1994 Land Rover Defender 300tdi 110 review from UK and Ireland

Rear cross member and drivers side outrigger required replacement at 120000 miles due to rust.

Battery lasted 90000 miles/10 years.

Prop shaft UJ failed badly at 130000 miles (cheap to replace)

Leaking fuel tank replaced with rear cross member.

Front bumper rusted through at 140000, replaced from ebay for 22GBP.

The ultimate functional vehicle that will do everything except race round a track.

Easy and cheap to fix but very tough and reliable.

Comfort is okay but over very long distances it is not as good as a car. The heater is pathetically weak along with it's demisting qualities. I carry a rag in the cab. The cab also leaks in the rain but this is normal for most Defender and Series Land Rovers - I'm used to it now.

Mine is a 1994, 300Tdi non-cat version which is the best of the bunch. No cat means a complete exhaust for about 120GBP. Non genuine parts are abundant and very cheap and I've had no problems using them from a Land Rover specialist. I do 95% of my own maintenance and repair and it's easy - but you'll need a hammer.

My landy is a family car and used for everything including towing a large caravan and carrying bicycles on the roof. Heavily laden, it is not fast, but it will go anywhere and return about 24mpg with about 30mpg possible under lighter use. That is pretty good for a 2.2 ton vehicle. I don't drive it hard because it is pointless - it just drinks a lot more diesel.

Town/city work is possible but often height restrictions stop car park use. The power steering makes handling easy but beware the poor turning circle of such a large vehicle.