Highlights
- MoT until October 2022
- Fitted with Land Rover’s versatile and clean 122bhp TD5 turbo-diesel
- Range-topping XS trim level boasts numerous luxuries
The Appeal
Until its much-mourned demise in 2016, the Land Rover Defender represented a reassuring continuity of tradition in the British motor industry, preserving all the best qualities of the original Land Rover but bringing them up to date as and when possible. A direct descendant of the original Land Rover of 1948, it appeared in 1983 as a superficially similar replacement to the old Series Land Rovers, but with a vastly more modern and sophisticated engineering and equipment.
With a 33-year production run, the Defender itself was, of course, subject to numerous upgrades over the course of time, one of the most significant of which was the introduction of the 2½-litre Td5 turbo-diesel engine in 1998. Introduced as a cleaner diesel to meet new incoming emissions regulations, it was also 11bhp more powerful than the old Tdi engines, and was met with an almost universally positive reception. The only detractors tended to be those who felt the more complicated engine electrics would be prone to failure, but with time it became apparent that such was not the case at all, and the Td5 quickly established a reputation for capability and reliability.
This short-wheelbase Defender 90 represents a fantastic example of a Td5 Defender. While still as rugged as any classic Land Rover, being the top-of-the-line XS trim level means that it comes with a lot of welcome refinements as standard, including half-leather upholstery, electric windows, carpeted floors, CD player, heated seats, heated screen and air-conditioning. Having been used and enjoyed over the last four years by a classic Land Rover enthusiast as a faithful daily-driver, it is now offered for sale as he wants to try running an older Series Land Rover on daily-driver duties.
The History and Paperwork
- Supplied new by Ripon Land Rover of Hutton Bank, Ripon, North Yorkshire, to one Joyce H. Kimberly on 23rd February 2003
- Six owners from new
- Purchased by the vendor in August 2018 and used as reliable day-to-day transport
- Paperwork includes the current V5, a selection of MoT certificates and recent invoices, plus the original owner’s wallet containing the Service, Warranty and Assistance book
- The Land Rover’s current MoT is valid until 6th October 2022
The Interior
- Extremely well-equipped in top-of-the-line XS trim
- Clean and attractively presented with minimal wear
- Four folding seats in the rear
Anyone familiar with classic Land Rovers knows that the interiors are typically pretty Spartan affairs, which is a quality most enthusiasts love. However, that’s not to say a few luxuries can’t be appreciated, and the XS Defender treats its passengers to a little extra comfort without sacrificing the rugged simplicity which is a part of its charm. Standard features of the XS included heated half-leather seats, carpets, air conditioning, electric windows, a CD player and heated screen, and that’s before buyers started ticking the option boxes. This example comes equipped with a sunroof.
All the interior is very well-presented after almost 20 years of faithful service, with only a little bit of cosmetic wear to give away its age. For the most part, it has been kept very clean and has obviously been looked after. There is just some light cosmetic wear on the steering wheel and the driver’s seat has one very small tear and a little split at one of the seams, plus a few small splits in the leather, but all the other seats are very good indeed.
In the rear, the capacious load area contains four folding seats, providing transport for up to six passengers in total, and, as with the rest of the car, all appears in superb order. The seats, carpets and headlining are all in nice, clean condition, with no damage, just some nicely aged leather. Being such a Spartan car, there’s little else to comment on, except to say that everything really is as good as it looks and that, to the best of our knowledge and true to the Defender’s reputation, all the little electrical luxuries remain in full working order.
The Exterior
- Very handsomely finished in Java Black
- Stylish touches include Boost alloy wheels, mesh grille and bull bar
- Practically equipped with XS side protection rails and tow bar
Looking very businesslike in its straight black paint, this Defender has withstood the rough-and-tumble of the past 20 years extremely well. All the paint, wheels, trim and accessories remain in excellent order with only minimal superficial wear. There are a few small scratches and bubbles appearing under the paint, but these are not numerous or extensive by any means, and who worries about a little scratch on a Land Rover anyway?
Unfortunately, there is one instance of bodywork damage which may be a little difficult to repair – a small dent on the corner of the offside front wing, regrettably administered by some motoring menace’s car door. You can believe us when we say it is very small, though, and unless you look at the car as closely as we did, it will almost certainly evade your notice. Of course, the black paint helps with disguising it.
Unfortunately, there is one instance of bodywork damage which may be a little difficult to repair – a small dent on the corner of the offside front wing, regrettably administered by some motoring menace’s car door. You can believe us when we say it is very small, though, and unless you look at the car as closely as we did, it will almost certainly evade your notice. Of course, the black paint helps with disguising it.
Everything else looks great. The Boost alloy wheels are all in very good condition with only some mild superficial wear. The same might be said of the bumpers, which have a few insignificant cosmetic imperfections, but everything in the way of trim, like the grille, bull bar, headlight surrounds, door handles and so on, is all splendid. All the glass is in excellent condition, too.
Underneath, the chassis rails and floors look extremely solid. While there is a spot of visible corrosion on the rearmost chassis crossmember, we do not believe this compromises the Defender’s structural integrity and it was not raised as an issue at the last MoT. All in all, this Land Rover looks perfectly fit for going bounding over fields and traversing remote country trails, or doing just about whatever you want to do in it.
The Mechanics
- Fitted with the celebrated Td5 turbo-diesel
- ABS and electronic traction control standard equipment on the XS
- Starts, runs and drives beautifully
To paraphrase Lytton’s Richelieu, ‘In the lexicon of the Td5 engine, there is no such word as fail’. That may explain why this Defender is still going so well even after a 20-year working life. We have experienced it on the road and can only heap praise upon it – it drives beautifully, feels quick and smooth and any bumps in the road tend to pass by unfelt. Few engines have a reputation for reliability quite like the Td5, but this example just goes to demonstrate that such a reputation is extremely well-deserved.
The engine bay is a tidy affair and everything under the bonnet appears to be in visibly good condition.
A small collection of invoices indicates that the car has not been neglected or taken for granted by the present owner. The MoT record shows that it has been maintained and well cared-for, passing its 2019 and 2020 MoTs with no advisories.
The 2021 MoT highlighted a few advisories and minor defects, which you may wish to nip in the bud, but there are no major faults and what there is should be straightforward and inexpensive to put right. As it is, the Defender is all good to go for immediate use, but with those few minor defects remedied we’ve no doubts at all that it will still be going strong for years to come.
The 2021 MoT highlighted a few advisories and minor defects, which you may wish to nip in the bud, but there are no major faults and what there is should be straightforward and inexpensive to put right. As it is, the Defender is all good to go for immediate use, but with those few minor defects remedied we’ve no doubts at all that it will still be going strong for years to come.
The Summary
The Land Rover Defender is rightly regarded as a modern classic on account of its blend of classic styling with modern technology, and what could be a better one to own but the luxury XS model with the ultra-dependable Td5 engine?
This example is very fine indeed, having obviously been well cared-for over the course of its life both cosmetically and mechanically. Still looking excellent, despite its age the engine still feels as lively as a young impala, and with only minimal expenditure to address the ‘minor defects’, we think this Defender could be your friend for life.
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