got bogged twice. Once in super soft sand on a tidal flat and once on a clay pan. We got out of the clay pan and were towed out of the tidal flat by a massive front end loader. If you look at what mine vehicles and farmers use in the Outback you will see they use All Terrain tires with tough side walls and an "open" tread pattern. Actually now I remember, we got bogged in river sand once with our 1500kg camper trailer on the back: stupidly took my foot off the loud pedal at the wrong time. Not a tyre issue, was a driver issue.

[@michaelarnold3330]

Thanks for your review. It looks like an overpriced creation worthy of Frankenstein, thrown together out of spare parts. The headlights and arm rests in the back did it for me. They just glossed over all the 'mistakes' with cladding. I guess this is why pickups are so popular as general workhorses.

[@csmithy3057]

@Michael Arnold Hi am Cindy Smith, how are you? Hope we can be friends..

[@straponsandstuff93r99]

Reminiscent of the original 110... Which was also built from spare parts from Range Rovers and Stage 1's

[@hugo8435]

I've owned the same Defender 90 Hardtop for 15 months. It replaced an L322 Td6 as a farm vehicle and the vast majority of comments in this excellent video reflect my experience - it is an impressive vehicle on-road and off-road, however, the one comment missing Harry is surely the incessant beeping? Opening and shutting gates entering fields, for example, is a fair testing of tempers, as the Defender beeps when you open the door to open a gate (even in P), continues beeping whilst you open the gate, even if the door being open is clear for all to see, and singlehandedly destroys the countryside peace! The L322 left you, the driver to make that judgement (in silence) whether it would be appropriate to leave a door open whilst opening a gate, or even drive with the door open through the open field gate, however the Defender apparently knows better than you and makes it's opinions heard. There are still times when I miss the quiet and simple old ways of the L322.

[@rescyn1190]

He has an extra seat belt fastener he leaves clipped in on his Land Rover when on the farm for the same reason. I think it's the Land rover anyway. It definitely for one of them to stop the beeping.

[@tractorhead971]

Designed by men experienced in the tough manly practicalities of hinging open their laptop.

[@nomoreheroes93]

Incredibly uneducated opinion, I worked with JLR for 5 years and they put loads of effort into the off-road side of things - it just has to be a car that serves multiple purposes otherwise they would've never even justified the business case to make it.

[@oldcargeezer]

Tractorhead971 Show me the better off-road vehicle you designed, and then l will consider your criticism of the Defender

[@br5145-v3m]

It’s ok that you can’t afford it…just move on

[@horsenuts1831]

While I'd love a new Defender, the old one had charm. I recall the time we did the London to Brighton bike ride and left my old 1962 Series IIA in Brighton overnight so that we could drive back with the bikes. The old Series IIA carried three of us with three bikes inside with space to spare. I'm looking at the new one and thinking it won't carry anything internally. Still, it will go a hell of a lot faster than 55mph. Perhaps the best thing is to own both versions.

[@anonanon7497]

Surely having a bigger load is more helpful than going over 55mph, on a farm. It's a real shame that theyve2done this to such an iconic vehicle.

[@gmurrayf]

I came to same conclusion. Fantastic vehicle but way too expensive for a farm runabout and not as practical as a truck.

[@MOSSFEEN]

A neighbour of mine runs a Cattle Mart every Tuesday (Sheep) & Thursday (Cattle) and to look in the car park, 90% of the cars are Toyota LandCruisers or HiLux. The rest run Isuzu Troopers or a Dmax. No defenders out this way and I dont know one farmer who has one either. Ive asked a few farmers about the Defender and all came back with much the same answer There Shite more for Posing than for Working