Land Rover Defender 110 (90-06) - Review

Side-facing seats in station wagon versions are more emergency seats than anything, but when folded they give the Defender 110 more cargo capacity than a large estate car. Interior storage also includes a useful box between the two front seats. Double-cab version is not as useful as mainstream rivals with more compromised rear seats and load bay.

Airbags, three-point rear seatbelts and stability control are all items the Defender does without. The part-time rear seats are fitted with lap belts, and the Defender comes with ABS and remote central locking on County models upwards (an option combined with electric front windows on the entry level car). Most customers would expect more than this for the price. Security on double-cab models compromised with canvas cover.

Not only is the Defender relatively expensive to buy new options to try to create a more car-like driving environment can also be expensive. Add to that less than 27mpg on the combined cycle for the 110 and it doesn't appear cheap to run. The 110 has a larger fuel tank than the 90 which although it wouldn't make any difference to the cost it would mean longer between fill-ups. However, insurance groups are modest (group 10 for the Station Wagon) and residual values surprisingly strong.

Some Defenders are affected with problems, whether mechanical or electrical, but a high proportion of all the Defenders built are still on the roads and are relied upon to keep going in some of the harshest conditions in the world.